Book Review: "Just One Damned Thing After Another" by Jodi Taylor

A story of history, time travel, love, friendship and tea. Meet the disaster-magnets at the St Mary's Institute of Historical Research as they ricochet around history, observing, documenting, drinking tea and, if possible, not dying. Follow the catastrophe-curve from eleventh-century London to World War I, and from the Cretaceous Period to the destruction of the Great Library at Alexandria. Discover History – The New Sex - from Amazon.com

I picked this one up while it was offered for free on Amazon, if I remember correctly. It was a day I was willing to risk reading something that the description was just too vague about. Once I started reading it, I got hooked. The story follows a lady named Max (short for Maxwell, her last name) as she gets to train at this special place called St. Mary's, which is an organization that has the ability to travel through time - specifically the past. Max is a 'Historian' who travels back to certain periods of time for major events to record how it truly happened. Volume one covers a few of her exploits, as things always have a way of going wrong around Max, and people end up hurt, killed, or ... well, leave some stuff to surprise you. I really enjoyed the book, and am looking forward to any future volumes.

Book Review: "The Book With No Name" by Anonymous

Volume one in a fast-paced, cinematic trilogy shot through with supernatural black humor

 

In Santa Mondega, an unnamed book brings violent death to anyone who reads it, a mysterious blue stone—the Eye of the Moon—has vanished, a total eclipse is about to cast the city into utter darkness, and in the shadowed streets lurks the serial killer known only as the Bourbon Kid. Detective Miles Jensen must race to uncover the link between the book, the murders, and the Kid. But as the mystery unravels, he discovers that there's more to Santa Mondega than meets the eye. Not only is the place full of gangsters, martial-arts monks, lowlifes, bounty hunters, and an Elvis-impersonating hitman, there is a whole bunch of vampires, too. - from Amazon.com

I admit I was a bit intrigued by a book that is written by an anonymous author. Did they not want their name on it because it was that bad, or some other reason? I decided I had to find out, since even the plot description made me interested in reading it. I was not disappointed. The story brings us to Santa Mondega, and introduces a character Miles Jensen, who is a specially appointed office to the SMPD. Specially Appointed, as he deals with the more paranormal sort of things for the government. While on this particular case, he is trying to solve several murders that are related to the theft of the Eye of the Moon, a special gem said to have certain mystical properties. To add to the suspense, and eclipse, centered over Santa Mondega, could be halted causing constant darkness over the town if the gem finds its way into the wrong hands. The Bourbon Kid is a serial murderer from five years earlier, when the Eye was stolen previously, and is blamed for the murders cropping up in the current day.

Definitely a dark, humorous read. Though at times I felt it dragged a bit, trying to keep up with some of the multiple plot lines going on. Everything does sort of tie-in together at the end, leaving the reader with the good sense of the good guys winning, and the bad guys losing. Twist in a few angels, vampires, a few other paranormal types, and a gun-toting serial killer, it makes for a gritty action read.

Book Review: "Joyland" by Stephen King

Set in a small-town North Carolina amusement park in 1973, Joyland tells the story of the summer in which college student Devin Jones comes to work as a carny and confronts the legacy of a vicious murder, the fate of a dying child, and the ways both will change his life forever. - from Amazon.com

King has returned to the style of writing I enjoyed with his earlier works of CARRIE, FIRESTARTER, etc. I fell into this while reading, and literally went through it in one sitting. I had just finished CARNIEPUNK, an anthology of carnival stories, and King's usage of carny language, and life, just jumped out to grab me. I felt drawn in to Jones (main character) as he dealt with life in general, and for the first time in a long time, I actually got a bit teary-eyed at the ending. Definitely a thriller, and a hard case crime read, that includes King's bit of twist! If you enjoyed THE COLORADO KID, you'll love this one, too!

Book Review: "Carniepunk" by Rachel Caine, Kevin Hearne, & other authors

Come one, come all! The Carniepunk Midway promises you every thrill and chill a traveling carnival can provide. But fear not! Urban fantasy’s biggest stars are here to guide you through this strange and dangerous world. . . .

