Tag: Review

Book Review: “Pact with the Pack” by A.J. Mullican – Releases 9-15-20

Plenty of hot sex and a good story linking it all together.

Transparency: I received this e-book as an ARC from the author for review purposes. “Pact with the Pack” is also available in paperback.

After surviving one murder attempt by her ex-boyfriend, Cherry is rescued from a second attempt by a pack of wolves and is hiding out in a house in the woods. Then the real fun begins in this paranormal romance – reverse harem – wolf-shifter tale by independent author A. J. Mullican. I gave the book four stars. “Pact with the Pack” is the first book in the Bargains Struck series, and it’s a great story. I’m just leaving room for growth.

What I liked:
The story is told from Cherry’s first person POV. It didn’t take long for me to get used to this. Cherry is tough and strong, but through her narration, we get to see her self-doubts, concerns, and fears. We also get her thoughts on each of her rescuers. This results in Cherry being a well developed character. A lot of the action takes place off-screen, but we get a good idea of what happened after the fact. And honestly, I wasn’t reading it for action scenes, although the action scenes we do get are pretty good.

Cherry’s rescuers, the Hunter men, are also well developed. Each of their personalities is expressed through their wolf’s position in the pack. Cherry’s presence in the house seems to loosen the control each brother has of their wolf, which leads to them showing more of their personalities than they intend to Cherry.

There is plenty of sex in the book, all from Cherry’s point of view. I know, why else would you read the book? The point of view is refreshing for me, a male reader who usually doesn’t stray far from science fiction and fantasy. Throughout the course of a couple of days, Cherry finds herself alone (usually) with each of the brothers. Each scene is as different as each of the brothers. And each scene is HOT.

In closing, get this book. There’s plenty of steamy sex, and a good story linking it all together. Then follow A.J. Mullican and keep an eye out for the next book in the Bargains Struck series.

This review was also posted on Goodreads and Amazon . Go check them out and give a like and a comment. Spirited discussion and constructive criticism are always appreciated.

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Book Review: “Vicious” by V.E. Schwab (Yes, I know I am late to the party.)

This is what happens when bad people get superpowers.

Victor Vale and Eli Cardale were friends and roommates back in college. Together, they discovered how to grant themselves superpowers.

Eli thinks Extra Ordinaries (EOs), the term used for super powered individuals in Eli’s thesis and the news media of the day, are wrong. He starts to hunt down other EOs to kill them. Victor is out to stop Eli because he finally wants to see Eli fall. In Victor’s mind, if Eli is the hero, he must be the villain. “I can live with that,” Victor thinks. Victor is fueled by pride and jealousy and the idea that he’s “no fucking sidekick.” Others, both regular and Extra Ordinary, are dragged into the battle, leading to a conclusion that is complex, exciting, and pretty damn entertaining. Continue reading →

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Book Review: “Chasing Danger: The Case Files of Theron Chase,” by Richard C. White

Kindle version will be released July 9, 2019.
Some extras not included in the Amazon and Goodreads version of my review.

“Chasing Danger” is an enjoyable read. I find the idea of fantasy-noir intriguing. Magic and magical creatures in a old time detective setting didn’t seem like a natural fit, but White pulls it off like a dress on prom night. I have a few extra thoughts, but first, here’s the review I posted on Amazon and Goodreads.

Chasing Danger: The Case Files of Theron ChaseChasing Danger: The Case Files of Theron Chase by Richard C White
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Word on the street says “Chasing Danger: The Case Files of Theron Chase,” is the cat’s pajamas. A real pocket full of firecrackers of a read.
It was a slow day. I was cooling my heels at my desk, looking for an excuse to spend the evening reading. Outside my window, it was shift change in the city. Day shift was going home to their everyday lives and the night crew was coming in to take over. It was time to lock up and go nose around, maybe drum up a little business.
My Kindle buzzed. Seems I had a delivery. I clicked open and there it was. Sleek looking cover, the type that makes a man want to open the book and read it. A lot of women, too.
But, what’s this? Fantasy Noir? You gotta be kidding me.
White isn’t kidding, and “Chasing Danger” is no joke.
From the very first line, you feel the scene turn black-and-white. It doesn’t last long, for White doesn’t waste time showing that Calasia isn’t your typical gumshoe story town. There’s magic in those alleyways.
A collection of four stories that are probably best read in order. At the very least, “The Full Moon Affair” should be read first. A good story, but it also introduces Theron Chase, the supporting cast, and the city of Calasia.
Theron Chase is a straight shooter whose reputation precedes him wherever he goes. Even the bad guys respect him. He likes Scotch, always a plus in my book, and he’s non-magical. In fact, magic has a tendency to malfunction when he’s around. This is an excellent choice by White. The focus on his detective skills helps balance the fantasy aspects of the stories, keeping the Noir in Fantasy Noir.
There is a decent sized supporting cast, and none of them are throw-aways. They all have a part to play in each case, and White makes good use of them all.
Full disclosure, I received my copy for review purposes, but I would purchase a print copy for myself and gift giving.

