Z-Bot by S. C. Mitchell

September 18, 2018 By 9 Comments


Z-Bot by S. C. Mitchell
Publisher: Soul Mate Publishing
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Length: Full Length (239 pgs)
Heat Level: Hot
Rating: 4 stars
Review by Rose

Chris Johnson never really started living until he died. Orphaned, fostered, and drifting through life, the twenty-seven year old programmer had no family, little money, and few friends. But he also had no enemies. So, who the hell killed him? After an experimental process brings him back from the dead as a zombiebot, he gets the chance to find out.
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Heather Logan’s latest process uses nanobots to reanimate a corpse. Half robot, half something raised from the dead, Chris is her first successful resuscitation. Questions abound. What is it? Is it truly alive, a machine, or some kind of zombie-hybrid?

But someone wants to steal Heather’s secret process and put her out of the picture permanently. Chris, with his new superpowers, is the only thing standing between Heather and an assassin’s bullet. Is he enough of a hero to save her?

This is the first book in the author’s Xi Force series and it is scorching – in more ways than one! I loved the concept and could so see this as a Netflix or HBO series.

The characters were very cool… you have a female scientist who has developed the nano-technology to bring people back to life as “zombie robots”, a really hot guy who is the subject of her experiments, and a lot of good old fashioned action (not to mention the hot sex). And, it’s the perfect set up for the new series.

I loved the way the story is told from both Chris and Heather’s points of view… it allowed for some very entertaining moments. A nice light touch in a book that’s otherwise filled with non-stop action. I’m looking forward to reading the rest of the books in the series. Good job, Mr. Mitchell.

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

The Masterpiece by Fiona Davis

September 17, 2018 By Leave a Comment


The Masterpiece by Fiona Davis
Publisher: Dutton
Genre: Action/Adventure, Historical
Length: Full Length (347 pgs)
Heat Level: Sensual
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Aloe

For the nearly nine million people who live in New York City, Grand Central Terminal is a crown jewel, a masterpiece of design. But for Clara Darden and Virginia Clay, it represents something quite different.

For Clara, the terminal is the stepping stone to her future, which she is certain will shine as the brightly as the constellations on the main concourse ceiling. It is 1928, and twenty-five-year-old Clara is teaching at the lauded Grand Central School of Art. A talented illustrator, she has dreams of creating cover art for Vogue, but not even the prestige of the school can override the public’s disdain for a “woman artist.” Brash, fiery, confident, and single-minded–even while juggling the affections of two men, a wealthy would-be poet and a brilliant experimental painter–Clara is determined to achieve every creative success. But she and her bohemian friends have no idea that they’ll soon be blindsided by the looming Great Depression, an insatiable monster with the power to destroy the entire art scene. And even poverty and hunger will do little to prepare Clara for the greater tragedy yet to come.

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Grand Central Terminal has an art school. It was active in the late 1920’s and Clara was the only female teacher. She taught illustrations but she found her department head didn’t think much of them. Or of her if she was being honest…

Women have always been viewed as less worthy in the work world. Men are confident and aggressive and they need the money for their families. That doesn’t mean Clara is going to give up.

The author offers you historical facts about Grand Central and the artists which makes the story intriguing and interesting. Her writing style draws you in and keeps you reading. Even if you’ve never seen the terminal, you feel like you know it.

Clara is torn between two men and two forms of artistry. Her life is not easy. Fame comes and goes and she loses the things and people she loves, but she doesn’t give up. She never expected to meet a woman fifty years later that can help her save that which is almost lost.

Virginia is an interesting character. She’s lost her husband, is trying to find a job she can handle, and her life is confused. Put her together with Clara and you have a real mess.

This story sounds so much like life really is. Nothing goes along smoothly, the women have trouble getting along, and the general theme is never give up. This author teaches you as she takes along the ride of life. This was a very satisfying read despite the sadness interspersed.

