Tag: 3 Stars Page 37 of 55

Practice Makes Perfect by Michael Portnoy, Adelia Drubetski, Freda Zolty Kovatch

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On December 26, 2016

In Fiction, YA/MG/Children's Books

Practice Makes PerfectPractice Makes Perfect

by Michael Portnoy, Adelia Drubetski (Illustrator), Freda Zolty Kovatch (Translator)

Kindle Edition, 26 pg.
Tzameret Books Ltd, 2016

Read: December 16, 2016


Madam Fly’s two sons are musical geniuses, or something like it — because she’s convinced they should put on concerts despite having no experience with playing whatsoever. How hard can it be?

Well, experience and the crickets who run the local music shop try to teach them an important lesson when it comes to music (or just about anything). The question is: will they learn?

Drubetski’s art is eye-grabbing, distinctive, and attractive. I’ve never been good at talking about illustrations, so I won’t try too hard — but I liked it, and think my kids would’ve at the right age, too (they might now, but there’s no way that they’d deign to give an opinion on kids’ books at their ages).

Kovatch scored big here — it’s got to be tough enough to translate someone’s book, especially one for this age group and make it work. Then you add in rhyming? Forget it. I don’t know how she did it, but it couldn’t have been easy.

This is supposed to be for ages 6-8, I can buy 4-6. But I do have a tendency to miss those targets, still — give it a glance before you give it to a 2nd Grader.

Yeah, it’s a bit moralistic and preachy, with an abrupt ending (which just emphasizes the moral). But I think it works for the target audience. I would’ve appreciated some clear evidence of growth on Madam Fly’s part, but . . . who’s kidding who here? It wasn’t that likely.

A fun little book that teaches a lesson too few want to hear. Recommended.

Disclaimer: I was provided a copy of this book by the author in exchange for this post.

—–

3 Stars

Plushinomicon edited by Kristi King-Morgan, Connor MacDonald, B. Jaymes Condon

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On December 23, 2016

In Fiction

PlushinomiconPlushinomicon: The Legends of Teddy Bear Island

by Kristi King-Morgan, Connor MacDonald,B. Jaymes Condon eds.

Kindle Edition, 146 pg.
Dreaming Big Publications in collaboration with Orcs Unlimited, 2016

Read: December 19, 2016

What, you may ask, did Jessie the Flufamancer do? Well, he animated the plush creatures of the children. Then he made them do his evil bidding. I can’t even begin to tell you about the bidding that he bade, but just believe me when I tell you that it was evil!

That’s the third (or so) paragraph in this collection of short stories — and it’s the one that convinced me I wanted to finish this.

It’s a collection of stories about various adventurers (or the like) going to Teddy Bear Island to try to find Jessie (for various reasons), to find treasure, just to prove they can — or any number of other reasons that dwarves, elves, humans, orcs or kobolds might find themselves adventuring (There are more kobolds in this collection than I’ve probably ever read before — and I really liked them). They’re designed as campaign starters for the RPG, Teddy Bear Island, or to enjoy on their own. They work either way.

There’s a sense of play, a sense of fun in the middle of traditional-ish fantasy adventure stories. The various plush animals are a hoot, my favorite idea was the hydra-bear. I don’t know that I can point to any particular stories and say “This is one of the best,” — or the worst, actually. They’re all delightful in practically equal amounts.

There are laughs, puns, pop-culture jokes and danger in the midst of the goofiness of stories. It’s hard to explain, but imagine a less-intense version of The Lord of the Rings, but populated by stuffed animals (and you’ll be pretty close).

I am not an RPG player — I’ve tried, but just never clicked with me. But these stories make me really want to, first time since Dragons of Autumn Twilight that a book has had that effect on me. Which is sort of the point, right? Even without that, it was a fun collection of adventure stories

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this from the Publisher in exchange for my honest thoughts.