RACHEL CAINE’s vampires aren’t child’s play, as a naïve teen discovers when her heart leads her far, far astray in “The Cold Girl.” With “Parlor Tricks,” JENNIFER ESTEP pits Gin Blanco, the Elemental Assassin, against the Wheel of Death and some dangerously creepy clowns. SEANAN McGUIRE narrates a poignant, ethereal tale of a mysterious carnival that returns to a dangerous town after twenty years in “Daughter of the Midway, the Mermaid, and the Open, Lonely Sea.” KEVIN HEARNE’s Iron Druid and his wisecracking Irish wolfhound discover in “The Demon Barker of Wheat Street” that the impossibly wholesome sounding Kansas Wheat Festival is actually not a healthy place to hang out. With an eerie, unpredictable twist, ROB THURMAN reveals the fate of a psychopath stalking two young carnies in “Painted Love.”  - from Amazon.com

Kevin Hearne (THE IRON DRUID series) had announced he was a contributor to this anthology a few months before the release date, and so I felt compelled to get it. Especially since it had a short story from the IRON DRUID series Hearne writes. However, seeing that it had several authors I have read, it added to value of what I was getting.  This was a great read, each story having something to do with carnivals, whether it was twisted and dark, or revenge, or finding a missing person. Hearne's contribution sticks out to me, as does Estep's short of the ELEMENTAL ASSASSIN. As usual, there were a couple stories that didn't hit the mark for me, but overall, was a good read - even if you are afraid of clowns!

Book Review: "Unfettered" by Shawn Speakman

You define life or it defines you.

In Shawn Speakman’s case, it was both.

Lacking health insurance and diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma in 2011, Shawn quickly accrued a massive medical debt that he did not have the ability to pay. That’s when New York Times best-selling author Terry Brooks offered to donate a short story that Shawn could sell tohelp alleviate those bills—and suggested he ask the same of his other writer friends.

Unfettered is the result: an anthology built in order to relieve that debt, featuring short stories by some of the best fantasy writers in the genre.

Twenty-three tales comprise this incredible collection, and as the title suggests, the writers were free to contribute whatever they wished.

Here is the table of contents:

- Foreword by Patrick Rothfuss
- Introduction: On Becoming Unfettered
- Imaginary Friends by Terry Brooks
- How Old Holly Came To Be by Patrick Rothfuss
- The Old Scale Game by Tad Williams
- Game of Chance by Carrie Vaughn
- The Martyr of the Roses by Jacqueline Carey
- Mudboy by Peter V. Brett
- The Sound of Broken Absolutes by Peter Orullian
- The Coach with Big Teeth by R.A. Salvatore
- Keeper of Memory by Todd Lockwood
- Heaven in a Wild Flower by Blake Charlton
- Dogs by Daniel Abraham
- The Chapel Perilous by Kevin Hearne
- Select Mode by Mark Lawrence
- All the Girls Love Michael Stein by David Anthony Durham
- Strange Rain by Jennifer Bosworth
- Nocturne by Robert V.S. Redick
- Unbowed by Eldon Thompson
- In Favour with Their Stars by Naomi Novik
- River of Souls by Robert Jordan & Brandon Sanderson
- The Jester by Michael J. Sullivan
- The Duel by Lev Grossman
- Walker and the Shade of Allanon by Terry Brooks
- The Unfettered Knight by Shawn Speakman

With the help of stalwart friends and these wonderful short stories, Shawn has taken the gravest of life’s hardships and created something magical. Unfettered is not only a fantastic anthology in its own right, but it’s a testament to the generosity found in the science fiction and fantasy community—proof that humanity can give beyond itself when the need arises.

After all, isn’t that the driving narrative in fantasy literature? - from Amazon.com

One of the better Fantasy anthologies I have read in awhile, that included many of my personal favorite authors. I had lucked out and was able to get a special Phoenix ComiCon edition of this book that had like 5 of the stories by themselves, three authors of which had signed it. Overall, I enjoyed most of the stories within, though, like in all collections, there seem to be one or two that just don't agree with me. It is great when authors are able and willing to help put a collection together, as this one - which was to help raise funds for medical bills for Speakman. 

Book Review: "High Heat" by Lee Child

Thriller master Lee Child returns with an exclusive eBook novella. In the midst of a savage heat wave and an infamous murder spree, a blackout awakens the dark side of the city that never sleeps—and a young Jack Reacher takes action as only he can.

Don’t miss the exciting preview of Lee Child’s highly anticipated Jack Reacher novel, Never Go Back!

July 1977. Jack Reacher is almost seventeen, and he stops in New York City on the way to visit his brother at West Point. The summer heat is suffocating, the city is bankrupt, and the mad gunman known as Son of Sam is still on the loose. Reacher meets a woman with a problem, and agrees to help her . . . but then the power grid fails and the lights go out, plunging the lawless city into chaos. What does a visiting teenager do in the dark? If that visiting teenager is Jack Reacher, the answer is plenty. - from Amazon.com

I was a bit disappointed that this wasn't a full novel, but see that the next book is due to be released soon, I was hoping this was enough to fill my Reacher fix until then. This one jumps us back to when Reacher was 17 and on vacation in New York City. It is a pretty short read (for me) so I was a bit down about it (again). We know a little from his life growing up from one of the other novels, and short bits and pieces throughout the series, but I felt my credibility was stretched a bit with this one.

