Book Review: "The Devil's Shallows" by Debra Castaneda

 

Eight miles of mystery. One night of terror.

Residents trapped in a remote neighborhood confront the unimaginable in this horror novel from award-winning author Debra Castaneda.

The salt marsh at Devil’s Landing is home to a terrifying urban legend.

Adam Gray knows the old stories about the Slough Devil, the missing children, and the mutilated animals. But the naturalist and wilderness survival expert doesn’t believe in monsters. Not even when a tourist on his boat sees a strange creature in the tidal channel and captures it on video.

When Adam moves into a controversial housing development next to the marsh, shocking new evidence emerges, and it’s not long before he’s confronted with a series of horrifying and unexplained events.

It takes Christina, his feisty new neighbor, to get him to believe something lurks in the slough. Something disturbed by the new community.

When a massive storm maroons the residents, Adam and Christina find themselves trapped and tested in a fight for their lives. - from Booksirens.com

Thank you to Booksirens.com and the author for allowing me this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

*** Possible Spoilers Ahead ***

I wasn't able to sit down and get this review out right away, so some details may be lacking, but I will try to remember the best I can.

Originally I requested this story due to description sounded open and inviting - like was there a portal to a different place/time/world. The cover art left me wondering as well, as one can see what appears to be some blood, in a water shore type background. I was a litle surprsied at what happens, and though I felt a little cheated at the possible fantasy part of the story, I realized there was still plenty in stock for me.

I'm sure many of us have heard urban legends, and this story is somewhat situated around one - though I do not know if it is a "true urban legend" in our world. Our main character is one that has grown up in this area (I think it is like some smaller po-dunk in California). Many times one has heard parents  threatening the 'slough devil' that'll come and take them. The 'slough devil' lives out in the boonies near the tributary, in land most don't venture into. No one has seen them, though many claim they have, but have no proof.

So out story starts out with a new community being built a ways out of the local town, next to this tributary. Our main characters, Adam, who works as a tour guide on said tributary, and Christina, a once-been local news reporter, are both moving in as winners of some kind of lottery drawing for the limited available, lower income housing. The story is narrated through both of them, flipping between them every couple chapters. These two characters obviously like each other, and yet both have reservations about starting a relationship. Not my area of studied reading, so moving along.

One day, a tourist on the boat Adam drives, actually gets some video of the slough devil, which becomes a sensation and brings hundreds of people looking for it.  A kayaking trip up the tributary finds Adam and the group of residents from the new community facing the event of a slough devil killing one of their party. Somehow (I'm a bit foggy as to the exact event) it turns out that there are more than one slough devil, and they start becoming aggressive (perhaps because the community was built almost literally across the water from their home?). It all gets pretty intense as a nighttime attack of the devils find only three survivors from the new community.

I will admit, this one started kind of slow. As each of the two characters started their narration, giving the background basics of both, and why they were here in this area, it slowly picked up. By around the middle of the book, I wanted to find out what was actually going to happen. Castaneda has done a fine job of writing, describing the character's world, that I felt comforrtable with my mental image. Dialogue between characters, main or other, seemd a bit stilted - but I am not a social butterfly either, so maybe it is just me thinking it could be a little more ... something. Writing style was easy to read, and though there were warnings of profanity, violence and death, I thought they were not overly excessive.

Overall, I enjoyed this as a modern day kind of horror novel, with some good possible fantasy. There is a possible explaination to the slough devil, but as in many urban legends, who really knows how it came to be.

#Booksirens #TheDevilsShallows

Updates On What I'm Reading

 I tend to not write reviews on every single book I read. I know I should, but I just don't. Like when it is in a series, especially a long series. The Rogue Angel series, I did review the batch of the first about 30 books, and I think there are like 62 in total. I have made it up to 42, then decided I needed to break from that, and went on to a couple other reviews I needed to get done.

From here, I have a few books I need to get through, to stay up to date on previous series I have read, such as: Nora Kelly (Preston &Child), Eric Carter (Stephen Blackmoore), Ordinary Magic (Devon Monk), Souls of the Road (Devon Monk), and Sylvanas (World of Warcraft). I also have a few that are stand-alones, or short series I was interested in: The Starless Crown (James Rollins), Sea of Tranquility (Emily St John Mandel), The Band (Nicholas Eames, and Red Death trilogy (Jeff Altabef). Lastly, I loaded up my reader with about 32 books of the Joe Gunther series by Archer Mayor.

