Tales of Fascination

July 9, 2020July 9, 2020Everything Else

Review of Heart of the Curiosity

H. L. Burke’s Heart of the Curiosity is a steampunk fantasy adventure of exceptional quality and entertainment. Heart starts with two sisters, Leodora (Leo) and Musette (Muse), who make their way to a legendary theater called the Curiosity. Leo is there to help Muse obtain a position among the ballet dancers. In order to do so, Leo agrees to work for the theater using her own personal magic in a way she’d rather not.

The girls have a friend in Paxton Genuent, part of the family that owns and runs the theater. Paxton has his own secrets, starting with a mechanical hand that doubles as a set of tools (e.g. flashlight, screwdriver). He advocates for the girls at first and soon becomes best friends with Leo. He explains the Curiosity’s power is generated by something called the Heart, hidden within the theater. When tragedy strikes, finding the Heart is the only thing that will save the theater and their home as well.

The list of what works in this story is so long it’s hard to keep this review to a reasonable length. The magic system in this world, known as someone’s knack, is inspired, and the reader is introduced to it by Leo employing it in the first few pages. The way her knack in particular is described is very clever. The setting of the city of Versia and the Curiosity feel like sets for a play, ingeniously incorporating style with theme. The steampunk elements are fun and creative, especially the methods of transportation.

There aren’t many characters in Heart, but each one is described vividly, usually with a prop, again playing into theme. The stagemistresses’ item, in particular, is quite an ingenious item. In addition, all the people have a unique knack, giving the reader a little something extra to discover about each one.

The description of the book gives the impression that the majority of the story will take place looking for the Heart. While the hunt for the Heart occurs over many chapters, the earlier parts of the book have characterization in mind. When Leo has to face a dark secret in her past, it’s such a striking and heartfelt scene that I forgot I was in the middle of a steampunk adventure. Burke handles this sensitive subject matter with adept expertise that only comes with an accomplished author.

Leo is such a well-rounded character and an odd choice for the heroine of the novel. She’s not the most pretty or the most talented. She’s accused of doing things she hasn’t done and makes poor decisions. In a word, she’s a great avatar for the reader.

So many other elements of this story achieve their objective, including the Paxton character. While he starts off too agreeable and a bit perfect, at a critical juncture he delivers an honest confession which elevates him above most YA single-dimension, male hero fare.

Heart of the Curiosity is one of the novels that I truly didn’t want to end. If you’re a fan of steampunk, riddle-mysteries, fantasy, coming-of-age, or any combination of the above, you’re going to find yourself lost in this novel and happier for it

Amazon Link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1948896184

July 1, 2020July 1, 2020Everything Else

Review of The First Time I Fell

Jo Macgregor’s The First Time I Fell is the second of the Garnet McGee series of a psychology student who has a knack for landing in the middle of a mystery. In the first novel, Garnet gained certain abilities after dying and coming back to life, leaving her with not only two eyes of different color but a little more insight than the rest of the world. The review of this first exciting novel in this series is here. If you haven’t read the first book, then please stop here as some of this review may spoil it.

For this second outing, Garnet is back in Pitchford, Vermont three months later in March. She’s here to babysit a neighbor’s house and take care of their dogs as she works on her master’s thesis. While out on a walk, she finds the body of a young woman and receives visions of what occurred, telling her the fallen woman was murdered despite all evidence pointing to suicide.

Garnet doesn’t completely trust her psychic abilities at the start of the book. This novel revels in her starting to flex her supernatural muscles. These sequences remind me of reading a supernatural person’s origin story. They’re fun because the hero is reluctant at this point, not quite sure where their newfound powers will take them. Garnet decides to look into the mystery with the help of Pitchford’s sheriff and lets him in on her secret.

The story takes surprising twists and turns, has an interesting subplot involving a potential ghost haunting Garnet’s house, and ultimately arrives at an exciting climax. This novel, like the first, was well-researched, and details which seem unconnected to the plot become relevant at the end. A technical mystery lives and dies by its research and its ability to convey to the reader its details in common language. This novel does a great job of doing just that.

A sequel, or second in a series, always has the challenge of where to take a character if it has successfully completed an arc in the first book. If the author doesn’t complete the arc in the first novel, the reader feels cheated. But if the author does, then where to go next? The First Time I Fell also handles this problem superbly. Garnet really feels like she’s growing and going somewhere in this book, and to this extent, I enjoyed it more than the first. Garnet feels like she’s finding a direction in her life through this entire novel.

