Book Review: Dragon Den by Kriss Dean

Dragon Den by Kriss Dean
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

In her debut novel, Dragon Den, Kriss Dean spins a masterful tale of a young man, Markus Fredriksen, who hails from a modest family and has a lifelong dream—to break and ride a dragon. Along the way, Markus encounters a young woman, Amira Obi, who’s from the other side of the tracks and comes from a loving and wealthy family that owns several ginormous blacktail dragons. Amira’s family has been tragically wronged by others, putting her at odds with the institutions that can deliver Markus’s dream to him.

Dragon Den is an urban fantasy packed with action, intrigue, and a heated romance that takes you on a wild ride with Markus and Amira chasing their hearts’ desires. You’ll love, laugh, and even cry as they take you along this wild ride through Dragild Military School and the institutions threatening to tear this young romance apart.

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Book Review: Tender is the Flesh by Agustina Bazterrica

Tender is the Flesh by Agustina Bazterrica
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This brilliant novel by Agustina Bazterrica is about society after “the transition” where an event happens, and all animal meat on Earth becomes poison to humans. The world governments normalize raising and eating “special meat” – i.e., humans as cattle, but they don’t call it cannibalism- or any other words that make you think twice about what you are slaughtering and what you are eating.

This book goes there and answers the question: is cannibalism a taboo subject? It’s masterfully addressed. If you are squeamish, don’t read this vividly described book, but if you are curious and can stand a little bit of vivid description, it will 100% keep you reading and on the edge of your seat right up until the last page (as the book cover states.)

Disclaimer: This book is not for those with a weak constitution!

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Book Review: The Valkyrie by Kate Heartfield

The Valkyrie by Kate Heartfield
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I wholeheartedly enjoyed this book—a well-written telling of a story set in Norse mythology. The story revolves around a fallen Valkyrie named Brynhild, exiled to Midgard by Odin. What comes is a tale involving Norse Gods, the Roman Empire, Atilla the Hun, and many fantasy and Norse mythology elements that resonate well with me. Norse Gods such as Loki, Odin, Hel, Freyja and prominent figures such as Sigurd and, mythical figures like Valkyrie, the Disir, a Lindwyrm (a serpent-like dragon without wings), and much more are part of Brynhild’s adventure. The novel contains war, intrigue, betrothals, marriages, betrayal, and politics. I also love the setting and rich world-building Kate Heartfield immerses the reader which includes several of the fabled realms connected by Yggdrasil, the world tree, specifically Midgard, Hel, Niflheim, and places such as Valhalla, Helheim, and Folkvang.

It’s an excellent pick for anyone interested in Norse mythology.

The book is available for purchase on Amazon here: https://amzn.to/3rZ1CBh 

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Book Review: Rescued by G. Miki Hayden

Rescued by G. Miki Hayden
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Rescued is a delightful and inspirational tale that keeps you hooked until the end. The story is about a neglected yet bright and creative child, Jay. He first approaches life simply and humbly, making the best of his bad situation and circumstances. Along his journey, Jay meets people who treat him with kindness and compassion, the opposite of how his own family behaves toward him. Despite his rough start in life and unfortunate circumstances, Jay’s character undergoes a transformation, aided by friends and the people he encounters. The novel is inspirational and uplifting. Hayden paints the story masterfully through Jay’s eyes, allowing the reader to see the story unfold starting from a young child’s point of view through adulthood.

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You can purchase this book from Amazon here: https://amzn.to/45SNSWI

Book Review: Stained by Karlijn Burkey

Stained by Karlijn Burkey
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Two stars, mainly for the author’s effort in writing a book. Technical aspects of the novel: Needs professional editing. i.e., expressions such as “Come on” written as “common” – other examples throughout the book are similar. Has multiple grammar issues, too. It has the feel of a self-edited book. Professional editing may have eliminated the technical issues, but the plot, story points, and something resembling a three-act structure was missing. The dialog is simplistic, the characters are one or two-dimensional, and there is a multitude of telling and little showing, i.e., not really a mix of both. The story plot, arc, and character development could be more refined. I finished the book because it was only 155 pages, but there was no hook, nothing to lead me from chapter to chapter, and more importantly, the opening to the following few pages. Typically, I stop reading a book without a hook. Honestly, I’m not sure why I continued with it. Still, I’m giving credit for the effort, as the author finished and self-published a book.

