Subscribe via RSS Feed

Category: Action & Adventure

Review: Sea Witch by Helen Hollick

[ 3 ] June 4, 2011

Reviewed by Jen Greyson

Sea Witch, the first book of the trilogy introduces the pirate, Jesamiah, to the witch, Tiola. Jesamiah loves the freedom of the pirate life, until he meets the smart, mysterious Tiola. They become lovers and must flee to the sea to escape a dangerous suitor and Jesemiah’s brother.

Sea Witch could have been a great book. The premise is clever and Hollick shows promise as a writer. Unfortunately, the moment I started learning about one character, Hollick yanked me out, changing the point of view so often I couldn’t concentrate on the story. The narrator too often told me how the characters felt instead of showing me and letting me figure it out alongside the characters, which didn’t allow me to connect to Jesamiah and Tiola as deeply as I wanted. From the first page, I wanted to care about these characters, but the author got in the way.

The publisher is a small press, and the typesetting didn’t do this book any favors.

Between the head-hopping, telling, and quarter-inch margins, I’m forced to give The Sea Witch a 2, but it easily could have been a 3.5-4 with the help of a good editor.

Rating: 2/5

Jen Greyson writes supernatural thrillers and corporate training guides and tries not to mix the two. You can find her free ebook, How to Build a Writing Platform that Works: The New Path to Publishing, at her website, http://TheSurvivalMama.com.

Review copy was provided free of any obligation by The Callio Press Limited. No monetary or any other form of compensation was received.

View Post

Review: Cipher by Leigh MacCullum

[ 3 ] March 21, 2011

Reviewed by Alisha Churbe

Near Chicxulub, Mexico an archeological dig is underway. Brian Avery, Anthropology professor, Travis Dillman, his assistant, and Sarah Gallagher, a physicist have all been chosen to work on the ChronoTech project. They were placed in the lowly populated area outside of Chicxulub where the Mayan culture very much dominates. The plot loosely follows the three through their explorations and discoveries, during which a Category 5 hurricane threatens the lives of all in the area. They eventually stumble upon 5,000 year old Mayan petroglyphs and work to decode the cipher that locks the information away from modern readers.

MacCallum’s book seems for the most part (he introduces the novel with the liberties he’s taken to set his story) to follow a historical thread that is interesting to read. There are elements of suspense, mystery, murder, and drama. He explores a large number of human emotions and relationships, and both interpersonal and cultural relationships. Each character has a relation to another and that relationship is defined with both rewards and challenges. Cipher has elements of science fiction and fringe science, along with moments of paranormal and spiritual activity.

Cipher has elements of curiosity and insight; it takes you to another place with superb description of setting and character. However, it is very hard to tell just who the main character of the story is, as the point of view belongs to a large number of first and third person narrators. Due to the number of characters, it is often challenging to follow the plot. At times, it seems completely swept away within all the relationships, thoughts and ideas of the many characters.

I wouldn’t classify MacCallum’s book as a quick read, as you’ll quickly get caught up with the many characters, but I would definitely suggest a slow tread through if only to learn more about Mayan culture and history.

Rating: 2/5

Part-time fiction writer, Alisha Churbe lives in Portland, Oregon. In the rare instances when you can pry her away from books, Alisha can be found travelling in foreign countries, cooking, or hiking with her husband Michael and dog Zach.

Review copy was provided free of any obligation by Leigh MacCullum. No monetary or any other form of compensation was received.

View Post

Blog Tour & Giveaway: Shadowfever by Karen Marie Moning

[ 130 ] February 27, 2011

Please join Karen Marie Moning, author of the final installment to the MacKayla Lane novels, Shadowfever, as she tours the blogosphere with TLC Book Tours!

To learn more about Karen Marie Moning and her books, please visit her website!

