Sunday 31 July 2011

The Undertaker - William F. Brown



Title: The Undertaker
Author: William F. Brown
Genre: Thriller
Published: 2011
Formats: Ebook

Available at:
Amazon
Amazon UK

"The Undertaker" is an exciting, action-packed thriller that had me hooked from the first page. There is romance, mystery, intrigue and superb humour spread throughout the novel which has been written in a fast paced and engagingly witty style.

The story is told form the perspective of Pete Talbott, a programmer who is recovering from the loss of his wife, Terri, to cancer. He is basically just trying to get by, but soon his life is thrown into chaos when a man puts a gun in his face and starts asking questions and Pete realises that somebody has been buried under his name as well as his late wife's. Angered by the use of his wife's name Pete decides to investigate and starts an adventure that uncovers corruption, murder, danger and along the way a little romance.

The plot is actually rather basic which does make the novel into more of a light read when you compare it to some of the more convoluted thrillers that are out there. Brown doesn't distract us with multiple sub-plots or red herrings, instead he concentrates on progressing the overall story in a pacey and enjoyable manner. If you do like the more complicated stories full of twists, sub-plots and characters then you may be disappointed, but I think this book makes a great read for on the beach or whilst travelling as it is fun, light and entertaining.

I found the story enjoyable as the thrills, humour and fast pace kept me coming back for more any time I tried to put the book down. The novel is also packed full of action and violence, however it isn't overly graphic and I don't think anyone will be offended by what they read. In fact, to be honest, considering there is some torture involved in the story, Brown does a great job in portraying the character's fear and actual mechanics in an action scene rather than any gory, sickening details that are just there to shock a reader. In addition to the action though, suspense and intrigue were also present by the bucket load as there were times in the novel the where I had no idea what would happen next and I was constantly trying to work out what was really going on. When the ending was finally revealed I was happy to find that it was both very satisfying and plausible which I think helped to round the novel off nicely.

I really liked the main character Pete who is portrayed as a genuinely nice and ordinary character who pretty much stumbles his way through his investigation. I actually though that this added to some of the realism as he isn't some crack detective or investigator, he just blunders through confusing many of the antagonists who don't believe he could really just be an angry regular guy. In addition, I loved the sarcastic and witty humour that Pete has been imbued with; it made me laugh out loud multiple times throughout the story. Basically, I think that William Brown has captured him really well, and his fear yet determination to investigate is portrayed in a rather engaging manner. I have to admit though that I wanted to tell him many times to walk away as I couldn't believe how he was letting his indignation push him into taking such great risks when it became obvious to me that there was links to organised crime.

The other main character in the story is Sandy who Pete teams up with during his adventures. She has a caustic wit which I loved and it worked incredibly well with Pete's own witty style. I think I could have spent hours reading amusing dialogue between these two if I had the chance. She also added a more youthful and feminine viewpoint to the story which helped introduce an enjoyable little difference to the later half of the novel.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book as it was funny, entertaining and exciting. The one thing I did note is that it was quite a light read so if you looking for a complex book with deep and hidden meanings then you may want to give this book a miss. However, if you do want a fun and light story with likeable characters and packed with thrills and action then I don't think you would regret picking this book up.

Friday 29 July 2011

Book Blogger Hop #3


Book Blogger Hop Book Blogger Hop is a weekly meme hosted by Crazy for Books

This week’s question is;

Highlight one book you have received this week (for review, from the library, purchased at the store, etc.) that you can’t wait to dig into!

The only book I have recieved this week is actually "Piglet's Big Movie" by Ronnie Randall which is basically the Disney movie of the same name being told in a rather basic book format. It was a birthday present for my 2 year old daugher who loves Piglet so I am looking forward to reading it to her as I know it will put a huge smile on her face!