—–

3 Stars

The Flight of the Pickerings by John Grayson Heide

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On December 21, 2016

In Fiction, General Fiction/Literature

The Flight of the PickeringsThe Flight of the Pickerings

by John Grayson Heide

Kindle Edition, 324 pg.
2016

Read: December 14 – 17, 2016

Time and innocence don’t dance together for long.

Guy and Dorothy Pickering have known each other for sixty years and change — they might not have been the closest of friends as kids, but they were constant presences in each others’ lives. Eventually, they married and have spent the intervening years building their lives and family together. But time, cancer and dementia have taken their toll, and Dorothy doesn’t have much time left on earth.

Guy’s not willing to turn her care over strangers — or even their daughter — but he doesn’t know how to handle things. It’s not long before he finds himself asking his cat, “How the hell do you kill your wife?” Not knowing why he’d need to stick around without her, and begins coming up with plans that will kill them both. So the readers get to see the beginning of their relationship in flashbacks while Guy tries to design and execute the end of it.

Which was a great combination of heart-warming and tragic — making the odd dose of whimsy here and there seem out of place. Heide shows us the thoughts/commentary of the vehicles and animals Guy encounters. It was a choice that, while amusing, made no sense to me.

And then Guy’s grandson, a teenager rebelling against everyone in reaction to his parents’ divorce (and his age), comes to stay with them (not that anyone bothered to consult Guy about this). From almost the instant that Tory showed up, things start to change — the chip on his shoulder beings to get filled in, Guy gets to care for someone other than Dorothy, and things start to spiral out of control.

What is it about fiction set in Florida? I’m sure I’ve read a fairly straightforward book set in the state, but I can’t think of one. In my experience, at a certain point, plotlines in Florida become the fictional equivalent of reductio ad absurdum — between a nosy neighbor, an unsympathetic police officer, a petty airport manager, biker gang, shuttle launch, would-be star reporter, and some heavy-duty “medicinal” brownies (among many other things) — this sweetly tragic story is surrounded by laugh-inducing goofiness.

Yet but none of the extremes in tone ever take over — how Heide pulls this off, I’m not sure. I wish more people could. I’m not for a second going to say that I agree with Heide’s agenda — beyond wanting people to talk about end of life issues — but he told this story in a compelling, sympathetic and entertaining way. I spent the first few chapters just dreading finishing this — I liked these people, and didn’t relish seeing them go through the pain ahead (particularly as I got to know them better in the flashbacks). But I ended up really enjoying this book. Give this one a shot.

Disclaimer: I received this novel from the author in exchange for my honest opinion, which did not influence anything I said, or even when I read the book. Sorry it took so long, Mr. Heide.

—–

3 Stars

October 32 by Larry Rodness

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On December 20, 2016

In Fiction, Mystery/Detective Fiction/Crime Fiction/Thriller

October 32October 32

by Larry Rodness

Kindle Edition, 230 pg.
Deer Hawk Publications, 2015

Read: December 13, 2016


Alexander Malefant is a traveling life insurance agent who comes into a small town on October 31st. He witnesses a few events in a local county festival — pie competitions, largest pumpkin contest, apple bobbing, and so on — an exercise in small-=town civic pride and rivalry. The first person he meets in town intrigues him, especially when she’s accused of being a witch by a kid.

It’s not like he took it seriously, it just struck him as odd. Not long after that, he sees an apple-bobbing child being held under the water by something/someone that no one can see. The “witch” rescues him (no spells involved), and issues a warning about something happening in town. She’s promptly ignored by everyone and the festivities resume, as does Alexander’s sales day.

Once evening comes, a sales visit ends strangely when the family’s children go missing. It doesn’t take long to discover that other children are missing — not just a few, but every child (including teenagers). Alex (like everyone in town), gets wrapped up in the search. He’s also a suspect in the disappearances (like many people — especially the strangers).

To the reader, it’s pretty clear that no one is going to find a mundane explanation for the disappearance — it takes the people going through it longer. Which makes sense.