Review of Shadowfever - Book Five – by Jennifer J. (check out our reviews of Darkfever, Bloodfever, Faefever and Dreamfever)

Shadowfever by Karen Marie Moning concludes the adventures of MacKayla Lane (“Mac”) and Jericho Barrons…or does it? Though my most pressing questions were answered, a few things were left with barely any resolution so that Mac and Jericho’s alternative version of Dublin can live on in a new series. Whether Mac or Jericho will narrate the story is still a mystery.

It is absolutely paramount that a new Moning reader start at the beginning of the series with Darkfever. The series is a thrilling ride from beginning to end with great character development, mystery, enchantment, and a whole lot of twists and turns to keep you coming back for more.

Shadowfever is the lengthiest book in the series at 594 pages, but I still made it through in just a few days. When I was ready for a break, something shocking would happen and keep me reading for another 50 pages into the wee hours of the night. You will not want to leave your home or do anything else until you know how everything ends. Will Mac and Jericho finally admit they love each other? Will Mac find the Sinsar Dubh? And just what is that horrific sound that Mac heard in Jericho’s basement?

[amazonify]0385341679[/amazonify]What I love most about this series is that I couldn’t predict a single thing. When Alina’s killer is finally revealed, I was dumbfounded. When the Unseelie King finally makes an appearance, I was amused. All the pieces began to fall into place as the novel unfolded, and I was just in awe at all the creativity and planning that went into this series right from the very start.

Shadowfever wasn’t my favorite book out of the whole series; I almost feel the story should have been split into two books instead of getting crammed into one. I also got really irritated with Mac’s narrative and all of the twists because I felt they were overdone. At the same time, though, the reader is right there with Mac experiencing just a taste of what Mac must feel as she tries to find out who she really is.

The Fever series is one of the best series I’ve ever encountered, and I am so glad that Moning will be writing more about these characters and their world. I’m just keeping my fingers crossed that Dani won’t be narrating them, because her point of view and her voice get old really fast.

Rating: 3/5

Jennifer graduated from the University of Utah with a BA in English. She occasionally dabbles with her own fiction writing, particularly with the Young Adult and Paranormal genres. She currently resides in Utah with her husband and daughter.


Giveaway
1 winner will receive their own copy of Shadowfever!

Mandatory entry: Please comment on this post with your e-mail address.

Extra entries (please post each entry separately, i.e. 2 posts for subscribing):
- Subscribe via e-mail, follow or subscribe to the feed. You must verify the subscriptions. (1 entry each)
- Enter another current giveaway (1 entry each)
- Share this post on a social network of your choice by clicking “Share/Save” button below (1 entry for each method)

This giveaway is open to US and Canada residents only. Deadline to enter is midnight on March 11, 2011.

Review and giveaway copies were provided free of any obligation by Delacorte Press. No monetary or any other form of compensation was received.

View Post

Review: The Doomsday Key by James Rollins

[ 6 ] December 10, 2010

Reviewed by Caleb S.

The Doomsday Key by James Rollins is the sixth book in the Sigma Force series, but reading the previous books is not required to understand or enjoy the book. This was my first book by Rollins and I enjoyed it so much I read the last half in a single evening. As a matter of fact, I now plan on reading the rest of the series.

Sigma Force is a special black ops group that has a very wide range of skills and duties, similar to ‘Mission: Impossible’. This time around, two separate and seemingly unrelated incidents peak Sigma’s interest for different reasons; the group soon discovers that they are very much related and are only the tip of the iceberg. Someone has found an ancient biological weapon and has plans for it’s dissemination –  all they need to do is find an antidote to protect those chosen. Sigma Force gets tangled up in the plot while trying to figure out who’s doing what and why.

The Doomsday Key was an exciting fast-paced ride that started on page 10 and didn’t stop to let anyone off. As a matter of fact, it kept picking up speed until the end. Helping keep the pace, the chapters were relatively short and each was broken down into sections with time stamps as we jumped back and forth between different groups doing things concurrently. I thought the book was well put together and really enjoyed the story. It captured my attention and didn’t let it go. I highly recommend it for those who enjoy spy thrillers of the action kind.

Caleb is a software engineer and amature woodworker living in southern Minnesota. He has more hobbies than he has time or money for, and enjoys his quiet time reading.

