Category: Book Review
Prophecy of the Setting Sunrise by Diantha Jones
(Cover picture courtesy of YA Novelties.)
It’s official. Myth is doomed.
And it’s all Chloe Clever’s fault.
Still as whacked out as ever, Chloe is now faced with an even uglier truth: Not only is she the Pythia of the Great Unknown, but she is more powerful than she ever imagined and only the manifestations of her prophetic mind can save them all now.
With her Prince boyfriend, Strafford, and the Quad Fraternity always armed and ready to annihilate the opposition, she will embark on a mission to stop a great power that could consume every god in Myth…and everyone else she’s come to love.
But the worst is still to come.
Dark, painful secrets are revealed, threatening to tear Strafford from her arms, and just when she thinks the future could not look more grim, she is betrayed in the worst way.
With the heavens crumbling down around her, she must hurry to find a way to set things right. But will she be in time to save the one she loves most in the world from a fate that may be more dangerous than her own?
[Full disclosure: Diantha Jones sent me a free ebook in exchange for an honest review.]
After reading and absolutely loving Prophecy of the Most Beautiful, I didn’t think it was possible for Diantha Jones’ writing to get any better.
I was wrong.
In Prophecy of the Setting Sunrise, not only are we seeing the characters themselves develop, but their relationships as well. There’s also more fighting, drama and conspiracy than ever before. In short, Diantha Jones absolutely did not succumb to Book 2 Syndrome. She improved not only her writing quality, but her characterization and even the way she chose to reveal her plot twists.
Both Chloe and Strafford are acquiring even more depth than before. Chloe is accepting her role as Pythia and really starting to show her backbone of steel as well as her intelligence. She’s no damsel in distress waiting around for Strafford to save her all of the time either! As for Strafford himself, he isn’t just the moody, tortured Sun Prince. We get to see a more tender side of him as he finally realizes just how much he loves Chloe and we finally learn why he’s in disgrace among other demigods.
As for the plot and pacing, I was absolutely glued to my computer screen. Not only was it fast-paced, there were so many unexpected plot twists that my head was spinning. Diantha Jones didn’t spend much time on re-hashing the plot points of the first book, but she added in tidbits of information that allowed me to follow everything despite reading the first and the second book so far apart. In Prophecy of the Setting Sunrise, you might as well just go with the flow because you’ll never uncover the conspiracy behind the conspiracy that involves Chloe’s little brother Benjy being kidnapped. Yes, it’s that unpredictable, but it makes total sense.
I may be a bit biased, but I absolutely love the Greek myths. I always have and probably always will. And let me just say that Diantha Jones most definitely knows her Greek myths, both famous and obscure! She takes many elements from these famous and obscure myths and blends them together to create a scenario in which such myths come alive in the modern era. Of course she adds her own twist onto a few things so you’re always on your toes. What else would you expect from such a talented writer?
I give this book 5/5 stars.
*Only available as a Kindle ebook.
Ghosts of Forgotten Empires by Michael J. Foy
(Cover picture courtesy of The Bibliophilic Book Blog.)
Ancient artifacts like nothing ever discovered before are uncovered in Egypt. They are manufactured by a technique unknown to man and defy all attempts at analysis. A few individuals acquire these items including two top intelligence operatives from Russia and the United States. They are instantly endowed with god-like abilities. But as everyone knows absolute power corrupts absolutely and even with strong national loyalties how will these men react? The American intelligence freelancer, Cord Devlin, is susceptible to temptation at least in the estimation of his friend and handler, Paul McMaster, at the CIA. Still when one is fighting a war against a gifted opponent one cannot afford to be picky about using one’s own assets. Thus a new cold war is born with men and weapons that make a nuclear deterrent look quaint. The one thing that gives Cord an edge is also the thing that makes him immature in Paul’s eyes. Cord’s deep and abiding love of all things Star Trek and the lessons it inspired will also help him deal with an otherworldly threat whose sole purpose is to indefinitely continue the conflict.
[Full disclosure: Michael J. Foy sent me a free ebook in exchange for an honest review.]
Ghosts of Forgotten Empires definitely has an interesting premise, but I have pretty mixed feelings about it.