Wednesday 27 July 2011

Catalyst: The Passage of Hellsfire - Marc Johnson



Title: Catalyst: The Passage of Hellsfire
Author: Marc Johnson
Genre: Fantasy
Published: 2011
Formats: Ebook

Available at:
Amazon
Amazon UK
Smashwords

This book is a standard epic fantasy novel with the usual plot lines, creatures and characters that normally frequent this genre. Therefore, don't expect to see anything you have not seen previously, then again I can't remember the last time I saw something new in any fantasy novel. One thing I did note though was that the book seems to be targeted at the Young Adult audience which was nice to see as I rarely see this style of fantasy novel aimed at that group of readers; in my opinion they usually get the joys of Urban Fantasy or Paranormal Romance instead.

The story starts with Hellsfire's birth and his life in an out of the way village. However, whilst out in the woods he manages to unleash a previously hidden magical power when he saves a girl from bandits. This show of power leads to him having to leave the village and start training to become a wizard. This training however is interrupted once has has a vision of some sort of calamity that will befall the city of Alexandria. He therefore heads out into the world where he meets elves, dwarves and other creatures in his attempt to help save the region from the machinations of an evil wizard.

Marc Johnson has basically put together a traditional zero to hero type of novel with the usual good versus evil dynamic. The story is told from the perspective of Hellsfire himself besides the first chapter. I actually quite liked this as it made the story more about this one character and the adventure he was personally on. I understand that some people don't actually like first person narratives, but in the context of this book I think it worked.

Another aspect that I did like in the story was that due to Hellsfire travelling over a fair amount of the region he lives in I got to gain some understanding of the world, history and culture that the author has created. One aspect of fantasy books I always enjoy is learning more about the interesting universe the story is taking place within. I will note though that due the large area that Hellsfire visits and the length of the novel the story seemingly jumps very quickly from place to place without any in-depth bridging chapters etc.

In regards to the character of Hellsfire himself, I have to admit that I didn't actually like him that much. I will admit that he does have a very strong sense of right and wrong alongside a determination to get things done. However, I just found his temper tantrums rather annoying and didn't really think that he actually really matured much during the time he was training to be a wizard. It was a shame really as I think at the core there may be a character there that I could actually like.

The other issue I did have with Hellsfire is his name! I was hoping there might be some real and meaningful reason behind this rather ridiculous name but there really wasn't. It isn't something major and doesn't spoil any enjoyment of the novel; I just found it a little bit silly. I did wonder if the name was just chosen because "The Passage of Hellsfire" sounds better than something like "The Passage of Bob" etc.

In all honesty, "Catalyst: The Passage of Hellsfire" was a predictable but still enjoyable epic fantasy novel. I think a young adult looking for an easy introduction to the world of epic fantasy would enjoy it a lot. I hope that if this book does achieve something, then it will be to introduce younger people into this genre without scaring them off as I suspect some of the more well known and complicated novels could do. Personally, I will probably pick up the sequel when it is released as I am interested in knowing what happens to Hellsfire and hope that some of the issues he faced in this book helps him grow up a little and get over the temper tantrums.

Sunday 24 July 2011

Further Conflicts - Edited by Ian Whates



Title: Further Conflicts
Author: Various (Edited by Ian Whates)
Genre: Sci-Fi
Published: 2011
Formats: Hardback/Paperback/Ebook

Available at:
Amazon
Amazon UK

Further Conflicts is an anthology of Sci-Fi short stories that are thematically linked by various forms of conflict. However, don't think that this is just a selection of the usual military sci-fi stories full of explosions and space battles. Many of the stories are actually low on the action front and instead focus on being thought provoking and subtle in their depiction of conflict. The range and breadth of stories held in this collection was a pleasure to see as there was stories involving AIs fleeing servitude, mutants stealing children in a decaying future, dead soldiers returning to life, the interrogation of a political prisoner, etc.

I will admit that I have actually never read any of the other work created by the authors in this collection but I actually think that is one of the main reasons why people should read anthologies such as this. It opens up some new and contemporary writers to the reader, which considering most of us can end up reading the same type of things over and over again has to be a good thing. All I know is that after reading the stories in this collection and being impressed by the high standard they all were I will be sure to pick up some of the various authors' more lengthy work in the future.

In regards to the stories themselves, it is actually hard to specify a favourite because they are all enjoyable but yet very different from each other. However, I will highlight a few because it will help show the range of stories actually present.