Filed Under: Mainstream Fiction, Reviews Tagged With: , , , , , ,

My Lady Jane by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton and Jodi Meadows

September 17, 2018 By 1 Comment


My Lady Jane by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton and Jodi Meadows
Publisher: Harper Teen
Genre: Historical, Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Length: Full Length (491 pgs)
Age Recommendation: 14+
Rating: 4.5 stars
Reviewed by Poinsettia

In My Lady Jane, coauthors Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows have created a one-of-a-kind YA fantasy in the tradition of The Princess Bride, featuring a reluctant king, an even more reluctant queen, a noble steed, and only a passing resemblance to actual history—because sometimes history needs a little help.

At sixteen, Lady Jane Grey is about to be married off to a stranger and caught up in a conspiracy to rob her cousin, King Edward, of his throne. But those trifling problems aren’t for Jane to worry about. Jane gets to be Queen of England.

Like that could go wrong.

My Lady Jane is definitely not a story you’ve read in any history book!

When I first picked up My Lady Jane, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I knew it was supposed to be a humorous, alternate history version of the story of Lady Jane Grey, but since the reality of her story is far from funny I had no idea how this could work. My curiosity was piqued, and I eagerly dove in with an open mind.
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My Lady Jane is told from three viewpoints, Jane, Gifford (or G as he prefers to be called), and Edward. The switches between each character are clearly marked and never confusing. Telling the story from multiple viewpoints kept the plot moving along at a great pace. In fact, I found it hard to put the book down. Each time I finished a section I couldn’t help but keep reading to see what one of the other characters were up to.

I love the authors’ sense of humor. At times it is witty, absurd, or even tinged with a bit of seriousness.

“I asked him to change back to talk to me, but he won’t,” Jane said. “It’s disrespectful to remain a horse in the bedchamber, I should think.”

Desperate to console her he almost considered shouting, “Quick, someone get her a book! Any book!”

Quotes like these kept me giggling as I read. It takes skill to maintain a consistent level of humor throughout a book, and the authors’ do this well. It never once felt forced or overdone. Even the periodic interjections from the narrators were well timed and spaced and always entertaining.

Despite this tale being very funny, the plot is compelling. I cared about Jane, G, and Edward and could see real character growth in all three of them. Jane and G were a great couple. To say their relationship got off to a rough start is an understatement, but this made watching them slowly shift from animosity to friendship, and finally love all the more satisfying.

I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the magic of the Eðians as this is a key element in the story. Eðians have the ability to turn into animals. Shape shifting appears to be an inherited trait, but what sort of animal a person becomes seems to be individual, meaning members of the same family wouldn’t necessarily all turn into the same animal. It was so much fun to see not only who turned out to be an Eðian, but also what animal they changed into. The final Eðian reveal is priceless!

My Lady Jane far exceeded my expectations! I highly recommend this delightful book to anyone looking for a lighthearted tale full of comedy, romance, and magic.

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

Magic Flame by Sara Dobie Bauer, Em Shotwell and Wendy Sparrow

September 17, 2018 By Leave a Comment


Magic Flame by Sara Dobie Bauer, Em Shotwell and Wendy Sparrow
Enchanted Series Book 3
Publisher: Pen and Kink Publishing
Genre: Contemporary, Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Length: Full length (257 pages)
Heat Level: Sweet
Rating:
Reviewed by Orchid

The third and final installment of the Enchanted series — a trio of trilogies by three amazing romance writers. These stories all have two things in common: magic and romance! “All’s Fair in Love, War and Demigods” by Wendy Sparrow: Allie Mason isn’t what Donovan Rowe was expecting from a demigoddess of love. Touchy-feely she is not. But just because she is able to drop him to the mat but doesn’t mean he’s right for her–she needs someone less battle-scarred and jaded. However, Allie has other ideas. While a matching site may have set them up, Allie is sure demigod of war Donovan is who she wants. He’s not getting away without a fight and all’s fair in love, war, and claiming your demigod. “These Resting Bones” by Em Shotwell: New Orleans college student Bradley Murphey works hard to blend into the background, which is easier said than done when you are descended from a cursed line of witches. After helping her sisters cast spells (with questionable results) Bradley would be happy to never work magic again, but when she accidentally kills a man she has no choice but to turn to her hottie best friend and her family’s cursed magic for help. But every spell has a price, and sometimes it is best to let dead things rot… “Destiny’s Dark Light Part III” by Sara Dobie Bauer: The love story of Cyan and Liam comes to its enchanted end. With the identity of the dreaded dark witch revealed, both Cyan and Liam must find ways to deal with the ramifications. War approaches at an ever-increasing pace. Dark witches and white will soon battle on the streets of Charleston. Still, Cyan remains focused on the man she’s come to love. She is destined to protect Liam, but how can she keep him safe and save the world when her powers are barely under control?