The rest of the characters, new and old, continue to delight the reader. As in the first novel, her mother remains the standout character. Some key people from the first are given short shrift here, but that’s to be expected. In their place are new, potential suspects of the murder. When Garnet decides to investigate the mystery on her own, she meets with others’ expected resistance, and her discussions with the victim’s friends and coworkers make for some great sequences.

Is there humor in this novel? In spades. Garnet’s point-of-view is perfect for injecting some levity into a serious, dark theme. (I laughed out loud at references to quorns, yams, and quarks.) And action? Not as much as I recall in the first novel, but when it happens, it pulls the reader in. No one will set this book aside in the middle of those passages.

Macgregor’s writing here is as skillful as in the first novel. Her description of extraction of maple syrup from the trees “like the maples were hooked up to intravenous lines, only these tubes were drawing the lifeblood from the trees” conjures up exactly the right image. The author does a great job bringing winter in Vermont alive.

Overall, the second book in this series succeeds at a level equal to or exceeding the first novel. It builds upon the premier novel in character and suspense. I don’t know exactly if the third in the series will be what was hinted at at the end of the novel, but I hope there are plenty more “Garnet McGee, Psychic Detective” (said cheekily) to come in the series.

Purchase on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0639810969

June 23, 2020Everything Else

Review of Abundance

Abundance is an adult, cowboy romance with a serious, contemporary plot, or as author Shanna Swenson says “Romance with a touch of reality.” It’s the first in a series of romances set in a fictional town of Abundance, Texas where each book centers on two different main characters. The premier story tells the story of divorced Natalie Cameron and her daughter Dallas returning home to her parent’s horse ranch in Abundance. Stranded, they are assisted by Jack Kinson who turns out to be the supervisor of the help at the family business. Sparks fly at their first meeting, but not the type readers would expect.

The main point-of-view is Natalie’s and Jack’s but the book occasionally slips into the head of one of the minor characters observing either the Nat-Jack pairing or one of the subplots. One of the ranch hands has an infatuation with Natalie which drives most of the tension in the first part of the novel. Again, not the tension the reader may be anticipating. The latter part of the novel concerns itself with both Natalie’s backstory and her future.

The “reality” part of Swenson’s tagline needs to be taken seriously. If you’re expecting a mostly light cowboy romance with a little steam, you’re going to get “abundantly” more. Don’t worry about having to wait for the romantic scenes, you’ll be rewarded. But be aware some graphic violence exists here and some very real-life consequences co-exist with the meet-cute passages. You’ll get the most out of this book if you happen to be a fan of both cowboy romances and modern suspense novels.

The writing never drags, and both Abundance and Natalie’s parent’s (the Butler’s) ranch, Starlight Valley Stables, conjure up vivid images in readers’ minds. Swenson describes in a few sentences the work required to train horses and brings it to life. Certain age-old cowboy traditions make an appearance here as well.

Natalie and Jack are described like sculpted greek gods—both swoon-worthy—with Jack’s sparkling emerald eyes and Natalie’s full, curly hair. In most other genres, this wouldn’t work but it’s perfectly natural here. Many minor characters also occupy the pages of Abundance with Dallas, or Dallie, being both innocent and precious.

There’s much to admire in Abundance, but while it’s well-crafted, it could have used one more proofreader pass. Also, Jack’s character is a bit too perfect, and might’ve worked better with some form of an Achilles heel. It’s a testimony to the writer that she keeps Jack interesting through the entire novel.

Minor quibbles aside, romance readers will fall in love with Jack and Natalie and root for them. While the novel depicts some very tense scenes, the reader is rewarded at the end for sticking with the main characters. One last point on the darker passages—they were exceptionally well done. If Swenson ever writes a thriller, I’ll add it to my to-read list immediately.
Abundance, while primarily a cowboy romance, works on other levels as well.

This novel is recommended for its depiction of a small Texan town, brief suspense, and sexy writing.

On Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07HDRY4DR

June 18, 2020June 18, 2020Everything Else

Review of The Devouring Gray

The Devouring Gray, a YA supernatural thriller, was a highly anticipated novel published in 2019 by debut author Christine Lynn Herman. As summarized from the back cover, three teenagers in the town of Four Paths, Upstate NY are conflicted over changes in their lives. Violet is moving to Four Paths, her mother’s ancestral home, after the death of her sister. Justin struggles with living a lie and knows he must run from his responsibilities one day. And Harper bears the physical and emotional scars of a tragedy in her past. But something else threatens the people of Four Paths, and these three, plus a fourth not mentioned on the back cover, must come together to defend the town.