I may not write a review for all these as I read them, but will try to be better at getting some done. Until then, keep on reading!

PeacE

Book Reviews: "The Immortal Doc Holliday" series by M. M. Crumley

 Soul eating tattoo. Check

Self-replicating knife. Check
Two-hundred-year-old score to settle. Double check.
Meet the immortal Doc Holliday.

Lying on his deathbed, Dr. John Holliday was offered a choice; let the tuberculosis finish its work or accept immortality. Doc chose the latter, knowing full well that such “gifts” don’t come cheap, but damned if the last two hundred years haven’t been a blast. Partying, playing, fighting, killing; yes, eternal life’s been good... But the time to get serious has finally come, and the task he’s always known he was saved for is at hand.
Now in modern-day Denver, Doc will be pushed to his limits to keep his promise and save the missing descendent of the beautiful shaman who gave him everlasting life. The trouble is things aren’t going as planned, and it’s becoming clear that there is far more at stake than Doc bargained for...

Fans of edgy Urban Fantasy look no further! If you’re into badass, morally ambiguous, anti-heroes that don’t flinch at killing bad guys (and stealing their souls) then this is the book for you! It has the perfect blend of supernatural action, humor, and mystery that you crave. - from Goodreads.com

The above is the picture and description of the first book in this series. I just completed book seven, which seemed to be the last of the series. Thankfully, at the end of the story, there was a note of the next book coming out, which I found will be January 2023, and also a 9th book, set for February 2023. So there will be a bit more to this series! On to the regular stuff...

These all were a fairly quick read for me, as they are not overly long. The story takes place in modern day Denver, a place where there are Hidden areas of the city that hide those species/people with what normals would call 'magic' of some sort. Doc Holliday is a rich man (due to the years of luck and gambling I am sure) and owns a hotel, and has a missioin to accomplish. From the illustrated cover, one can see how 'dashing and handsome' he is, as if there were immortals that weren't this good looking.

There is sarcasm. There is snarky, cussing, seduction, plus so much more (and MAGIC!) in the stories. Each book continues on the same timeline, though, if there is any major time difference, it is mentioned, or it isn't necessary. Crumley has done a wonderful job of creating a story of character from the Old West, to a modern day urban fantasy. I like how he has created Doc as a character with a completely different "magic set" than others, and yet retains his snark-isms, as I picture from the movie of Wyatt Earp - the one with Val Kilmer in it. Throw in some love-making on the side, friends that cuss you out becasue they care, and you'll be snickering as you read, as I did.

#TheImmortalDocHolliday

Book Review: "Armored" by Mark Greaney

 

Joshua Duffy is a Close Protection Agent—a professional bodyguard—and he's one of the world's elite operatives. That is, he was until his last mission in Lebanon. Against all odds, Josh got his primary out alive, but the cost was high. Josh lost his lower left leg. 
 
There's not much call for an elite bodyguard with such an injury. So, Josh has to support his family working as a mall cop in New Jersey. For a man like Josh, this is purgatory on earth, but miracles can occur even in Paramus. 
 
A lucky run-in with an old comrade promises to get Josh back in the field for one last job. The UN is sending a peace mission into the Sierra Madre mountains in Mexico, an area so dangerous it's known as Espinazo del Diablo—the Devil's Spine. Only a fool would think they could broker peace between the homicidal drug cartels in the region, and only a madman would sign on to keep those fools alive. - from Netgalley.com

Thanks to NetGalley.com and the publisher,Berkley Publishing Group, for a copy of this novel to read and review. All opinions that follow are truly my own.

This is the possibly first book in a new series from Greaney, who authored The Gray Man series of books prior. I say possibly, because some book sites list it as a #1 Joshua Duffy, and others do not. Either way, it is a stand-alone if the series does not happen, or if you just want to read it.

After having read all the books in The Gray Man series, I was expecting something somewhat similar in this book. In some ways I was not surprised. There is quite a bit of military slang and tech terms, but Greaney manages to write it in a way that I thought I could understand the different between a Glock 9mm and an AK47 without a lot of wasted detail. The story itself is pretty straight forward, containing the usual near-misses and heroic escapes the main characters usually have happen. Side characters weren't filled out too much, as most die off anyways.