Reacher's 'fighting tactics' are pretty much the same as 20+ years later. I understand he was raised as a Marine's son, and lived on bases around the globe, but though they aren't specified as military training, it seemed a bit ... overkill from a 17 year old. Granted, physical description stated he was basically the same build as the novels but still. The story, him helping out a suspended FBI agent, in dealing with a "mob boss" seemed sketchy as well, considering how it started (won't share and ruin it for you). But him single-handedly taking on said mob guy ... c'mon! And throw in the whole Son of Sam thing, too?! Now you're pulling on both legs. 

In short, I was just disappointed with this short story. It just didn't feel like the other Lee Child novels. I liked the idea of the small fill-in on Reacher in his youth, but this was a bit too far-fetched for me. hoping the next novel will be better.

Book Review: "Kill the Dead" by Richard Kadrey

Sandman Slim is back from Hell. After wreaking unholy havoc in author Richard Kadrey’s resoundingly acclaimed Sandman Slim, the demon-slaying anti-hero and half-angel fugitive from the underworld returns in a brutally funny, eye-poppingly inventive, and totally addicting follow-up, Kill the Dead. If you’re a fan of Buffy and Jim Butcher, Christopher Moore, Neil Gaiman, and Warren Ellis, or you dig the dark urban fantasy vibe of Charlaine Harris, Kim Harrison, and Simon Green, you’ll cheer Lucifer’s onetime personal assassin as he signs on as his ex-boss’ Hollywood bodyguard…and takes on the zombie apocalypse almost single-handedly. - from Amazon.com

This is the second novel in the Sandman Slim series by Kadrey. This time around, James Stark aka Sandman Slim has his hands full as playing bodyguard to Lucifer while stopping a city-wide walking dead attack from one of the magic families in the LA area. Plenty of gritty action and blood-letting, plus some added insight on Stark's heritage, plus the added intrigue on his personal vendetta against Mason, the man who was behind sending him to Hell in the first place. Throw in a little side romance, some cursing, a few angels, demons and who knows what, into one big fight, and Sandman Slim settles it out - until the next time. Looking forward to the novel on the list from this series.

Book Review: "The Loch Ness Legacy" by Boyd Morrison

1827 -- During a trek to Loch Ness, Scotland, a young Charles Darwin encounters a mysterious and terrifying creature that provides a spark for his evolutionary theory. 2013 -- Almost two hundred years later and across the Channel in Paris, the Eiffel Tower is under attack. Only through detective work, intuition, and a judicious application of high-tech weaponry does former Army combat engineer Tyler Locke prevent a massacre. What Tyler doesn't know is that the assault is just the beginning of a conspiracy so dark that it not only threatens the lives of those he loves, but could also ignite World War III. Racing against time to uncover Darwin's centuries-old secret, he must solve a series of cryptic clues to find a manuscript that has been so cleverly hidden it hasn't been seen since the Victorian age. Tyler's quest takes him from the bustling tourist hotspots of Seattle to the splendor of Versailles to the remote Highlands of Scotland in a battle to reveal the shocking truth behind the legend of the Loch Ness monster.

This is the fourth novel with the main character of Tyler Locke, and Boyd Morrison has packed it full of adventure. Though I have read them in order, this could be a stand alone novel. As usual, Boyd has created a plot full of cryptic puzzles that need to be solved on a strict, short time schedule, and that requires the characters to travel the world to solve it. I did love how the puzzles come about, and how they are solved, but in this fourth installment, I feel like it is getting a bit tiring reading about the globe-trotting, and how there seems to be a new female interest in each book. The plot line is predictable (Good Guy always wins) and seemingly, no one dies but the Bad Guys, though Good Guys get wounded/near death but always are near perfect again by the end of the book. If you are looking for just some good puzzle-solving adventures, this is a great read. 

Book Review: "Sandman Slim" by Richard Kadrey

Life sucks, and then you die. Or, if you're James Stark, you spend eleven years in Hell as a hitman before finally escaping, only to land back in the hell-on-earth that is Los Angeles. 

Now Stark's back, and ready for revenge. And absolution, and maybe even love. But when his first stop saddles him with an abusive talking head, Stark discovers that the road to absolution and revenge is much longer than you'd expect, and both Heaven and Hell have their own ideas for his future.

Resurrection sucks. Saving the world is worse. 