The intriguing premise grips the reader from its first pages. The book is told from the three characters’ viewpoint with a fourth character, Isaac, who is equally important. The town of Four Paths, surrounded by woods, feels quaint, old, and decaying. Unusual rituals like stone bells above the residents’ doors and a profound respect to the founders of the town strike an odd chord to newcomer Violet. The majority of the first half of the book describes one or two characters together, and how they interact. Secrets are hinted at but not revealed until the end of the book. Though it has a sequel, this book concludes satisfactorily, with only one real cliffhanger in an epilogue, which acts more like a teaser for book two.

The Devouring Gray has some inventive moments and interesting quirks that make it stand out. How one character uses a deck of cards to tell the future is particularly fascinating. Harper’s loss of one of her hands makes for an interesting twist on the tragic heroine trope. Even newcomer Violet with her love of performing classical music is slightly unusual. The idea of Four Paths, the history, the setting, and the premise are all top-notch. Ms. Herman does a remarkable job making the story come alive with a rich backstory.

While setting and worldbuilding are excellent, I struggled connecting with the characters. Outwardly, they are all distinct and recognizable: Violet is a musician; Isaac, a reader; Justin, a track star; and Harper, a swordswoman. On the inside, though, the girls are a lot alike. It’s hard to find an adjective that distinguishes Violet’s personality from Harper’s. Justin and Isaac fare better, but the viewpoint is never Isaac’s until the end. While the interactions between the four are solid, the book misses opportunities. The perfunctory way the four interact with each other misses out on potential magical moments, though I did admire one of the character’s loyalty to another after failing her in the past.

Ms. Herman’s pacing and style were evident on every page, and I breezed through this book without having to double back. She’s a talented writer and knows how to end a chapter so that the reader wants to continue. I’m surprised by other reviews that couldn’t finish this book. Not me! I knew from the onset I wouldn’t have a problem. Being a debut novel only doubles my admiration of Ms. Herman’s skills. The book’s cover is wonderful (look closely) and the interior illustrations are rewardingly creepy. Kudos to all the artists.

A lot has been said about the boldness of the book to include bisexual characters. Overall, I thought it was handled well though I agree that the romantic elements, no matter what the orientation, were lacking. I think this is a set up for book two, and will reserve judgment until I read the complete narrative.

Possibly the element that needs the most attention is what I call BATHSS (“Because the AuTH Said So”). BATHSS is a decision by an author to have characters do something illogical in order to make a plot point work or to reveal a big secret. This occurred a few times in The Devouring Gray. Without giving too much away, BATHSS is most evident in the characters’ abilities. Powers are kept hidden from family members or even the characters themselves which makes no sense in a town threatened by a monster of immense power.

Despite BATHSS, the novel was a pleasurable read. Eerie, gothic, imaginative are all words I’d describe for The Devouring Gray. The novel builds a solid foundation upon which the second can build something even better.

June 10, 2020June 10, 2020Everything Else

Review of Power

Karen Diem’s third novel, Power, in her Arca series is as true to its title as the prior two (“Super” and “Human”) While not only a trilogy of clever titles, each single word relates to the plot of the book it represents. Power is all about our main villain’s schemes to steal something powerful to wreak havoc on the people on earth.

The main characters of Zita Garcia, Wyn, and Andy are back, and while Human focused more on Wyn, this novel turns its attention to Andy. If you never read this series, Zita is an extreme sports enthusiast and Brazilian martial artist with a few super powers to boot. She and her superfriends dress in costumes and often find themselves in trouble.

This novel starts with action immediately and doesn’t take a breath until the middle of chapter four. From there on, the plot alternates between action-oriented and character-driven sequences. Watching Zita counsel one of her friends is certainly a highlight of this novel. The other is the creative setting and plot twists that drive the fast-moving narrative.

By now, Diem has her characters down and readers should be delighted with their familiar and witty banter. Reading their interplay, each perfectly voiced in a contrasting personality, is a highlight of this book. These three characters really represent three points in a triangle.

While the villains may be more vivid in book two, the settings and action sequences of book three will remain in the reader’s mind long after finishing it. The conclusion was particularly memorable.

Zita’s point-of-view gives the reader insight into her mind and by far she’s the most interesting person in the book. Hilarious and loyal, Zita is a bull-in-a-china-shop character that keeps the third in the series engaging. Once in a while, she arrives at a conclusion before the reader without proper explanation, but it’s easy to catch back up.