On one hand, there’s the awesome idea behind it and the fast-paced plot. The idea of a malignant alien technology being sentient and controlling humankind for millions of years is interesting, to say the least. Not a lot of time is spent on the technology itself, but the glimpses we see of it throughout the novel are just enough to satisfy a bit of our curiosity. Ghosts of Forgotten Empires also has a very fast-paced plot, which fans of thrillers and mystery novels will appreciate.
However, characterization was sacrificed in the name of this fast plot. To keep up such a fast pace, Michael Foy changed points of view. A lot. At times it was extremely confusing and although things were sort of tied together in the end, I was beyond caring. Characters make the book for me and the constant head-hopping made it hard to really relate to any one character. So on the other hand I didn’t enjoy Ghosts of Forgotten Empires as much as I could have.
One thing that really impressed me was Michael Foy’s attention to detail when it came to the science part of his science fiction novel. I’m not going to pretend I understood even half of the scientific explanations that appeared in the novel, but I’m guessing fans of hard science fiction will love them. If you don’t mind head-hopping and a large cast of characters and like to focus on science and plot, you’ll like Ghosts of Forgotten Empires. It just wasn’t for me.
I give this book 3/5 stars.
Short Story: That Lonely, Sinking Feeling by Gabriella West
(Cover picture courtesy of Goodreads.)
San Francisco, mid-1990s. In this poignant and honest short personal memoir, Gabriella West goes back to her twenties to explore a confusing friendship with a married couple that started promisingly, but became a painful and obsessive love. Readers who have found themselves in destructive and addictive relationships will find this compelling reading.
[Full disclosure: Gabriella West sent me a free ebook in exchange for an honest review.]
I’ve read some memoirs, but never any short memoirs. After reading That Lonely, Sinking Feeling, I think I may be warming up to short memoirs. This was not something I’d normally read, but I’m glad I did in all honesty.
Gabriella West writes in a completely open, honest and introspective fashion. She chronicles how her feelings for a married man became an obsessive and addictive love, partly because he was one of the first people that treated her well in her adult life. Now, that’s greatly oversimplifying things, so if you want the full story you should read her memoir. Throughout the 12 pages you really get the feeling that she’s thought about her downward spiral a lot. That helps make this short memoir not only interesting, but adds some perspective to it.
If you’ve ever longed for an unobtainable someone, you’ll be able to identify with That Lonely, Sinking Feeling. Gabriella West’s way of explaining the feelings in those kinds of ‘relationships’ is perfect; I couldn’t have said it better myself. This should be required reading for pretty much everyone, especially those pining about unrequited love. The only people I would not recommend this memoir to are those uncomfortable with frank discussions about LGBT relationships. It’s not the main focus of the memoir, but I’m aware there are strong feelings about a topic like that, so you’ve been warned.
I give this memoir 5/5 stars.
*Only available as a Kindle ebook.
The Road to Justice by David Carner
(Cover picture courtesy of GoodKindles.)
At some point in everyone’s life you experience hardships. John Fowler went from the highest of highs; great career in the FBI, beautiful wife, and a wonderful marriage, to the lowest of lows; alcoholism, his apartment exploding in front of him while his wife was inside, and leaving the FBI.
The Road to Justice – A John Fowler Novel, is the tale of a man’s redemption. This is the story of a man trying to rebuild his life after the loss of his wife, the attempt to rebuild his career, and the attempt to rebuild relationships with those he hasn’t spoken to since his wife’s funeral. I hope you’ll join me in his journey.
John Fowler was one of the top FBI agents until a year undercover in the mob turned him into an alcoholic and may have led to the brutal death of his wife. His old team needs his help and has brought him in for what they think is a two week old case. The case is actually over 25 years old and involves some of the most powerful people in the world.
John Fowler has returned to the FBI after a three year layoff at the request of his team to try and solve a murder that they are having little to no success with. John has been given the promise if he agrees to help; he will be given the case file to his wife’s murder and be allowed to work on it. The Road to Justice – A John Fowler Novel is the story of a man trying to rebuild his life after the loss of his wife, the attempt to rebuild his career, and the attempt to rebuild relationships with those he hasn’t spoken to since his wife’s funeral.
[Full disclosure: David Carner sent me a free ebook in exchange for an honest review.]
I’m not the sort of person that reads a lot of detective/thriller fiction, but I know many of the tropes and clichés from movies of the same genre. And let me tell you, David Carner uses very few of them in The Road to Justice, which really surprised me.
