"Kill Order" a Short Story prequel to "Death by Midnight"

 Kill Order

by Nicole Nadeau

Kill Order by Nicole Nadeau is a short story prequel to her novel Death by Midnight. The story gives the reader a front row seat to Ivan Komarov's inner turmoil over being the son his father wants, and being himself. 

The story begins with Ivan trailing a woman through the streets of a town in Siberia, Russia on December 23rd. He feels nothing as he tracks her movements, and eventually aids his father's goons in her kidnapping. To him she's just another jump he has to make to please his father, until he's asked to end her life. Suddenly Ivan isn't sure about his father's rules, the gun feels heavy and cold in his hands, and he stares with numb horror at the woman sobbing on the ground. It's at this pivotal moment that Ivan chooses himself over his father's commands. He lowers the gun, only to watch the woman be murdered by his father. 

The narrative continues as Alexei (Ivan's father) advances with his plan - a meeting with a blackmailed doctor who believes he is getting his wife back in return for a briefcase filled with an unknown item. The switch takes place on Christmas day, illustrating just how little Alexei cares for others, including his own son. While Christmas is usually a time for family and joy, the Komarovs' is filled with death and deceit, anything to bring Alexei closer to his revenge. 

I thought the story did a good job of further showing how different Ivan is from Alexei. They may be related, and have many of the same ideals, but Ivan is not his father. Ivan has not yet murdered an innocent in cold blood. Even though he has been raised to be a carbon copy of his father, Ivan is not. He is uniquely himself, and he can be redeemed. 

Ivan definitely has some Draco Malfoy vibes going on, although I feel that Lucius is a much better father than Alexei, which is saying something. Maybe having a living wife helps. 

Rating: 4/5 trees. An excellent prequel to an excellent story.

GIVEAWAY: KindleFire and 17 YA Fantasy Books Contest with 4 Chances to Win

Hey readers! We heard you like giveaways, so we thought we'd let you in on this one.

For the whole month of August, author Abby Arthur is running a giveaway with multiple prizes, including a Kindle Fire. 

Enter here.

Every entrant receives a free copy of Abby Arthur's Twins of Shadow. 

Then, on August 7th, a winner will be drawn for hardcover copies of Sabaa Tahir's An Ember in the Ashes series, which includes:

• An Ember in the Ashes
• A Torch Against the Night
• A Reaper at the Gates

Total value is $60.

On August 14th, a winner will be drawn for three books by New York Times Best Selling Authors:

• Chain of Gold by Cassandra Clare
• The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins
• House of Earth and Blood by Sarah J Maas

These will be hardcover copies with a total value of $80.

On August 21st, a winner will be drawn for Holly Black's series Folk of the Air.

• The Cruel Prince
• The Wicked King
• The Queen of Nothing

These are hardcovers with a total value of $80.

On August 28th, a winner will be drawn for the grand prize, which includes a Kindle Fire 7 and eight eBooks at a total of $150.

• Kindle Fire 7
• A Song of Wraths and Ruin by Roseanne A Brown
• The Kingdom of Back by Marie Lu
• Wicked Saints by Emily A. Duncan
• The Guinevere Deception by Kiersten White
• Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi
• Harry Potter and the Cursed Child by J.K Rowling
• Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
• Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson

Feeling lucky? Starting August 3rd, you can enter here.

May the odds be ever in your favor.

Erin & Anna

Spellbinding short stories in 'Voyagers: The Third Ghost'

Title: Voyagers: The Third Ghost

Authors: 

Louise MacBeath Barbour 

Roland Clarke 

Bish Denham 

Rebecca M. Douglass

Sherry Ellis 

Katharina Gerlach 

Charles Kowalski 

Beth Anderson Schuck

Yvonne Ventresca

L.T. Ward

Genre: Short stories (historical fiction, fantasy, mystery)

Pages: 168 

Buy Voyagers: The Third Ghost

What Goodreads has to say:

Journey into the past…

Will the third ghost be found before fires take more lives? Can everyone be warned before Pompeii is buried again? What happens if a blizzard traps a family in East Germany? Will the Firebird help Soviet sisters outwit evil during WWII? And sneaking off to see the first aeroplane – what could go wrong?

Ten authors explore the past, sending their young protagonists on harrowing adventures. Featuring the talents of Yvonne Ventresca, Katharina Gerlach, Roland Clarke, Sherry Ellis, Rebecca M. Douglass, Bish Denham, Charles Kowalski, Louise MacBeath Barbour, Beth Anderson Schuck, and L.T. Ward.

Hand-picked by a panel of agents, authors, and editors, these ten tales will take readers on a voyage of wonder into history. Get ready for an exciting ride!

What I have to say:

What do slave ships, ghosts, time travel, Pompeii, WWII, aeroplanes, and the Iron Curtain have in common? 

They all appear in this absolutely fantastic collection of short stories by the Insecure Writer's Support Group. 

"Voyagers" is an appropriate title for this collection, since most of the stories involve a journey of some kind. A journey across the sea. A journey across the border. A journey back in time. A journey to the afterlife.

But they're not just physical journeys. These are journeys away from innocence, away from safety, toward understanding, toward acceptance, toward redemption.

The genres vary, but for the most part these are works of historical fiction. Thus, there's a story about a young boy traveling aboard a slave ship to meet his father, a story about a Ukrainian girl whose sister flies with the Night Witches (an all-female bomber regiment in WWII), and a story about a family who tries to cross the Iron Curtain to spend the holidays with family. 