"The Wake" by Dan Abnett is a story full of testosterone and camaraderie as we witness a group of tough soldiers watching over the body of a fallen brother in arms and drinking to his memory. The story does involve some action though as strange happenings occur and the soldiers respond in a paranoid and cynical manner. Overall, I liked how we got to see behind the mask of a hardened solder and witnessed the brotherhood and friendship they all shared.

The next story I will highlight is "The War Artist" by Tony Ballantyne which takes us into the world of propaganda and the manipulation of information flow. It is set in a world where countries have had their infrastructures torn apart by hackers. We follow a journalist embedded with a group of soldiers who go in to secure a country that has descended into chaos following a hacking attack. It progresses at a good pace and I found the ending to be very satisfying.

The final story I am going to mention is "Extraordinary Rendition" by Steve Longworth which is set in a prison on the Moon. The back and forth discussion as an interrogator tries to obtain information from his political prisoner is thought provoking and enjoyable to read. The story is completed though by a superbly delivered ending that had an unexpected twist.

The only sad feeling I had when reading this anthology was when I finished some of the stories. The worlds created were very interesting and I really wish they could have been explored more. This however isn't anything new from many other short story anthologies that aren't set in an already developed world and to be honest I think it shows how good the stories were that I wanted more.

All in all, I enjoyed all the stories in the collection and liked the fact that each one was so very different. This book is a good way to explore and immerse yourself in the writings of various authors and hopefully find someone whose work you want to read more of. If you enjoy reading sci-fi stories set around conflict, threats and danger then I think you will enjoy this collection. In addition, if you have never tried reading conflict driven stories but are curious in giving it a try then I think this book would also be a good way to explore some of the options available.

Friday 22 July 2011

Book Blogger Hop #2


Book Blogger Hop Book Blogger Hop is a weekly meme hosted by Crazy for Books

This week’s question is;

What’s the ONE GENRE that you wish you could get into, but just can’t?

I think I read quite a lot of Genres so this was actually quite a tough question to answer. However I will say that I do wish I could read more "Classic" novels, although I am not sure if this is a genre to be honest. I would love to be able to discuss Thomas Hardy or Jane Austin with my wife etc. but I just can never find the desire to read them. If someone knows a better description for this genre than "classics" then please let me know!

Wednesday 20 July 2011

No Safe Haven - Carmen Webster Buxton



Title: No Safe Haven
Author: Carmen Webster Buxton
Genre: Sci-Fi
Published: 2011
Formats: Ebook

Available at:
Amazon
Amazon UK
Smashwords

"No Safe Haven" is the sequel to "The Sixth Discipline" which I have previously reviewed here. I would advise everyone to read "The Sixth Discipline" first as "No Safe Haven" does refer back to various incidents from that book and therefore the reader needs to have some understanding of what went on before.

The story starts the equivalent of nine earth years after the events of the first novel and once again the main plotline follows the lives of Ran-Del, Francesca and their family. I will try not to spoil the story here, but basically one of Ran-Del and Francesca's children get kidnapped and you get to follow both the parent's reaction and what is happening to the child himself. It is through this plot that we also get to find out more about the third faction on the planet Haven known as "The Horde" who were mentioned but never really seen in the first novel.

In addition, another plotline of the novel is dedicated to a secondary character from the first novel known as Freddie Leong. These sections detail his various attempts to deal with his drug addiction and rather dysfunctional family. Whilst there is a tie up between this plotline and the Ran-Del one it is very minor and at times the book feels like you are actually reading two separate stories set in the same Universe. I have no issue as it was all very enjoyable but I am curious to know if it could have been even better had both stories been split into their own novels.

I will admit that it was the Feddie Leong sections of the book that really had me hooked. The suspense, political intrigue and excitement around this plotline had me unable to put the book down for very long. The other plotlines were enjoyable as well and I was specifically happy to see that the major open plotline from the first book was closed down to a rather satisfactory ending. I did note that there was an interesting emphasis on family relationships throughout the novel. This included the good, bad and downright strange aspects of family life and I think it added very well to the character aspects of the novel.

