Tag: 4 stars

Salvation by Peter F. Hamilton

Title: Salvation
Author: Peter F. Hamilton
Pub. Date: 4-Sept-2018
Rating: 3.5 Stars

I am always excited to read a new to me author, especially in one of my favorite genres, however that excitement dwindled a little because I had a hard time becoming invested in the story. I loved the plot. However, there were a few things about the book I did not enjoy. I’ll get into that later.

The story opens with aliens, disguised as humans, landing on Earth. Skip forward to the beginning of the 23rd century and the Olyix, another alien species, has made contact. They are on a religious mission and are making a stop over to refuel before continuing on their journey to the end of time to meet their God. They have given humans technology to greatly extend life expectancy in exchange for the fuel they need. In addition, humans have now begun to colonize the galaxy. A new technology of jump gates, literally, makes far flung plants just one step away.

A crashed alien ship is found on a newly discovered planet and this has a highly skilled team assembled to review the findings. As the team travels to the crash site, we learn more about each team member and how their lives, and what they do from this point forward, will affect the future of mankind.

Interspersed with the team member’s stories is a look at life in the future at least 1000 years later. The humans of this time are being genetically modified to do battle against a group of hostile aliens. The reader learns that the crash site investigation team members are now called “Saints”. Therefore, you know something is not at it seems and the reader does not yet know why they are called “Saints”.

I loved the story. My beef is with the execution. First problem, there is no main character. Therefore, I never had someone to identify with and root for. In addition, I did not enjoy all the various stories and the jumping around between time lines. It made the pace of the plot rough. Basically, it felt like a bunch of short stories strung together.

I liked the inventiveness of the story and a couple of characters I liked a lot. I just wished the author had focused on one or two of the characters to advance the plot. I did like the story enough that it over came some of the problems and I liked it enough to read the next book in the series.

One addition items to note, this book ends on a cliff hanger so if you enjoy the book it will be a wait for the next installment.

I recommend this book to all those who love Science Fiction. If you are a true Sci-Fi fan, I think the flaws in the book are not fatal and you will still enjoy this one.

I received an ARC from the publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for my honest opinion.

The Clockmaker’s Daughter by Kate Morton

Title: The Clockmaker’s Daughter
Author: Kate Morton
Pub. Date: 9-Oct-2018
Rating: 4 Stars

The Clockmaker’s Daughter by Kate Morton is a historical fiction story that centers on a murder that occurred in the summer of 1862 at Birchwood Manor. There are multiple narrators, each has a connection to Birchwood and they all play their part in the history of Birchwood, thus making the house, as much as the murder, the focus of the story.

In 1862 Birchwood Manor, sitting on the banks of the Thames, is owned by Edward Radcliff, an artist with exceptional talent. He is the founding member of the Magenta Brotherhood a group of London artists who are eccentric and whose works are considered ground breaking. He invites the members of the Brotherhood to come stay at Birchwood that summer to create and be inspired. Unfortunately, before the summer is over Edward’s fiancée is murdered and his muse Lily Millington has disappeared along with the Radcliff Blue a unique and highly valuable diamond. The police discover that Lily was a thief from early childhood and it is believed she and the diamond made a swift exit to America. However, the diamond has never turned up again in over 100 years.  Which leads one to ask, what really happened that summer?  Continue reading “The Clockmaker’s Daughter by Kate Morton”

Son of a Gun by Lee Ness

Title: Son of a Gun
Author: Lee Ness
Pub. Date: 4-Dec-2017
Rating: 4 Stars

When I was asked to review Son of a Gun, by Lee Ness, it was pitched to me as in the vain of the Jason Bourne books by Robert Ludlum. Since I loved that series, I was stoked to read this book and I was not disappointed. There was lots of action, plot twists, and characters to love and some to hate.

John King is a nobody, he does not exist and he likes it like that. In the world of espionage, he operates within, he is known simply as Eidolon, an apparition, and he is the best.  As an assassin for hire he uses this to his utmost advantage. He works alone, stays in the shadows and even his face is not known.  Continue reading “Son of a Gun by Lee Ness”

Come Sundown by Nora Roberts

Title: Come Sundown
Author: Nora Roberts
Pub. Date: 30-May-2017
Rating: 4 Stars

Come Sundown is the story of the Bodine family and is part romance and part thriller. The story opens twenty-five years ago when Alice, the prodigal daughter, who ran off to California to become a movie star, is returning home. Just miles from her family home she is abducted by a stranger known only as “Sir”.

