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Review of Atlantis Rising

Cover Atlantis Rising

Ember Weathers is a bookstore owner on the island of Devil’s Island, Maine. She dreams of adventure and escape from her small town. Nothing ever interesting happens to her. That is, except she has an invisible dragon that only she can see. At the start of the novel, a mysterious stranger appears one cold winter night and informs Ember of her legacy. She is destined to help the invisible city of Atlantis return to Earth.

Amy Cip’s Atlantis Rising may be read as a standalone or as the first in a series. The novel is equal parts adventure, fantasy, and coming-of-age story. Ember is a woman who, instead of balking at what she could become, embraces it. She meets the mysterious Shep, the dashing Hawk, and the spunky Paine as she learns more and more about the people of Atlantis and their history. She wrestles a bit with Chosen One syndrome, but in an affirming, “I’ve got this” sort of way. Ember just may be the one to break the spell that keeps Atlantis from view of the rest of the world. Or is there another person who is of equal importance?

This book is filled with a rag-tag list of archetypes: the man of mystery, the rescuer, the sleeping “princess.” This is a compliment because as the reader comes to know each one, the story grows more interesting. As each character takes the stage, usually unexpectedly, they bring a breath of fresh air to the narrative. Once readers think they have a handle on the plot of Atlantis Rising, the story twists into something different. 

The novel’s pacing is just right and engages the reader along. The writing is descriptive and humorous when the narrative calls for it. Yes, the ending could’ve benefited from a POV switch to read the comeuppance of a character or two. The novel’s lighthearted journey ends too quickly—that’s praise not a criticism. The finale has spectacular imagery and fulfills the promise of the narrative.Atlantis Rising is an thrilling, entertaining ride of a novel with sympathetic characters and unexpected twists.

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D94MJW6L

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Review of An Heir of Realms

Heather Ashle’s An Heir of Realms is the first book of the Realm Rider Series. The novel is a multi-world, multi-POV, epic fantasy of soldiers who ride dragons, protecting a world.

Cover of An Heir of Realms

A brief summary. In the main world of D’Erenelle, Rhoswen and Thane are niece and nephew to the king. They are on their way to Aethelburh to train to become Realm Riders. Realm Riders ride dragons and destroy shadow creatures called Narxon. Narxon destroy the landscape and create rifts in the sky. Realm Riders also seal the rifts with their fire.

Meanwhile, on Earth, Emmelyn is recruited, against her wishes, to a job in a nexus area known as the Exchange. The Exchange is a place that allows portal travelers to slightly modify other worlds like D’Erenelle. Portal travelers influence worlds to keep them from harm. Emmelyn learns of D’Erenelle and all the intrigue surrounding the efforts to save it. As time passes, she’s not sure the people of the Exchange are trying to save it?

This book is an epic fantasy, following the tradition of a lengthy, world-building narrative that uses magic to contemplate broad ideas. As indicated by the subtitle, An Heir of Realms is the first in a series and ends abruptly. But before it does, the reader is treated to dragon training, a dance club outside of all worlds, an evil king with a plan to save his world, and compasses that do more than give directions. The worlds are richly described, and the characters are engaging. Changing point-of-view is always a risk, but author Ashle pulls it off, allowing the reader to get into the minds of Rhoswen, Emmelyn, and a few other characters. The switches are done on chapter boundaries to orient the reader.

One element that stands out is the writing. The writing is superior to most books on the market, especially for the size. Its language, metaphors, and details are captured elegantly. The style draws the reader in an easy-going narrative that fantasy fans are bound to enjoy. If it has a fault, it provides too much technical detail at times for a magic novel. That said, the handling of creatures, in particular the dragons, feels authentic. The winged creatures have a personality all their own.

Is it a portal fantasy? Yes, but a unique one because the Earth characters don’t go to D’Erenelle but influence it from afar. Is it an epic fantasy? Yes, though there are few epic battles, instead opting to set the stage for future entries. An Heir of Realms is best as an intrigue novel wherein different factions are jostling for control. The novel shines at describing the machinations of evil and the countermeasures of good.

An Heir of Realms is a fantasy with more on its mind than simple sword fights and spells. The novel has world-ending stakes, plucky heroes in over their heads, and a set of dragons with unique personalities. What a start to the series!