Three magical stories in one book.
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All’s Fair in Love, War and Demigods – a story which tells how demigods and demigoddesses must find their other half before their magic kills them. In this particular story the demigoddess has two demigods after her which causes problems.

These Resing Bones – three sisters who are not very well versed in magic. Two of them have already had spells go drastically wrong and when the youngest kills the man who tries to rape her, they have to pray this time the spell will work.

Destiny’s Dark Light – Part Three. This tale has an unexpected twist in it when the good guy turns bad. The Dorcha is the leader of the dark magic and the Loach is the leader of the light magic. Unfortunately for both sides they’ve fallen in love.

All three of these stories show different sides of magic and all are captivating. The first one was mystical but with spirit (as in gumption) and drew me from beginning to end without waiting for a break. The second was a bit confusing in parts, but I guess if you’d read the other stories in the series it would have made sense. Still caught the attention and held on though.

Destiny’s Dark Light: Part Three was well written and didn’t depend on me having read the previous parts to understand what was going on. It also had a few unexpected twists to it so was thoroughly enjoyable.

All three kept my attention and I read one a day and enjoyed each one.

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

Alphaland by Cristina Jurado

September 17, 2018 By Leave a Comment


Alphaland by Cristina Jurado
Publisher: Nevsky Books
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Horror, Paranormal, Contemporary
Length: Short Story (126 pages)
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Award-winning short story writer Cristina Jurado’s first collection in English is filled with the idea of the other: different lives that take place at the corners of our eyes, just out of sight. The boundaries between the real and the unreal have never before been so porous, or so fragile. Alien sex-goddesses feed off venal politicians; people have their memories wiped and their personalities changed – for a fee; a vision of the champing jaws of hell accompanies a death in the family. These six stories are six different worlds, and introduce into the English-speaking market a fascinating new author of speculative fiction.

Not everything is as simple as it might appear to be at first glance.

The main character in “Vanth” asked his campaign manager to hire a prostitute for him. When she arrived at his hotel room, he had no idea what was about to happen to him. I found the plot hard to follow due to how often it shifted from one scene to the next and how few details there were about who the characters were. Even their names weren’t mentioned. There was also a scene about a young boy in the woods included very early on that I had trouble connecting to everything that happened after it. While I did come up with a theory about how all of those sections fit together, I would have liked to have a few more clues about what was going on and if my guess was correct.
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After a sudden accident in “Inchworm,” an astronaut woke up to discover that his body was connected to many different tubes and other devices that were keeping him alive. He needed to figure out what had happened to him while also attempting to achieve the goals he’d been sent out into space to pursue. I adored the plot twists in this tale. Not only were there several great ones, the clues for all of them were released so gradually that I was able to spend plenty of time coming up with theories about what had happened to the astronaut and how someone who had been so healthy could suddenly be barely clinging to life.

“Alice” showed what happened to a woman named Alice after she woke up from a medical procedure designed to erase all of her memories of her past. She was determined to find out what she’d decided to forget but had no idea where to begin. I was fascinated by the thought of someone trying to remember a life they’d purposefully chosen to leave behind in such a dramatic fashion, but I did wonder why the clinic would allow a patient to wake up with such an unquenchable desire for this information. It seemed counter-productive, and it was never clear to me why this side effect would be allowed to persist by medical professionals that had the amazing ability to delete specific memories from someone’s mind without harming other ones.

Death was an unavoidable topic in “Second Death of the Father.” The protagonist stood vigil at her father’s deathbed and then had to deal with her conflicting feelings about the turbulent relationship she’d had with him when he was alive. I appreciated all of the details the narrator shared about her father’s absence from her life. Her anger and disappointment at being created by someone who was so uninterested in parenting his own child or getting to know who she was as an adult felt incredibly realistic. It also gave her some pretty understandable reasons for reacting to the later plot developments the way she did.

