Category: Genre

Crown of Stars by Sophie Jaff

Title: Crown of Stars
Author: Sophie Jaff
Pub. Date: 6-Jun-2017
Rating: 4.5 Stars

Crown of Stars is the second book in the Nightsong Trilogy. It can be read as a standalone, which I am thankful for since I have not read the first book. It is a mix of fantasy and psychological thriller and is a true good versus evil story. The plot shifts between Margaret in the 17th century and Katherine in the present.

Margaret is the daughter of a Traveler and has inherited supernatural gifts from her. The community is afraid of her and has shunned her. After her mother’s death, her father remarries and it is soon evident that Margaret will have to leave. She is finally able to secure a position as an alewife in the house of a young, wealthy lord whom she falls for. Tragically, her mother’s killer is now seeking her and she becomes determined to defeat him even at the cost of her own life. Continue reading “Crown of Stars by Sophie Jaff”

Mind Virus by Charles Kowalski

Title: Mind Virus
Author: Charles Kowalski
Pub. Date: 1-July-2017
Rating: 5 Stars

Mind Virus by Charles Kowalski is an award winning debut novel and a total adrenaline rush. As scary as the thought is, the events depicted could easily have been real. Given all the attention the media focuses on terrorism and religious extremism it is no wonder that the story will resonate with readers.

Robin Fox is a professor of world religions, ex-Army and conscientious objector. Since he is one of the few people in the world that has had dealings with a new deadly virus he is drawn back into the world of intelligence. As he works to uncover the mastermind behind the plot to kill people of faith, he is led on a chase which leads to various religious celebrations around the world. Robin must race against the clock to stop the planned attacks before this deadly virus is released into the populous. Then it becomes personal to him when his very dear friend Emily Paxton is kidnapped. I do not want to spoil a great story; therefore, I am intentionally being vague and stopping here. Continue reading “Mind Virus by Charles Kowalski”

The Tourist by Robert Dickinson

Title: The Tourist
Author: Robert Dickinson
Pub. Date: 18-Oct-2016
Rating: 2 Stars

The Tourist by Robert Dickinson is a time travel novel that left me wanting. I did manage to get to the end, but it was a struggle at times. The tidbits of information that were supposed to move the plot along were few and far between and ambiguous at best. I love books that make me think and put all the puzzle pieces together in order to have that climatic moment where I can sigh with relief because I get it. That did not happen for me with this book. There were too many puzzle pieces missing for me to get a complete picture. Therefore, I was left wanting in the end.

Then to make matters worse the plot jumps around in time, to various places and different people. Making it more difficult to keep up with what was going on and whose time line I was reading about. I especially did not care for the use of second person for one of the characters. I have read other books were that technique worked well. Its use here turned murky waters to muddy. Continue reading “The Tourist by Robert Dickinson”

The Nazi’s Daughter by Tim Murgatroyd

Title: The Nazi’s Daughter
Author: Tim Murgatroyd
Pub. Date: 31-May-2017
Rating: 4 Stars

The Nazi’s Daughter is set in present day New York City and 1943 Europe at the height of WWII. Elise Van Thoof-Noman is the daughter of a very powerful Dutch Nazi. She is a prima ballerina that has suffered a career ending tendon injury. After recuperating in Paris, Elise heads off to a remote island off the coast of Holland. Once there she meets Pieter Goedhart a school teacher and reluctant resistance fighter. They are drawn to each other, but Pieter must take care with Elise. She cannot find out about the people he is hiding from the Nazis in his attic. If she does, it could jeopardize both their lives and the lives of those he is hiding. Continue reading “The Nazi’s Daughter by Tim Murgatroyd”

Hannah’s Moon by John A. Heldt

Title: Hannah’s Moon
Author: John A. Heldt
Pub. Date: 8-Feb-2017
Rating: 5 Stars

Hannah’s Moon is the last book in the American Journey series. Do not worry if you have not read any of the other books in the series, because this one can be read as a stand-alone and you will not feel lost. In fact, I have only read one other in the series, September Sky, which is the first one. The entire series is based on a sci-fi, time travel theme. Expect also to get a little romance, suspense and WWII history with this one.

Claire Rasmussen wants nothing more than to have a child. After numerous attempts with the last one ending in a still birth she and Ron, her husband, decide to adopt. They soon discover that in 2017 this route is difficult and a very long process. Fortunately for them, a distant relative enters into the picture. Professor Bell, a relative of Claire’s, does have a solution and offers to send them back to 1945 where adoptions are much quicker and red tape a lot less. Continue reading “Hannah’s Moon by John A. Heldt”

Caraval by Stephanie Garber

Title: Caraval
Author: Stephanie Garber
Pub Date: 1-Jan-2017
Rating: 4 Stars

Caraval is part fantasy, mystery, and romance all within a young adult wrapper. It is the first book of a series and, be warned, you are left with a huge cliff hanger on the very last page. If you hate cliff hangers you might want to wait until the sequel is out to read this one. That aside, this book is a suspense ride worth taking. It is full of twists that will keep you guessing all the way to the end.

