Everflame

 

Title: Everflame by Dylan Lees Peters
Media: E-book: Kindle
Rating 4 out of 5 stars

Recommendation: I would highly recommend this novel for anyone who enjoys a great fantasy novel.  It is a great story of finding oneself and their abilities.

Everflame is an epic fantasy about a world that lost sight of where they came.  Four beings known as the ancients created humans to be the defender of the world and the creatures which inhabit it.  When the ancients are chased away by a being known as the Great Tyrant, the humans lose sight of their creatures and accept lies from the Tyrant as truth.

While hunting in the woods two bears came across a small human child who had been abandoned by his people.  The bears decide to go against regulations of the kingdom and raise the boy, naming him Evercloud.  Rumors regarding the return of the ancients reach the bear kingdom, and they decide to send Whiteclw, Evercloud, and Eveneye to discover if these rumors are indeed true.  This could mean saving the world has grown to love as well as the world he knows nothing about.  While the group looks for evidence of the Ancients, another sets out to spread the lies of the Great Tyrant.  Evercloud must discover the courage within himself to protect his home, but there is a chance he could succumb to the darkness that looms across the land.

I devoured this book like it was chocolate cake.   I wasn't sure what to expect from the novel. I was weary of the idea about a boy being raised by bears, but Peters does an excellent job with the story.  Evercloud has some bear-like qualities reflected in his actions which would come from being raised by them, but he is also wholly human which is reflected in his emotions and thoughts.  We see Evercloud evolving throughout the story as he begins to discover who he truly is and where is his place in this world.

The story moved along at a easy pace, not too fast, not too slow.  With the right amount of action, even the most hard core of action lovers would enjoy the battle scenes within this novel.  Some of the battles aren't physical, but also internal emotional battles.  There was a fantastic balance between the two.  Peters takes a tale from his dreams, puts it down to words and creates a story readers are captivated by.  His details are done well; he doesn't drone on about the minor things nor does he forget the bigger scale of things.  Everything in the story is perfectly balanced.

The story kept me interested all the way to the end which leaves off with a cliff-hanger.  This was a slight disappointment as there was no resolution to the story Peters began.  I understand there is a second book in the series, and I am very interested in reading it.  But the story could have come to a close with a resolution and still set the stage for further novels.  This is the reason for the rating of 4 rather than 5 stars.

**** Special addition:  read an interview with Dylan Peters here.

Planet Urth

Title: Planet Urth by Jennifer and Christopher Martucci
Media Source: e-book: Nook
Rating 3 out of 5 stars

Recommendation:  I would recommend this novel for anyone who enjoys a post apocalyptic stories and stories of survival.

Planet Urth is a novel written by Jennifer and Christopher Martucci.  It is a post apocalyptic novel that takes place on Earth after a biological war.  The plants, animals, and humans have mutated into something hideous.  Avery and her younger sister June have survived for 6 years on their own.  When a herd of Urthmen and Lurkers threaten their safety, the girls need to decide the next steps they must take in order to survive.

Avery watched as the Urthmen killed her mother.  Avery, her sister June and their father managed to escape the mutated humans only to spend the next several years surviving in the woods. Their father passed away leaving Avery to care for her sister and ensure no harm comes to them.  One day while out hunting for food, Avery comes across another family of humans.  Her hopes rise, but as she heads back to her cave, she was attacked by a couple of Urthmen, gets tangled in a mysterious creature's web, and chased by the Lurkers (creatures that hunt at night, making sundown a dangerous time of day).  The Lurkers have discovered the girls' hiding spot and mark it in order to return.  As Avery returns to warn the family of humans they are attacked by the Urthmen.  No where in the woods is safe anymore and the group now must find another place to hide, hopefully a place with more humans.

The premise for the book is a great idea, but the execution of it is lacking.  The idea of a teenage girl trying to survive in a world unfamiliar to them.  Avery is a strong character with natural flaws that come with being a teenage girl.  There isn't much development with Avery, and very little with June other than her trying to hunt big enough game to feed both her and Avery.  This book has a lot of backstory and emotions throughout it.    The climax of the story happens to close to the end for there to be any satisfaction for the readers.  It sets the stage for the novels that come next in the series, and I do hope they get better in the progression of the story.   It is very slow moving and focuses a great deal on descriptions, and minute details.  In a story where the only humans are Avery and her sister, it seems there won't be much to the story, and as the story progresses the reader continues to feel that way.  That is until Avery stumbles across the other humans, the Urthman and the Lurkers.  Personally, there should have been more suspense earlier in the novel such as something happening with the Lurkers or something.  There needed to be more meat to the story.