But many of these stories have a little something else thrown in. Thus, there's a story about two travelers who encounter a Yamamba (a mythical Japanese creature) in the mountains, a story about a young orchardist who talks to trees, and a story about a boy in the 1980s who keeps seeing ghosts.

By turns intriguing, gripping, funny, and poignant--these are masterfully told stories by a first-rate group of writers. Their imaginative powers put me through the whole spectrum of emotions: 

• Shivers ("The Third Ghost", "Simon Grey and The Yamamba")
• Amusement ("The Ghosts of Pompeii," "Dare, Double Dare")
• Horror ("The Blind Ship")
• Awe ("Return to Cahokia")
• Joy ("The Orchard")
• Suspense ("A World of Trouble")
• Tears ("Feathered Fire," "Winter Days")

A shout-out to those last two, which I found unexpectedly moving--especially "Feathered Fire." The story of a Ukrainian girl reunited with her sister, interwoven with the Russian legend of The Firebird, was absolutely beautiful and a masterclass in storytelling.

And I can't resist a final shout-out to "Return to Cahokia." This story of the Native American weather gods returning to their summer home was unique and powerful in its imagery. I enjoyed reveling in the vivid, richly woven world the author has created.

In short, this is a great collection of short pieces that are fun to read but lend themselves to pondering. A hearty round of applause to all the authors who contributed to this spellbinding tapestry of stories.

Rating:

Until tomorrow.

Musings in Hades - JB Dennis' "Heir to the Underworld"

Title: Heir to the Underworld

Series: New God of Olympus (book one)

Author: JB Dennis

Publisher: Kristi King-Morgan

Published: January 2020

Goodreads Blurb: Fourteen young mortals find themselves the unexpected heirs to the powers of the ancient Greek gods. Benjamin Darke, the new god of the dead, soon discovers that being a god isn’t as easy as one might expect.

My Thoughts: First off I would like to congratulate Dennis on their excellent portrayal of the major Greek gods and goddesses, minor Greek gods and goddesses, complete underworld, and basically everything else pertaining to Greek mythology. I can only imagine the plethora of hours of research that went into that. 

While it may seem like Greek myths have been redone hundreds of time, and that there are many "Percy Jackson" spin-offs, this is not one of them. Somehow Dennis took the myths and characters of legend and created something new. The story is exciting and engaging.

Fourteen+ main characters is a lot to keep track of, and there were a few times I got lost. Thankfully the new gods have many of the same personality traits as their mentors, so after a few sentences you can usually figure out who's talking. So I'm gonna list those new gods and what I thought of each one. Starting with the new king of the gods, Andrew.

Andrew St. Cloud is taking over for Zeus. He's a leader, jock, and  generally good guy, which is why it's a bit strange that he's replacing Zeus. Or maybe it's not. Zeus often overlooks his bad qualities, maybe when you take them away you get Andrew. We didn't get to see much of Andrew because he was very busy with sports.

Ashley Queen is Hera's replacement and a total snob. Also stuck up. Also apparently super powerful and secretive. She's seems like a good Queen. 

Samuel Poole is Poseidon's heir and super awesome. He's by far one the the friendliest and kindest of the group. 

Benjamin Darke is heir to Hades and the Underworld. He's quiet, but courageous and saves everyone's butts multiple times. Ben was, of course, my favorite character, this book is mostly about him, so that makes sense. I loved how well he jived with Hades and Persephone. 

Sara Gardener is taking over for Demeter. I honestly got Sophia and Sara mixed up a lot. I did think the scene with Sara's father was very touching.

Ana Maria Sabio is Athena's replacement and she's ready for it. Inquisitive to a fault, Ana Maria is not someone to be taken lightly.

John Strong is Ares' heir and he sucks. He's mean, rude, homophobic, and a jerk. Which, also sums up Ares. (maybe minus the homophobia)

Sophia Hunt is replacing Artemis, she's boss, loud, and not afraid to speak her mind.

Mathew Golden is taking Apollo's place, and no title could fit him better. He's fabulous, kind, dazzling, and gay. I mean, that's Apollo, right?

Renée Hart is almost as lovely as her mentor Aphrodite. Renée is of course beautiful, and charming, but also generous.

Lance Smith is heir to Hephaestus. He shoots fire from his hands a few times, otherwise I kind of lost him in the crowd.

Gavin Swift is replacing Hermes, but where the god is mischievous, confident and cunning, Gavin is more quiet, shy, and unsure of himself. He also demonstrates selflessness and care.

Vincent Hops, heir to Dionysus seems to live only on alcohol. Seriously, how does this boy not have liver damage? He's also generous, almost to a point of carelessness.

And, last but not least - Irene Adler, replacement for Hestia. Irene was by far the most mysterious. She disappears at odd hours and then lies about where she's been. I assume we'll learn more about her in another book.

SO, there you have it, the New Gods of Olympus. How they all managed to share a house and not blow everything up is a mystery to me.

My last few thoughts I wanted to dedicate to Hades and Persephone. I LOVED their fight scenes in the Underworld. I loved how their magic complemented each other and gave them strength. I also really loved Hades true form. Basically I just loved the entire jail break and throw-down with Medea. It was riveting.

This was a solid first book in seems to be a promising series. I look forward the the further exploits of the new gods of Olympus.

Rating: 3/5 trees

Anna's a Super Genius - Nadeau's Death By Midnight

Title: Death by Midnight

Series: The Secret Life of Anna Goode

Author: Nicole Nadeau

Published: November 2019

Goodreads Blurb: Anna Goode is a teenaged-genius with a secret—her homemade inventions that she only shares with her best friend, Jake. But when a shadowy figure kidnaps Anna’s parents, she is forced to help him carry out his mysterious plan. With her inventions and Jake by her side, Anna must use her gifted mind to save not only her parents, but countless others. And she better hurry. Because the clock is ticking.