Skip forward to the present and Bodine Longbow, she is the fourth generation, now runs the Bodine resort which sits on a sprawling thirty thousand acre ranch in Montana. Vacationers and honeymooners alike come to the resort to experience the cowboy life and Bodine runs the show seamlessly with the help of a large staff. Continue reading “Come Sundown by Nora Roberts”

Hair Suite by Piers Anthony

Title: Haire Suite
Author: Piers Anthony
Pub Date: 21-Dec-2016
Rating: 4 Stars

Hair Suite, a novella, by Piers Anthony is the sequel to Hair Power. You do not have to read Hair Power in order to enjoy the sequel. If you have read anything by Piers Anthony, you already know his works are witty, humorous and full of puns. Hair Suite most definitely follows in this vain.

The Hair Suits are a small group of people who have been given extraordinary powers by alien Hair Balls. I am laughing as I am writing this, since my image of a hair ball involves cats and vomit. The puns is what makes Piers Anthony’s work so humorous. Anyway, there is another alien power that has arrived on Earth called Chip Monks. The Chips introduce themselves to the Hairs and form a partnership with them to defeat a third alien power that is headed to Earth and could be a major threat to both the Hairs and the Chips. Together they need to eliminate the threat and save Earth for themselves.

As previously stated, this is a humorous light read and typical Piers Anthony. I would go so far as to call Mr. Anthony’s work the slapstick of the fantasy genre. He is poking fun at numerous things and there are a lot of sexual undertones in the book some might find offensive. It is totally silliness and I had a good laugh. If you liked the Xanith series you will like Hair Suite.

I received a free copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

Unliving the Dream by Sandra Vischer

Title: Unliving the Dream
Author: Sandra Vischer
Pub Date: 23-03-2016
Rating: 4 Stars

Unliving the Dream is about Alex a wife, mother, career woman and entrepreneur who appears to have it all. That is until one day, while on a business trip, her husband James tells her he wants to take a break. Shortly thereafter, she discovers he has been having an affair with an employee, a person she called friend.

Alex now has to rethink her life and is left to deal with the aftermath of an unfaithful husband and a divorce. This includes dealing with two children, on her own, who are left hurt and confused by what they consider to be a betrayal by their father.  Lily, the older of Alex’s two children, has a particularly hard time. She is very anger at her father and starts down a destructive path that could destroy her life before it has even begun.

During all this turmoil at home, Alex gets no support from James. He has become an absentee father who would rather take a romantic trip with his girlfriend than be a dad for his kids. In addition, James has become verbally abusive towards Alex at their work place. He constantly berets and belittles Alex even in front of employees. Through all of this Alex puts on a brave face and tries to stay calm. She feels like she has to support both her children and her employees.

For Alex it is a long road to healing. I believe this is because she concentrates so hard on everyone else that she forgets about herself.  All during the story I keep thinking she needs to tell James where to get off. A couple of times I would have loved to tell her to wake up and smell the roses. Alex’s friends finally point out to her what the reader has known for a long time…. that James is an abuser and a scum bag. It is at this point that Alex finally is able to move on.

The first two thirds of the book went really fast. Mainly because of all the drama revolving around James and Lilly. Once that is resolved things slowed down and I had to work to get through the remainder of the story. All-in-all I still enjoyed. The author did a good job of getting us inside the head of Alex to understand all the complex feelings she was having behind the brave face she wore. In addition, the story is a very realistic view of what can happen after a divorce and reminder to all that life does not always turn out as we have planned.

This book will appeal to anyone who likes women’s fiction especially stories like this where the character rises above adversity with the calm and determination of Alex.

I received a free copy in exchange for my honest review.

