Book Review: "The Sin Collector" by Jessica Fortunato

"The Sin Collector" follows the life of Liliana, a born Sin Collector. She has spent over 100 years absorbing people's sins so they may rest in peace come death. However when she meets another Collector, one who insists everything she has been taught is a lie, Liliana must make her way from sunny L.A. all the way to the streets of Madrid. Searching for answers to a question we all share. Why are we here? The friends and enemies she makes along the way only seem to blur the line between right and wrong. Can Liliana fight the Castus, an organization whose sole mission is to kill every Collector? Should she trust her head or her heart when the two most important men in her life are fighting alongside her?
Then there is the worst question of all, who will be left when the dust settles? - from Amazon.com

I don't recall how I came across this book, might have been included with a group of books a friend sent. Either way, the story synopsis didn't sound bad so I stated into it. Overall the story was a bit shorter than I expected, as I finished it in just a few hours. I would say it falls in my genre of reading (Fantasy/Urban Fantasy) and I loved the idea behind a type of people that go around collecting sins from regular humans. 

A couple issues I had while reading, and this may include some spoilers. 

One, the main character (female) though is supposed to be aged around 100 years give or take, acted/reacted to everything like a teenager. She is 'locked' in her physical form at age 20, so I don't know if we are supposed to blame this on hormones that are locked in at that age. These quivery/giggly teenager moments she has whenever a guy appears in the story.... sigh. Yet there is one quick sex scene than thankfully doesn't get very descriptive - I don't care to read about sex scenes. 

Second, when do we get to hear more of the collecting of sin? There was one scene where the main character did what she was trained to do, and supposedly had done for over half the years she has been around. Also, no one else was doing it. Yet there are many (guessing since it isn't really talked about) people that live this way.

Third, the ending was a bit disturbing. The guy she has been all googly about throughout the story is now out of the story (I won't say why), and now she gets together with the guy that was her 'trainer', who took her from the orphanage at a young age, and until the age of 20 was like a father figure to her. Whoaaaa.... so not cool. For this alone I would not want to classify this as YA, though it certainly seemed to aimed to that group of readers. 

I noticed that there is a second book available, that per its description, seems to possibility go back and cover more about the actual sin collecting, but it doesn't look like it would be a continuation of this book - more like a prequel. Though my few thoughts on the short-comings here, I may pick up the next book, just because it piques my interest.

Book Review: "Promise of Blood" by Brian McClellan

The Age of Kings is dead . . . and I have killed it.

It's a bloody business overthrowing a king...

Field Marshal Tamas' coup against his king sent corrupt aristocrats to the guillotine and brought bread to the starving. But it also provoked war with the Nine Nations, internal attacks by royalist fanatics, and the greedy to scramble for money and power by Tamas's supposed allies: the Church, workers unions, and mercenary forces.

It's up to a few...

Stretched to his limit, Tamas is relying heavily on his few remaining powder mages, including the embittered Taniel, a brilliant marksman who also happens to be his estranged son, and Adamat, a retired police inspector whose loyalty is being tested by blackmail.

But when gods are involved...
Now, as attacks batter them from within and without, the credulous are whispering about omens of death and destruction. Just old peasant legends about the gods waking to walk the earth. No modern educated man believes that sort of thing. But they should... - from Amazon.com

I found this book on several lists of Fantasy books due out this year that were well expected. Needless to say, it did not fail! McClellan has taken the black-powder weapon era, added a few touches of magic, to create a world of Powder Mages, that use their magical ability with the use of black powder. Add into the mix some Knacked (similar to a hedge-witch) a few Privileged (regular wizards), the Predeii (powerful sorcerers), and a God or few, you have a wonderful story revolving around a coup, some romance, and a lot of revenge.

Trying to find a particular part of the story, or writing style, to expand upon, nothing jumps out at me, to use as an example. I got swept into the story line from the first page, and the following pages did not leave me feeling like it slowed down at all. There are at least four (all intertwined somewhat) that McClellan uses to move the story along, with some nice twists I did not expect. Character development was on-going throughout the story, leaving me hoping for maybe some additional background or future short story (or stories) of certain characters history of previous years.