My Thoughts: Guys, this book is awesome. The story is gripping with enough twists and turns to keep the reader satisfied, and to keep the plot racing. Also, super timely. Hats off to Nadeau who wrote a book about a super virus just a month before Covid-19 broke out across the world. Made me wonder if some saboteur is behind the whole thing. (Zoom, I'm looking at you.(JK. unless . . .)). ANyWaY, maybe the reason I enjoyed this book so much was because I share a name with the protagonist, and I do have a good friend named Jake (well, Jacob, but still). It was quite easy to drop into Anna's world and run along side her. 

The plot of Death by Midnight is well thought-out, and the writing is good. The complications and risks the CIA must deal with by getting involved is very real. As is the fact that large organizations often ignore individuals in crisis so that they can save the majority. And that's good, but it doesn't make it any less horrible. In order to save the USA from a supervirus, the CIA is willing to sacrifice Anna's parents - 2 lives or millions of lives? The answer seems simple. Except when those two people are your entire world. To Anna, the world won't matter if her parents are gone, which is why they're very lucky she's a genius. Nadeau makes it very clear that the whole situation would have been much different without Anna. Sure Anna and Jake wouldn't have been there to steal the vials for Komarov, but I'm certain he could've easily blackmailed someone else to do it. We'll assume the vials would still be obtained, and the device built, but there is no other outcome where the victims live, and the virus is not released. Anna is the only variable that could make that outcome occur. But man, was it down to the second!

I was a big fan of Anna's and Jake's friendship, and how they worked together and depended on each other. It was refreshing to have a hero actually need support. I also liked how easily Anna could be manipulated, because that's how real humans are! Most people would do anything to spare their loved ones harm. Humans tend to protect their own people, not complete strangers, so it was nice that Nadeau recognized this and reflected it in Anna.

I would definitely recommend this book to readers who like espionage, strong female characters, and grounded fiction. I look forward to book 2!

Rating: 4/5 trees

D&D Meets the Real World - RJ Parker's "Requiem, Changing TImes"

Title: Requiem, Changing Times

Author: R J Parker

Publisher: Olympia Publishers

Published: September 2019

Goodreads Summary: Clint and Corbin are having a weird day. Best friends for life, things are getting a little strange around their town, and at school. When they're followed by a strange man looking for Clint and later attacked by an imp, it makes sense to retreat to the safety of home. But when strangers from another world, Banks and O'Neil, arrive with their medley of allies, things get even weirder. Why are they here? What do they want? And what is The Requiem that everyone keeps talking about? As Clint and his friends and family are drawn deeper into a thrilling adventure, only one thing is for sure. They may not be getting out alive. And class with Mrs Christenson will seem like a walk in the park after this.

My Thoughts: Okay, let's dive in. This book is non-stop action from start to finish. Any time things start to slow down, a dwarf crashes through a window, everyone gets shot by arrows, or a troll crashes the Halloween Dance. Each battle scene is well thought out, very akin to a D&D (Dungeons and Dragons) combat encounter. In fact, this book draws very heavily (like super super heavily) from D&D. Not only does Parker borrow races, and creatures, he even uses the same classes as D&D - druid and paladin stand out the most. Don't get me wrong, I love D&D. I've participated in multiple campaigns, and am currently playing a gnome grandma (code name: Gwam-Gwam) who happens to be a druid. The game can get crazy, ridiculous, and terrifying, and it's fun, but when being adapted to a written story it would need heavy editing and some re-writing to be successful. Requiem, Changing Times does not do this. 

The plethora of typos, grammar mistakes, general formatting errors, and rough writing made me wonder if this book had even been edited. In fact, I believe that a good editor would make this book much more palatable. The story is interesting, and most of the characters are fairly well developed, but the "first-draft"iness of the book ruins what could be awesome plot points. For example, I really liked the characters Tamara, Kayla, Banks and Nix, but their characteristics seemed to fluctuate greatly from chapter to chapter. I know Tamara goes through a total personality change, so I'll let that one slide. Characters may face horrible trials that change them as a person, but they still have a base personality that needs to stay consistent for their responses to stimuli to make sense. 

The characters in this book don't seem to have that base line consistency. I realize half of them are teenagers, but their personalities were a jumble of contradictions that didn't work together. I would say especially Corbin. That kid not only annoyed the heck out of me, but really wasn't that great of a friend. Clint keeps stating how great of a friend Corbin is, but I never saw it. The boy sabotages Clint at every turn, and is plain rude the rest of the time. Maybe that's just how teenage boys are, I don't know because I was never one. However, I do know something about teenage girls, and Parker's portrayal of them was ridiculous. Almost all the high school interactions felt like something from a TV show. Yes, there's bullying and weirdness and hormones, but no one is so absolutely ridiculous and vain as Amber. No one takes selfies right after almost being blown-up. I could go on about how stereotypical everyone was, but I'll spare you.  

In the end the story itself isn't bad, but the execution is. This book has enough material and crazy plot points to be something really unique and wonderful, if it just had some decent editing and rewriting. 

Rating:  1/5 trees

I want furniture that rearranges itself: review of Daniel McMillan's Eve of Ascension

Title: Eve of Ascension

Series: The Fall of the Ascendancy (Book 1)

Author: Daniel McMillan

Genre: Science Fiction / Dystopian

Pages: 270

Buy Eve of Ascension

What Goodreads has to say:

LIFE IN THE ASCENDANCY WAS NOT ALL THAT IT APPEARED...

