Tagged: masq1
V-Wars by Jonathon Maberry
(Cover picture courtesy of Goodreads.)
A sweeping, threaded narrative of the global phenomenon known as the Vampire Wars! Mankind is silently infected by a millennia-old bacteria unknowingly exhumed by a scientific expedition in Antarctica. Now, in some rare cases, a person’s so-called “junk DNA” becomes activated, and depending on their racial and ethnic heritage they begin to manifest one of the many diverse forms of the “others” that are the true basis for the legends of supernatural creatures. These aren’t your usual vampires and werewolves – it goes much deeper than that. Conceived by Jonathan Maberry, V Wars features stories from various “frontlines” as reported by such contributors as Nancy Holder, Yvonne Navarro, James A. Moore, Gregory Frost, John Everson, Keith R.A. DeCandido, and Scott Nicholson (as well as Maberry himself, of course). The result is a compelling series of tales that create a unique chronicle of mankind’s response to this sudden, hidden threat to humanity.
[Full disclosure: I received a free ebook ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.]
As much as I hate to compare the two books, there really is only one way to describe V-Wars: a poorly done vampire version of World War Z.
At first I absolutely loved the idea of Jonathon Maberry compiling stories from other authors and weaving them together to create a narrative of a vampire outbreak. I mean, it’s Jonathon Maberry! He did zombies so well in Dust & Decay that I was sure V-Wars was going to be a hit. What could possibly go wrong?
Well, the main thing that frustrated me was not so much the premise but the fact that I kept asking myself while reading: Could there possibly be a more complicated way to tell this story?! We actually follow the stories of quite a few characters but the table of contents seems to have been drawn up by a child picking story names randomly out of a hat. The vampire virus came out of Antarctica from a scientific expedition but we only actually meet the people who started the outbreak at the end of the novel. There is neither rhyme nor reason to the chronology or when a new character would pop up to tell their story. Or their stories would end randomly and we never heard from them again.
This lack of a logical timeline certainly affected my enjoyment of the story. Sure, some of the characters were compelling, but others were just plain boring. Besides, it’s hard to actually connect with characters when they randomly disappear, are forgotten, or barely get any page time at all. Michael Fayne would have been interesting if his story was told in a more linear fashion and I suppose Ruksana was compelling, but again there’s the seemingly random order of the stories messing everything up. This book is only 384 pages and yet I felt like I was reading a 1000+ page book where the novelist has decided to include the viewpoints of a cast of characters worthy of George R. R. Martin.
Due to the illogical ordering, I really had a hard time getting into V-Wars. Some stories were fast-paced and others were unbearably dull. It was sort of like getting an old car to start on a cold morning: just when you think you’re ready to go it dies on you. There is no real climax, no peak of the vampire war that makes you think humanity is doomed. Instead, the ending is ambiguous with Luther Swann basically saying that there are more vampires out there not declaring themselves and that humanity is probably in trouble if they keep persecuting them.
Overall, as much as I hate to say it, V-Wars was a flop for me. I wouldn’t recommend it; you’re better off reading World War Z, which is at least told in a logical order.
I give this book 1.5/5 stars.
Red Dragon – White Dragon by Gary Dolman
(Cover picture courtesy of Gary Dolman’s website.)
Commissioned Investigators Atticus and Lucie Fox are summoned by the bombastic Sir Hugh Lowther to his estate in remote Northumberland to investigate a series of bizarre, grisly deaths. These appear to centre on the delusions of a madman who lives alone at the edge of the moors. Close-by is the long-vanished castle of Sewingshields where local legends say King Arthur still lies in an enchanted sleep, waiting to be awoken at a time of great need.
The killings have all been committed using the Hallows of Arthur, artefacts thought to have been lost in history, and the locals swear that they have seen a ghostly knight in armour roaming the moors for months. But how can that be? This is 1890 and King Arthur died over thirteen-hundred years before.
There are seven artefacts in total, and Atticus and Lucie must find the killer before each is used in turn. To do so, they must journey through the very darkest places of the mind of a madman.
[Full disclosure: The publisher of this book, Thames River Press, contacted me and provided me with a free print book in exchange for an honest review.]
When I first started Red Dragon – White Dragon I was a little skeptical. I mean, gothic mysteries are not and weren’t really ever my thing. They all seemed so predictable that there was no point in reading them anyway. Heck, I’ve never even read a Sherlock Holmes book from cover to cover. You could say I’m not a mystery person in general. But wow, I was impressed with Red Dragon – White Dragon.