Having heard nothing but good things about this book, I started with a bit of trepidation as to whether I would agree or not. Many books that have good reviews don't always satisfy my guidelines, but not 'Promise of Blood'. Of course, one of my regrets in reading this, is that there are to be at least two additional novels, which at this time have no expected release date. Brian McClellan is definitely an author I will be watching for not just only the additional books to this series, but hopefully, other future works as well.

Update: Actually the next book is slated for February 2014 called 'The Crimson Campaign'.

Book Review: "Sailor of the Skysea" by A. C. F. Crawford

Hardened sailor Ytzak Anan is an outsider. The color of his skin holds him back in a brutal, post-colonial world. And now his dreams of captaining his own ship, along with all his savings, have been stolen by a faithless lover.

Up a mighty river and out to sea once again, Ytzak searches for meaning and a new start. But the cruelties of ruthless men dog his steps, and mysterious forces seem to be guiding his journey for purposes unknown…

In this explosive debut, author A. C. F. Crawford has created something new in the realm of fantasy.

From high-seas adventure to a climactic clash with a malevolent autocrat, from back alley brawls to arcane shamanic sorcery, Sailor of the Skysea explores a mythical world with a truly American feel. - from Amazon.com

Before I begin, I was contacted by this author, who gave me a free e-book copy of this novel in exchange for a fair review.

This is a novel set in an alternative history, circa later 1800's, along what I took to be the Eastern and Southeastern parts of the the U.S. Mostly what I read as parts of the Mississippi River, New Orleans, and the Eastern seaboard, with a few new add-ins (like islands, etc.). The story is about Ytzak Anan, raised as a sailor/fisherman in what I took to be the swampy delta, who learned to be a prize-fighter. After accidentally killing a man in a bout and losing interest in 'brawling', he turned to sailing and leading ships through the miles of meandering waterways around the area. Having saved almost enough of his own ship, then being robbed of his savings by one he thought as his love, Ytzak joins a crew taking a shipment upriver. From this point on, the story moves along fairly well, bringing the main character into situation after situation where he does his best to make the best decision, and the results of said decision. In resolving each conflict, he travels much of the area I mentioned, and meets several people.

Though the title is a bit misleading, the picture is not. There is no 'sailing in the sky' or other mechanical means of flying, but it does center around pre-industrial boating in that the use of poling, rowing, and physically pulling boats along a waterway, or sailing, are used. I felt the mechanics involved were acceptable to the timeline being written. I did get lost a bit when the author would delve off into the political and/or religious background whether it was in a conversation, or just background description. Not because it was written badly, just I find those topics to be a bit boring, and I didn't feel I needed as much description as was provided. Also I was a bit put off about the choice of character names. Some, like Ytzak, would throw me out of a 'reading rhythym' due to the spelling, and would take a few minutes trying to decide how to pronounce a name before I could continue on.

All that being said, overall it was not a bad read, though I would not advise it for the younger YA crowd due to some of the bit more graphic scenes. I was a bit leery, as I don't regularly read this style of fantasy fiction, but leaving a bit of my disinterest out of the rating, I would say it was worth a good liking.

Book Review: "Sick" by Brett Battles

For fans of Stephen King, Blake Crouch, and Michael Crichton comes a new, heart-pounding thriller by Brett Battles... Daniel Ash wakes after midnight to the cry of his daughter. Just a bad dream, he thinks. She’s had them before. Yet he can’t help but worry when she cries out again as he pads down the hallway. Stepping through her doorway, he expects to find her sitting up in bed, frightened by a nightmare. But the nightmare is his. It’s real. And it's just beginning... Something is burning Ash's daughter alive. Something horrible that is spreading beyond the walls of their home, and taking no prisoners. Thirty seconds later, Ash will discover his daughter isn’t the only one in his family infected, and as his world spins, coming apart at the seams, a team of armed men in biohazard suits bursts into his house. But these aren’t the good guys. They haven’t come to save Ash’s family. They’ve come to separate them, to finish what they started. The problem is Ash refuses to disappear. He wants only one thing: to find those responsible. Because humanity is on the brink of execution. And man is pulling the trigger. - from Amazon.com, minus extra review wordings