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Book Review: Beyond the Gloaming Pass by Rebecca Holmes

Beyond the Gloaming Pass: An Emotional High Fantasy Adventure by Rebecca Holmes
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Beyond the Gloaming Pass by Rebecca Holmes is a beautifully written high fantasy story that mixes adventure, magic, and friendship in a rich and original world. The main characters are Molindra, a young woman who wants to become a mage, and Rubriel, her loyal friend and longtime companion. They leave their home in Bantria, a country under threat, and head to the mysterious Gloaming Mountains, facing many dangers and challenges, meet many new friends, allies, and enemies in a vivid and immersive world that draws inspiration from some of the most popular fantasy writers in modern times.

Holmes creates a unique world with a rich setting and plot arcs. Also, her storytelling skills shine through in the masterful, rich character development– even with the minor characters. In fact, one of my favorite minor characters in the book is Scoe, whom Rubriel meets along her journey to find Molindra in her adventures in the Gloaming Mountains. Scoe is such a well-written character that I’d love to see a future installment in the series all about Scoe and his backstory or perhaps his future in this rich world.

Beyond the Gloaming Pass is a captivating and immersive read that will keep you hooked from start to finish. Holmes creates a rich, complex world with vivid descriptions and fascinating lore. The characters are realistic and relatable, each with flaws and strengths. The plot is fast-paced and full of twists and turns, with plenty of action and emotion. The book also explores family, friendship, loyalty, identity, and destiny themes.

If you’re a fan of high fantasy, then you won’t want to miss Beyond the Gloaming Pass by Rebecca Holmes. It’s a thrilling and heart-wrenching adventure that will leave you wanting more.

The book is available for purchase on Amazon here: https://amzn.to/3rUUENI

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Book Review: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes is a fascinating and complex novel that explores the themes of war, trauma, morality, identity, and power. It gives us a deeper insight into the world of Panem and its history and the character of Coriolanus Snow.

The novel is divided into three parts: The Mentor, The Prize, and The Peacekeeper. Each part follows a different stage of Coriolanus’s life and shows how he changes over time. The book is written in a third-person limited point of view, which allows us to see Coriolanus’s thoughts and emotions but also keeps some distance from him—a sharp contrast from Katniss Everdeen’s first-person point of view in the original Hunger Games trilogy.

The story is more fast-paced and action-packed than The Hunger Games trilogy but still engaging and, at some points, suspenseful. It has many twists and turns that keep you guessing until the end. It also has some references and connections to the original trilogy that fans will appreciate.

The novel doesn’t follow a typical hero’s journey or a redemption story. It is more of a tragedy or a cautionary tale that shows how a person can become corrupted by their circumstances and choices. It does not justify or excuse Coriolanus’s actions or behavior but explains them.

It challenges us to think about our society and how we treat each other. It asks us to consider what makes us human or inhuman, what drives us to violence or compassion, and what shapes our identity or destiny.

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes is a compelling and thought-provoking novel that will appeal to fans and newcomers to The Hunger Games series. It is a worthy addition to Suzanne Collins’s dystopian saga that will make you rethink everything you thought you knew about Panem and its people.

The book is available for purchase here: https://amzn.to/40eoLwe

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Book Review: Fugitive Telemetry by Martha Wells

Fugitive Telemetry by Martha Wells
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The Murderbot is back! We are gifted with another episode in the series, and coming off the previous longer novel-length book, this installment is back to the novella format. Fugitive Telemetry follows the same basic formula of the earlier Murderbot Diaries, with Murderbot watching his video feed, learning about human behavior and life as he deals with the people, bots, and conflicts he encounters in this universe. However, this time, Murderbot plays the role of a detective to solve a mystery. His previous human characters are mentioned in the story, but the main focus is on a new cast of characters who are introduced throughout this book and are part of the mystery that needs to be solved. Without spoiling anything, the mystery gets resolved by this book’s end.

Unfortunately, it’s not that complex of a mystery. The author doesn’t drop clues to help the reader solve the mystery along the way, and this story doesn’t extend or contribute to a larger storyline. This book doesn’t deliver on the hopes of continuing some larger or overarching Murderbot plot and story. These books are primarily character-based and not plot-based. While some good world-building exists, it doesn’t connect the dots with the plot and setting to some more significant story. The dystopian GrayCris corporation aspect is still present, and we understand how evil they are. Murderbot’s rogue nature of disabling his governor module and his return to Dr. Mensah and his original humans is present. However, the story doesn’t move much further to setup up some meaningful end or new beginning. Still, I had hoped for a more significant overarching story, but we don’t get that, and I don’t think we ever will for this series. So instead, we get more of an episodic type of adventure, with mostly self-contained stories from book to book. You could start or stop reading each one and still get a sense of what’s going on.