This is well-told, well-paced with a strong voice. Rodness took a bunch of long-standing ideas and combined then in an effective, creepy and entertaining way. The characters were well drawn, and I regretted not getting to spend more time with some of them. I wanted a couple of more chapters at the end (not that we were cheated in the ending, I just wanted a bit more following it). All in all, a fun read.

Disclaimer: I received this book from the author in exchange for my honest opinion about it. Note that the word is “honest,” not “timely” — I should have read this months ago, sorry, Mr. Rodness.

—–

3 Stars

A Strange Chemistry by M. T. Miller

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On December 19, 2016

In Fantasy, Fiction, M. T. Miller

A Strange Chemistry A Strange Chemistry

by M. T. Miller
Series: The Nameless Chronicle

Kindle Edition, 69 pg.
2016

Read: December 14, 2016


If Miller had told me that he was going to write a novella about someone else in The Nameless Chronicle, I’d have had 3 or 4 guesses who’d it’d feature. And I would’ve been wrong. However, if he’d asked for requests, this is what I’d have asked for.

Sure, I’d rather see more from Nameless and I don’t doubt we’ll get that soon — but if we’re going to take a side trip, Rush is the one I’d like to go with.

This takes place not long after the end of Ascent, and if nothing else, this lets us catch a quick glimpse of life after those events. But we don’t get much of that — mostly this is about Rush and her own personal aftermath. Which ain’t pretty. The drugs she’s been taking to perform at the level she does aren’t doing there a lot of for her and withdrawal is lurking around the corner all the time. It’s possible, just possible, that the steady stream of drugs that she depends on is slowing down — maybe even changing into something else. This, and her steady need for distraction, gets Rush on the street to investigate. Which doesn’t go so well for her — but Rush being Rush, it goes worse for most of those who cross her.

While we’re seeing this, we get Rush’s origin story, which goes almost exactly the way you’d have guessed. But Miller gives it to us in such a way that the reader doesn’t feel like he’s wasting his time reading it — it also helps the emotional weight of what’s going on in the “present” day story. I thought she was interesting before, I know she’s interesting now — and I can’t wait to see what Miller’s going to do with this character next.

This is a short, fast read with plenty of action and a good dose of insight into one of this series’ most interesting characters. If you’re reading The Nameless Chronicle, you want to read this. If you’re not reading the series, you should look into it. Good stuff.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this from the author in exchange for my honest opinion and because the author’s a cool guy.

—–

3 Stars

Korian and Lucy, Part II by Zoe Kalo

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On December 16, 2016

In Fiction, YA/MG/Children's Books

Korian and Lucy, Part IIKorian and Lucy, Part II

by Zoe Kalo
Series: The Cult of the Cat, #.06

Kindle Edition, 35 pg.
2016

Read: November 29, 2016


I’m not sure how to go about this — this makes no sense if you haven’t read Part 1 of this tale — and neither would really make that much sense without the novel, Daughter of the Sun. So if you haven’t read either — skip this, really. Go read Kalo’s novel (or at least my take on it) instead of this post.

Still, I want to say something — and not just because I said I would. I liked this a whole lot better than Part I , which is just about the fainted praise possible. And, like with the novel, Kalo is starting to win me over — she has a certain charm, no doubt about it. I liked Lucy more after this book — her mother. too — and I’m a tad more interested in the story. All good — and well done, Kalo.

Here’s the problem: I’m less convinced than I was after Part I that Kalo’s readers need this story. We haven’t gotten anything we couldn’t and wouldn’t have assumed from what we learned in the novel about this period. I don’t need to know anything about Trinity’s mother, or her romance with Trinity’s father, to be invested in Trinity. Also, I’m not sure that Part II actually accomplishes anything other than letting us know that time passed and that the pregnancy progressed — oh, and it charms curmudgeonly readers like myself. But the story needs to do more than that to justify itself, doesn’t it?

Now, will Part III be able to change my mind about this entire story? Sure. I truly hope it does. But at the present, I don’t see why she bothered with this installment.