This is yet another story (series) leading to a possible apocalyptic ending of Life as we know it. This one, brought on via a flu-like virus, that kills everyone without the vaccine (which is not perfected yet) or a natural immunity to it (like our main character, his kids, and I am starting to wonder if not a few others as well). It ended as a a possible stand-alone novel, but there is a second book out in the series. Plenty of action that keeps the story going, but not a lot of character in-depth build-up. There were a few times that a character is in what I would think would be a crucial/critical decision moment, and make the dangerous/obvious decision without any sort of thought. Also were a few things (like practicing your aim on a gun range) that at least one character seemed to become near perfect in only a matter of few hours practice - though I admit, he was a former military, but still seemed a bit far fetched. Either way, it didn't detract from the story much. Overall a decent read if you are into the end of the world type stuff.

Book Review: "Crossing Jack" by Jeffrey J. Michaels

When elven Jack arrives at the Crossing House, he only seeks a bit of wine and perhaps some lively conversation. The rough men he finds do not bode well for companionship, but Mary, the pretty daughter of the innkeeper, has a glint in her eye. Jack shares that glint, to the dismay of one particularly large, rough man. 

Jack a’ the Green is a lover first, but a lover can be a fighter if the cause is beautiful enough. Is Mary a prize to be won? Or does she have a mind of her own on the matter of Jack?

Author Jeffrey J. Michaels is a Gemini. As such he is deeply involved in whatever interests him at the moment. Currently he is polishing a sweeping fantasy series of interconnected tales collectively known as “The Mystical Histories.” It is varied enough that he may even finish most of the stories. 

He likes to think of his work as “metaphyictional,” combining fantasy and humor with metaphysical elements. In his real life he is a well-respected creative and spiritual consultant. 

He doesn’t like to talk about his award winning horror story. - from Amazon.com

That was the whole story description from Amazon.com, and yes, it included the information about the author, and I felt it is needed.

This is just a short story, a prequel sort of, and was a fairly quick read. As it states, the author has some interconnected tales called "The Mystical Histories", and I see this as the first, though there is not much history to it. I did not find any of these other tales listed under the author at Amazon, so I figure they are works in progress, thus making this the first of a few. I wasn't very impressed with this tale, which gave more history about a pub-owner's family, than about the event that starts the story. Very little narrative and conversation, more on this is what was, and as time went on, this happened. Need something quick to read, without much to it, this is it.

Book Review: "The Book of Lost Things" by John Connolly

High in his attic bedroom, twelve-year-old David mourns the death of his mother. He is angry and alone, with only the books on his shelf for company. But those books have begun to whisper to him in the darkness, and as he takes refuge in his imagination, he finds that reality and fantasy have begun to meld. While his family falls apart around him, David is violently propelled into a land that is a strange reflection of his own world, populated by heroes and monsters, and ruled over by a faded king who keeps his secrets in a mysterious book... The Book of Lost Things.

An imaginative tale about navigating the journey into adulthood, while doing your best to hang on to your childhood. - from Amazon.com

This was my first novel by this author, whom I have read good things about (the author, that is). This is a tale about growing up, I think it was meant for a more Young Adult crowd, than an adult one. I rallied through it, as I hoped it would get more interesting, but it flitted through a twisted version of a fairy tale, into another one, enough that I wondered where the real part of the story was going to appear. It finally did appear, and was an okay finish. I think I would have enjoyed this work much more if I had read it when I was 12 years old. That being said, it wasn't a terrible novel, just more suited to a younger reading crowd, in my opinion.

Book Review: "14" by Peter Clines

Padlocked doors. Strange light fixtures. Mutant cockroaches.

There are some odd things about Nate's new apartment. 