When an attempt at establishing a World Government seems destined to fail, the global elite seek refuge on a space station and crash an asteroid into the Earth to "bring the population down to a more manageable level".

Once the world was sufficiently healed from the Cataclysm, the elite reappeared and established The Ascendancy. They offered refuge in twelve new cities around the globe - all survivors had to do in exchange was give everything they could for the betterment of the government.

Baxter Clarke grew up in the city of Enswell, enjoying the highest comforts the Ascendancy provided thanks to his brilliant father's contributions.

But when Baxter discovers a connection that upsets the balance he has been familiar with all his life, he finds himself in a situation he never dreamed possible.

Now, with the fate of the Ascended attached to a device stolen from a government agency, he will have to run for his life and leave the city to save his people and rise to be the man he was meant to be.

What I have to say:

This book has fascinating concepts and super interesting characters. There's furniture that rearranges itself when you're having company over (like why have we not invented this yet in the real world, it would make life so much easier?) and makeup that adjusts automatically when the lighting changes or even better, when the person wearing it cries. (Seriously, we need this now, ok?)

The idea of an ascending order of cities is also interesting: most people start out in the outer cities, and as they advance socially, they're moved up into the inner cities. It can take generations for a family to move from one city to another, and if you screw up your chances, forget it.

Meanwhile, the Sylvans live outside the city, frustrating the Ascendancy (the central government) whenever they can, keeping hope of the resistance alive no matter the cost.

Right away, I was hooked: a rebel fighter was surrounded by deadly robots in a jungle, and his chances didn't look good. The story got off to a bang.

Then I was mesmerized by the two different spheres: the city-life of Baxter and his friends, plush with the latest technology and controlled by the government at every turn; and the rugged life of Raishann and her family, who live in much more humble circumstances but consider themselves free in a way the city people aren't. They even speak differently, using slang rather than highly polished, almost manneristic phrases.

So in the categories of freaking cool concepts, solid world-building, and really awesome, diverse characters (marry me, Laena), this book scores top marks.

But I had a problem with its style, and that kept me from giving it top marks all around. I'm a writer myself and a critic, so it could be that I just have a nitpicky disposition. I also enjoy thinking about how I would rewrite a book/play/movie to make it better. It's one of my favorite past-times.

If I were rewriting this book, I'd use a lot more active voice and follow the time-honored "show don't tell" rule. There were a lot of passages that read along the lines of: "Lila asked him what was on his mind and Baxter said that he wanted to go to the store, Lila agreed with him but pointed out that it was late, which caused Baxter to feel guilty and say they could go tomorrow."

Why tell us what the characters are saying? Why can't they just, like, say it?

Other times, we'd be told what a character was thinking when it would have been more effective to show us what they were thinking by the way they acted or by something they said.

I feel like this got in the way of character development and made it hard for us to get truly attached to the characters--which is sad because the author has put together a stellar cast here. There are some really interesting personalities and wide-ranging perspectives. So yeah.

At the end of the day, great story, fun characters, just needs some polishing up in the writing department. That's something that's easily overcome, and as the ideas and concepts are still super cool, I'm excited to see what this author gets up to next.

Rating:

Until tomorrow.

Just the Right Amount of "Wack"™

Quests and Quandaries by Alda Yuan

Title: Quests and Quandaries

Series: The Floating Isles (Book 1)

Author: Alda Yuan

Publisher: Khanda Books

Published: 2018

Before progressing any further, I would like to define the word "wack" as used in this review. Wack: super weird, peculiar, rather odd. Okay, continue reading.

Goodreads Blurb: The Floating Isles were created millions of years ago when a beetle the size of a continent churned up mud from the seabed for a perch. And things have only gotten weirder since.This is a tongue in cheek account of a princess forced to go on a quest, very much against her will. With the proverbial band of sidekicks at her side, Rahni leaves the familiar comforts of home for the mysterious Eigen States, a place where, of course, nothing is as it seems. Or else it wouldn't be much of a quest. Rahni is determined not to let the laws of the land dictate anything, least of all how seriously she has to take the whole matter. Her dearest wish is to get through the quest with as few near scrapes and mortal enemies as possible. If she has to go on a quest, she wants it to be bland, with no nonsense about holding the fate of the world in her hands. Naturally, nothing goes quite as she plans. But what else is new?

My Thoughts: This book was a riot right from the start. Rahni, the main character, is cursed, by her own parents, to go on a quest. Apparently they were at their wits end, and hoped this was the answer. They even provide her with her quest-mates to help speed  along the process, and then dump her out in the river. Honestly, they really hindered more than helped. 

I loved this book. Not only were the footnotes hilarious (but hard to flip to on a kindle), but the descriptions, dialogue, and general setting was so ridiculous it was genius. The world descriptions reminded me of Terry Pratchett's Discworld. I mean, The Floating Isles are not round, but flat, and hang suspended in the air by way of massive wires. Go figure.

Goblins that wear masks to keep up appearances and refer to a storybook for guidelines? Evil Overlords that hire actors to portray them in the field? A locked up princess who killed her own monster and then made a rope of  its hair? This book has them all. The scope of belief that the reader must adopt while enjoying this book is immense, and I, for one, am here for it. Also, the amount of magical swords Rahni received from completing side quests is what I wish would happen in my D&D game . . . 