Little Sparrow: Kiowa in Love

Title: Little Sparrow: Kiowa in Love by R.A Winter
Media: e:book: Nook
Rating 4 out of 5
Recommendation: I recommend this novel for anyone who enjoys a good romance that focuses on the relationship rather than "physical intimacy".

Karen is the epitome of a workaholic; she spends all her time at the office with little time for anything else.  When her mother finds out she has 3 weeks worth of vacation, she either uses or loses she demands that Karen spend the vacation time at home during Thanksgiving.  On her way home, Karen continues to run into Richard who is also on his way to spend time with a relative.  Throughout the course of their time together the discover feelings and spend an amazing couple of days together until a snow storms breaks.  Quickly they find out there are complications that bar them from being together.  In the following weeks, Karen is forced to face issues she struggles to forget and learns who she truly is.  Will Karen come back to her roots? Or will she keep running away?

This was a fantastic book to read.  It was refreshing to read a novel that actually focused on the building of a relationship rather than jumping into bed together all the time.  I really enjoyed that Richard took the time to get to know and understand Karen's family and culture.  That is something that is lacking in other romantic novels.  Others focus too much on the sexual aspect whereas Little Sparrow focuses on the time spent getting to one another, the thrill of a first (or second) kiss, the way your heart races just being close to that person.  Those elements are what make for a good romance novel and RA hits the nail on the head with her novel.

The various Native American elements added a special quality to the novel.  It helped give a perspective into a different culture.  I thoroughly enjoyed the Native American side of the First Thanksgiving story as well as all the cultural elements.  I thought it was funny that Karen's family were testing Richard the whole time!  Oh what would I do if my mother was asking a gentleman caller all kinds of sexual questions!  I am blushing just thinking about!

Darkest Craving

Title: Darkest Craving by Gena Showalter  (book 10 in the Lord of the Underworld Series)
Media Source: Paperback
Rating 3.5 out of 5

Darkest Craving the 10th book in the Lords of the Underworld series by Gena Showalter.  It is a paranormal romance novel that follows the story of Kane: Keeper of disaster.  Wherever he goes disaster strikes, either to himself or those around him.

Kane is the keeper of Disaster, and he wants nothing more than to rid of the demon.  He longs for love, but anytime he gets close to a woman his demon acts up.  Whenever Disaster is "hungry" or upset he causes disaster to happen all around Kane.  Josephina is a member of the royal Fae family, well partly a member.  She desperately wants to be rid of her family and the life she lives in the Fae Kingdom.  She rescues Kane from the depths of Hell in hopes of convincing him to kill her.  Little did she expect to fall for the handsome Lord.  Kane struggles to avoid the Fate's prediction that he would cause the apocalypse, as well as marrying the keeper of Irresponsibility as he wants Josephina (aka Tinker Bell).  A whirlwind tale of romance and adventure erupts from the very beginning and continues until the end.

Gena Showalter is a compelling storyteller, but this novel does not display her talent as well as the others.  She takes the mythology of Pandora's box and weaves it into her own tales with the Lords of the Underworld.  She continues that with Kane's story.  We had glimpses of Kane throughout the previous novels, glimpses that made readers want his story and to see how his demon effects him as we've seen the other demons reacting in other books.  I was surprised Disaster reacted significantly different than some of the other demons in the previous books.  In the past the demons in the books acted out towards the Keeper, such as Reyes needed to harm himself rather than the people around him harming others, but with Disaster (and also Disease: Torin) the demon not only acts out towards him but others around him.  Which makes sense that he could possibly be the bringer of the apocalypse.

In this book we are introduced to some more mythical creatures such as the phoenix as well as Fae.  As with the legend of Pandora's Box, Gena Showalter makes the creatures her own.  I especially enjoyed the idea of each Fae having a different power rather than everyone having the same one.  In Jospehina's case she had two, one she could project herself to a different place while remaining in another, two with a touch she could take on the powers of the person she touches.  My inner geek immediately thought of Rogue from X-Men, so that is the image I now have of Josephina.  I thought this power would have been used in a different way throughout the story, but what Showalter does with it and how it is used was unexpected. 