Darkly twisted, irreverent, and completely hilarious, Sandman Slim is the breakthrough novel by an acclaimed author. - from Goodreads.com (picture from Amazon.com)

This is the first book of a series of (to date) five, centered about James Stark. Stark is a man with some magical abilities who is 'betrayed' by his Circle, and sent to Hell, alive. There he survived eleven years as a sort of gladiator in arena fights for the generals of Lucifer, before finding a way to escape Hell, and returning to Earth. Once back in L.A. (from where he had been taken from, he starts to get revenge on those that caused his exile to Hell. While in the midst of this, other problems come about, getting both Angels and Hellions trying to get him to side with them for a battle against a third party. Without spoiling the story, I can't say much more.

Loved the writing style Kadrey displays. There is some great dark, sarcastic humor and conversational exchanges, and plenty of action. The paranormal aspect is there, without focusing too much on one type. I nice almost gritty noir detective sort of story. I found myself hearing some low, gutteral-gritty voice saying the words in my head as I read ... way cool!!  Totally enojoyed the read, and will be reading the whole series!!

Book Review: "Emperor of Thorns" by Mark Lawrence

Mark Lawrence brings to a thrilling close his epic trilogy of a boy who would be king, a king who would desire an empire—and an empire on the edge of destruction…

King Jorg Ancrath is twenty now—and king of seven nations. 

His goal—revenge against his father—has not yet been realized, and the demons that haunt him have only grown stronger. Yet no matter how tortured his path, he intends to take the next step in his upward climb.

For there is only one power worth wielding…absolute power. 

Jorg would be emperor. It is a position not to be gained by the sword but rather by vote. And never in living memory has anyone secured a majority of the vote, leaving the Broken Empire long without a leader. Jorg has plans to change that—one way or the other. He’s uncovered even more of the lost technology of the land, and he won’t hesitate to use it.

But he soon finds an adversary standing in his way, a necromancer unlike any he has ever faced—a figure hated and feared even more than himself: the Dead King.

The boy who would rule all may have finally met his match... - from Amazon.com

The much awaited third, and final, book of the Broken Empire series came out this month, and as soon as I could, I started reading it. I guess in some ways I had lucked out, that I had only just started the series earlier this year, and thus did not have to wait overly long periods of time for the next installment. Mark Lawrence has done a wonderful job of telling the story of a boy, growing into a man, in a dark futuristic world that was nearly destroyed by nuclear war. Jorg has pushed on, overcoming some of his 'demons' and showing a dark side of human nature in order to get done what he wants done: becoming Emperor of the Hundred Lands. There was an afterword where Lawrence remarks about this being the final book in the series, and though I understand his thoughts on the matter, I am still a little disappointed that there more than likely will not be any more to read of Jorg Ancrath. But who knows, maybe some short story will show in an anthology ... Either way, Thank you Mr. Lawrence for three great stories!

Book Review(s): Walt Longmire series by Craig Johnson

The past couple weeks or so I have been reading this series by Craig Johnson. I had come across the television show base don the books a couple months back, checked it out, and was hooked. The books just dragged me in and have not let me go. The main story is of Walt Longmire, a sheriff of Absaroka County, one of the most least populated counties in the US, located in the state of Wyoming. Each book in the series covers a major case that is being solved, as well as the side problems that life always throws one's way. In Longmire's life, it is his daughter getting attacked, himself nearly dying several times, and dealing with his best friend, Henry standing Bear, about Indian "religious things". I thoroughly enjoyed reading the series, including a couple smaller novellas, and look forward to the next book!

Book Review: "A Cursed Embrace" by Cecy Robinson

Celia Wird and her three sisters are just like other twentysomething girls—with one tiny exception: They are the products of a curse that backfired and gave each of them unique powers that made them, well, a little weird.…

After Celia Wird and her sisters help master vampire Misha save his family, their powers are exposed to the supernatural community of the Lake Tahoe region. But fame comes at a price, and being “weird” isn’t always welcome.

To make matters worse, Celia desires the love of Alpha werewolf Aric, but his pack is bent on destroying their relationship to preserve his pureblood status. And once weres start turning up dead—with evidence pointing to the vampires—she must face the prospect of losing Aric forever. But the chaos only masks a new threat. An evil known as the Tribe has risen—and their sights are set on Celia and her sisters.

First off, I received this book free through Goodreads.com giveaways. Being in paperback form, I did set it aside several times while in the process of reading, just do to preferring my Kindle e-reader most times. Also, I just wanted to note, that unfortunately I had not read the first book i this series, though, this one could be read by itself, with minor details coming from the first book. Definitely a nice paranormal romance story, with a few steamy scenes. Not for the teen readers, mind you. I thought had enough action and story going to keep me reading it, though I am not a big fan of the seemingly constant yearnings, wants, lusts that were going on throughout the book. I do like a good romance every once in awhile, but as in most books, it seems everyone is the societal 'perfect body' and blah blah blah. Old argument, so won't continue here. If I come across the first book of the series, I would read it, just to get the details of some stuff referenced in this book.