Book Reviews

Unique (Power Series Book Two) by Starr Z. Davies

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Just like Ordinary, the first book of the Power Series, Unique by Starr Z. Davies was a fast-paced, page-turning story filled with action and fighting. The fight scenes are not gruesome in any way.

Ugene returns in this book, still battling Paragon because of their immoral and illegal activities as they continue to mislead the people of Epis. Still one of the few without a super power, Ugene shows over and over again that he can be just as formidable an opponent as anyone with a super power.

Ugene connects with each of his friends in a special way, and it was enjoyable to watch as their relationships developed, especially his relationships with Enid and Celeste, the most interesting character and the most unique relationship of all.

The ending of Unique was bittersweet and solid.

One thing I would like to point out is that in Ordinary, Ms. Davies very briefly mentioned that one of the characters had been in a gay relationship. In Unique, these two characters are reunited. However, the relationship is a very minor part of the book and really has very little to do with the storyline, and the only affection exchanged by the two is a hug.

Once again, I received an ebook copy of Unique by Starr Z. Davies for my honest review, and once again, I was not disappointed as I pushed my bedtime to the last possible minute each night because I didn’t want to stop reading. Unique also gets a 5 star rating from me.

Mercy’s Refuge by Rita Gerlach

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Mercy's Refuge by [Rita Gerlach]

Another historical romantic fiction story, Mercy’s Refuge by Rita Gerlach takes the reader back to 1620. This book was inspired by William Bradford’s ‘Of Plymouth Plantation’.

Many of the characters in this novel are based on real life individuals, some of whom were Pilgrims who traveled to America on the Mayflower. However, the main character, Mercy McCrea is a fictional character, who interacts with other fictional characters, as well as the characters based on real people, especially while sailing on the Mayflower.

Mercy’s Refuge is a wonderful story that takes the reader back in time, first to England, then as danger threatens Mercy’s life, to Holland, where she finds comfort and acceptance among the Separatists who fled England’s king, and eventually, aboard the Mayflower to sail to the New World — America.

Rita Gerlach’s rich descriptions and accomplished storytelling draw the reader in to join Mercy’s journey through heartbreak and danger to love and refuge.

I have been a Rita Gerlach fan for about three years now. Historical Romantic Fiction is my favorite genre and Rita Gerlach is one of the best Historical Romantic Fiction writers I read. If you are a Historical Romantic Fiction reader, I highly recommend Mercy’s Refuge. Not only are Ms. Gerlach’s descriptions rich and her storytelling outstanding, but her characters are well developed, and her books do not rely on profanity or explicit sexual scenes to tell the wonderful stories she does.

I purchased this book for my own collection and chose to write my honest review without a request by the author or anyone representing her.

Ordinary (Powers Book 1) by Starr Z. Davies

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Ordinary (Powers, #1)

Is Ugene a superhero without a super power, has he not discovered his power yet, or does something else make him a superhero? That’s what Paragon wants to know, so Ugene is admitted for testing, because in Elpis being powerless gets you harassed, bullied, and labeled as an outcast.

Ordinary by Starr Z. Davies is a combination fantasy, sci-fi, mystery story. Ordinary arrested my attention from the very beginning and held my attention in an unrelenting grip until the very end. Starr Davies’s characters are well-developed and Ugene is easy to relate to. Ms. Davies’s characters have an interesting array of powers.

As tensions build, questions unfold: who can Ugene trust? Who is telling the truth and who is lying? What is real and what is simulation?

The story was a fast-paced, mysterious, ride with plenty of action. I couldn’t put this book down, and when I had to, I couldn’t wait to pick it up again. At the end, I wasn’t disappointed nor left hanging, but I definitely can’t wait to dig into the next book in the “Powers” trilogy.

If this is what Starr Z. Davies has to offer her readers in her debut novel, I believe we can expect great things from her in future novels. I now count myself a fan of Starr Z. Davies and look forward, not only to finishing the reading of the “Powers” trilogy, but in reading whatever follows.

I highly recommend Ordinary to fantasy, sci-fi, and mystery readers from 5th grade through adult.

As a Book Reviewer, I was given an ebook copy of Ordinary for my honest review, and I give Ordinary by Starr Z. Davies 5 stars.