It took me a little while to get into “The Shepherd” because of how vague the narrator was about what was happening in their lives and what sort of creatures they were hunting. As soon as I figured out these details, though, I couldn’t wait to find out if their hunt would be successful. The world building was handled nicely, especially when it came to gradually revealing more and more information about how this society worked and why the audience wasn’t told certain things about it right away.

The protagonist in “Alphaland” was someone whose dreams were capable of coming back as hallucinations during the day when they were awake. As intrigued as I was by the premise, so little time was spent describing how such an ability could negatively affect someone’s life that I had trouble connecting with the main character. It would have been nice to see more examples of what happened to them when a nightmare they’d experienced one night returned again the next day when they least expected it.

Alphaland was a well-written and thought-provoking collection of short stories that I’d recommend to anyone who enjoys modern science fiction.

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

Paper Son: Lee’s Journey to America by Helen Foster James

September 14, 2018 By Leave a Comment


Paper Son: Lee’s Journey to America by Helen Foster James
Tales of Young Americans
Publisher: Sleeping Bear Press
Genre: Childrens, Historical
Length: Short Story (32 pages)
Age Recommendation: 6+
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

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Travelling halfway across the world alone would be a little scary for anyone. This is even more true for someone who is a child.

I can’t imagine sending a kid on this sort of journey by himself, especially since Lee didn’t speak any English when he arrived in the United States. Comparing the way children were treated in the 1920s to how most of them are looked after today was eye-opening. No adults looked after this character while he was headed to America or for his turn to go through customs and immigration. He had to figure just about all out by himself. The world has changed quite a bit over the past 90 years, and this was an intriguing look at one of the many shifts that have taken place since then.

It would have been nice to have a little more attention paid to the train and boat Lee rode on his way to America. Those seemed like they would have been the most memorable parts of his trip to his new home, so I was surprised by how quickly the narrator skimmed over those sections. This is a minor criticism of a tale I liked quite a bit in general, though.

Lee was such a brave character. No matter what happened to him during his travels, he always remained calm and tried to remember the instructions his grandparents had given him before he left China. I was impressed by how good his memory was for those things and how closely he followed all of their rules. He was a great role model for his readers.

Paper Son: Lee’s Journey to America kept me reading until the end. I’d recommend it to anyone who is interested in history.

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

Smugglers and Scones by Morgan C Talbot

September 11, 2018 By Leave a Comment


Smugglers and Scones by Morgan C Talbot
Publisher: Red Adept Publishing
Genre: Mystery/Suspense, Contemporary
Length: Full Length (222 pgs)
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Snowdrop

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Such a fun book. This is Book 1 of a series titled “Moorehaven Mysteries”. A totally different take on mysteries and books. A B&B for authors only. Can you imagine inheriting an old Victorian previously owned by a famous author? A place full of mysteries and research sources for writers to use. It would be like being in reading heaven. I wanted to go there before I had read a third of the book. Plus, it has very interesting characters, people you’d like to meet. Each with his or her own distinct personality.

Can you tell I enjoyed this book thoroughly? I really did. It was light, easy to read, and yet definitely kept my attention. An original storyline with all the parts of a cozy added in; even a secret group called Glaze and Gossip. If you are wondering if this somehow involves donuts or possibly scones, you are correct. Maybe that’s why I liked this book so much…the food. But seriously even though every breakfast at the Moorehaven B&B made me hungry, I enjoyed this book because it was a page turner and well-written. It had depth and feeling.

As you can see, I loved every bit of the parts about authors and books and it all made me want for another book. Years ago, when I directed a choir I would always tell the singers that the secret to a good performance was to get off the stage with the audience still hoping they’d get to hear more. The same is true here, write a book where the reader can’t wait for another one. Morgan Talbot sure achieved this.

I noticed Book 2 is out and I’m going for it as soon as I can. I also noticed that she has another fiction series that must come from a hobby of hers, geocaching. The series is titled “Caching Out”. Better check on it too.