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I gave “Chasing Danger” five stars. The rating is well deserved, but I can’t help hearing a voice in my head saying, “People don’t trust five-star reviews.” I got over it. Seeing as I was the first person to review on either platform, I figured others will just have to deal with it.

Once I started reading a case, it was hard to put down. I had to resist the urge to make popcorn while reading. The stories pull you along, so, make sure you have time to finish.

On a similar note, I kept hearing music as I read. Mostly “Harlem Nocturne,” from the Mike Hammer TV series, and the soundtrack to Police Squad. White’s words pulled me in that much. Immersion is the word I’m looking for, I guess. I didn’t include this snippet in the other reviews, because I didn’t want to sound like a crack-pot and hurt the book sales.

The Kindle version comes out July 9th, with paperback soon to follow.

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Stranger in a Strange Land: My Review of “On a Red Horse” by Monica Corwin

Reading outside of my usual genres and getting over myself.

I decided to read a genre I’ve never read before: Romance.  I cheated a bit, and went for Paranormal Romance, which, I think is another way to say Fantasy.  I guess paranormal is used to avoid confusion.  Fantasy means swords and sorcery, but Fantasy Romance is redundant.  I guess.  What the fuck do I know?  Then there is Contemporary Fantasy, and Urban Fantasy, which might mean the same thing.  I don’t know.  I’m not claiming to be an expert. 

Fortunately, I follow a lot of authors on Twitter, independent and otherwise, so there was no shortage to choose from.  A lot of the paranormal romance authors seem to specialize in either vampires or dragon shifters.  Lots and lots of dragon shifters.  I mean, you can’t even swing a dead werewolf and not hit a dragon shifter.  And if there are vampires, werewolves aren’t far away.  Not that there’s anything wrong with that.  I can see the romantic potential of all three species, but, if I was going outside of my Sci-Fi/Fantasy comfort zone, I wanted to go all the way. Continue reading →

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My Review of “Discarded,” by Michael J. Allen

In which I learn about Arcs and start to discover maybe stars aren’t for me.

I wrote another book review.  This was an interesting situation.  I received an email describing an opportunity to get an ARC of a book.  I learned that ARC stands for Advanced Review Copy.  Authors and publishers send out ARCs to get reviews before the book is released.

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I answered the email and got a few choices of which book I wanted to read.  I went with “Discarded” by Michael J. Allen, an urban fantasy.

I wasn’t done yet.  I was asked for a link to previous reviews I have written.  I sent them a link to my Goodreads page.  They must have liked what they saw, because a couple of days later, I received my copy of the book.

My apologies to Mr. Allen.  I was able to get the review up in Goodreads and Amazon on August 2nd, but, the book released on July 26th.

More after the review.

Discarded (Dumpstermancer Book 1)Discarded by Michael J. Allen
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A main character you won’t soon forget.
The series title, “Dumpstermancer,” alone was enough to make me want to read this e-book. I half expected a comedy, but wasn’t sure. I was intrigued, to say the least.
In a world where you can have a gourmet meal kit delivered, corporate magic seems like the next logical step. Mistakes happen, and the Glamour spell from Thoth is not exempt.
Eli is an engaging character. I’m not sure if I like him, but I definitely won’t forget him anytime soon. A homeless ex-con who was wrongly imprisoned, Eli is brave and has a good heart, but, he is so darn stubborn, I found myself often frustrated with him. And I wasn’t alone. Frustration with Eli’s stubbornness often extends to his allies. Sunny, who runs a homeless shelter, has a heart of gold and the patience of a saint, but, even she reaches her breaking point when it comes to Eli’s nature. I identified most with Kenrith and the Rhett’s, fey rodents and Eli’s would be protectors. On several occasions, the Rhett’s were ready to turn on Eli, and as the reader, I couldn’t say I blamed them.
Don’t get me wrong: Eli is a good character. He’s just so well written, parts of his personality that tick off other characters tend to overflow to the reader. I think that is quite an accomplishment.
Michael J. Allen wrote the book in first person, and I think he did an excellent job. I would have liked more details about the different magics. Too many details about the hows and whys, though, may have come off as an info dump and broke the immersion. I prefer a good story and being left with my own mysteries to solve. The use of magic is very smooth and drives the story.
In short, “Discarded” is a very good read, and I am keeping an eye out for the sequel.
Full disclosure, I received this book as an Advance Review Copy.