While I will admit that at times the story got "super wack"™, looking at you elephant goddess etc. scene, the rest of the time it kept to "pretty wack"™, which was just the right amount, in my opinion. Hats off to you Alda Yuan. (Do you prefer Alda or Yuan?)

Did I enjoy this book? Yes. Would I recommend it to my friends? Yes. Do I wish the footnotes were at the bottom of the page instead of the back of the book? YES. Alda, (I've decided we're on a first name basis apparently) I don't know if that's possible, but please look into it.

Buy Quests and Quandaries on Amazon

Rating:

Colonization sucks and squirrels are awesome: The Ghost of Crow Cavern

Title: The Ghost of Crow Cavern

Authors: Norman Mounter, John Wedlake

Genre: Fantasy? YA? Squirrels? IDK

Pages: 98

Buy The Ghost of Crow Cavern

What Goodreads has to say:

A wave of delight and anticipation sweeps through a small community of red squirrels as they behold a vast fleet of boats carrying their distant cousins towards them. They will no doubt bring incredible wealth, wisdom and joy to the humble squirrels of Nutshaven.

However, the dream soon becomes a nightmare. Their distant cousins soon turn out to be enormous and brutish bullies of an ever-expanding Grey Empire. Shadowtail - the brilliant but intensely evil Grey leader - announces that their lives are about to radically change:

“Your colony is now ours, and we shall endeavour to use you and your resources to enrichen the imperial spoils of conquest and world domination.”

With their entire way of life now under threat, will the wisdom of old Normsk, the wits of young Cheswick and the might of Brutenuts the Brave be enough to counter such a dark and dominant force?

What I have to say:

So I'll just cut to the chase here: I freaking love The Ghost of Crow Cavern.

I love that the climax is a chess game; I love that the narrator is some unnamed future historian; I love that it's wickedly funny but also a little disturbing; I love that it's a story about colonization gone wrong; I love that it's all about squirrels.

Like squirrels are the best. Why are there not more stories about them? There's a lot of stories about mice, but squirrels are better because they live outside and have cooler tails. (Sorry, Reepicheep.*)

If we're on the subject of mice, this book could be compared to stuff like The Tale of Desperaux, The Secret of Nimh, and probably Watership Down but I haven't read that last one (yet) so that comparison is pending. (And yeah, I realize Watership Down is rabbits, not mice.)

It also has a little in common with Animal Farm in that it's a story about animals on the surface, but it has obvious political undertones. I found myself thinking about British colonization and the Holocaust--but don't let that scare you away from reading this wonderful little book. It's far from depressing; in fact, it's delightful and often hilarious.  

I'm pretty sure I read 75% of this book with a huge smile on my face, and I had to restrain myself from laughing out loud at a few points because I was in public. I especially loved Shadowtail's instructions to Scug concerning finding information on the rogue squirrel Cheswick: 

"Now listen up! I need to know more about this mysterious Cheswick character. Where he once lived, who his parents were, his education...and - most important of all - what kind of chess player he is."

Upon reading this, I may or may not have laughed out loud in a courtroom. (Court wasn't in session, don't worry.)

The narrative style almost gave me a Last Unicorn vibe (and if I compare any book to The Last Unicorn, you better believe I loved it). We aren't told who the narrator is, but he or she clearly knows how the whole story will play out from beginning to end, and throws in comments of a historical bent. 

Example: 

"A squirrel by the name of Maria Dumplekin - who has since passed into legend - was gazing out from atop a tall forest tree. It was here that she caught sight of a curious cluster of glistening specks upon the distant horizon." 

There are also just some random things thrown in (as in The Last Unicorn) which add an element of delight and hint at other worlds outside that of the story. Like when the narrator talks about the Cerebri squirrels who have incredibly large brains and build sophisticated machines. And we jump between characters in a way that's fun but doesn't make the reader seasick. 

Having said that, I did get briefly lost in the first few pages as we switched between characters a few too many times in too few pages, especially considering that the story and setting themselves hadn't really been established yet.

Now here's my only real ask for this story:

I WANT MORE!

The pacing is seamless and the story moves quickly--maybe a little too quickly: I read it in two hours.

It's not necessarily that the story needs more fleshing out--it's that fleshing it out could make a really good story a truly great one. The characters are all so well developed: Cheswick, Brutenuts, Normsk, Shadowtail, Scug. And it's not because they're undeveloped that I want this story to be longer, but because they're so well developed. I want more of them!

I can just imagine the conversations between Normsk and Cheswick as they hide out on the edge of Nutshaven and debate whether to intercede now or wait a little longer, as they discuss the devastation the grey squirrels have inflicted and wonder whether there's any chance of victory. And as they wonder whether, if and when they manage to save Nutshaven, there will be anything left to save.

I can just picture little Blossomtail and Felix and the other squirrel pups in their brainwashing lessons, struggling to make sense of what they're being told and deciding whether or not to believe it. I can see Blossomtail saying something wrong and Violet bravely defending her in front of the fearsome Auntie Gerta. I can picture a few of the little squirrel pups starting to succumb to Shadowtail's lessons, and a few others withstanding, maybe even forming a secret Dumbledore's Army-esque society.

And I can see the grey squirrels under Shadowtail engaged in a deadly power struggle of which Shadowtail himself may or may not be aware. I'm sure there are allies and arch nemeses among the ranks of the grey squirrels, and I'm sure there are plenty of nasty rumors and intrigues floating around.

Then, of course, there's Shadowtail himself, who is a fascinating character. I'm envisioning him pitted as Cheswick's foil: the two squirrels holding down opposite ends of the story yet sometimes acting in surprisingly similar ways. 