Festival of the Azure Moon by Larnce Hicks

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Festival of the Azure Moon: An Epic Fantasy Adventure (The Portal Mage Saga Book 1) by [Larnce Hicks]

As a Book Reviewer, I received a free copy of Festival of the Azure Moon by Larnce Hicks for my honest review.

Festival of the Azure Moon by Larnce Hicks is a fantasy story that is nonstop action, adventure, and battles. This book is well written, has fascinating characters, and includes lots of magic. It is the first book of “The Portal Mage” saga and has a striking cover.

The first two main characters introduced in the pages of Festival of the Azure Moon are referred to as the “bad guys” as they are breaking laws and being hunted down for their crimes. However, the way that Mr. Hicks chose to portray them endeared them to this reader and had me cheering for them. As the story progresses, battles ensue between these outlaws and their hunters. The stakes get higher and more sinister characters are revealed as the plot thickens.

The wonderfully created variety of characters, the adventure, explanations of the magic performed, and the battles held my attention from the very first page to the last. An occasional twist surprised me and one or two had me biting my knuckles.

I recommend Festival of the Azure Moon to all fans of fantasy stories that take place in well-developed worlds and that are packed with magic and all of the other exciting items I’ve already mentioned, as well as some unexpected twists and turns.

Though this is the first book of a series, the ending resolves enough and leaves a hint of more to come in a way that leaves the reader satisfied yet eager for the next book

Festival of the Azure Moon, in my opinion, is written for teen to adults due to some inappropriate language and crude comments scattered throughout, as well as some very descriptive and gory fight scenes. There is also mild reference to LGBTQ, but it is a very minor part of the story that never becomes a central focus and is tastefully written, and I did not find it offensive.

I give Festival of the Azure Moon 5 stars.

Unfettered Journey by Gary Bengier

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Unfettered Journey by [Gary F. Bengier]

As a Book Reviewer, I received an ebook copy of Unfettered Journey by Gary Bengier free for my honest review.

Unfettered Journey by Gary Bengier is declared a speculative fiction story. However, I would consider it more of a literary fiction story.

In all honesty, I found the Unfettered Journey to be a very long book, and I didn’t really become engaged with the story until the final third, where the author wrote the bulk of the action and where my emotions also became engaged.

In the first two thirds of the book, the reader and Joe, the main character, spend a lot of time in Joe’s thoughts. Joe works with robots and spends a lot of time wondering if it’s possible to make AI more human-like. He talks with a lot of other techie people and the reader is fully immersed in technology, science, and philosophy. Eventually Joe meets Evie, a rebel, whom he becomes very involved with.

When Joe and Evie are banished from the world they know, they face new challenges. In their new environment, with their new challenges, I found the story more engaging, but still lacking in action.

Unfettered Journey is very well written, and, though it isn’t the type of story I usually read, I was interested in the characters enough to keep me reading, though not like “I couldn’t put it down”. Even the writing about technology was interesting to me. I was invested in Joe, and eventually Evie, enough to want to read the entire book. I highly recommend this book to those who really enjoy literary stories and technology, and I give Unfettered Journey four stars.

Against Blood by Jack King

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Against Blood (A Detective Cliff Husto Thriller Book 2) by [Jack King]

About the Book:

Against Blood by Jack King is the second of his mystery series that has Detective Cliff Husto on the case. This time, Detective Husto is faced with a web of conspiracies and vendettas entangling Desert Storm veterans suffering from PTSD, a group of Islamic college students on the path to radicalization, and hard-line racist American nationalists.

My Review:

Just like Beyond Blood, Jack King’s first Detective Cliff Husto novel, Against Blood’s first few chapters introduce a lot of characters in a lot of settings, so Detective Husto readers need to be alert. However, after the first few chapters, it becomes clear that all of these characters in all of these settings are connected, and in this case, are all set in Houston, Texas.

As much as I enjoyed Jack’s first book, Beyond Blood, I was delighted to see improvements in Jack’s writing in Against Blood. Where I struggled to care about the characters in his first novel, there were certain characters in this story that I understood, cared for and rooted for right from the start. Of course, there were also a couple characters that I wanted to see get what was coming to them.

Just as in Jack King’s first Detective Husto novel, Against Blood kept me turning pages and held me in suspense as I tried to determine who the murderer was before reaching the end of the book.