Overall, I probably enjoyed this book slightly more than the prequel although it was also a great read. I think that the greater emphasis on some of the adventure, intrigue and suspense compared to the romance elements was probably why I preferred this one though. All I can really say thought is that if you have read "The Sixth Discipline" then make sure you pick this up as you won't be disappointed.

Tuesday 19 July 2011

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Books That Should Be Required Reading For Teens



Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish which I am taking part in. 

This weeks question gave me a little bit of a problem as I have never really been a fan of required reading. I hated the fact that school forced certain books upon me and would never want to say something should have to read this or that. In all honesty I actually think the books that teenagers should read are the ones that will inspire them to go on and read more.

However, if I have to at least make some sort of response to the question that it would be the following;

At least one book from every genre that you can imagine.

I just think that this would open up the wider world of literature to a teenager and lets them experience much of what reading can be. I would have loved my Literature classes at school to have explored horror, fantasy, sci-fi, thrillers, romance, classic and so on.

Sunday 17 July 2011

Nightcry - Gregory M Thompson



Title: Nightcry
Author: Gregory M Thompson
Genre: Horror
Published: 2011
Formats: Paperback/Ebook

Available at:
Amazon
Amazon UK
Barnes & Nobel

The concept of "Nightcry" is an interesting one as Gregory M Thompson has attempted to mix suspense, mystery and horror together. The story follows the protagonist Grant Sykes, a man in his mid twenties and the editor of the local paper in a small town in the US Midwest. The book does get off the mark quickly with the discovery of a dead body in the first few pages and it continues at this fast pace as other deaths begin to occur around the town. The evidence begins to point to Grant being the murderer and soon the whole town is talking about how he may be responsible for the deaths. However, Grant has started to see and hear a supernatural being that he believes may be related to the deaths. He therefore bites the bullet and calls in a ghost hunter named Mavis to help him track down the apparition and hopefully solve the murders.

The story itself is rather enjoyable and I have to admit that I especially liked the ending. It was an interesting and clever plot twist that I wasn't expecting, although I do wish that there had been a greater explanation of why the murders had taken place. I had hoped the epilogue would have maybe done this but it closes out some of the other aspects of the story without actually touching on this.

The biggest issue I had with the novel was the number of grammatical errors that I noticed throughout. The most common issue that I saw was the incorrect use of past and present tense and at times it caused me to stop and pause mid-sentence as it affected my ability to easily read the book. I try not to really complain much about grammar as my own is pretty bad at times, however I felt that the various errors in "Nightcry" did cause me to get distracted from the story at times.

Other than this, I found that some of the back-story sections to be rather meaningless in regards to both Grant and Mavis. I will admit that they were actually quite interesting at times, but I don't think it actually added anything at all to the story and they more or less appeared to be filler. In regards to Grant specifically, I actually thought the back-story was being used to set-up some sort of reveal about why this was all happening to him. However, I don't think it ended up doing anything beyond telling us a bit about his family history.

Overall, I am finding it hard on what to really say about this book. I actually think it has a good premise and interesting plot at its core. In my opinion the delivery is not the best; even ignoring the grammar issues, I think the flashback sections could have been better incorporated and utilised in explaining some aspect of the overall story and that there had been some sort of decent reasoning at the end to why the murders had occurred. I believe doing that would have turned the novel from being an okay, yet enjoyable novel into something much better.

Saturday 16 July 2011

Book Blogger Hop #1


Book Blogger Hop Book Blogger Hop is a weekly meme hosted by Crazy for Books

This week’s question this week is;

How/Where do you get your books? Do you buy them or go to the library? Is there a certain website you use like paperbackswap?

I have to admit that the majority of books I read for my own pleasure mainly come from the local library. Other than that I do pick up free ebooks from Amazon and Project Gutenberg. If I do have to buy a book due to being unable to find it in the library etc. then I try to pick it up 2nd hand from Ebay otherwise Amazon is the place I go. Finally, I do get a lot of books now from authors and publishers to review on the blog and I am probably reading more books via that method than any other at the moment.