In summary, Fugitive Telemetry delivers another episode of the antics of Murderbot, a likable character I can relate to. In this book, he is as sarcastic and awkward as ever and involved in a murder mystery. The book is quick and fun to read, and enjoyable. The episodic nature of the stories is starting to feel repetitive, and some of the magic that captured my attention in the first few books is beginning to fade. However, if you like Murderbot and love the novella format, and want to spend a few hours escaping back to Murderbot’s world, then I still recommend this book. I give this one three stars. I liked it, but it’s more of the same. Not bad, Not spectacular, but simply it’s a good read!

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Book Review: Network Effect by Martha Wells

Network Effect by Martha Wells
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Murderbot story continues in Network Effect, and much to my delight, it’s a full-length novel rather than a novella as the previous installments of this series. Murderbot has grown significantly, yet he still has that petulant child-like distaste for everyone else, primarily humans, and has awkward relationships with other robots. In addition, Murderbot suffers from anxiety and depression and a longing to be free, so he disabled the governor module in his SecBot technology. However, Murderbot’s usual MO in the past books is different in this book, and it’s terrific. Again, we have friendly and hostile humans and friendly and hostile bots. We also get an old friend who’s altered and makes Murderbot grow up a little and expand himself in ways we may not have expected, but that is fantastic. Still socially awkward. He’s developing and maturing a bit if you can believe that.
This story breaks out of the mold of the previous books and does so in a delightful way. While Murderbot still prefers to watch his video feed than do anything else, avoids humans as much as possible, and still has a depressive, snarky attitude, his story is much different in this book. There are ties to characters from the previous books, both AI and Human. There are, for the first time, some different perspectives in the storytelling in ways that might have been confusing but did not detriment the plot or the action in any way. Unfortunately, there were a few moments of slag in the middle. Fortunately, the slow pace was only sustained for a short time and eventually picked up very quickly in the book’s third act, cumulating into a wild ride and a remarkably satisfying finale with a hook that makes me want to read the next book.
I was glad to read this installment of the series. I have been enjoying the adventures of Murderbot. While reading the last book, I wanted to know if something different would happen soon or if there was a setup of something more to come. This book answered those questions and more and delivered the action, tension, suspense, comedy, and some of the meaning of [bot] life! I recommend this book to anyone interested in Sci-Fi Opera, who has already read the previous Murderbot Books and liked them, or even those who read the last book or two in the series and started to get turned off. If that describes you, you will get sucked back into this series after reading this book.

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Book Review: The Broken World by Lindsey Klingele

The Broken World by Lindsey Klingele
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

While I was mixed on my review of the first book, later revising it on a re-read, I am not mixed at all on this book. Overall, this book was an enjoyable YA Fantasy / Romance / Urban Fantasy / Action book. This duology brought us back to the Caelum side of this universe. The continuing love triangle with Liv Cedric and Kat goes on, and for a bit there, It looks like they won’t get their Happily Ever After (HEA) ending. But of course, they get their HEA, which is awesome. I didn’t realize how much I was rooting for these two to get together – not that I didn’t like Kat, far from it. Her character is loveable for many reasons, but primarily as a strong independent female, she could be a queen. We get this impression early in the duology, but this book’s build-up is more substantial.

Two arcs were going on, one in Calem and one on Earth. In Los Angelis, the skies are a mess, and gravity no longer works as Einstein says it should! The very ground shakes as though the apocalypse has finally come. The portals opened between the two worlds have created havoc on Earth. Shannon and Merek have to find a way for the Knights of Valere to figure out how to stop whatever is happening.

Cedric chooses Kat over Liv and sends her back to Earth, where any chance they had to get together has passed. However, as the story progresses, Cedric is compelled to go to Earth after Liv. After much story progression, Liv figures out they must make a movie, spread it over the Internet via social media, and get the world to “believe in magic.” This energy will help solve the problem with the portals and the magic that has leaked into Earth.

Everyone goes through some sort of transformation. In the end, Kat will become Queen of Calem, Liv and Cedric have their HEA, and Merek and Shannon will share some quality time too. It all wraps up very nicely and cleanly. It was an enjoyable ending to this duology.

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