The book’s style is easy-going and a pleasure to read. The action sequences are well choreographed and come to life from the page. Diem has also evolved her world in surprising ways. Judging the covers (yes, go ahead and say it), the novels at first look like a gritty, urban superhero drama casting Zita in Batman’s role. First, examine the covers closer, and second despite the amount of dark colors in each, they are surprisingly and joyfully unapologetic in adhering to a lighter graphic novel feel. Not a whole lot of grim determination or angsty consciences here, just people fighting bad guys because it’s the right thing to do. That said, this is an adult book with characters dealing with adult situations, and deeper contexts exist if you choose to look for it.

Finally, the reader must be up on their Arca history to read these books. There will be no refresher of what happened before. If you haven’t read the prior two or it’s been a while, it might take you a bit to remember characters and situations, but you will arrive there eventually. And once that happens, the chapters flow.

I highly enjoyed Karen Diem’s Power and look forward to when our super trio have to encounter a Monster (i.e. the fourth novel). Hopefully that won’t be too far in my future.

Buy it on Amazon here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07BYCY4ND

June 6, 2020June 7, 2020Everything Else

Interview with Kristiana Sfirlea

Kristiana Sfirlea is a middle grade fantasy author of whimsical adventures involving time travel and things that go bump in the night. Her debut novel, Legend of the Storm Sneezer, released May 5th (2020) from Monster Ivy Publishing and received the 5-star seal from Readers’ Favorite. It’s available on Amazon (https://amzn.to/2Mxr20y), Barnes & Noble (https://bit.ly/2AFPeet), Bookshop.org (https://bit.ly/2Y1li4l), Indiebound (https://bit.ly/2AD26BW), and all other major book retailers!

Jim: Tell us a bit about why you want to be an author?

Kristiana: I wanted to become an author every time I read a book or watched a movie and thought of another way it could’ve ended or a different direction it might’ve taken and how it would’ve affected the characters. Those ideas would make their homes inside my head, and I realized the power in them—how words and characters and stories that broke away from conventional thinking can open readers’ minds to a whole new way of viewing the world around them.

Jim: How does it feel to be a published author?

Kristiana: Some days it feels like the best thing on the planet! Other days, I forget my book baby is now living in other people’s imaginations—until a reader randomly contacts me on social media and tells me about their favorite characters from my book or a positive new review pops up on Amazon…and then I just sit there and smile.

Jim: In twenty-one words or less, pitch the idea behind your first novel.

Kristiana: 13-year-old girl sneezes magical storm cloud at birth and is committed to an asylum by the friend she thought was imaginary.

Jim: Who is your favorite character in Legend of the Storm Sneezer (LotSS)?

Kristiana: Well, if push came to shove, I’d have to say—

Rose Skylar: HOOOOOLD IT! You aren’t allowed to have a favorite character! You love us all equally, and you know it.

Jim: Hey, wait a minute, Rose Skylar, main character of Legend of the Storm Sneezer. You weren’t invited to this interview.

Rose: And I forgive you for that. But this is my diary we’re discussing. Besides, I thought you’d be used to my interjectory commentaries by now.

Jim: How silly of me to forget the subtitle: The Stormwatch Diaries Book 1, and how it’s written like a diary. And how can I argue with logic like that?

Jim (shifting uncomfortably): Anyway, the book of Blackout’s Tales figures prominently in Legend of the Storm Sneezer. Will you tell us the spookiest legend from this book?

Kristiana: You’d think it’d be “Legend of the Ghost Who Lost His Eyepiece” but…

Marek: When you get down to it, what’s so spooky about a doddery old ghost trying to find his monocle?

Kristiana: Exactly.

Jim: Hold on, here. Who invited you, Marek Knoxwind, Rose’s best (perhaps imaginary) friend, to this interview?

Marek: I’ve been here the whole time. You haven’t noticed me?

Rose: Cut Jim some slack, Shadow Boy. You can’t see a mountain when you’re sitting right next to it. It’s so big it just blends into the scenery.

Marek: Thanks.

Kristiana: Back to your original question, I think we can all agree that the spookiest legend of Blackout’s Tales is, hands-down, “Legend of the Ugly Sweater Slayer.”

Rose and Marek: Killer cardigans for the win!

Jim: Talk about the illustrations in the book.

Rose: WE’RE ADORABLE!!!!