Thursday 14 July 2011

Tumbler - Brand Gamblin



Title: Tumbler
Author: Brand Gamblin
Genre: Sci-Fi
Published: 2010
Formats: Paperback/Ebook

Available at:
Amazon
Amazon UK
Barnes & Nobel
Smashwords

Brand Gamblin's "Tumbler" is an enjoyable light Sci-Fi adventure that is fundamentally about a young character facing struggles as she attempts to find her place in the Universe. The book follows Libby Carter as she heads out to the Asteroid Belt in an attempt to make her fortune as a miner. Of course, she soon finds out that this is not going to be easy, especially after seeing the tiny spinning rock she has been provided to live and work on and quickly becomes disillusioned. The book then follows her attempts to survive in this harsh place and get back to Earth, before she realises that there are still opportunities available if she is willing to work for them.

The first thing that came to mind as I read this book was the Sci-Fi TV series called "Firefly". Not because of the space ships or anything like that, but because this book really grabbed that "western in space" and "life on the frontier" vibe that also was present in "Firefly". Some of the action scenes also utilised the space environment and physics to really enhance what it was trying portray which is something I also remember from "Firefly". Overall, I think it gave the story a different feel from some of the standard war, aliens & weapons type Sci-Fi that exists in bulk. This story was based around trying to survive on the frontier in a harsh and dangerous place

In regards to the science in the novel, it did come across as being believable, with some good development of the mining systems, habitats and transportation. The author actually uses the fact the Libby is an outsider to enable the reader to learn and understand some of the aspects of the environment and technology whilst she learns about it herself. It is still quite light on the technical front overall and therefore I don't see it causing an issue for any readers unless you really want the hard in-depth technical form of Sci-Fi.

The story itself is told in an entertaining and fast paced manner with various problems and issues thrown up in Libby's path as she tries to survive in a hostile environment. Whilst the plot isn't anything amazing, it did keep me engrossed from beginning to end and I actually completed the book over one weekend. The story did seem to deviate at times from what I deemed as the overall plot, but I think this was the author trying to expand and develop the environment and society that I was reading about so I was happy enough to accept it.

There are a few small issues I have with the novel, but I don't think any of them would stop me recommending it to someone. First of all, the main character Libby seemed somewhat undeveloped. For example, aside from the fact that she plays the odd poker game I have no idea about her history, what hobbies she has or if she has any real defining personality traits. Perhaps this was an attempt by the author to make the reader try and imprint themselves on the character instead, I really don't know. Personally though, I would have liked to know a little bit more about her beyond the fact she wanted to do some mining and make her fortune.

The other issue I have is the ending, the way that everything just falls into Libby's lap and she more or less ends up with enough power to do almost anything she wants was a little bit of a let down. Up until that point, I was rather happy with the overall story and direction, the ending just felt and out of sync with the rest of the novel and seemed to be tacked on just to give an almost fairy tale ending.

Overall, I think that "Tumbler" is an enjoyable light hearted read that could be picked up by most readers. It doesn't have the most in-depth character development or plot but it is fun and I would recommend it to anyone looking for a quick read, especially any young readers that are looking for a way to explore some Sci-Fi literature.

Tuesday 12 July 2011

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Author's I Would Die to Meet



Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish which I am taking part in. 

I have to admit I have been getting quite bad at making sure I post something for Top Ten Tuesday. This week though I actually set a reminder on my calendar to make sure I was ready for it, so lets get down to the list of top ten author's I would die to meet. (As a note, I wouldn't actually die to meet any author as I would then be dead and therefore the conversation wouldn't be up to much)

1. Christopher Pike
Christopher Pike is actually a pseudonym for author Kevin Christopher McFadden but I would meet this man under any name. He was the author that really ignited my love for books and therefore I would want to meet him and thank him for this.

2. JRR Tolkien
I always think of him as the father of modern fantasy. His novels helped create the massive selection of books that I enjoy to this day and I really want to find out what inspired him to create Middle Earth in all it's detailed glory.