Gary Dolman’s novel had just the right mixture of realism and Arthurian legend to keep me guessing at every turn. And the ending—amazing! Just when you think you know what’s going to happen, even if you’ve guessed the villain already, there is a huge twist that completely blindsides you. That twist is what makes me classify this as a gothic mystery because it was so dark and disturbing. In truth, it really goes along with the whole dark, dreary setting as well.
Lucie and Atticus Fox weren’t your typical detectives, believe me. Although they seem like stereotypical gothic investigators at the beginning of the novel, you realize they do have a lot more depth as their characters are allowed to develop a little more. Lucie in particular really shone through when at the beginning I had completely discounted her. She has some very modern sensibilities when it comes to mental illnesses and homosexuality, but they’re actually explained sufficiently by her experiences as a nurse. Atticus does not share some of her sensibilities and Sir Hugh is pretty much the exact opposite.
Red Dragon – White Dragon is one of my favourite mysteries right now not only because of the plot, but because of Gary Dolman’s writing. He has a way of describing things that makes you feel like you’re really there in the dreary English countryside with Lucie and Atticus. The castle, the landscape, everything is described vividly without being too boring. I can’t comment on the historical accuracy of this novel, but it does seem like Gary Dolman did his research for this.
I would definitely recommend this book to both old mystery lovers and people who don’t read many mysteries like myself.
I give this book 5/5 stars.
The Fire by John Heldt
(Cover picture courtesy of John Heldt.)
When Kevin Johnson, 22, goes to Wallace, Idaho, days after his college graduation, he expects to find rest and relaxation as his family prepares his deceased grandfather’s house for sale. Then he discovers a hidden diary and a time portal that can take him to 1910, the year of Halley’s comet and the largest wildfire in U.S. history. Within hours, Kevin finds himself in the era of horse-drawn wagons, straw hats, and ankle-length dresses. Returning to the same time and place, he decides to travel again and again and make the portal his gateway to summer fun. The adventure takes a more serious turn, however, when the luckless-in-love science major falls for pretty English teacher Sarah Thompson and integrates himself in a community headed for tragedy. Filled with humor, romance, and heartbreak, THE FIRE, the sequel to THE JOURNEY, follows a conflicted soul through a life-changing journey as he makes his mark on a world he was never meant to see.
[Full disclosure: John Heldt gave me an ARC of his latest novel in exchange for an honest review.]
John Heldt is probably the only man that can make me consistently cry. And that’s a good thing!
Kevin Johnston is the son of Shelly Preston, our protagonist from The Journey. As you may recall, an older Michelle had time travelled back to see her younger self and her story did not end well. So you could say time travelling is in the family and that Kevin can’t get away from it, especially when you learn a certain character from The Mine is his university professor.
Once again I thought I had Kevin’s journey pretty well predicted. Yet he surprised me at every turn. He knew it was a bad idea to go back to 1910 and that it was a bad idea to get so involved in people’s lives in Wallace and yet I understand his motives for wanting to go back there. Yet whatever mysteriously causes time travel is not going to forgive Kevin for messing with history and the conclusion of the novel is absolutely heart-breaking and at the same time, joy-inducing. The Fire is such an emotional roller coaster that I’m having a hard time putting my thoughts down to write this review.
I was so connected to the characters, perhaps more so than I have been in John Heldt’s previous three novels. Kevin really did speak to me. He was a good person if a little flawed because of that chip on his shoulder when it came to women. Still, he got over that eventually and at the end of the novel you can really tell he’s a better person. His relationship with Sarah, his confused feelings for Sadie and his friendship with Andy all made him more realistic and much easier to sympathize with. Yet these characters weren’t put there for the sole purpose of providing opportunities to show what a nice guy Kevin is! No, they’re excellent, well-developed characters in their own right.
I liked how the pacing was generally consistent throughout The Fire and that although it definitely sped up at the end, it wasn’t as rushed as the ending of The Show. John Heldt definitely took more time to build up the historical town of Wallace in order to build up the tension for the coming fire that would level most of the town. His descriptions were much more vivid in this installment of the Northwest Passage series and I think The Fire was a better book for it.
John Heldt’s writing just keeps getting better and better with each book. Although the theme of time travel features in all four, he has created very different characters to tell the story of America and each achieves happiness in their own, unique way. Even if you haven’t read the first three books of the series, The Fire can certainly stand on its own, which is why I recommend you pick it up right this instant. Yes, it’s that good.
I give this book 5/5 stars.
Short Story: The Princess of Egypt Must Die by Stephanie Dray
(Cover picture courtesy of Goodreads.)