Marek: The likeness is uncanny, it’s true.

Rose: READERS WANNA HUG US THROUGH THE PAGES!!!

Marek: We are quite huggable. Even the ghosts.

Kristiana: If pictures are worth a thousand words, the illustrations in LotSS are worth a million a piece, and that’s no joke. I’m especially fond of the last one, but I can’t say much about it because it’s a spoiler.

Rose: And because it gets you all choked up. I still cry when I look at it.

Marek: I’m rather stone-faced about it, actually.

Kristiana: That’s…

Rose: Not even funny.

Marek: Really? Then why are you both smiling?

Kristiana: Jim? A little help here?

Jim: All right, you two! These last questions are for your author only. Can you promise to be quiet?

Rose: Mrr lrrps rrr sllld.

Marek: Rough translation: Her lips are sealed.

Jim (eyeing Rose and Marek with trepidation): Kristiana, if you could write a letter and send it immediately through time to your future self, what would it say?

Kristiana:

Dear Future Me,

How are you? Taking good care of our book babies? Of course you are.

I hope I like who I am when I’m you. I hope I learn how to not look at sales numbers but instead view and treasure the reader behind each and every one of them. I hope I never stop spilling my imagination across the page as wildly and as passionately as when I wrote LotSS. But more than anything, I hope that you are putting God first and letting Him tell our life story the way He wants, with gratitude and humility every step of the way.

I can’t wait to be you. But thank you for being me, too.

Love,

Your Little Me

Jim: If you could write a letter and send it immediately through time to your past self, what would it say?

Dear Little Me,

Take a freaking chill pill.

Love,

Your Future Me

P.S. Okay, that wasn’t very helpful, was it? And I want to help you, Little Me, I really do. The truth is, I get where you’re coming from with your hyperactive lists and obsession with efficiency. You want to feel in control of your dreams and your life journey. And there’s nothing wrong with being disciplined—that’s something I thank you to this day for learning. But life isn’t actually about being efficient. It’s about being personal. It’s about letting God bring the right people and the right connections at the right time and never trying to force that timing or predict the outcome. Life is about loving God and loving people. And one of the biggest obstacles you’re facing in doing this is your obsession with ensuring your own success. Dearest Little Me, you are not self-made. You are God-made. Live by that truth, and you’ll have everything you need when you need it.

Jim: Any final thoughts about your journey as a writer, your process of writing, or your wonderful novel?

Kristiana: For any book clubs, teachers, librarians, or homeschooling families, Legend of the Storm Sneezer has free reading/teaching guides on my website, www.KristianasQuill.com! The Reader’s Guide includes a letter from the author (moi), discussion questions, a Bible study (if you choose the faith-based one), and snack ideas! The Teacher’s Guide is a complete Unit Study that covers Literature, Creative Writing, Drama, Vocabulary, History, Social Studies, and Science.

Kristiana: And I’m always up for doing free virtual author visits!

Rose: Bye, Readers Names Here _____!

Marek: We can’t wait to meet you!

Jim: This has been Jim Doran [attempting to] interview[ing] Kristiana Sfirlea, a new published author of Legend of the Storm Sneezer. Find more information about her at www.KristianasQuill.com.

Review of Legend of the Storm Sneezer: Review

Purchase Legend of the Storm Sneezer: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B084VTP6GD

June 2, 2020Everything Else

Review Tales of Ever After

When I review novels, I often don’t reference my own work but in this case, it’s warranted. I had just finished publishing my third novel, Kingdom’s Advent, which is a book of fairytale short stories all set in the same world. While I was on my page, Amazon listed a number of books similar to mine. One was Tales of Ever After: A Fellowship of Fantasy Anthology (hereafter, Tales of Ever After).

A collection of fairytale stories? Where was this when I was doing my research? Curiously, I clicked on it, read the introduction, and decided to buy it for comparison purposes, not to review it. I thought I’d read the first two stories and stop if I didn’t like them.

I read the first short story, enjoyed it a great deal, and thought it likely far better than the rest in the collection. That is, until I read the second story. Then I started to wonder if there were any stories in this anthology I wouldn’t like!

Tales of Ever After, a collection from the Fellowship of Fantasy group, is what an anthology book ought to be. It has fun with fairy tales in a way little seen today. Instead of lampooning, dismissing, or twisting in a spirit inappropriate to the source of fairy tales, these authors have embraced the challenge to write modern fairy tales and make them interesting. They’ve succeeded.