3. HG Wells
Wells created some of my all time favourite classic Sci-Fi novels and it "War of the Worlds" that got me really hooked on aliens, space and all things Sci-Fi. He really had a superb imagination for what the future could hold.

4. Terry Pratchett
Any man that can write as humours and entertaining books as he does must be a great laugh to meet and talk with. The times he has come to the local bookstores I have usually not been able to make it although my parents did when I was younger and managed to get a fair few of my Discworld books signed.

5. Carl Sagan
I have to admit I have only ever read one of his books (Contact) but from what I have heard about this man, he was a thoroughly decent and intelligent man. He helped bring science and knowledge to the public, I would love to meet him and say thank you for this.

6. Sir Walter Scott
This man loved Scotland, his novels and stories also helped make many others fall in love with this land that they had never seen. I just want to meet the man who seemed to care so much for his country and created what must be some of the first ever Historical Fiction novels.

7. Tom Clancy
This man got me hooked on thrillers and has written some really suspenseful novels that I would love to discuss with him. I also want to actually sit down and ask him if he really has been involved in all the seemingly hundreds of books, films, games, etc. that include his name.

8. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
How this man could create the great Sherlock Holmes and foresee so many of the forensic science techniques we now use for granted astound me. I just think he must have been a truly remarkable man to have envisioned what he did and would love to meet him.

9. Robert Burns
The Scottish Bard was born not far from my own place of birth and was another man who strove to record and capture the culture of Scotland in his songs, poems and other writings. For crying out loud, he wrote "Auld Lang Syne" which seems to be sung all around the English speaking world on New Years Eve, this man had global reach. Anyway, I just would love to actually sit and have a Burns Supper with him; he could sing "Scots Wha Hae" and give the "Address to a Haggis" himself.

10. Roald Dahl
He created some truly memorable children's stories that I remember fondly from my childhood. I would want to thank him for this and discuss how it will be his books that I want my own children to read and enjoy.

Monday 11 July 2011

Cordelia's Honor (Vorkosigan Saga Books 1 & 2) - Lois McMaster Bujold



Title: Cordelia's Honor (Vorkosigan Saga Books 1 & 2)
Author: Lois McMaster Bujold
Genre: Sci-Fi
Published: 1996
Formats: Hardback/Paperback/Ebook

Available at:
Amazon
Amazon UK
Barnes & Nobel
Baen Books (Ebook Here)

Cordelia's Honor is the first of the Vorkosigan Omnibus books which includes books 1 & 2 of the Vorkosigan Saga which are titled "Shards of Honor" & "Barrayar". It was chosen as the July read for the Women of Science Fiction Book Club and is a Sci-Fi novel that I had never heard of prior to taking part in the book club.

The first thing I am going to say here is that the book cover is terrible, I would probably put it face down on a table in shame if I was reading it in public and someone walked past. In all honesty, the publisher Baen Books seem to have some pretty diabolical covers but this one has to be one of the worst I have seen. It would probably have put me off picking up the book if it wasn't for the book club which would have been a shame as I found it really enjoyable to read. I just wish that Baen would stop making their books look like some form of space-themed pulpy unsophisticated read.

The plot basically follows the relationship the occurs between Cordelia, hailing from the progressive Beta Colony, who is a scientist in command of a survey expedition and Aral from the Imperial and rather militarial planet of Barrayar who is an aristocrat and a soldier in command of a starship. A huge amount happens thoughout the novel around this relationship including mutiny, interplanetary wars, assasination attemps & civil wars. It would be insane of me to try and summarise this rather large story beyond this but I will just add that it is superb Space Opera that I think any Sci-Fi fan would love to read.

The two books that make up this omnibus do come across as being slighly different from each other in style which is probably due to the period of time that passed between Bujold writing each of them. "Shards of Honor" was written in quite a slow pace and seemed to concentrate on the romance and character development side of things. There was some adventure and excitement still but overall I think the book was more about the two main characters and understanding their actions and desires.