Of course, he has other things on his mind. He hates his job. He has no money in the bank. No girlfriend. No plans for the future. So while his new home isn't perfect, it's livable. The rent is low, the property managers are friendly, and the odd little mysteries don't nag at him too much. 

At least, not until he meets Mandy, his neighbor across the hall, and notices something unusual about her apartment. And Xela's apartment. And Tim's. And Veek's. 

Because every room in this old Los Angeles brownstone has a mystery or two. Mysteries that stretch back over a hundred years. Some of them are in plain sight. Some are behind locked doors. And all together these mysteries could mean the end of Nate and his friends. 

Or the end of everything... - from Amazon.com

I like a good 'end of the world' story, and this one sounded like it could be one. I started getting right into it, with the main character, Nate, moving into this apartment building, and finding out some weird things about it.  The story built up, and drew me in, waiting to find out what they were going to find next, or what would happen. As I traveled the small twists and turns the author lead me on, the ending became clear somewhat early on, but still I wanted to find out how they got there.

On technical aspects: the character were not that developed throughout the story. Descriptions were fairly vague, letting the reader make the best of their imagination. Maybe that was planned, but it felt to me like the author just didn't want to waste time trying to fill in a few extra details. With the lack of character development, I felt like some of the supporting characters were nothing more than cardboard cut-outs, expendable at leisure. Though, I won't say how many live/die in this story, I was a bit surprised that one of the "more developed" characters was wiped out.

Overall was a decent story, with a few twists that were cool (ie. H.P. Lovecraft's twist in there, and some 'steampunkish' technology).

Book Review: "Seeing Things" by Patti Hill

Birdie Wainwright, 72, isn’t concerned about seeing things that others can’t. For a woman who still climbs mountains with her dog (Miss Bee Haven) and likes to tango, the impractical visions brought on by macular degeneration are just another gift from God, adding more adventure to life. But when a tumble down the stairs breaks her ankle and leads back to her son’s home in Denver where she must convalesce, Birdie’s imagination really takes flight. Following a conversation with her grandson about The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, she begins to see and speak with the unkempt literary character himself on a regular basis. As the line between reality and whimsy turns brittle, faith is tested among friends and loved ones, and hope is reborn.

Seeing Things is a story about family, reconciliation, and hearing from God in unexpected ways. - from Amazon.com

I am not a big fan of Christian Fiction, though, I have come across a few that have a good story without feeling like the religious part is being forced on the reader. This is one of those books, that don't force it on you, but make it clear that it is there. I enjoyed the author's way of sharing the story, as a first-person view, as if they were sitting down and telling you face to face (plus added details like exact conversations, etc.). The main character has AMD (Age-related Macular Degeneration) which I know nothing about, except how it is described in the book. I found it a bit odd that there was as much detail regarding the settings, since the person supposedly had a 'gray cloud' centered in their vision constantly. Either way, this character eventually has a hallucination (for lack of better word) that they interact with several times throughout the time frame of the story. Why it Huck Finn, I only guess due to events in the story (read it and you will see what I mean).

Character development was a bit lacking, and sometimes I felt I couldn't tell why the author included certain events that happened - as in I felt it did not help any for the story, but word count only. Clean, decent read for anyone looking for a general fiction quick read.

Book Review: "Indigo Springs" by A. M. Dellamonica

Indigo Springs is a sleepy town where things seem pretty normal . . . until Astrid’s father dies and she moves into his house. She discovers that for many years her father had been accessing the magic that flowed, literally, in a blue stream beneath the earth, leaking into his house. When she starts to use the liquid "vitagua" to enchant everyday items, the results seem innocent enough: a “’chanted” watch becomes a charm that means you're always in the right place at the right time; a “’chanted” pendant enables the wearer to convince anyone of anything . . .