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I’m not sure if the star-system of rating books is working well for me.  You may have noticed I give everything I review 5 stars.  If I liked the book, why not give it 5 stars?

I can’t see a reason to give something one star.  If the books not for me, that doesn’t mean it’s bad. And how do you decide between a three-star and a four-star rating?  And what does a two-star rating mean?

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I either like a book or I don’t.  If I don’t, I probably won’t finish the book, and that’s not fair to the author.

I can see a one-star if the book is just horribly written.  I even have one book in mind, that possibly had a good story hidden somewhere underneath all the crap writing.  I have to ask, though, is just giving it a one-star rating helping the author grow, or am I just getting revenge for wasting my time.

If I’m going to keep reviewing books, I’m going to have to discipline myself to finish a book, no matter how much I don’t like it, and then find something constructive to say, not destructive.

And I just re-read what I just wrote, and can’t help but think, “What an arrogant bastard.”

I need to put more thought into this.  Please comment if you have any tips.

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My Review of “The Unfortunate Expiration of Mr. David S. Sparks,” by William F. Aicher

I tried my hand at another review.

I’ve noticed I have started reading with a different eye.  A critical eye?  A reviewer’s eye?  Fuck if I know.  More on that later; first, check out the review.

The Unfortunate Expiration of Mr. David S. SparksThe Unfortunate Expiration of Mr. David S. Sparks by William F. Aicher
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A Good Workout for the Brain
I’m glad I read “The Unfortunate Expiration of Mr. David S. Sparks.” It’s good to be reminded that Science Fiction encompasses sciences beyond space exploration.
David S. Sparks is a puzzle of a character. This could have been confusing, but the writing takes you along for the ride with David. The pacing keeps the story moving as the pieces fall in place. The reader may find themselves questioning what is going on, or, what is going to happen next, but never confused to the point of being completely lost.
The world building of future Earth is logical. The setting reminded me of a series that ran on The History Channel called “Life After People.” The reader can tell Earth has changed in a manner that could possibly happen without being smacked over the head by the extremes of a future that is too bright or too dark. A Goldilocks setting that becomes another character.
In short, “The Unfortunate Expiration of Mr. David S. Sparks” is an enjoyable read that is engaging on many levels.

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I seem to be paying attention more as to why I specifically like a book.  I want to be able to say why I like a book, rather than just, “Yeah, I liked it.”

“Why?”

“Uh… Because it was good.”

“Why?”

Cue million-mile stare.

I want to do this right in hopes of someday, somebody will put the effort into something I publish.

Fortunately, so far, I have only had to write reviews of books I like.  Maybe that’s my next challenge: review something I don’t like.  Something to think about.

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In Which I Eventually Get to My Review of “Dreamlander,” by K.M. Weiland

Back in April, I tried Camp Nanowrimo. I figured, why not? I tried Nanowrimo this past November, as I have in a few previous Novembers.  I think 2012 was the first time. I knocked out a few scenes, maybe 4000 words, but that was it. I quickly learned I am not a “pantser” — someone who writes by the seat of their pants with no plan.

I’ve tried Nanowrimo a couple of times since, mostly just to frustrate myself, and remind myself that the Nanowrimo style just isn’t for me.

And I just realized some of you may not know what I’m talking about. Nanowrimo stands for National Novel Writing Month. The challenge is to pace yourself, write every day, and churn out a 50,000-word first draft of your novel. Come up short on the daily world goal? Just make up for it the next day. Miss today? Double up the next day. It sounds simple. Deceivingly simple. I would get off to a strong start for a few days, then miss a day. Knockout another day, then miss a few more. From there, it would snow ball.

Camp Nanowrimo happens in April, and you can design your own challenge. Basically, choosing your own word counts. They also have “cabins,” where you get matched up with other writers to encourage and assist. I never got to that part.

abstract black and white blur book

I did set a modest goal of 10,000 words, but rather than write one piece, I would set mini goals. Four blog posts, journaling, a short short fiction, and maybe even start a short story. My main problem with the Nanowrimo format is I am a lousy typist. I prefer to write free hand, and then dictate into Scrivener. Then I get all analytical with myself, thinking I’m using the same words twice, wasting time I could be using to write more free hand. Dictating is much faster than me trying to type, and I tend to self-edit less while trying to get a first draft. Still, I feel like I’m repeating my work rather than moving on. Then I get frustrated and stop.

I didn’t do too bad in April. I got 2 of the 4 blog posts posted. I did start the short short fiction. I journaled a lot, which may have eaten up a good portion of the word count, but I don’t know because I never dictated the journals to get a word count. In the end, it was no big deal, since I only updated my word count twice.

And I left something out.

I started talking to myself as I write free hand.  And it tends to get dictated.

I forgot about the book review. Continue reading →

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