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B9KCR954

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Review of Straw Girl

Cover of Straw Girl

Melisandre (Melissa) Roberts is a new homeowner of a wonderful house on a decent-sized lot. Her best friend, Alexandra, sends over a handsome man, Ryan, to help her move in. Ryan is not only handy around the house, he’s friendly. In addition, Melissa’s acing her classes at college and enjoying her rides on her horse, Tori. Melissa’s life is looking up…

…until she starts to experience the haunts in her new home.

Straw Girl’s take on haunted houses has a protagonist who knows a thing or two about the preternatural because she had experience as being a member of a paranormal team. Though, her stint being on the team ends near the start of the novel. The leader “encourages” her to resign, believing her to be too skeptical. They may be right. Melissa experiences quite a bit of unusual phenomenon to get her to admit she has ghosts.

But does she live in an old Victorian mansion or a house that was abandoned years ago and flipped? No. Melissa lives in a new house with no prior owners. A new house raises eyebrows with the first paranormal group she invites out to investigate. She describes the mysterious lights on her bedroom ceiling and the footsteps on the porch with nobody there, but they find nothing unusual. The second group is more accommodating, and they find evidence, mostly in the form of whispers and other sounds. They inform Melissa that she has more than one spirit on the grounds. From there, the novel proceeds into scenes about Melissa’s life, her friends, and more investigators who both help and hinder her in her quest to eradicate the uninvited intruders.

Straw Girl is the first published novel by Brigid Barry, and the writing grips the reader and brings them into Melissa’s world. The combination of sounds and shadowy encounters make for effective sequences, perfect for those seeking horror. The terror factor is especially noticeable in two scenes with a dog Melissa is babysitting. While I had hoped for more concerning the titular character, the numerous ghosts satisfied this horror fan. Just when the reader thinks Melissa is safe, events turn dangerous. The tension builds to an exciting conclusion, one often not seen for a haunted house tale.

Straw Girl is a creepy, thrilling horror story of mysterious phantoms that will keep the reader engrossed well into the night.

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DKG55MSK

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Review of Trouble Comes in Threes

Many fairytale anthologies focus on the princesses, so it’s a welcome surprise to find a collection of stories on a fable not often represented, “The Three Little Pigs.” Ye Olde Dragon Books has produced their fifth in the series of take-a-fairytale-in-an-unusual-direction series. The short stories contained in Trouble Comes in Threes aren’t retellings but creative reinterpretations.

By my count, only three of the ten offerings are high fantasies. Of the other seven, the reader is treated to two horror tales, one urban fantasy, a dystopian science fiction piece, and three contemporary fiction. Yes, contemporary fiction—three stories that could take place in our world, not in the world of talking hogs building houses.

The stories are consistently interesting, especially if one has a wide reading range. Readers will enjoy the grimness of “Rise of the Pigs,” “Vengeance is Swine,” and “By the Light of the Moon.” Bibliophiles will encounter levity in “The Proctor and the Pigs” and “Nobody Gnomes the Troubles I’ve Seen.” Others will be amazed how the fable has been turned into hunting (“Pass the Bacon”), home restoration (“Elevated Risks”), and music (“Bringing Down the House”). And delightful high fantasy is well-represented by “True Love’s Pigs.”

One interesting fact I noticed was the pigs don’t come off as well as their original story counterparts. I wonder if this is a sign of our times, as audience members in the Disney cartoon rooted for the pigs, equating the wolf with the Great Depression. In this anthology, pigs are the antagonists in at least five of the stories. In general, the wolves (and their counterparts, the werewolves) are treated more sympathetically.

Trouble Comes in Threes collects an amazing ten stories about pigs, wolves, and houses. Whether you live in a house of straw, wood, or bricks, you should add this anthology to your library.

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0F3BGZ2G2

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Review of A Bloody Habit

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Eleanor Bourg Nicholson’s novel, A Bloody Habit, is set in the early 1900s, directly after Bram Stoker published Dracula. In the novel, Londoners are talking about the Stoker book, and the main character, John Kemp, is currently reading it. Kemp is a lawyer and above such foolishness as vampires, but he reads it on a favor from his girlfriend. At the start of the novel, John encounters something he can’t explain away. And then, London is besieged by another vicious killer in the style of Jack the Ripper. Or is it a vampire?

Unlike other historical speculative stories, A Bloody Habit involves a large dose of spirituality into its narrative. Modern vampire stories sympathize with the bloodsucker or make the undead villain into a victim. A Bloody Habit contemplates vampires as people willing to make deals with devilish forces and become undead as a result. To make this work, the novel has a skeptic in John, and a believer in Father Thomas Edmund Gilroy who must join forces to overcome the plague invading London.