Throughout the book, the story diverges to discuss some of the other Lords, briefly introducing us to their stories such as Torin and Cameo.  It is almost like a little teaser, giving readers a taste of what's to come in their books.  Smart movie Showalter!  We also get a small glimpse of another Sent One towards the end. A Sent One is kind of like an angel, but not entirely.  Something else Showalter makes her own.  After seeing a Sent One or two in previous, I want more from them.  I want to read their stories; could that possibly be her plans for the future?  One can only hope. These side characters are what helped bring the rating up slightly.  The character development of Kane and Josephina were highly lacking, if anything they backtracked.  The Fae started out a this kick ass woman who stole the powers of a phoenix, but then regressed into the victim mentality unwilling to fight for herself because she was afraid of the consequences.  Didn't seem like the Tinker Bell we met in the beginning.  And Kane, he seems to be the weakest of the Lords.  While the others find ways to control their demons, Kane allows his demon to control him even to the point of changing his eyes as the demon comes to the surface.  Is there a reason for this?

While there were points during the novel where the story seemed to slow down in pace and just drag on, or moments which seemed a little too cliché, this was a phenomenal book.  I enjoy everything I have read from this author and Darkest Craving was no different.  While I look forward to her next book I am a little weary about how well written it would be.  Hopefully I won't be too disappointed.

Recommendation: Darkest Craving is a paranormal romance novel.  It satisfies the craving for more from the Lords, as well as slight romance and adventure.

The Scarlet Crane

Title: Scarlet Crane by J.E Hopkins
Media Source: E-book: Kindle
Rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars

Recommendation:  There is a lot about the book that is predictable and needed to be smoothed out a little more.

Dr. Beniot and partner Stony Hill are investigating the death of another agent, an agent sent to China to investigate the disappearance of children across the world.  The children being kidnapped have one thing in common they are all approaching the period of time of one month at the onset of puberty where they can perform magic.  But there is one deadly catch, if the magic is not unique enough, the child will die.   There are rumors about an organization using these children in an experiment as war weapons.  The investigation takes the team all across Asia trying to find answers to their questions.

This was an interesting and unique story.  Intermixed with the story about the investigation were stories of children trying to use transition magic for one reason or another.  Most of the time the children's requests were not unique enough, which makes the readers wonder what would make it unique enough for the children to survive?  Is it in the wording they use and how is it decided whether or not the request is unique?  Despite those questions and more the novel does a great job at describing everything down to the scenes where everything takes place.  There are moments when what happens seems predictable and slow going.  The novel does take a while to pick up pace, some of the characters even seem to be a little bit predictable, but that seems to add a quality to the novel.  Hopkins weaves a tale of intrigue.  Some questions do arise throughout the novel like what will happen to the kids who use magic and survive, will they be able to use it past that one month? 

The characters are one dimensional.  There isn't much back story to any of the characters, what is the background to Stony and Benoit?  Why is he reluctant to work with her?  We get a small glimpse into the personal life of Stony and Akina, but it seems out of place and inappropriate for the storyline.  Then as the novel progresses readers wonder why Akina is involved in the conference calls, what is her role in the program?  However there are moments throughout the novel when readers anticipate what will happen next and can't wait to find out if Scarlet Crane succeeds in their experiments, if one child performs the ceremony correctly to use magic or if Beniot and Stony will be able to find out the truth behind Crane and other programs like it.  While there are things about the novel that bring the rating down lower than some other books, it does have good aspects to it and is an enjoyable read.  It is a novel that can take your mind off of everyday stress and allow you to escape into a different world.  Give it a try you might like it better than I did.

Suicide Forest

Title: Suicide Forest by Jeremy Bates
Media Source: Ebook - Kindle
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Recommendation:  Such a creepy story, don't read it at night.  I highly suggest this novel to anyone who enjoys a great folklore and creepy story.

 Aokigahara forest lies just outside of Tokyo.  Several travels expecting to hike Mt. Fuji get stranded by the rain and decide to camp out in  Aokigahara instead.  They learn the legend of  Aokigahara forest being a popular site for people to commit suicide.  Many in the group decide they do not want to spend the night, while others don't believe the legends and convince everyone to spend one night in the forest.  They walk off the trail deep into the forest to find a good spot, and notice there is no sign of life, not even birds chirping.  The next morning one of their group members is found hanging in a tree.  The try to find their way out only to get lost deeper into the forest.  While they try to work together, personal feelings and emotions begin to get in the way.  Will they be able to find their way out, will they survive the legend of Suicide Forest?

Jeremy Bates does a phenomenal job at writing a spell binding story.  I honestly could not put this book down.  The story unfolds through Ethan's eyes, an American living in Japan teaching English.  His backstory is slowly unraveled throughout his interactions with other members of the group, as well as their stories.  The story is told at a steady pace, with the group responding to their situations according to their personalities.  Bates takes the time to use things at add a cultural sense to the story with his descriptions of music, food even reading material as well as Tomo's (a psychology major) language and attempts with American slang.  While the group come from various different backgrounds, they all share thoughts about suicide or even death, which is revealed throughout the novel.  Not that they think about committing it per say but rather their individual thoughts on the subject.  Suicide Forest holds intrigue for each person, and as the story unfolds it holds intrigue for the reader as well.  One which may cause the reader to contemplate their thoughts on the subject as well (again not thoughts on performing the act, but general thoughts).