Kindred: A Graphic Novel Adaptation by Damian Duffy and John Jennings

Title: Kindred: A Graphic Novel
Authors: Damian Duffy and John Jennings
Pub Date: 10-Jan-2017
Rating: 4 Stars

I read Octavia Butler’s Kindred novel years ago and loved it. So I jumped at the chance to get my hands on an ARC of the graphic novel. The story is still very gripping; yet, as a graphic novel it lacked the depth that Octavia achieved in her original version. I know the graphics are supposed to make up for lack of descriptive prose – yet, even after I took  into account that I read an uncorrected proof that is “a work-in-progress” – it still missed the mark. This is my only problem with the graphic version of the story.  If you have not read Ms. Butler’s novel, or are a graphic novel lover, you will probably disagree.

I found the graphic novel to be very true to the original. The story is about Dana a young African-American woman who keeps getting pulled back in time to the South prior to the Civil War, a time when slavery abounds. Each time she is pulled back it is because Rufus, a distant relative (who is white), is in trouble. Each time she assists Rufus and yet Dana herself endures all kinds of atrocities at the hands of white salve owners.

Because of the subject matter and how it is presented this is not something I would recommend for a young reader. If you are one of those people who HAS to read the book before you see the movie, then you might want to consider reading Octavia Butler’s Kindred first. If not, then you decide which to read first. I think you will find both enjoyable. I recommend this book to anyone who likes graphic novels and/or sci-fi.

As noted above, I received an ARC from ABRAMS books in return for my honest opinion.

 

The Roanoke Girls by Amy Engel

Title: The Roanoke Girls
Author: Amy Engel
Pub Date: 7-Mar-2017
Rating: 4 Stars

The Roanoke Girls is a shocking tale, by Amy Engel, about a girl struggling with a closely held family secret. Forewarning, the dark family secret is hinted at very quickly. Yet, when it was revealed, I still found it very disturbing and revolting. The story, thou despicable at times, felt real. People and families alike have secrets just usually not of this magnitude.  I liked the main character of Lane a lot. She was so flawed and it worked so well for this story. Unfortunately, the supporting characters were somewhat lacking in depth.

The book shifts between the present and the past. In the present, Lane Roanoke receives a phone call from her Grandfather with the news that Allegra, her cousin, is missing and convinces her to return to Kansas. Lane returns with the intention of helping find her. As Lane proceeds with her search we get snippets of what happened the one and only summer she spent at Roanoke after her mother committed suicide.  Gradually the past is revealed and all the secrets that she has tried to bury comes to the forefront. The question is will they continue to haunt her or will she find some closure with her past so she can move on?

Dispute the dark nature of the story, I had a hard time putting the book down even when it was well past my bedtime.  The author did an outstanding job of walking that fine line between utterly revolting and totally compelling.

I received a copy of this book from Crown Publishing in exchange for my honest review.

Everything You Want Me to Be by Mindy Mejia

Title: Everything You Want Me to Be
Author: Mindy Mejia
Pub Date: 3-Jan-2017
Rating: 4.5 Stars

Everything You Want Me to Be is the tale of the murder of high school senior Hattie Huffman. The story is told from three points’ of view, Hattie’s, Del’s (the local sheriff and family friend) and Peter’s (Hattie’s high school English teacher).  There are a few twists in the story but the real zinger is saved for the end. There were some things that I found very predictable about the story and that is the reason I could not give this one a five star rating (my rating is 4.5 stars). Ultimately Hattie’s character is what made the story for me.  She is such a typical teenager and this added an extra level of believability.

Hattie is typical in that she is so naive. She thinks she understands the world and that she plays her parts in life just as well as she plays her role as Macbeth in the school play. How can one be so dumb at 50ish yet so brilliant at 17/18? So like a teenager!

Hattie wants to be accepted so badly that she is willing to throw her own identify away in order to please those around her. Now that Hattie is reaching maturity she is struggling with finding herself. Despite this identity crisis of sorts, Hattie is an outstanding student and a budding actress. On the surface all seems well in Hattie’s world…. until her murder that is.

Now Del must find the murderer and fast. He has promised. As he digs deeper, he discovers that Hattie may not be the person everyone thought she was.

Despite the predictability, it is still a very good story. Reads of YA and thrillers alike will enjoy.  I suspect most will gasp with surprise at the ending.

I received an ARC from the publisher, via NetGalley, in return for my honest review.