"Barrayar" on the other hand is told at a much faster pace and is tightly plotted with adventure, intrigue and political scheming throughout. Cordelia and Aral are still just as interesting to read about, but I think Bujold also expands the secondary characters well and creates new ones that are much more detailed and interesting that what I saw in "Shards of Honor". The book also provides much more information and detail about the society and culture that exists in the Universe Bujold has created which I was happy to see.

In the end though, the best aspect of the novel has to be the two main characters as they are well developed and the relationship formed between them is more realistic than many others I have read about. Cordelia is smart, determined, brave and a fundamentally likeable heroine whilst Aral is a man whose honour, strength and courage help him fight for what he believes in. Neither of them are perfect, but they both strive to do what is right and the dry sense of humour they have adds to the overall enjoyment of the story.

I now have to highlight the one annoying feature that I found in both parts of this omnibus. Basically, the naming of characters from the planet Barrayer at times caused me no end of problems. A lot of the higher ranked military personnel from Barrayer have the pre-fix "Vor" in their names. I had to keep trying to refer back to work out which Vor..... was which, especially when they were being discussed by a third party and there was no personality on display to help me remember. Not a major issue and I understand that it was part of the culture Bujold had created but it still bugged me. All I can do is say that you should stick to the written novel and avoid any audiobooks as I suspect they would be even more difficult to follow.

In summary, I think the best way to describe this book is that it is a superbly enjoyable character driven space opera sci-fi. The Sci-fi elements are used to create the plot and background, but it is the characters that really make this book appeal. I suspect it could have been set in a fantasy world, historical world or many others and it would still be a very enjoyable read. I therefore have to recommend this to any Sci-Fi reader out there who likes to read a story full of well developed and interesting characters. Personally, I enjoyed it so much that I have now actually picked up most of the novels in the overall Vorkosigan Saga and look forward to reading them in the near future.

Friday 8 July 2011

Dragon Blues - Edie Ramer



Title: Dragon Blues
Author: Edie Ramer
Genre: Paranormal
Published: 2011
Formats: Ebook

Available at:
Amazon
Amazon UK
Barnes & Nobel
Smashwords

I actually won this book in a competition and it sounded rather interesting as this was the first paranormal novel I had seen that was about dragons and not vampires, zombies or werewolves. What I discovered was an okay paranormal romance novel with some decent action thrown in. However, in my opinion the fact he was a dragon didn't really feel much different than if he had been a werewolf or any other type of shape shifter but it was style nice to see something a bit more original in idea.

The story is about a man Noah who is a dragon that has lived as a human for the last 2,500 years. His reason for staying as a human for so long was that he discovered a love for music that wasn't really possible to be involved in when he had claws and not hands. He comes into contact with a strong willed martial arts woman named Lila and Noah discovers there is something more to love than music. At the same time however, someone has discovered how long he has lived and wants to use him to gain immortal life. The story follows Noah and Lila's romance alongside the risk and danger they face from the man trying to capture Noah.

The elements of action throughout the novel were fast paced and enjoyable. Edie Ramer also does seem to have a rather clear and concise writing style and she doesn't resort to overly flowery descriptions and waffle. I would like to note that there are some rather steamy sex scenes in the novel so I would recommend that it is read by adults only.

In regards to the characters, Lila came across as being stubborn and was rather irritating which made it hard for me to like her even if I could understand why she acted the way she did. Noah, however was completely different, he was actually someone you could feel for. The sense of loneliness he felt was palpable and it was obvious he had a good heart. I also found his obsession with his "treasures" to be a nice small amusing aspect of his dragon personality that the author had included.

In conclusion, I suspect this will appeal to most Paranormal Romance fans, especially those who like shifter novels and want to see something a little different in regards to the main character being a dragon. For myself though, it was an okay read, I just didn't really find the story itself truly gripping. Then again I am not a huge paranormal romance fan as I usually think that they are all very similar in overall plot. As I said though, people that normally enjoy this type of book will probably love it and Edie Ramer's writing style can't really be faulted.