Review copy was provided free of any obligation by Pocket Books. No monetary or any other form of compensation was received.

View Post

Review: The Defector by Daniel Silva

[ 7 ] October 21, 2010

Reviewed by Caleb S.

The Defector is the ninth book in the Gabriel Allon series. Gabriel and Chiara are recuperating at a villa in Italy while Gabriel is refinishing a painting for the Vatican. Both are laying low, off Ivan Kharkov’s radar, since Ivan’s family defected from Russia. Out of the blue, Grigori Bulganov, who defected at the same time as Ivan’s family, disappears from Britain. Moreover, it appears that he left on his own volition. Gabriel doesn’t buy it and decides to look into it, keeping a promise he made.

Gabriel is looking into Grigori’s disappearance and checking on other people who can be in on the hit list when his wife Chiara is kidnapped. Gabriel knows who did it and why. The question he wants answered is: can he get her back alive?

The Defector was my favorite Gabriel Allon book and it kept the action and suspense going without getting overpowering. Gabriel is a man with a mission, a mission that is deeply personal. He has an enemy who is rich and powerful and who also knows that Gabriel is coming. I relate this to a ‘man on fire’ kind of book: someone has crossed the line and Gabriel plans on making them pay. Lots of action, lots of excitement and a great spy story on top of it all.

Check out Caleb’s thoughts on another Gabriel Allon novel, The Rembrandt Affair, here.

Caleb is a software engineer and amature woodworker living in southern Minnesota. He has more hobbies than he has time or money for, and enjoys his quiet time reading.

This book was provided free of any obligation by Signet. No monetary or any other form of compensation was received.

View Post

Review: Blood Oath by Christopher Farnsworth

[ 6 ] September 23, 2010

Reviewed by Caleb S.

When I was reading the description of Blood Oath, a vampire secret agent bound to the President, I thought this had potential. I am happy to report, I was right! Nathanial Cade was turned into a vampire in 1867, was shortly caught, imprisoned, tried, and sentenced to death by hanging. Before his sentence was carried out, President Andrew Johnson pardoned him and had him blood bound to the Office of the President of the United States.

Zach Barrows is a young white house staffer whose ambition got him to the White House and the man whom the President trusts to be the replacement liaison for Cade, much to his surprise and initial resistance.

Cade is like the supernatural Man in Black. If something really weird is found or reported, Cade gets sent to check it out, along with his sidekick. Zach’s first assignment with Cade is to a port near Washington D.C. where a shipping container has been found with rotting human body parts. Someone has been modifying them ala Frankenstein and this points Cade to one person as the most likely suspect. Cade and Zach fly to sunny California to ask the suspect, Konrad, if he has any knowledge of someone trying to reanimate the dead. Things get even crazier from there…

Overall, Blood Oath was a fun, action packed book that kept me wondering what was going to happen next. Each chapter had a little excerpt from different books and reports, quite often from the scientist who studied Cade and tried to explain his supernatural abilities via science. These excerpts were both informative and entertaining. The story and the plot held together fairly well; there were some inconsistencies surrounding Cade and the things that were supposed to be ‘true’, but I didn’t find that they detracted from the story. If you like conspiracy thrillers and vampires running around in today’s world, I think you will enjoy this read.

Caleb is a software engineer and amature woodworker living in southern Minnesota. He has more hobbies than he has time or money for, and enjoys his quiet time reading.

This book was provided free of any obligation by Putnam Adult. No monetary or any other form of compensation was received.

View Post

Blog Tour & Giveaway: Outlander Series by Diana Gabaldon

[ 237 ] September 13, 2010

Please join Diana Gabaldon, author of the Outlander series, as she tours the blogosphere with TLC Book Tours!

Reviewed by Joanne L.

Originally published in the early 1990’s, I was introduced to Gabaldon’s Outlander in 1998 and quickly bought all of the subsequent books. I am a fan! Rereading this book has been a summer treat. I easily read its 850 pages in a couple days.