Still, I enjoy this world — I like Kalo’s writing (which was better here than in Part I, but not as good as in Daughter of the Sun, Kalo’s one of those writers that needs space), so I’m glad I read this, as will most of her readers be. I’m looking forward to Part III (and truly hope that it wraps things up) — but even more, I’m looking forward to the sequel to Daughter of the Sun.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this from the author in exchange for this post and my honest opinion.

—–

3 Stars

Dead Down East by Carl Schmidt

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On December 15, 2016

In Fiction, Mystery/Detective Fiction/Crime Fiction/Thriller

Dead Down EastDead Down East

by Carl Schmidt
Series: Jesse Thorpe, #1

Kindle Edition, 244 pg.
Carl Schmidt, 2016

Read: December 8 – 9, 2016


Jesse Thorpe is a carpenter and member of a local band, who happens to be a P. I. on the side. The P. I. part doesn’t seem to take up too much of his time or draw much attention to itself, few people in his life know that’s one of his professions. Still, he’s had a few clients, taken care of a few cases — enough to give him some confidence in what he does. Then one day, a fishing trip is interrupted by a former client, who just found herself in the middle of circumstances surrounding the murder of her married lover. Who happens — well, happened — to be the Governor of Maine.

Maybe Jesse could use a little more experience.

It doesn’t take long before Jesse is working for his former client and two other people to investigate the murder, while the FBI and local police are stymied. Jesse’s client isn’t the only one that the Governor had an affair with, and the investigation into the affairs keeps Jesse busy and turns up plenty of motives for murder. It’ll take all of Jesse’s creativity, and the efforts of a motley crew of clients, bandmates, his sexy girlfriend, a friendly policeman, and a lotta luck for Jesse to clear the innocent and make sure the guilty pay.

I really don’t think the psychic adds anything beyond a chuckle or two, but that could just be me.

There were a few places where the book could’ve used some editing and proofreading — but only one that took me out of the scene, so I’m not going to get into it. Well, there was also the repeated use of “FBI Officers” instead of “Agents,” but that was easy enough to chuckle about and move on.

The first couple of chapters were difficult to wade through — dialogue seemed to be more about short speeches than anything, and the first few people talking about the murder sounded like they were contributing to or reading a news release about it. But once Jesse gets hired and things start to happen, Schmidt settles in and the writing improves. The only complaint I have after this is that he tends to over-explain things — especially the humor. He needs to trust himself and his readers a bit more and dial that back.

There’s not much more to say, Dead Down East is a pretty good mystery with a cast of characters that I’d enjoy seeing more of. Give Jesse a shot.

Disclaimer: I received this book from the author in exchange for my honest opinion — which influenced me not one whit, but I do appreciate it. I’m sorry that I filed it under “December Reads” and not “October Reads” like I’d said I would.

—–

3 Stars

Avalon Dreams by Alexa Whitewolf

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On December 13, 2016

In Fiction

Avalon DreamsAvalon Dreams

by Alexa Whitewolf

Kindle Edition, 659 pg.
2016

Read: December 5 – 7, 2016


There’s a decent novel hidden in these pages, and I do appreciate what Whitewolf tried to do, but it just didn’t succeed for me. But let’s focus on the positive for a bit.

Vivienne Du Lac, who in a future life was The Lady of the Lake (as in, “The Lady of the Lake, her arm clad in the purest shimmering samite, held aloft Excalibur from the bosom of the water…”) has been reincarnated into the modern life as a nervous, socially awkward historical researcher. One day, the reincarnation of her former bodyguard, Sébastien, shows up in town and everything goes to pot.

Sébastien is dealing with the effects of an ancient curse, and is torn between his strong desire to serve and protect Vivienne, while being convinced that he’ll cause her harm. In her previous life, Vivienne was served by a demon dog — who finds himself as a large Caucasian Shepherd, with diminished magic. Alistair’s a fun character — sort of a canine Ben Kenobi.