Tuesday 5 July 2011

The Sixth Discipline - Carmen Webster Buxton



Title: The Sixth Discipline
Author: Carmen Webster Buxton
Genre: Sci-Fi
Published: 2011
Formats: Ebook

Available at:
Amazon
Amazon UK
Barnes & Nobel
Smashwords

The Sixth Discipline is a Science Fiction story set in the far-future upon a planet called Haven that has been colonised by several different human factions. The main character Ran-Del Jahanpur is part of the Sansoussy faction, who live a basic existence in the forests that reminded me of native Americans who have developed a variety of psychic abilities. Whilst out hunting Ran-Del is kidnapped by people from the city of Shangri-la who are technologically advanced. The story then follows his captivity and subsequent introduction to the wonders of the city as well as the political intrigue of the ruling families that has led to his captivity in the first place.

I have read various other comments on this book describing it as a romance novel with some sci-fi elements thrown in. However whilst reading it I really never thought of it as being an overly romantic novel, so if you normally avoid this genre, don't let any comments about the romance aspects put you off picking it and giving it a read. Perhaps the novel is technically a romance story but I personally enjoyed the book even though I tend to avoid romance novels like the plague. Yes, there is a fundamental romantic element to the plot but I felt the book was more a sci-fi adventure novel that explores some of the politics and interactions between various different factions on Haven.

The story itself is very interesting and imaginative although I have to admit that I did find the premise behind Ran-Del's kidnapping rather weak and far-fetched at first. However, the reasons for the kidnapping are developed as the novel progresses and by midway through the novel I was willing to accept it may have been a plausible action for the people involved. The novel is relatively long compared to some of the other self-publicised novels I have read and is told in a slow and steady pace. However, the pace and length didn't cause me any issues as I don't believe there was any parts that were surplus to requirements and I enjoyed the author's writing style. I did note that there was a fundamental question still open in regards to the actions of Ran-Del's great grandfather but I found out after reading the book that there is a sequel novel and believe this may be answered there.

To summarise, I enjoyed this book and found that the romantic elements actually worked well in the overall storyline and character development. I hope to read the sequel at some point to see if it can close up the loose ends from this novel although the ending to this novel was perfectly satisfactory.

Saturday 2 July 2011

The Ordeal of Fire (The Tree of Life Book 2) - Steven Smith



Title: The Ordeal of Fire (The Tree of Life Book 2)
Author: Steven Smith
Genre: Fantasy
Published: 2010
Formats: Ebook / Paperback

Available at:
Amazon
Amazon UK
Barnes & Nobel
Lulu (Ebook Here)

I recently read the first book in this proposed trilogy which I reviewed here and really enjoyed it, therefore I was looking forward to reading this novel.

The book basically continues the adventures of Elowen Aubyn, who is forced to undertake a new quest to discover the Four Mysteries, ancient artifacts that hold the key to finding the Tree of Life and defeating Prester John. Along this journey she meets slave traders, kings, strange creatures and uncovers several secrets that will change her life forever. In addition to this, we also get to read about what has happened to both Bo and Black Francis in their own attempts to undermine Prester John.

I have to admit that I enjoyed the first book more than this one, it did feel at times like it was being used to create scenarios and provide information that will be needed for the third novel. However, I did still enjoy "The Ordeal of Fire" as there was intrigue, adventure and action throughout the book. I specifically liked the parts of the storyline involving Bo and they really had me hooked as I find him to be a very interesting and decent character and the action around his part in story was fast paced and exciting.

Smith continues to expand upon the very varied world and characters he had created which enhances the reader's understanding of some of the incidents that occured in the first novel. I still feel however that some of the secondary characters were not developed much more beyond what we saw in the first novel and most of them seemed sidelined for new characters. However, I will say that some of the new characters introduced really did add to the story and some of them were actually developed in a fair bit of detail. It was just a shame in my opinion that Diggory and Black Francis weren't really expanded or utilised much in addition to these new and interesting characers we were introduced to.

To summarise, if you enjoyed "The Map of the Known World" then there is no doubt you will enjoy "The Ordeal of Fire". It is full of intrigue, treachery and excitement like many other Fantasy epics. However, the interesting and varied characters really enhanced the overall story and it is them that really make it a great read. In all honesty, I can't wait to read the third novel in this series.