The joy of reading this book is the author’s effectiveness as a storyteller. She has created characters who I want to meet taking action, getting into situations, and having experiences in which I am interested. And it is all set in one of my favorite areas of the world, the Scottish Highlands.

Claire, the main character, is an experienced field nurse fresh off the fields of France at the end of World War II. Jamie is a Scottish clansman with a penchant for nobility and trouble – and born some two hundred years before Claire. They meet when Claire stumbles through time from a circle of large stones near Inverness.

The era Claire and Jamie share is the period leading up to the return of Bonnie Prince Charlie to Scotland. The Scottish Clans are in regular contention with English soldiers, cattle-stealing is a semi-honorable pastime, one’s tartan declares one’s heritage, and the smell of peaty single malt saturates the evenings.

And, as it says on the cover of the 2009 Special Dell Mass Market Edition, “Within these pages …, you will find it all….history, warfare, medicine, sex, violence, spirituality, honor, betrayal, vengeance, hope and despair, relationships, the building and destruction of families and societies, time travel, moral ambiguity, swords, herbs, horses, gambling, voyages of daring, journeys of both body and soul….”.

[amazonify]0385342462[/amazonify]Gabaldon has written six more books in this series – and a couple of other books highlighting other characters from the original series. I monitor her website to find out when I can get my next Claire and Jamie fix. If you are new to the series and get hooked, I envy you the hours of reading enjoyment that you have a head of you!

Joanne is an organization development and human resources professional with a business background living in Ohio. She has lived in Europe, Africa (including her Peace Corps service in South Africa), and arround the United States. She loves to plays volleyball, read, write, and has a cat named Ender.

Giveaway:
1 winner will receive a copy of the newest book in the Outlander series – An Echo in the Bone!

Mandatory entry: Please comment on this post with your e-mail address.

Extra entries (please post each entry separately, i.e. 2 posts for subscribing):
- Subscribe via e-mail, follow or subscribe to the feed. You must verify the subscriptions. (1 entry each)
- Enter another giveaway on this blog (1 entry each)
- Follow me on Twitter and tweet about this giveaway (1 entry, 1 tweet per person)
- Become a fan on Facebook (2 entries)

This giveaway is open to U.S. and Canada residents only. Deadline to enter is midnight on September 20th.

Review and giveaway copies were provided free of any obligation by Bantam. No monetary or any other form of compensation was received.

View Post

“Private” by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro

[ 4 ] June 28, 2010

Reviewed by Caleb S.

Private by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro focuses on Jack Morgan, owner and operator of Private, a private investigation firm for the rich and powerful. Jack was a military chopper pilot whose father died in prison shortly after giving him the Private firm and a large chunk of change to make it happen the right way.

We are thrown into the story just as Jack finds out a friend of his was murdered.  Then we find out that there has been a serial killer on the loose killing high school girls, and he has recently begun to increase his pace. At the same time, Jack’s uncle, who owns a piece of a football team, thinks someone is fixing games for illegal betting but he doesn’t know who, how or if it’s just a figment of his imagination. It’s rather amazing that Jack has time to sleep.

[amazonify]0316096156[/amazonify]Private was an average James Patterson book, though with more than average quirky characters. Jack’s team seemed to be based on the TV crime dramas like NCIS or Criminal Minds. Like the TV shows, we jump in and only get the highlights for the characters and expect the rest to be filled in in later ‘episodes’. We are given just enough information for each character to keep us wanting more.

Overall, Private was a decent, fast paced book with a lot going on, and like most Patterson books, the action was partially to disguise the plot holes. If you like James Patterson you will be more than happy to add this one to your ‘To Be Read’ pile. A great read if you’re looking for something light and easy.

Caleb is a software engineer and amature woodworker living in southern Minnesota. He has more hobbies than he has time or money for, and enjoys his quiet time reading.

This book was provided free of any obligation by Little, Brown and Company. No monetary or any other form of compensation was received.

Related Posts with Thumbnails
View Post
Page 2 of 3123