There are several twists and turns leading up the to climax of the story which will take readers off guard.  This is definitely a book that is NOT predictable.  The shocking end to this story will leave readers not only satisfied with the story, but also pondering who the real monsters are.  There is always some sense of truth to every legend.  Jeremy Bates takes folk lore and makes it his own.  He adds his own touch to the truth behind Suicide Forest.  The story really drags you in and holds you captive until the very end.  Then it leaves readers craving more from this exceptional author, I know I want more. 

Water for Elephants

Title: Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
Media Source: Paperback
Rating 4 out of 5 stars

Recommendation:  I highly recommend reading the novel rather than watching the movie.  This novel is captivating and full of action.

Jacob Jankowski is a 93 (or 90 he can't remember which) old man content with his life in the nursing home in which he lives.  Memories of his past have been shoved back into the recesses of his mind.  That is until one day a circus begins setting up in the lot across the road.  He begins to remember the events that led up to him climbing aboard a passing train only to realize the train housed the Benzini Brother's Most Spectacular Show on Earth.  He finds himself the veterinarian for the show as well as learning what it truly means to work in the world of circus performers.  A world that is both salvation on hell on earth.    The show takes on a elephant who cannot perform and steals lemonade.  Marlena (the star of the equestrian act), Augustus (director of the animals) and Jacob must come up with an act for Rosie to perform with Marlena. 

I devoured this book in one day, that is how spectacular it is.  I could not put it down.  The is so well crafted that the reader can picture everything happening before their eyes.  I particularly enjoyed having the story flawlessly going back and forth between present day and his memories.  It added a certain quality to the book and  kept as a reminder that he tried so hard to forget everything that happened.  Gruen weaves a tale of intrigue, love, humor and distress.  She creates characters that remain with the readers long after they finish reading the novel.  Jacob is the most loveable character as well as Rosie.  One couldn't help but laugh when readers find out that Rosie stole lemonade.  When Walter looses his dog Queenie, your heart breaks for him and rejoices when she is returned to him.

The story depicts the bond and love between animal and human as well as hatred that can form when the animal is not treated properly.   The novel also depicts the social hierarchy of circus performers and circus workers.  This is one of those novels that can be read time and time again and still be entertaining.  There was a movie made based off the novel, and honestly the novel is far better than the movie.

This Time Together

Title: This Time Together by Carol Burnett
Media: Print: Paperback
Rating 5 stars

Recommendation:  I cannot recommend this book enough, it was wonderful to read.

I grew up watching the Carol Burnett Show and Mama's Family.  Carol quickly became one of my all time favorite actresses.  On each show she was funny, had command of the stage, and just had this presence about her that made her audience simply love her.  When I stumbled across her book, I needed to get it and read it.  And I loved every minute of it.  Her book discusses her time in show business from meeting Jimmy Stewart who was her inspiration to her show and the friendships she made during that time.  Each anecdote takes you back in time to when each even occurred.  She reminisces about the times spent with her friends as well as the sadness's she endured as well. 

I gobbled this book up and finished it within a day.  As she was on the stage, she is class and beauty throughout her novel.  As I was reading it, I could hear her unique voice telling each of these stories. Everyone she speaks about, she speaks with respect and admiration for, she never once says a mean word about anyone.  Once again showing her class and dignity. It was a pleasure getting to read these stories, now I need to get her other memoirs, as well as those written by some of my other favorite actors and actresses.  Pick up this book today.

Devil's Grasp

Title: The Devil's Grasp by Chris Pisano and Brian Koscienski
Media: Print; Paperback
Rating 5 out of 5 stars

Long ago an evil wizard enchanted 5 gemstone, granting them different powers to call forth and control various demons.  This wizard is defeated during battle and the gems hidden across the earth so no one can use their powers again.  Presently the kingdom of Albathia is in danger of war from Tsinel.  The king sends his oldest son on a quest to find these gems in order to use their powers to defeat the invading army.  As the prince hunts for the gems so is a group of thieves, a band of wizards and an unlikely group consisting of a troll, hobgoblin, orc and a satyr.  Each group have no inclination of the turmoil
and hardships they will face while on this quest.