Scarlett and her sister Tella live with their cruel father on a small remote island. Not only is he a cruel man, but he is a powerful man and they are desperate to escape his clutches. Scarlett thinks by going through with an arranged marriage she will finally be free of him. Then just days before her wedding a letter arrives with three tickets to the fabled Caraval. A yearly dramatic performance/game in which members of the audience can participate, if they so desire, with the winner receiving a magical prize. Continue reading “Caraval by Stephanie Garber”

The Confessions of Young Nero by Margaret George

Title: The Confessions of Young Nero
Author: Margaret George
Pub Date: 7-Mar-2017
Rating: 5 Stars

The Confessions of Young Nero is the first installment of a two book series that follows the life of Nero, as he rises, at a young age, to become one of the better known emperors in Roman history. The story is fiction but the facts behind the story are very real. The author takes us into the world of Roman royalty in which greed, deception and murder are a part of everyday life.

We enter the story when Nero is a young child of four. He is not yet Nero, but Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus whose father is dead and mother has been exiled. At this early age he is introduced to the savagery that is part of his heritage when his uncle, the emperor, tries to kill him. Upon his Uncle’s demise, Nero’s mother, Agrippina, is able to return to Rome and reunite with her son. She sees young Nero as a way to achieve her ultimate goal of ruling the Roman Empire. All she needs is the right pawn. Continue reading “The Confessions of Young Nero by Margaret George”

The Gods Who Walk Among Us by Max Eastern

Title: The Gods Who Walk Among Us
Author: Max Eastern
Pub. Date: 14-Mar-2017
Rating: 4 Stars

The Gods Who Walk Among Us is a fast paced thriller. There is plenty of action, suspense and twists in this story to keep any reader sitting on the edge of their seat. This is Max Eastern’s debut novel and a thriller that will have you wanting more; therefore, thriller lovers should be on the lookout for more from this new author.

The story is set in New York City where Adam Azoulay is a washed up attorney working as a paparazzo trying to survive on a merger living selling celebrity photos. By chance, one evening he captures a brief video of an African warlord with an American celebrity of sorts. This draws the attention of a nonprofit looking to make a name for themselves by presenting an award to an elusive, but well known, human rights advocate. To date they have not been able to reach the recipient. They recruit Adam to track him down. Continue reading “The Gods Who Walk Among Us by Max Eastern”

The Heirs by Susan Rieger

Title: The Heirs
Author: Susan Rieger
Pub. Date: 23-May-2017
Rating: 4.5 Stars

The Heirs is an exceptional story about the complexities of family ties. The story starts with the death of the family patriarch, Rupert Falkes, a wealthy and prominent attorney in New York City.  He dies leaving behind a wife, Eleanor, and five sons. Six months after his death a woman comes forth and declares that she had two sons by Rupert. At first, the family dismisses the claim as a gold seeker looking for a way to make money. As the story progresses and more family secrets are revealed the truth is slowly uncovered but not before the whole family is pushed into turbulence.

The whole family is dysfunctional. Some of the characters I liked and some I didn’t. Eleanor’s character was the best by far mainly because she was the most believable. However, some of the sons lacked in development. They made stupid decisions, which all people make, I just never fully understood why and that detracted a little from the story. Nonetheless, it was not enough of a flaw to affect my overall rating of the book. Continue reading “The Heirs by Susan Rieger”

The Radium Girls by Kate Moore

Title: The Radium Girls
Author: Kate Moore
Pub. Date: 2-May-2017
Rating: 5 Stars

I almost don’t know where to begin because The Radium Girls is a tragic story.  It is probably one of the most difficult books, emotionally, I have ever read.  It is the true story of the young women who worked in factories that applied a luminous Radium paint onto watch dials so they would glow. Of course, the women did not know it was dangerous and their employers went out of their way to make sure they remained ignorant of the facts. Their struggle to get answers about why they were so sick and get justice once they discovered it was caused by the Radium is inspiring.

For these “girls”, some as young as fourteen, it was a dream of a job. The pay was excellent and to be working with the wondrous new element Radium, that almost every day some new benefit was found, was an added benefit. You were indeed lucky to be hired on to work in the painting studio. The Radium dust settled in the women’s hair and clothes causing them to glow. Everyone wanted to be one of the alluring luminous Radium girls. Even some privileged girls would work for a short period of time to experience it. Continue reading “The Radium Girls by Kate Moore”