Various stories--each starring a different set of protagonists and antagonists--taking place simultaneously across weeks (maybe months, who knows?) until they all collide in a heart-stalling climax. Imagine the epicness!!!

(Of course, I'm not the author(s) and I'm not going to presume to tell them how to write their own book. It doesn't need to follow the script I've outlined above; in fact, a longer rewrite of this book by Norman Mounter and John Wedlake would probably be way awesomer than anything I could think up.)

See, the thing is, I loved this book a lot. But just as I realized how deeply I'd fallen in love, it was over. 

If this were a longer book that I could really sink my teeth into, I can imagine myself pouring over it for days, reading up late into the night, shirking errands and foregoing food and sleep to find out what will happen to the squirrels of Nutshaven. Upon finishing, I might add this book to the collection of my most cherished volumes, recommend it to everyone, and save it on my shelf to re-read in a few years.

And I'm aware that there's a sequel in the works (or at least, the epilogue def sets us up for that), but I'd rather have a meatier first novel before/in lieu of a sequel.

There's a lot to ponder in this book, and I'm still not entirely sure whether it's just a story or whether it's meant to be a political fable of sorts. I think if I'd had more time to digest it, I wouldn't feel so much like I'd just jumped off a roller coaster. (Though my post-book vertigo is a testament to just how powerfully this story took me for a ride.)

Long story short, I dig it. I just want more to love.

Rating:

*Reepicheep is basically my all-time favorite character so I'll take him over a squirrel any day and now feel terrible for dissing his tail. Also why is this review so long? Wow I guess I had a lot to say.

Until tomorrow.

The Gods Are Real, and They Aren't Happy

Daughter of Fire

Author: Jennifer R Povey
Publisher: Aitune Press
Published: January 10, 2019

Goodreads Blurb: Laura led a sheltered, middle class existence. Oh, she knew she was adopted, but what did it matter? A lot when her birth mother is murdered and the killers come after her next...for reasons that are deep in her very blood.

My Thoughts: Laura leads a normal life, she just started college, and she wants to teach school. Her biggest worry is whether her classmates like her or not. Or it was. Everything changes one afternoon when Laura is whisked away into police custody due to the murder of her birth mother Ella Miracle (a high end hooker). Laura is more than a little confused seeing as she has never met her birth mother and has no ties to her. The police seem to think that whoever went after Ella is coming for Laura next. Laura isn't so sure, until she is shot at at the law office holding her mother's will. But it's not just that she's shot at, it's that her mind and body move into hyper-speed, moving her out of the way of fire, and even attacking back. Whatever wounds she received from the fight are healed within hours. Who is Laura Maxwell?

Honestly, that's the question for about the first half of the book. Who is her father really? Why do so many people seem to want her dead? (like soooo many people) Why does she have heightened senses? Why is she such a good shot? Is she even human? All these questions will be answered . . . sort of.

Turns out the old gods (think every pantheon - Norse, Greek, Roman, Egyptian) are returning to Earth. They aren't happy that during the last Olympics the Olympic Truce was violated. The worlds are merging and not everyone is happy. Along with centaurs and faeries come dragons, goblins, and man-eating ivy. Oh, and Laura? Turns out she's a demi-god, daughter of Ares. 

Laura starts a race against time as the two  worlds come closer and closer, and the sky turns to gold,  opening a window into yet another world - this one spells immediate death for humans. Can she figure out how to appease the gods and the earth itself before everyone's souls are sucked into the golden ether?

The answer is yes. But wow is it complicated and I still don't really understand what happened. The solution is that people have to take responsibilities for themselves and those around them. From what I understood, that means being vigilant for yourself, and your community, without impeding the choices of others. It also means checking government and police power - they need to enforce the laws, but the people should have a say in how it's enforced. The people agreeing to take charge of their own lives and to try and help each other is what knits the sky back together and closes (mostly) the doors to the mythical world. 

My favorite part of the book was Lady Liberty. Instead of just being a statue, she was portrayed as a goddess represented by a statue. But she was weak, because the American People had not been respecting her. They had been trying to limit other's choices, and elevate their own. This was one of the main reasons that the sky split the worst directly above Manhattan. I liked that idea that Liberty isn't just an ideal, but a sentient creature that does all she can for us, but we have to be willing to let her in. 

So, overall, it was an interesting story idea, with a very creative deep solution, but the rising action went on for-freaking-ever. I kind of felt like the story was stretched along as long as possible, and could have been told in a much more concise manner. The end was SUPER confusing. I also wasn't a fan of the F-words. I give it 2.75 trees out of 5. (Yes, I just decided I could do that).

Rating:

Zombies, vampires, and strange medical experiments: Review of Pembroke Sinclair's 'Edge of Humanity'

Title: Edge of Humanity

Series: Saving Humanity (#2)

Author: Pembroke Sinclair

Genre: Zombies

Pages: 112

Buy Edge of Humanity

What Goodreads has to say:

Does being immune to becoming a zombie still make a person human?

Caleb tried to live a normal life after the uprising. He moved into the city, found a home, and worked a job. He yearned for days full of tedium and schedules. Instead, he discovered he was immune to becoming a zombie, and his life was turned upside down.

Fear and uncertainty have replaced normalcy. Caleb no longer knows if his immunity makes him human or something else … something monstrous. He knows who is after him, but to find out what his captors want and what he is he'll have to play their game and give up his freedom. His sacrifice may or may not lead to the answers he desperately craves.

What I have to say:

Edge of Humanity continues the story that started in Humanity's Hope, which, by the way, has an incredibly killer ending. So needless to say, I was only too eager to read book two in the series.