One of my favorite things about Jack’s Detective Husto novels is that they have short chapters that are fast paced, and each one leaves the reader wanting more. Each lures the reader to keep reading. I’d reach the end of a chapter and think, “aw, the chapters are short. I have time for one more,” which then became one more and one more and one more.

I have to admit, there were times where I caught myself holding my breath as I read and waited to see what was going to happen in the suspenseful scene I was fully engaged in. Jack kept me guessing as to who the killer was almost to the very end. I changed my mind a couple times as new evidence seemed to point to someone else – exactly the kind of mystery I enjoy most.

I will caution readers that there is some profanity sprinkled in parts of the book, and of course, there is violence. However, the violence isn’t graphic or overdone. It is tastefully done.

If you enjoy a good, fast-paced, suspenseful mystery and a likeable, intelligent detective on the case, you will enjoy Jack King’s Detective Husto stories. Either story can be read alone and it doesn’t really matter which one you read first.

I give Against Blood 5 stars, and I look forward to more Detective Husto mysteries from Jack King.

Lander’s Choice by C. S. Wachter

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As a reviewer, I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Lander’s Choice, the sequel to Lander’s Legacy by C. S. Wachter is a great read! C. S. Wachter stories improve with each book she writes.

About the Book:

Lander’s Legacy was a great read, but Lander’s Choice is even better. Lander, Castor, Desma, Becky, and Michael remain in the Core under the control of the men who partnered with Aurelius Hunt sixteen years ago and have risen to power over the people of the core. As they are taken on a kind of tour of the Core, Lander notices that the people have been segregated into communities of “gifted”, those with special powers who get to rule and keep order over the communities of the “ungifted”, those with no special powers who are treated as slaves. Soon, Lander is separated from all of his friends because he is “gifted” and they are not. Lander is torn between his mother’s words about him helping to bring peace to the Core and his loyalty to his friends.

My Review:

C. S. Wachter does a great job of showing Lander’s internal struggle between his feelings for Becky and his loyalty to her and Michael along with the promise to get them back to the Surface, and his desire to learn more about this beautiful and unusual place that he came from and his mother’s words that he would play a part in bringing peace back to the Core.

The story is filled with adventure, struggle, and suspense as Lander and his friends are often in danger and Lander is forced to “play along” with the “gifted” until he can come up with a plan to try to make everything right. There are battles and lost lives. There are emotional struggles. There are twists and surprises.

C. S. Wachter grabbed my attention on page one and held it in a tight grip until the end of the very last page. I couldn’t stop reading until I knew if Lander would succeed in making difficult choices and succeeding in the things he most wanted to accomplish. And, in the end, would he choose to remain in the Core or return to the Surface? And what would happen between him and Becky?

The characters C. S. Wachter created in this two book set were well developed and endeared themselves to my heart. Even the bad guys had some redeeming qualities, which was a refreshing change from the norm.

So far, I have read every book that C. S. Wachter has written and I have not been disappointed, but I have to say that Lander’s Choice is my favorite, and I can’t wait to see what she writes next because this two book series, though still fantasy, is very different from her first longer series, “The Seven Words Series”. It will be fun to see how different her next story will be.

Lander’s Legacy and Lander’s Choice are appropriate for middle grade, YA, and Adult readers who enjoy fantasy adventure stories.

I give this book 5 stars.

No Place to Hide by Opa Hysea Wise

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No Place to Hide Book Cover.png

As a reviewer, I received a request for an honest review and an ebook copy of No Place to Hide by Opa Hysea Wise.

About the Book:

This book is advertised as a riveting page-turner, a suspenseful page-turner, and a thrilling fast-paced new mystery. It also mentions that Smythe, the main character, seeks to find meaning in the events that threaten her life, and that she uses her past experience to find meaning in her present, and she begins to see beauty in the midst of chaos.

My Review:

This was not a riveting, fast-past, thrilling page-turner. There were a few moments of suspense, but the action was not well written or descriptive enough to create substantial suspense. Yet there were in depth detailed descriptions of rooms. The majority of the book covers Smythe’s internal struggles and includes mostly narrative and dialogue.

The mystery begins the story, then is left out, for the most part, until the last third of the book. However, the mystery is never resolved to my satisfaction.

I found the majority of the story repetitive and slow-paced. It was also filled with a lot of New Age and Eastern Mysticism ideas. It mentions Christianity in a critical light and pretty much dismisses it.