There were a few things I liked, one of which was the main characters wife, Nikki, who is such a supportive spouse - not only during the time Duff was recovering from the leg loss, but just in general. And the lengths that she went for him! At some point, it may be interesting if Greaney would do some sort of side novella, or even a book, about Nikki, as her story seemed to catch my attention a bit as well. I liked that story actually seemed plausible, though a bit unlikely. Also I add, that I truly have no idea how the private security firms work in dealing with jobs like this out of country.

There was not anything in the story I could think to dislike. I do admit, I really don't see another story for a series would lead, but I have been surprised before by authors. I would recommend this book for anyone that enjoys action/military/thriller type books.

#NetGalley #Armored #MarkGreaney

Book Review: Heir of Blood and Secrets" by Linda Xia

 

“We’re all complicit in things we regret. Sometimes, we just do what we must.”

In the city-state of Devovea, behind the walls of the Castle, Scylla Delevan waits for a chance to prove herself. When a Magistrate is murdered and her father stands accused of the crime, she eagerly sets out to prove his innocence. As she races to find the real killer before it is too late, she begins to unearth dangerous secrets that could throw the fragile balance of her city into chaos. In too deep to turn back, Scylla is forced to question all she has ever known and choose between what is expected of her and what is right.

Family loyalty and personal beliefs collide as Scylla navigates a dystopian world divided by race and gender. Heir of Blood and Secrets will challenge you to consider how far you are willing to go—and what you are willing to sacrifice—to forge a better world.- from Goodreads.com

A big thanks to Linda Xia who provided me with a copy of her novel in exchange for a review.

Young Adult novels are generally not my first choice when looking for something to read. It's not that they are usually written in a way that is easier to read, or that they have main characters that are teens faced with the crisis of growing older while trying to solve a problem. I would have to say it is just mainly because I cannot relate to their plight(s) though I have lived through those formulative years (quite some time ago). That being stated, let's get on to the past few days as I pondered what to put here.

'Heir of Blood and Secrets' actually caught my attention early on in the story. There is murder, a suspected somewhat high-ranking official, whose daughter completely believes is innocent, therefore sets off to prove that innocence. As most YA stories go, the main character has some "new" relaities to face, and make decisions from, as she learns that the world of adults is more complex and complicated than she ever imagined - and more sinister. Scylla also learns that it is harder to commit to doing what you believe is right, and the thought of "what is right for all".

The story is set  in what I thought as of a somewhat futuristic time similar to that here on Earth. It is in a very large city environment, that seems to have some technology ahead of ours, yet somethings seem a bit behind our times. There is a definite line between financial classes that is even evident in what level one lives on in the city, with the upper/ruling class at the top and going down. Scylla, our main character, is in the upper teir, and though has traveled to the middle sections, has not really experienced Life in the lower levels. She has made a friend there though, who helps reveal things as they truly are. 

So the story in general is somewhat interesting. Our main character is definitely improving as the story progresses, with having to realize truths/lies that were taken for granted in her growing years. She learns about making alliances, and somewhat of the costs that go with dealing with certain things. We learn about the 'government' and sort of how it is set up, I think similar to Britain's monarchy, with a Queen, and a Consul that votes policy and actions. There is not mcuh political in the story except that which our characters have to deal with (the father being a senator-type and the MC a heriditary of that position).

World building seemed pretty easy. City setting with levels that get poorer as they descend. I do not recall much outside this setting except that there appear to be other cities (similar to this one?) that wage war on other cities. There is one part of the story that mentions the need for more military to prevent this attack from another city. Then countered with more military to control the poor masses. Sounds sort of similar to the US? Sometimes a little too much.

Overall, I think this novel was written to lead into at least another book or two. I think the story could flesh out pretty well into a trilogy. My interest was kept in the story, though there were times I would do an eyeroll for the decisions made (by a younger aged character). I would love to learn more about outside the actual city - is it a barren wasteland between cities? Is there a natural resource issue? Are the cities more like city-states-countries? Do they war for resources of different political styles? Or did I miss that in my reading (rather forgot after reading it)? Characters were pretty much what I was expecting, afterall, they are teenagers in general. I thought it better for the story having our MC and her friend having to attend a "public" school versus the "private" one the upper echelons would send their kids to. I defintely would recommend this book.

#HeirofBloodandSecrets