This one also had a killer ending, so looking ahead to book three.... yeah, you can count me in.

But let's return to the present.

It's apocalypse now, and Caleb may or may not hold the answer to saving humanity from the zombie scourge. Sadly, a lot goes wrong and by the end of the book, he still doesn't know whether or not he holds the key to saving humanity (like how I worked in the series title there?). One thing he does know is that his life really sucks.

Caleb is kind of a cool character, and he's easy to get behind. He's got a troubled past as the only survivor of his family and a guy who's been running from zombies for a long, loooong time. He's a suicide survivor and has a lot of anxiety. Not too good with people, either--though I think he has a good heart. He's basically a traumatized action hero.

To complicate matters, there's the issue of his apparently being a vampire (I know--what?). Seems like he's survived a zombie bite only to become a monster of a different kind. And that brings me to something we should get out of the way.

This book is gross. As gross as you'd expect a book about zombies, vampires, and strange medical experiments to be. So don't read it while you're eating. OK, end of side note.

Book 2 didn't quite captivate me like the first one did--maybe that's because there was more of a mystery element in the first one (who's targeting Caleb? Which of his friends can he trust?) But Edge of Humanity was still a wild ride, and one that I enjoyed.

I especially liked it when the story takes an unexpected turn, like when Caleb runs into a civilization of humans outside the city. (True--the girl he meets there--might have been my favorite character.) It's also interesting when we find out the relationship between Samuel and Dr. Maudaus.

And I enjoyed the flashbacks to Caleb's family. That makes his story more heartbreaking and more compelling. We can only pray that his future holds hope--and not just for humanity, but for Caleb himself.

Rating:

Until tomorrow.

My stress levels rise thanks to R.E. Palmer's 'The Gates of Dawn'

Title: The Gates of Dawn

Series: The Never Dawn (#3)

Author: R.E. Palmer

Genre: YA Sci-Fi / Dystopian

Publisher: FrontRunner Publications

Date: August 17 2017

Pages: 398 pages

Buy The Gates of Dawn

What Goodreads has to say:

Banished to the surface, Noah and his team struggle to survive in the harsh climate and are forced to make a difficult decision. In their quest to see the first dawn, they make a shocking discovery about their past that could help Noah bring Mother's cruel regime to an end.

What I have to say:

You know that feeling when you're nearing the end of a book, and there's maybe ten pages left, and everything is a complete mess and you're like, "how the heck can we salvage this situation? Ain't no way. Everyone's gonna die."

Ladies and gentlemen, may I present R.E. Palmer's The Gates of Dawn. 

This book was so stressful. Not only at the end when I was like, but wait, are they not going to win after all???? No, this book was just stressful all the way through. Like--Is this person going to die? No, they can't die! I really really like them! (Hi Reuben). Shoot, is Noah going to die? Noah can't die, he's the narrator and we still have three-fourths of the book left! But wait, is he dead? Crap, maybe everyone's going to die.

It kept me invested, it kept me guessing, and it kept me holding my breath right up to the very end. The characters' pain was my pain. Their small victories filled me with joy. Their shocking discoveries induced my horror.

Before moving on, can we take just a moment to appreciate this masterful opening paragraph:

"It turns out you can't touch the sky. I guess I really should have known it wasn't possible. But I mustn't be critical of my younger self. In every picture I'd drawn in the nursery, I'd colored the top third in blue and left the page blank until the green line of the fields where I would be playing happily with Mother."

At the beginning of The Gates of Dawn, Noah, Rebekah, and a handful of their friends (I use the term loosely because one of them wants Noah dead) are sent down to New Earth by Mother. That should be cause for celebration, right? Yeah, sure, I mean except for the fact that New Earth seems to be a dark, frozen planet incapable of supporting life.

They decide to trek across the planet in search of fertile ground, but it's by no means a smooth journey. Think avalanches, sea storms, and the occasional murder attempt by that person who's not really Noah's friend. In other words, it's truly an adventure.

But what Noah and his "friends" eventually learn on New Earth sends them back to The Ark, in one final attempt to topple "Mother" from her seat of power and save themselves and everyone else still living in The Ark.

While I loved this book, and in fact, the whole series (well done on your first trilogy, R.E. Palmer), I ultimately had a problem with the ending for some reason. Being my usual super helpful self, I'm not sure exactly what that problem was. Of course, it's hard that, oh wait, hold on a sec-

********************************************************

*WARNING: SPOILERS*

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OK hi. So it's hard that Noah and Rebekah end up separated at the end, and my heart aches for Rebekah who's still stuck under Mother's dominion (though we can hope that Mother is a little nicer now, right?). 

But I don't think that's where my problem with the ending lies. Maybe I wasn't sure exactly what happened at the end--how Noah averted the crisis? Or maybe averting the crisis turned out to be too simple? (Activating the fail-safe by pressing a button.) Maybe I wanted more people to die? IDK.

Or maybe it was the epilogue that fell flat for me. Maybe I needed more trees, or maybe I needed Abraham or Seth to be there. Maybe I needed something more akin to the beautiful moment in this book where Noah looks up at the first sunset he's ever seen and is overcome:

"I blink. A tear runs down my cheek. I can't touch the sky, but it can touch me."

All in all, though, this was a great story and I enjoyed it immensely. Even though I think the final book was ultimately my least favorite of the three, simply because I didn't feel it was quite as masterful as the first two (The Never Dawn and Cloud Cuckoo), it was still a fantastic, gripping dystopian adventure.