I really liked the fact that while, yes, this was your typical Chosen One fantasy; this particular Chosen One was an adult woman. This particular Chosen One has been brought back to stop the former apprentice of Merlin, Carleigh, from wreaking havoc on the 21st Century. He’s a very powerful necromancer now, and only someone of pure magic has a chance against him. I’m not really sure what this pure magic is, but that’s beside the point. It’s not just Carleigh they have to prevail over — he’s got a contemporary henchman, some druids, and Sébastien has run afoul of the Mob.

I’ve got to say that I’m not sure what anyone (Sébastien in particular) sees in Vivienne, she’s pretty self-involved, treats everyone like a servant, and generally seems pretty spoiled. That said, it’s really easy to find yourself rooting for her and her guardians. The romance works because of their past (where, as royalty she acted a lot less like one than she does as a researcher).

There’s some strong Arthurian themes throughout this book, mixed in with some contemporary tropes — a mix that’s sure to satisfy.

Here’s my problem with this book — besides the personality of the protagonist — and the only thing that keeps me from strongly recommending this: the language. Whitewolf just doesn’t have the command of English to write this kind of book without a strong editor. She writes as if she had a Romanian-to-English Dictionary open next to her. It’s hard to complain about someone working too hard on a book, so hard that she ends up overwriting — the emotions are overwrought, the prose can be clunky, and frequently the words are just wrong (sometimes, not by much, but enough to draw attention to themselves and stop the flow of the narrative). Now I feel like a snob and a heel for saying that, but it detracted from what could’ve been a fun read.

If you can get past the language issues, it’s a fun contemporary fantasy with Arthurian ties, and I can see where people would enjoy it — I did, but I had to work harder than I should’ve to get to that point.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this novel from the author in exchange for my honest opinion. Thanks, Ms. Whitewolf.

—–

3 Stars

Lost in Wonderland by Nicky Peacock

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On December 12, 2016

In Fiction, Mystery/Detective Fiction/Crime Fiction/Thriller, YA/MG/Children's Books

Lost in WonderlandLost in Wonderland

by Nicky Peacock
Series: The Twisted and The Brave, #1

Kindle Edition, 124 pg.
Evernight Teen, 2016

Read: November 30, 2016


This story focuses on Kayla — a young woman who looks years younger than she is (young enough to be appealing to the Humbert Humberts of the world as well as old enough to come across as a young co-ed), which is helpful in her vocation. She’s basically bait for serial predators (who the authorities can’t/haven’t done anything to) as part of her work with Wonderland. Wonderland is a group run by former federal agents bankrolled by a largely mysterious billionaire. Each “Wonderlander” goes by a code name derived from the Lewis Carroll book, and can quote sections relevant to their moniker (and recognize others quoting their parts). She and her colleagues — Rabbit and Chesire (Kayla’s Mouse) — lure the killers/molesters somewhere, take them out and then have someone come in clean up after them.

Her brother, Shilo, is locked up in a Mental Health facility for a handful of reasons, but the largest is his insistence that a man who dresses in orange is his constant companion who tells him what he should do. No one else can see or hear Mr. Custard, naturally, so Shilo is on the receiving end of all sorts of treatments. Neither the drugs, the talk therapy, or anything else seems to be working — Mr. Custard is still there, as much as Shilo might try to pretend he’s not.

Both siblings are reacting to the disappearance/abandonment of their mother while they were young and the suicide of their father not long after in very different ways, but both of their atypical lives can be traced to these incidents. Now it seems that someone is killing women near their childhood home, and there’s something drawing both of them back their to confront the killer.

The story is an interesting mix of Supernatural and Thriller stories, and once I saw that’s where she was going, I wasn’t sure that Peacock was going to be that successful with it — very few are. I’m not talking straight-up Urban Fantasy, I’m talking about a Suspense/Thriller that mixes in some sort of magic/monster where bullets and explosions should be. The last time I read a mystery where the author tried this, it ruined the book — it’s tricky. The heightened reality that she was using already helps, but it doesn’t guarantee success, Peacock tried a tricky thing and made it work, that’s no small feat.