No story in this collection left me disappointed or wishing I had spent my time reading something else. Highlights include Cinders by Kendra E. Ardnek which imagines Cinderella not as a person but as a concept, the work of a fairy godmother to uplift the downtrodden, until she meets her match. And then there’s Third Princess by Emily Martha Sorensen which flips the “third child is always the best child” trope on its head. The hilarity of The Quest for a Wide Awake Princess (Lia London) made me want this story to be longer. Contrast that with the serious plot of Being Seen (Gretchen E. K. Engel) about an invisible princess-like woman hiding her transparency, and the range of the book is apparent. Other notable mentions are the clever twist of Tears of the Sea, the urban fairytale fantasy Wake the Moon, the practical Cinderella extension A Week after Midnight, the surprising retelling of How to Hide a Prince, the glorious epic The Greatest Adventure, and a fairytale Grimm would be proud of with The Loathly Princess of Eidimor.

The penultimate story, Believing Fairy Tales, is a phenomenal short story about a mysterious servant guarding a monastery. When thieves arrive at the door, the young servant warns them of their folly. Alternately laugh-out-loud funny and tragically serious, I enjoyed every sentence in this gem of a tale.

The second story, At the Corner of Elm and Main, is one of those tales that when you finish it, you know you’ve read something you’ll never forget. One of the most imaginative and moving stories I’ve read in a long time, I honestly wish Disney would take a look and make a short of it. This one story was worth the price of the entire book.

So, I picked up this anthology in the hopes that I would read a couple, perhaps three, good yarns. But it turns out I read sixteen! The style, the variety, and the pure magic that the book demonstrates deserves my highest praise and rating. Certainly, I’ll be picking up others in this series and more novels by this group of talented authors.

To purchase: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07FFMHM8M

May 5, 2020May 5, 2020Everything Else

The Legend of the Storm Sneezer Review

Kristiana Sfirlea’s debut novel The Stormwatch Diaries: Legend of the Storm Sneezer is a middle grade fantasy adventure of angels and legends; epic wars and budding friendships; and umbrellas and tutus.

Rose Skylar is a young angel who will grow up to the prominent position of Dame Commander of Pandrum, a land in the world of Shaolandir. She’s also fascinated with legends of her world’s past as documented in the book “Blackout’s Tales.” As with all magical beings, she has an ability represented in her soul’s representation, a stormcloud, which is always nearby. She meets another angel, a tall, broad-shouldered lumberjack, named Marek Knoxwind and they travel around seeking the legends in Blackout’s tome. But one day, Marek disappears without notice, and Rose is left to face her future alone. This synopsis only describes the first two chapters of forty-one.

Summarizing this wonderful book is like describing a poem with prose—it loses a lot of its magic. This novel ranks up with one of my favorite middle grade stories I’ve read, past and present. Part fantasy, part adventure, part horror story, part mystery, nearly all genres are represented in a delightful gift to the reader. And those four genres will have to make room for all the humor in this story which is hands-down hilarious.

Why so high a rating? Because this book could’ve gone wrong in so, so many ways. An asylum figures prominently in the narrative. An asylum is both a downer and a touchy subject, but the author uses her readers’ expectations against them to construct a setting par excellence. Rose titles herself as a legend seeker, part-time ghost hunter, and time traveler. Time travel can be an author’s quicksand—it sounds fun until you’re gasping for air from a plot that’s pulling you under. But, like one traversing a bog on solid stones, Sfirlea navigates through that device’s pitfalls to energize a tired plot device. Lastly, the book’s meta approach to its narrative should’ve been at best unnecessary and at worst, annoying. Yet the author employs this device to her advantage too. Instead of distracting the reader, it pulls her further into the story and gives an endearing voice to the story. As I said, this offering could’ve gone wrong in many ways, but this debut novel successfully pulls it off.

Many characters inhabit this novel, so much so it could benefit from a cast of characters page at the beginning, yet no one gets lost in the maelstrom of a plot. Each stands out for a peculiar, but often lovable, trait. From caring nurses with purple hair to a dog with goggles, everyone has a role to play here. As with the best of novels, Sfirlea uses words sparingly to accentuate a trait or mannerism about each person to make him or her memorable but keeps each far away from a caricature. I could use two words to describe Aiden Waverley which don’t go together but sum up his personality almost perfectly. Unfortunately, I can’t do that here without spoiling a large twist in the narrative.