Yeah, it was heck of stressful. But that's how I like 'em.

Rating: 

(like... 3 and a half...? Can we get half a tree?)

Until tomorrow.

Twist follows twist in R.E. Palmer's dystopian 'Cloud Cuckoo'

Title: Cloud Cuckoo

Series: The Never Dawn (#2)

Author: R.E. Palmer

Genre: YA Sci-Fi / Dystopian

Pages: 222

Publisher: FrontRunner Publications

Date: August 26 2016

Buy Cloud Cuckoo

What Goodreads has to say:

Following their shock discovery, Noah and Rebekah reluctantly return to the lower levels of The Ark. Isolated and apart once more, Noah struggles to remember what happened at the surface and suspects Mother has altered his memory. 

But Noah's attempts to unite the workers to rebel are halted when Mother begins The Purge. Her cruel, relentless trials bring Noah to breaking point as he fights to survive when faced by his worst fears. Forced to accept Mother's terms after a month in Re-Education, Noah finally learns the truth about his people's past that leave him determined to defeat her once and for all. 

What I have to say:

I have to admit, when I learned the title of this book, my mind immediately jumped to The Lego Movie--that supremely awesome, completely perfect work of art which we will not discuss here--but this Cloud Cuckoo is very different from the fluffy cloud-realm inhabited by rainbows and unicorn kitties. 

Then again, I'd be lying if I said this story had nothing in common with The Lego Movie. There's a totalitarian leader who masks their sinister actions behind a benevolent image. There's a clueless young worker who gradually comes to lead the rebellion. There's a spaceship.

Laying obligatory Lego Movie comments aside, though, let's dig into R.E. Palmer's Cloud Cuckoo, the second book in his dystopian series The Never Dawn.

This book is fast and furious. Book one, The Never Dawn, immersed us in the world of The Ark--an underground (or so we thought) society ruled by an all-powerful figure known as Mother. Our protagonist, Noah, is a worker helping to bring about the New Dawn by assembling weapons day in and day out. But at the end of The Never Dawn, in a brilliant twist of an ending, we realize that nothing on The Ark is as it seems. And at that point the book ended.

In Cloud Cuckoo, we pick up directly where book one left off. Noah and his friend Rebekah have made a life-changing discovery--The Ark is a spaceship. Meanwhile, someone in The Ark is concealing a secret book that could expose Mother's lies, and Mother is determined to find that person. In fact, as you may have guessed, that person is none other than Noah himself. 

In order to catch the thief, Mother invokes a Purge--and boy, it's rough. She opens up the floor and sends everyone down to a dark, low, compact level where they'll sleep in tubes that seal shut and where they'll be served only tiny portions of green mush for every meal.

But it gets worse. Everyone will undergo interrogation at the hands of Mother's prefects.

Dude, this section is so intense. (Yeah, I use the word "dude" when I get really excited. I'm not sure why.) People are dropping like flies. Noah is starting to suspect everyone. Could his fellow team member Barnabas know something? Could he be planning to betray Noah to the prefects? And what will Noah tell the prefects when his turn comes?

It's such a great way to open the second book in the series, because after that revelation at the end of book one, we all know Noah can't just go back to his old life. The stakes are high, and Mother's Purge raises them even higher. It's relentless, it's grueling, and it's a page-turner.

Noah's not perfect. And he's not yet the brave leader he'll become later on in the series. Unable to handle the pain inflicted by the prefects--during The Purge interrogation and later in Re-Education, he buckles. He gives names.

The stakes just get higher and higher, and eventually Noah is forced to admit that he has the book. He's then sent to Re-Education, where, after enduring intense pain and betraying a few more of his friends, he's effectively brainwashed and sent back to his old life--well, not exactly. He's assigned to the kitchens. But that doesn't last.

Throughout the rest of the book, Noah moves from one level of the ship to another, gradually attaining new levels of knowledge as he climbs the social strata. Mother is leading him toward her ultimate goal--she will turn him into a Hero Worker, a role-model for the others to look up to, someone who follows Mother devotedly and inspires everyone to keep working for The New Dawn. 

But Noah's goal is very different. He'll expose Mother's lies and stir the others up to rebellion. They'll defeat Mother and find their way to New Earth, so they can finally be free of this ship and start a new life on the surface.

Unfortunately, Noah learns what many before him have already discovered--revolution is freaking hard.

If The Never Dawn led up to that one gut-wrenching twist at the very end, Cloud Cuckoo delivers a new twist every few chapters, each one more shocking than the last. Again and again, the author fools you into thinking you know what's going on, only to pull the carpet out from under your feet. No way! That was a shock. OK, but now you know what's going on. Ha ha nope! And so on.

I loved every mind-boggling, gasp-inducing twist and turn. I was so invested and I couldn't stop reading. I had to know what was going to happen next.

I think I have a bias toward middle books in a trilogy. Maybe it's because the middle book is the one that really tests the characters and molds them into the heroes they'll be in book three. Maybe it's because the middle book is always so intense and twisty. Maybe it's because I just love watching everything go to pot. 

Whatever the reason, I've now finished The Never Dawn trilogy (review of book three to come), so I can safely tell you that Cloud Cuckoo was my favorite of the three. It's not that the other two weren't also great--it's just that this book is so masterfully done. I love watching the characters develop and I love watching their relationships harden. I love experiencing Noah's pain, shock, and despair alongside him. 

Hmmm, OK, on second thought, that doesn't sound like it should be fun. I guess I'm just a sucker for those failed revolution plot-lines.

Rating:

Until tomorrow.