A lesbian relationship begins to develop between Smythe and her hired protector. Thankfully, the author didn’t make this a main point or present it in detail.

There were several places where the author changed character point-of-view without any warning and I found myself having to go back and reread one to three paragraphs to figure out whose point-of-view I was reading.

Therefore, in conclusion, I was mostly disappointed with this story, and I give it three stars.

Best Foot Forward by Bea Stevens

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Best Foot Forward by Bea Stevens

About the Book:

Best Foot Forward is the first book in the “Liberty Lawrence” series by Bea Stevens. Liberty, or “Libby” as most of her friends call her, is the main character of this series of books. In Best Foot Forward, Libby lives and works in a large hotel. The story is told in her point of view in first person. Libby experiences many mishaps in the story and finds herself in the middle of a mystery. She is also obsessed with shoes, especially designer shoes.

My Review:

I’m not a fan of books written in first person. However, for Best Foot Forward by Bea Stevens, the first person point of view works well, both for Ms. Stevens’ writing style, and Liberty Lawrence’s personality and the story itself, as it adds to the quirkiness of the character.

Best Foot Forward is a unique mystery story, as it is a combination of a romantic comedy and cozy mystery. In the beginning of the story, I found Libby to be a bit self-absorbed and prone to self-pity. However, as the story moved along and Libby’s character developed, she became quite endearing as she suffered embarrassing mishaps, and showed a sensitivity and empathy toward other characters who were going through personal difficulties.

The story was believable and it was easy to relate to Libby’s feelings in regard to her love life. I found myself smiling at some of Libby’s mishaps and thoughts. She also warmed my heart in the care, concern, and help she offered to others. I also enjoyed the relationship that has begun between Libby and Police Sergeant James Harper.

The one thing I think was a bit overboard was the profanity. I’m not a fan of books with profanity, and often, the author wrote Libby’s thoughts and ended them with an exclaimed profane word, which I didn’t feel was necessary or added anything to the story. However, I am thankful that the author tended to stick to mild profane words, but still would have preferred fewer of them.

This book was a fun, entertaining read.

I give this book 4 stars.

Bell Hammers: The True Folk Tale of Little Egypt by Lancelot Schaubert

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Bell Hammers: The True Folk Tale of Little Egypt, Illinois by [Lancelot Schaubert]

Bell Hammers: The True Folk Tale of Little Egypt

by Lancelot Schaubert

About the Book:

Remmy and Beth grow up in Bellhammer, Illinois during the time that oil and coal companies rob the land, stripping if of everything that made it paradise.

Remmy’s Grandad teaches him how to pull outrageous pranks on his neighbors, friends, and foes. Under his Daddy’s guidance he starts a construction company, which depends on contracts from the Texarco Oil Company.

Remmy has a fascination with “Robin Hood”, castles, and a round table. He builds his on band of “merry men” carpenters.

Then a faulty Texarco Oil derrick falls down on their house and poisons their neighborhood’s well.

When Texarco refuses to take responsibility for the poisoned well, Remmy hatches a plan that results in one prank after another, until he and his merry men pull the “world’s greatest prank”.

My Review:

Remmy is an endearing character, whom I cared about and rooted for from the very beginning of the story. His quirky personality was often humorous.

Lancelot Schaubert’s writing took the reader into the past and spanned the life of Remmy in Bellhammer, Illinois from 1941 through 2012. His writing brought clear feelings of nostalgia to the reader. Remmy and Beth took the reader back to simpler times that showed no times were without their troubles. The author did an excellent job capturing the dialogue of the time and area as well.

Remmy also often spoke to the “Good Lord” in ways that sometimes seemed to mock God. He also heard the “Good Lord” speak to him, and he didn’t always listen to or properly interpret what the “Good Lord” told him to do, just like any flawed, sinful human being. Remmy learned many lessons throughout the book and his life.

Lancelot Schaubert did an excellent job portraying a neighborhood’s struggle with big companies in another place and time. He made it relatable and entertaining. His sharing of true events, and maybe some familial myths, stir feelings of nostalgia, comradery, sympathy, and empathy, even as they occasionally make the reader laugh out loud.

This story does include profanity and crude humor as well. However, if you are a history buff or a person who enjoys cheering for the underdog, I recommend you read Bell Hammers.

I give this story 4 stars.