Still, there’s only a little supernatural to this — there’s a human villain, human protagonists, human costs, human relationships at the core of this novel. Peacock’s up to the challenge of writing them, no doubt about it.

I liked the characters — especially Kayla. The story moved along well, the action was convincing — and the predators were just horrible enough that you didn’t really care that much that vigilante action took care of them rather than the law. Sure, the book could really have used one more thorough edit. More importantly, the facility that Shilo lives in draws more from One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest or Gotham‘s depiction of Arkham than reality — and as annoying as that is, really, if you’re looking for realism, you’ve dropped this book before it gets to that.

Can she follow this up with an equally successful sequel? That might be trickier, but I’m looking forward to seeing her try.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this novel from the author in exchange for my honest opinions.

—–

3 Stars

Titanborn by Rhett C. Bruno (revised)

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On November 30, 2016

In Mystery/Detective Fiction/Crime Fiction/Thriller

TitanbornTitanborn

by Rhett C. Bruno

Kindle Edition, 246 pg.
Hydra, 2016

Read: November 28 – 29, 2016

I’ve been to the rotting sewer tunnels submerged beneath the Martian domes. I’ve been to the most remote slums on Earth, and to the depths of asteroid mining colonies where being able to see the outline of your own hand in front of your face was considered bright. I’ve seen death all over and been on the end of the killing more times than I cared to count . . .

When he’s not reminiscing like an inverse-Roy Batty, Malcolm Graves is a bounty hunter of sorts — working for one of the handful of corporations that really run the solar system. He’s been at it longer than most, and has no intention of retiring anytime soon. His body, however, might have other things in mind — he’s slowing a bit, both in reflex and thought — add in a little bad luck, and Malcolm’s starting to worry about his future.

So when he’s near the site of a terrorist attack during Earth’s biggest celebration, he seizes the opportunity to get some justice and re-establish his position with the company. Sure, they’re saddling him with a partner rather than letting him work alone, but if that’s what it takes. . . . Only it’s not just a partner, it’s a young guy, fresh from an elite training program for exceptional cadets. Zhram is almost an android, it seems.

Their investigation brings them into contact with a seditious group, trying to overthrow the ruling forces on Saturn’s moon, Titan, so that the descendants of the original colonists (Titanborn). It soon becomes a race against time — can the duo find those responsible for the crime on earth and bring them in before the movement can grow and begin to make inroads against the ruling powers? Why they attempt to do so, their partnership grows and the two being to trust and learn from each other. Zhram is one of the more promising characters in the Lt. Commander Data/Odo/Sheldon Cooper-vein of people trying to learn to be more human that I’ve seen recently.

At its core, the central relationship is the classic mismatched police partners (see the Aykroyd/Hanks Dragnet, Lethal Weapon), but with a SF twist (see The Caves of Steel and Almost Human). The book is full of themes, tropes and scenarios straight from these (and similar) sources. Which isn’t to say that Titanborn is derivative — it’s part of the tradition, reflecting the best parts of its antecedents, shaping them to tell Bruno’s story.

The writing was strong (I thought a couple of times early on that he overwrote a line or two, but nothing too horrible) — the fight scenes good, the tech was believable, etc. An all-around well constructed novel.

I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again — it doesn’t matter if you tell a story that’s been told before, or using tropes commonly used — it’s how you use those tropes, how you tell the story — and Bruno did it in a very satisfactory way. I liked Malcolm from the get-go, I enjoyed watching the budding partnership between he and Zhaff, and even though I pegged (most of) the solution very early on, I really dug the reveal. I liked the characters, I appreciated the way that Bruno paced things and guided us through the shaky political landscape (and at least some of the reasons for the instability). I’d gladly read another half-dozen (at least) novels about these two racing around the solar system.

Disclaimer: This was provided to me by the author in exchange for my honest take on the book — note that I said “honest” and not “timely.” I was supposed to have this done months ago. My thanks for the book and apologies for the tardiness, Mr. Bruno.

—–

3 Stars

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