Princess Arsinoe came of age in the glittering court of Ptolemaic Egypt. Abused by her ruthless sister, a pawn in the dynastic ambitions of her father, and dismissed by the king who claimed her for a bride, young Arsinoe finds herself falling in love with a young man forbidden to her. She dreams of a destiny as Egypt’s queen, but first she must survive the nest of vipers otherwise known as her family.
There are so many reasons to love The Princess of Egypt Must Die, but one of the main ones is because of Arsinoe herself. She goes from poor naive princess of Egypt to forgotten bride of an ancient man to the mature, ruthless woman she would be known as later in life. All of this happens in quite a short time span, but at least her story arc is believable.
Arsinoe starts out as the political pawn for her father’s ambitions. She is married off to Lysimachus, the King of Thrace who was one of Alexander the Great’s bodyguards. It takes a little more time than I would like to know this because it actually establishes the timeline here. Throughout the Ptolemaic dynasty of Egypt, there were many Arsinoes so having this information introduced a little sooner would have been nice, but it’s not a major issue by any means. Once you realize the world that Arsinoe is living in is harsh and cruel and only going to get worse, it makes you want to read on. Of course her much older husband virtually ignores her and Arsinoe can’t help but fall in love with Cassander, who is as tragic a love interest as they get. His decision at the end of the short story is absolutely heartbreaking, as is Arsinoe’s.
Despite the short length of this novel I really did grow attached to the characters. Both Arsinoe and Cassander felt very real to me and I could believe in their ready attraction. Of course the plot being relatively fast-paced helps the story move along but there’s still plenty of attention devoted to character development. This is my first sample of Stephanie Dray’s writing and I have to say I was pretty impressed with her style. She knows how to describe just enough of her surroundings to be informative, but also knows not to drag on and on with such descriptions. Her writing is addictive and I guarantee I’ll be reading more of her in the future.
I give this short story 4/5 stars.
Dark Genesis by A. D. Koboah
(Cover picture courtesy of Goodreads.)
Life for a female slave is one of hardship and unspeakable sorrow, something Luna knows only too well. But not even she could have foreseen the terror that would befall her one sultry Mississippi evening in the summer of 1807.
On her way back from a visit to see the African woman, a witch who has the herbs Luna needs to rid her of her abusive master’s child, she attracts the attention of a deadly being that lusts for blood. Forcibly removed from everything she knows by this tormented otherworldly creature, she is sure she will be dead by sunrise.
Dark Genesis is a love story set against the savage world of slavery in which a young woman who has been dehumanised by its horrors finds the courage to love, and in doing so, reclaims her humanity.
I’ve been putting off doing a review for Dark Genesis for two weeks now. It’s not because I’ve forgotten the plot lines and character names and have had to re-read it or because it’s so horrible I don’t have the energy to write a review. No, it’s because of how amazing it was.
Words really don’t do this book justice. It evokes so many different emotions in the reader from happiness to despair and everything in between. I’m not the sort of person that cries over books frequently, but believe me when I say the waterworks were on for this one, especially at the end. Just when you think you know what’s going to happen, the author sends a huge plot twist your way that you’re desperate for the next book.
Dark Genesis is a book with a strange sort of beauty. A. D. Koboah’s descriptions and vivid imagery are absolutely unmatched; you’re instantly transported to Luna’s world. Yet the topic that features in her book, slavery, is anything but beautiful. Koboah didn’t flinch away from all of the horrors slaves like Luna had to face and one of her greatest strengths was how she portrayed the effects of such treatment even years afterward.
On the topic of Luna, she is an incredible character. She’s now one of my favourite heroines ever not only because she was such a strong woman but because she had to go on a long journey of self-reflection to become that woman. The time she spent with Avery really did change her, even if the scars from her years of enslavement were still beneath the surface. Avery too was a very flawed character and you don’t really realize the depth of his sorrow until the end of the novel. He’s not your typical vampire the same way Luna isn’t your typical heroine. I won’t go into much more detail than that because I don’t want to spoil all of the good parts for you.
The plot remained relatively fast-paced despite being a mainly character-driven novel. That in itself would have been quite impressive if not for the fact that there were so many plot twists. Believe me, you may be able to predict some of the twists but most will blindside you in a good way. I read Dark Genesis two weeks ago and I’m still reeling from that final twist at the end of the novel! It’s hard to believe that this was A. D. Koboah’s first novel. I don’t expect this level of awesome from many established authors, yet here I am writing this review.
It doesn’t matter if you don’t like vampire novels. If you like any sort of character-driven novel or even just plain historical fiction, go and download Dark Genesis this instant. It’s free on Amazon and Barnes and Noble as an ebook so it’s not like you’re losing anything by taking a chance on this wonderful novel.
I give this book 5/5 stars.