But as events in Indigo Springs unfold and the true potential of vitagua is revealed, Astrid and her friends unwittingly embark on a journey fraught with power, change, and a future too devastating to contemplate. Friends become enemies and enemies become friends as Astrid discovers secrets from her shrouded childhood that will lead her to a destiny stranger than she could have imagined . . . - from Amazon.com

I just couldn't get into this one. The synopsis of the story sounded good, but after getting about halfway through the book, I was having a hard time keeping my attention focused (much like the lead character). I am not sure if it was just my mood when trying to read this, or the way the author wrote, that made me feel like I was reading something a grade-schooler wrote. Literally, it gave me a headache. I do admit, that I do like the idea of the story, but just couldn't deal with the writing style.

Book Review: "Juggernaut" by Adam Baker

THEY SEARCHED FOR GOLD. THEY FOUND DEATH.

           

Iraq 2005. Seven mercenaries hear an enticing rumor: somewhere, abandoned in the swirling desert sands, lies an abandoned Republican Guard convoy containing millions of pounds of Saddam's gold.  They form an unlikely crew of battle-scarred privateers, killers and thieves, veterans of a dozen war zones, each of them anxious to make one last score before their luck runs out. 

After liberating the sole surviving Guard member from US capture, the team makes their way to the ancient ruins where the convoy was last seen.  Although all seems eerily quiet and deserted when they arrive, they soon find themselves caught in a desperate battle for their lives, confronted by greed, betrayal, and an army that won't stay dead.

An unputdownable military thriller that SFFworld.com called "Three Kings meets The Walking Dead,” Juggernaut is a heart-pounding, fast-paced read that doesn’t let up until the last page. - from Amazon.com

I originally thought this was a stand alone novel by Baker, but realized it is sort of a prequel to his other novel, OUTPOST. I didn't realize the connection until I was about a good third into the book. It started out well, gathering a group of mercs, and sending them on a mission to find a hidden cache of gold. Really? Needless to say, it was little better than I expected. I did finish the second half of the book, just because I wanted to see how it tied into OUTPOST. Baker's next book, TERMINUS, I hope is much better.

Book Review: "Outpost" by Adam Baker

They took the job to escape the world They didn't expect the world to end. Kasker Rampart: a derelict refinery platform moored in the Arctic Ocean. A skeleton crew of fifteen fight boredom and despair as they wait for a relief ship to take them home. But the world beyond their frozen wasteland has gone to hell. Cities lie ravaged by a global pandemic. One by one TV channels die, replaced by silent wavebands. The Rampart crew are marooned. They must survive the long Arctic winter, then make their way home alone. They battle starvation and hypothermia, unaware that the deadly contagion that has devastated the world is heading their way... - from Amazon.com

This is not your normal 'survival of the end of the world' type of story. It centers around six characters of a crew on a derelict oil rig in the Artic Circle, and tells of how they survive being stranded on the rig as some sort of world-wide epidemic runs rampant. There is no explanation of the epidemic, but leaves the body to become what many would call zombie-like, but not exactly what we consider zombies. Great easy reading story, that Baker takes in some unexpected directions, leaving an ending that I would not have guessed. Great action, captures some of the emotion that solitude could bring out in a person, and the need to fight on at all costs for life.

Book Review: "Dad Is Fat" by Jim Gaffigan

In Dad is Fat, stand-up comedian Jim Gaffigan, who’s best known for his legendary riffs on Hot Pockets, bacon, manatees, and McDonald's, expresses all the joys and horrors of life with five young children—everything from cousins ("celebrities for little kids") to toddlers’ communication skills (“they always sound like they have traveled by horseback for hours to deliver important news”), to the eating habits of four year olds (“there is no difference between a four year old eating a taco and throwing a taco on the floor”). Reminiscent of Bill Cosby’s Fatherhood, Dad is Fat is sharply observed, explosively funny, and a cry for help from a man who has realized he and his wife are outnumbered in their own home. - from Amazon.com

What can I say about this book? I didn't finish it. I read several sections/chapters, and just could not understand why he was writing this book. I have seen several comedic clips on YouTube of Gaffigan, and found them somewhat funny (some better than others) but his humor didn't seem to carry over to the written word. I felt the book was more like a slight memoir for his kids to read, as only they could understand the stories he was sharing. Either that, or my humor level is WAYYY different, because, I too have kids.