This is the third book that I have read by these two and I have to say it is one of my favorites.  There is a lot of action, surprise and even a little bit of romance.  The authors created characters readers get attached and want to see more of.  It starts off with a bard telling two of the groups about the stones and selling them maps to the stone and thus the adventure begins.  One of my favorite parts involved a cave of mirrors that if touched one gets sucked into the mirror, it is a creepy image but an amazing way to describe a trap for the stone.  These two do a phenomenal job at weaving their tale together.  There are some characters I wanted more of such the dragon and rabbit who guarded the Spirit Stone, such an unlikely pair, but make for a little bit of comic relief in their parts they are in.   There are some questions left unanswered, but those could be answered in another book possibly?

Something I thought was a nice touch was the wizards didn't have limitless power.  In some other fantasy novels wizards and magic users seem to have unending power, where-as in this novel they needed added elements to complete their spells.  If they didn't have those ingredients then the spell could not be cast.  This is just one element of the novel that sets it apart from other fantasy novels.  It also had a Dragonlance Saga feel to it, I am not sure why.  There is a lot that happens in this novel, a lot that should happen in this novel.

When the story ends one cannot help but wonder, "is this truly the end?"

Recommendation:  This needs to be added to any fantasy lover's shelf.  It is a great novel with fantastic writing.  I cannot wait for more from this team.

Everybody Has A Story

Everybody has a Story: Audrey Lewis
Media: Ebook: Nook
Rating 3.5 out 5 stars

This book is a collection of stories that focus on human behavior and the impact of life events, memories and experiences.  The stories range from displaying the frailties of human behaviors and the shortcomings we may have, the struggles some people go through as well as stories with hope and inspiration.  There didn't seem to be a connection between the stories.  It just goes from one story to another with a poem or artwork in between.  Each of the stories are nothing like what they seem.  They tells powerful stores of human behavior and actions.  One tends to wonder how they would react in the same situations.

One of the creepier stories, and probably my favorite one is "Closet" where a mother struggles with connecting with her daughter so seems too disconnected.  The daughter, Lexi, acts and makes statements that scare her mother who is unsure of how to act or react.  Quickly find out the true intentions of why Lexi experiments with bugs and nerve gas.  It is an incredibly interesting tale Lewis weaves.  Other stories like "Have You Heard Her Sing"  are beautiful tales of finding beauty in the most unexpected places.  Audrey Lewis does a wonderful job with this collection and I hope to read more from her.

Recommendation:  I would recommend this to someone who enjoys short stories and intense feelings involved in the stories.

Miss Fortune

Miss Fortune: Albina Hume
Media: E-book: Nook
Rating 4 out of 5 stars

Recommendation:  If you enjoy memoirs and life stories.  Would I return to it?  Probably not, memoirs are not my go to read, but I did enjoy reading this one.  Albina has a voice that resonates off the page.

All Albina Hume wanted was to either hide her inability to pronounce the letter “R” or correct it.  Never did she think her inability would take her down the paths that it did.  She struggled to find ways to hide her mispronunciation including trying to learn English.  Her journey begins with her fear of being unable to find love and get married because a boy in her class called her a “crow” and in her mind ‘who would want to marry a crow?’  This instills her fear of the inability to pronounce R words.  That fear takes her down many roads including a pyramid beauty business, strip clubs, even a prison cell for 51 days.  She encounters con men, unhealthy relationships, endangering friendships, and more.  Everything she goes through drives her force to find her dreams, yet she is held back by her fears.  Once she releases those fears, the possibility for her dreams become endless.

From the very beginning, in the prologue, Albina pulls at the readers’ emotions as she describes her excitement for her wedding.  While reading readers can’t help but also wonder what significance the day has until she reveals it is on the same date she was raped 10 years prior.  She mentions this incident early on in the story giving the impression, the book will have something to do with overcoming it and the emotions related to the act.  But once readers get to that point, it is done and over with and she moves on to something else.  With that being said the rest of the books keeps readers mystified as Albina struggles with her inability to pronounce the letter ‘R’, to being conned into travelling to Greece illegally, and even being in jail for several days among other things.  Despite everything the story is that of a woman who overcomes all her struggles, all the bumps and bruises of life to find all her dreams coming true.  

The tone of the book is very casual as if the author is speaking to a close personal friend; this allows the reader to feel connected with her and her story.  It is a touching tale of a woman struggling to find the happiness we all long for.  Her quest for this happiness causes her to make decisions based on impulse and desire.  She hops from one relationship to another looking for love it isn't until she meets Abelardo and his desire to NOT have children does she look out for her own desires.  She then gets introduced to the man who will become her husband.  Her journey is not an easy one, it is filled with trials, and heartache.