But the novel revolves around the two main characters: Rose and Marek. The friendship between the two is a treasure. And naturally that friendship comes across with its own personality. Apart, they’re interesting and funny. Together, they’re compelling and hilarious. This relationship is a framework that allows the author to build not only a successful first novel, but a future series.

A high point in this novel is the humor. I expected to write down two or three passages in my notes, but ended up with twelve. As I reread them, I’m hard-pressed to pick a favorite. I refuse to spoil them other than to say the best involve a squirrel reference, a goldfish impersonation, geometrical shapes, and modeling careers. But I don’t want to leave you with an impression that Sneezer’s tone is strictly light-hearted. Certain passages convey deep concepts and take on a darker tone. Nothing is ever inappropriate for the middle-grade reader, but like the best of literature, Sneezer is a book not constrained to its reading level. The book dares to ask big questions, and then it has the audacity to answer them. The plot does this in the way that appeals to me the most, not from cold-fish characters pontificating their point-of-view, but with warm people who express their beliefs by what they do, not what they say. Sfirlea brings the tired adage “show don’t tell” to another level.

Before people wonder if I’m going to nominate this novel for the Pulitzer, I’ll point out a few places for improvement. Despite its edginess, the villain(s) in the novel aren’t as interesting as the heroes. When Sfirlea sharpens her quill in a future installment to write a sequel, I hope she can use her dark, delicious talents to bring to life a hiss-worthy creature of the night.

Sneezer’s characters are angels. Is it Christian or mainstream? I think both. As a work of Christian fiction, does Storm Sneezer hold up? An emphatic “yes.” Despite the angels, which are here depicted more like winged people than holy messengers, the first part of this book doesn’t read like a Christian book. Even the story of the fall is a very subtle reference to Christianity’s own story. Only near the end does the story parallel a core Christian belief and it’s handled superbly. The non-Christian should enjoy this book as much as a Christian reader as the narrative is accessible to good-hearted people of all faiths.

As I finished the novel and reflected on it one Saturday morning, I realized this book will sit on a special shelf on my bookcase. That shelf is reserved for books which will never be donated but kept and passed on to loved ones who are as much a passionate reader as I am. I look forward to a time when Stormwatch Diaries #2 will accompany the first novel on the same shelf. There’s space there waiting for it!

Purchase on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com//dp/B084VTP6GD

April 28, 2020April 28, 2020Everything Else

Review of The Van Helsing Paradox

When I finished the novel The Van Helsing Paradox (The Clara Grey Adventures Book 1) by Evelyn Chartres, I had two simultaneous thoughts. One was “what a ride” and the other was “what was that ride?” Two reactions: one emotional, one logical. I listen with my heart over my head when I finish novels and ultimately found satisfaction with the conclusion to this compelling horror novel.

A summary of The Van Helsing Paradox (The Clara Grey Adventures Book 1) could be Clara Grey is brought up in a secret order to fight supernatural beings who prey on humans, but this synopsis only scratches the surface. Set in the early years of the 1900s, this exciting romp from the 1900s to the 1920s is episodic in nature, however, you must read the chapters in order for the narrative to make sense.

Comparing this novel to equivalent books or movies, the nineteen twenties brings to mind the works of H.P. Lovecraft and the games based on his novels like Arkham Horror. With the exception of one chapter, this novel is different from those works. Van Helsing Paradox might make you recall the mediocre Van Helsing movie with Hugh Jackman. Actually, the book mirrors that setup but improves on it a great deal. The novel is energetic, eerie, sexy, violent, and highly imaginative. Not perfect, but The Van Helsing Paradox really delivers as an adult horror novel with a fascinating leading character.

The turns that happen during the course of the plot are a huge amount of fun. The novel delivers a twist at its conclusion that would make a pretzel look straight. The turn of events is both discordant with the narrative preceding it yet satisfying in its own way. As I finished the book, I equated the fun I had reading Paradox to the ride Space Mountain in the Disney parks. It’s dark, it’s fast, and it turns sharply when you least expect it.

The writing is solid and supports the entire structure of the plot. Clara is a holy sinner, and a glimpse into her theology is spelled out when she says “It was pride that changed angels into demons; it was humility that makes men soar with the angels.” Clara is a tart and should give the reader more than a few chuckles. The comment on the old adage “getting there is half the fun” is a laugh-out-loud moment. And after Clara defeats a wealthy denizen of the dark with a new fancy car, she reveals what she did to prepare for the encounter. The revelation is both bawdy and hilarious.