Book Review: "Paladins of Shannara: The Black Irix" by Terry Brooks

An old friend urges Shea Ohmsford to take a dangerous risk in the concluding story of this gripping Shannara eBook series by New York Times bestselling fantasy master Terry Brooks.
 
Shea Ohmsford has had quite enough of quests. A year after surviving a harrowing odyssey, he is still plagued by troubling memories and dreams. A mysterious trafficker in spells and potions provides a restorative nostrum for the stricken Shea . . . along with a warning: Shea will break his vow to never again leave Shady Vale. And then the potion-maker’s prophecy comes to pass.
 
A thief, adventurer, and notoriously charismatic rogue, Panamon Creel unexpectedly appears in the Vale with a request for his longtime friend, Shea—journey into the untamed northland, infiltrate the stronghold of a sinister dealer in stolen goods, and capture a precious artifact: the sacred Black Irix. Creel wishes to return this treasure to its rightful owners. Shea cannot refuse such a just cause. But what lies behind the black castle walls they must breach? And will this quest truly be their last?
 
Includes a preview of the final novel in Terry Brooks’s Dark Legacy of Shannara trilogy, Witch Wraith! - from Amazon.com

This is a third book in the short story series Brooks has of the Paladins of Shannara. As with the other two, he returns to tell a small tale of some of the characters from different spots on the timeline. This particular one is about Shea Ohmsford.

It has been many years since I read the earlier trilogies of Shannara, and thus I am not able to recall every character/specific event from them, but this short return was a nice read. As Terry Brooks has admitted in other places, his short story delivery lacks the quality he has in the novels, and this is no exception. I felt the style of descriptives Brooks uses was missing here, and made this feel more like a marketing ploy. Which could be the case since the third book of the Dark Legacy series is due out in July (I think), and each of these Paladin stories has preceded each book. Overall this one felt a bit rushed, and seemed shorter than the previous two ebooks. 

Book Review: "King of Thorns" by Mark Lawrence

In Book One of the Broken Empire, Mark Lawrence brought to life the “morbidly gripping”* (Publishers Weekly) story of a boy in search of power and vengeance. Now, in King of Thorns, that boy’s journey into manhood takes him to the dark depths waiting within his soul…
The boy who would be King has gained the throne... 

Prince Honorious Jorg Ancrath vowed when he was nine to avenge his slaughtered mother and brother—and punish his father for not doing so. When he was fifteen, he began to fulfill that vow. Now he is eighteen—and he must hold on by strength of arms to what he took by torture and treachery. 

King Jorg is a man haunted: by the ghost of a young boy, by a mysterious copper box, by his desire for the woman who rides with his enemy. Plagued by nightmares of the atrocities he committed, and of the atrocities committed against him when he was a child, he is filled with rage. And even as his need for revenge continues to consume him, twenty thousand men march toward the gates of his castle. His enemy is far stronger than him. Jorg knows that he cannot win a fair fight. 

But he has found, in a chamber hidden beneath the castle, ancient and long-lost artifacts. Some might call them magic. Jorg is not certain—all he knows is that the secrets they hold can be put to terrible use in the coming battle... - from Amazon.com

This is the second book in The Broken Empire series, and continues the story of Jorg. It is now four years later than the first book, and finds Jorg getting married. On his actual wedding day, he is also under attack from the Prince of Arrow. Most of the book covers events that happened four years prior, where the first book left off. These events not only build a more defined character in Jorg, but many events that lead up to the current time.

I enjoyed reading this book a bit more than the first one, I think because things were explained in additional detail. Events take place in a post-apocalyptic world, with portions of what I consider our technological age (and a bit further than us) that still exist and can be used. Lawrence has added in what I consider to be mutations, in that "magic" can be used. Otherwise, it is a return to the medieval times as far as armor and weapons. Jorg is a character I have enjoyed learning of, through the past events of his life that made him the ruthless and bloody leader he is. Looking forward to the next installment in the series!