Okay, so you have an ex-FBI agent who quit after his wife died because of one of his investigations. At the beginning of the novel he’s forced by circumstance back into his old job and ends up deciding that maybe he should move on with his life. That sounds like a pretty standard formula in detective fiction. However, David Carner’s twist on this old trope is great. John Fowler actually has some depth and there’s believable explanations for his decisions, so they feel natural and not contrived at all. It feels like the characters, not the magical hand of the author, are pushing the story forward.
John Fowler’s a pretty good character, but the main appeal for me in The Road to Justice was the plot. It was everything an action/thriller novel should be: unpredictable and fast. Yes, you seem to have the old conspiracy reaching the highest levels of government trope, but again David Carner puts an unique spin on things. I couldn’t predict a lot of the plot twists and the fast pace of the novel kept me glued to my computer screen for hours.
Despite my love of the characters and plot I definitely have a bone to pick with the dialogue. THERE ARE TOO MANY CAPITALS AND EXAMPLES OF MULTIPLE PUNCTUATION!!!!!! I’m all for using capitals/italics/multiple punctuation for effect, but such tools become dull with overuse. And in an otherwise great book, David Carner has relied on these tools far too much. It gets pretty frustrating after a couple chapters or so, actually. The overall quality of writing was excellent, but the dialogue felt pretty stiff as well and there were some examples of you’re vs. your. Such things could easily be fixed by having an editor look over it.
Although the dialogue needs work, I’m actually looking forward to reading more books in the John Fowler series because David Carner is one of those writers that will only improve with time and practice.
I give this book 3.5/5 stars.
Other Side of Forever by Shannon Eckrich
(Cover picture courtesy of Avery Olive.)
Seventeen-year-old Allie Anderson’s telekinetic powers are anything but useful–she can’t bring her father back, can’t stop her mother’s downward spiral into alcohol, and can’t keep her from falling in love with Ethan Bradley. Loving Ethan is easy, but it comes with a hefty price: Ethan is prohibited by his people from interacting with mortals–because he isn’t mortal himself. When Allie and Ethan’s love is discovered, there’s someone who will do anything to keep them apart. If Allie can’t learn to control her powers and fight to save Ethan, this dark entity will make every attempt to stop her beating heart. And if that happens, not even the energy of an immortal can bring her back.
[Full disclosure: Shannon Eckrich sent me a free ebook in exchange for an honest review.]
Well, that wasn’t at all what I expected. And considering I was expecting a typical YA book with a love triangle and a helpless heroine, that’s a good thing!
There was no love triangle. I’m still trying to process this amazing fact. I haven’t encountered a YA book without a love triangle in years, ever since the Twilight craze began. Other Side of Forever also doesn’t end in the way you expect it to either. Shannon Eckrich didn’t go for the stereotypical ending I would expect from a book with immortals. Heck, even her characters didn’t fit into the archetypes they appeared to.
If I’m not being very articulate right now it’s because I’m still trying to process this new development. Avoidance of clichés and stock characters? I’m having a tough time with this.
The plot was fast-paced and took some pretty unpredictable twists, both Allie and Ethan were believable characters, there was no Insta-Love and the immortals in this book are unique. If it had been my choice, I would not have stopped reading Other Side of Forever for anything: food, drink, etc. It quite literally kept me on the edge of my computer chair, reading frantically to find out how thing would turn out. Shannon Eckrich’s premise was also unique and Allie’s discovery of the secret world of immortals helped move the plot along as external forces tried to wrench her and Ethan apart.
The characters, oh the characters! Allie was not a poor, helpless damsel in distress. She was resourceful and strong, but not your stereotypical kick-butt heroine either. She’s just an average girl who has some emotional scars from a pretty awful childhood. Ethan was not your stereotypical bad-boy immortal jerk. No, he was sweet and kind and never pressured Allie into anything or treated her badly at any point in the story. Both characters were obviously well developed and their relationship didn’t go in the typical Insta-Love arc you find in YA. There were roadblocks along the way and the characters overcame them instead of acting like immature idiots. As you guys know, I’m not a big fan of romances. But I absolutely loved this one.
I don’t care what type of books you normally read. You need to read Other Side of Forever right now. You’ll love it.
I give this book 5/5 stars.