If you’re looking for a traditional tight narrative, a single plot line with a main protagonist and antagonist, a narrative where the events all fit neatly into place in the end, this is a challenging read. But if you want to be swept away to the 1910s and 1920s, with its World War I action, flappers and speakeasies; and you enjoy a few supernatural creatures menacing dark alleys, you’re in for a treat.

Link to purchase on Amazon: Van Helsing Paradox

April 23, 2020Everything Else

Review of The First Time I Died

Jo Macgregor’s The First Time I Died: Garnet McGee Book One is a mystery thriller about an amateur detective who returns to her hometown and may or may not have gained psychic powers after an accident there. The main character and sleuth, Garnet McGee, flees her town of origin after a tragic event and then returns ten years later. Early on, she has an accident and is resuscitated. A hardcore realist, Garnet starts to experience impossible sensations. Is it all in her mind, or is there a guiding force urging her to solve a mystery that traumatized her before she left?

Is this a mystery or a supernatural thriller or both? I’ll try not to spoil the novel as it keeps the reader guessing until the final quarter of the book. Supernatural or not, this book is an engrossing read and had me riveted for two days. The chapters are interspersed between what happened in 2007 and then in 2017 and the back and forth is done masterfully. The narrative allows the story to unfold in a more interesting manner than a chronological rendering. Most characters are introduced in 2007 and anticipating their reintroduction ten years later is delightful.

Garnet McGee, both anxious and angry, is a complex leading character. With a fairly negative attitude through most of the novel, I found her philosophy in 2017 summed up in a phrase midway through the book: “Nothing is always, and no one is forever.” She’s been more than psychologically damaged—more like shattered—and she’s trying her best NOT to face her new reality. Her life has been aimless for the past decade until she’s forced to return home because of her mother’s stroke. But “home is not where the heart is” for McGee, and she can’t wait to escape.

The other characters in her hometown of Pitchford, Vermont include Colby Beaumont, her high school lover, who seems almost too good to be true. Jessica Armstrong was Garnet’s kind and supportive friend in 2007 but greatly changed in 2017. And there’s Pete Dillon, the high school jock and ladies’ man. Many more colorful characters support the narrative including all of Colby’s and Jessica’s families as well as the local homeless man, Lyle, and the town gossip, Hugo. Perhaps one of the most outrageous characters is Garnet’s mother who believes in a mixture of New Age, Spiritualism, and Catholicism. Her father is the rock that keeps mother and daughter in balance, but even he has a dark side.

The writing is superb with attention to small details and vivid descriptions of the fictional town of Pitchford, Vermont and its inhabitants. Passages like “I stepped right up to the pond where the water’s edge peeked out like a liquid petticoat beyond the white frock of ice” is just one example of the spectacular imagery Macgregor captures in her novel. The author’s description of Garnet’s traumatic incident when she returns in 2017 is almost poetry. “The silence was so deep it had its own music. The darkness enfolding my body was so intense I could almost touch it.” That entire scene really stood out.

The book is packed with suspense but also action and humor. I noted four or five laugh-out-loud moments (especially Garnet’s gift in the hospital), which is more than most novels of this genre. When the action occurs, it is well-written and supports the overall tension. A strong romantic plot line fills one of the timelines and comes off as both charming and authentic.

The mystery should keep most readers guessing throughout the novel. It ping-pongs around making all major characters seem suspicious at one point or another like all good whodunits. I applied my usual theory to modern mysteries and guessed who was the murderer at the beginning. When the sleuth called out the killer I had predicted, it was a slight disappointment, but I enjoyed how the author set up the reveal. Great setting, great way to unmask the murderer, and satisfying conclusion. Macgregor did her homework in the climatic scene—a detailed explanation that sits well with what would happen in the real world. The reader will find no logical lapses here.

One aspect I always look for is the character’s journey. Garnet’s arc is satisfying but not what you’d expect—a strength of the book. I like how, unlike the murder plot, she still has issues near the end, but heading in a logical direction after her experience in her hometown. The final chapter again lends credence to her character and allows the author to continue to explore more layers of McGee in a future novel(s). Note: The second in this series is published by the way, allowing the reader to continue the journey with Garnet.

Overall, the author did a remarkable job of describing both Garnet, her friends and family, and the town of Pitchford. The December setting, eerie occurrences, oddball townspeople, and layered main character really drove the narrative forward in a delightful way. I hope to return to Pitchford with Garnet McGee again.

To purchase on Amazon: The First Time I Died