Filed Under: Mystery/Suspense, Reviews Tagged With: , , , , ,

The Incredible Aunty Awesomesauce by J.S. Frankel

September 10, 2018 By 2 Comments


The Incredible Aunty Awesomesauce by J.S. Frankel
Publisher: Devine Destinies
Genre: Young Adult/Middle Grade, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Action/Adventure, Contemporary
Length: Full Length (294 pages)
Age Recommendation: 14+
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Sam Aushumness, sixteen, orphan and high school outcast, meets his long-lost aunt at his parents’ funeral—or the woman he thinks is his aunt. It turns out that she isn’t his aunt, isn’t from around here, and isn’t even from this galaxy.

It seems the person masquerading as his aunt is a refugee from a faraway world, and she’s being pursued by a small band of mercenaries who have been hired to bring her back dead or alive—preferably dead.

Secrets have to be kept, and only Sam and his girlfriend, Kym Kim, know who Aunty Aushumness—nickname Aunty Awesomesauce—really is.
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However, the secret soon gets out, and soon the mercenaries, the police, and every branch of the government are on the hunt to find Aunty Awesomesauce, what she knows, and what secrets she carries.

Aunty A, though, isn’t one to back down from a fight, and when push comes to shove, the mercenaries find out how bad she can be.

Not every alien is a little green man.

The world building was fabulous. I especially appreciated how much time the narrator spent describing what Aunt Aushumness’ home planet was like. There were a lot of details about the various creatures that called that place home that made it easy to imagine how that world was both similar to and different from Earth. Having all of this information also meant that I couldn’t wait to see what would happen when humans and aliens began to interact with each other. There were so many opportunities to show what this sort of thing would be like, and Mr. Frankel took advantage of all of them in order to make the setting and characters come alive in my imagination.

There were some mild pacing issues. I noticed them about halfway through this tale, and they popped up here and there until the characters began moving towards the ending. While they weren’t serious, I would have liked to see the middle section move as quickly as the beginning and end did. I would have selected a much higher rating if this hadn’t occurred.

Sam was an interesting and well-developed character. He didn’t always know what would be the right thing to say or do in an unusual situation, and he dealt with a lot of unusual situations in this book. The fact that he occasionally struggled with this made him quite relatable to me. I liked the fact that he behaved so much like an ordinary person while being involved in such extraordinary events.

I’d recommend The Incredible Aunty Awesomesauce to anyone who is in the mood for an adventure.

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

Can Hens Give Milk? by Joan Betty Stuchner

September 10, 2018 By Leave a Comment


Can Hens Give Milk? by Joan Betty Stuchner
Publisher: Orca Books Publishers
Genre: Childrens, Historical
Length: Short Story (32 pages)
Age Recommendation: 6+
Rating: 4.5 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Tova lives with her family on a small farm in the famous town of Chelm, a mythical village populated, according to Jewish folklore, by fools. Tova’s farm has hens and even a rooster, but no cow. Her mother, Rivka, wishes they could afford to buy a cow, so they could have fresh milk and butter every day. One night Tova’s father has a dream about how to get milk without actually owning a cow. He asks Tova to help him find a way to get milk from their hens, and the results are hilarious. Finally, to the family’s joy and the hens’ relief, the problem is solved by none other than the wise Rabbi of Chelm himself, and a little extra help from Tova.

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This was one of the funniest stories I’ve read in ages. The thought of coaxing chickens to start producing milk was as amusing as the various methods the characters came up with to make their plan work. I couldn’t stop giggling as I waited to find out if they’d find a way to make this plan work. The more I read, the more amusing this whole scheme became as I learned more about it.

There was only one minor tweak I would have liked to see made to the plot, and it had to do with how the father, Shlomo, came up with his plan to persuade their chickens to start lactating. It would have been nice for the narrator to spend a little more time explaining why the dad thought this solution would work. In no way did my slight confusion over this matter prevent me from enjoying the rest of the storyline, but it did make me pause long enough that I thought I should mention it in this review.

The ending was delightful. Not only did it wrap up the main conflict beautifully, it left room for the possibility of a sequel. I don’t know if the author is planning to write one, but I’d sure be interested in seeing the idea discussed in the final scene be developed into its own tale if Ms. Stuchner ever decides to revisit these characters. As satisfied as I was with how things left off, there was room left for development here in a very good way as well.

I’d heartily recommend Can Hens Give Milk? to young and old readers alike. There was something for everyone in this tale.

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