The novel is attempting to be many things at once. A Bloody Habit plays off Dracula quite well with its lawyers (Kemp/Harker), believers (Gilroy/Van Helsing), and gunmen (Inspector Harris/Quincy Morris). Parallels are established, yet the novel is unique in that the narrative is not a retelling. As a horror novel, it’s less satisfying (the same is true with Dracula, it turns out).  Events never turn as oppressive to ratchet up the suspense. As a ghoulish romp through a graveyard, the novel hits its mark. Scenes of vampire ambushes and madmen abound. Lastly, as a treatise of good versus evil, it succeeds admirably. The moral lessons don’t bog the story down, and Father Thomas Edmund is appropriately wise about the chaotic events unfolding around him.

The writing hearkens back to a past age and largely succeeds. I found myself enjoying the style of a main character not actively speaking but explaining his sentiment. This stylistic choice actually drew me closer to John than put me off. London is appropriately described, and the fate of the vampire’s victims create imaginative scenes not found in Dracula. The prose, despite its older style, flows along the page.

Overall, A Bloody Habit is an exciting read that pairs dance partners of vampires and moral lessons. If you’re tired of blood diseases and sullen vampires, you’ll enjoy this gem of a novel.

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1621642062

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Review Fear the Wolf

Stefanie Gilmour’s Fear the Wolf is the initial entry in the Alex Steward series. The novel tells the story of a woman, Alex, in her twenties at odds with her lycanthropy. Alex finds herself in a traumatic experience when her inner beast first emerges. Having no idea she was a werewolf, she manages to find her way back home where her grandmother reveals lycanthropy runs in the family. Alex, fearing her abilities, leaves home and ends up in Hopewell where she attempts to keep a low profile.

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The novel starts with Alex and her two friends, Emma and Anne, having a girls’ night out. Things turn ugly when two guys start following Alex and Emma on their way to their cars. When Alex partially changes not once but twice, and once on video, she tells her story to a supportive supernatural community. But while she is making new friends, she’s starting to lose her two best ones. Anne, who doesn’t know about her dual nature, is asking hard questions. And Emma’s new boyfriend Mitch isn’t what he appears to be.

Fear the Wolf is a terrific debut novel with mystery, horror, and action. The pace hardly slows down as Alex and her new circle of friends investigate what is behind the recent attacks of supernatural creatures. The narrative has a more realistic tone than most urban fantasies, drawing the reader into a world of a powerful, underrepresented community of supernatural creatures. All the elements of an urban fantasy—an introduction into hidden societies, persecution, a sensible magic system—are here. Readers will be turning pages long into the night.

A final world about a series. A proper ending for the first entry of a series, even if some threads are left dangling, is more important to me than most reviewers. This novel wraps up its plot satisfactorily, leaving me both satisfied and awaiting the next book.

Fear the Wolf is a gripping novel of friendship, adventure, and suspense. Alex’s first foray into a broader world is an exciting read that leaves the reader wanting more.

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CFGFKW95

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Review of Greeting Cards for Exes

Three greeting-card co-workers from different generations lose their significant other at the same time. Welcome to the premise of Rebekah L. Purdy’s romance: Greeting Cards for Exes. Piper is in her twenties and has recently caught her ex cheating on her. Kerrie is middle-aged with a husband and children, but she’s secretly divorced. Maude is near retirement age when her husband abruptly leaves her. All three are thumbs down on love. Unfortunately, their boss wants them to create and publicize sentimental, romantic cards.

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Piper and Kerrie start the novel as friends, and Maude joins them soon after she finds herself alone. The exploits of the three women—re-entering the dating scene, a pub brawl, a bizarre company retreat—make for light-hearted reading. Though the narrative has hilarious moments, Exes has support and healing on its mind, too. Piper is deeply hurt by her ex and can’t find a way to start again. Kerrie wants to tell everyone about the lack of support from her husband, but on her terms. Maude is furious at the departure of her husband but can’t do anything about it.

While all the characters are engaging, I preferred Kerrie’s storyline the most. I know most readers wouldn’t understand her reticence to storm away from her husband, but the novel does a superb job of stressing her caring nature. She can’t confront the situation until she has the money to ensure the family she loves is safe. In the meantime, she has to put up with an inordinate amount of injustice.

Piper’s story is the plot of rom-coms. Her growth pattern comes from a place of forgiving and forgetting, yet rising above her situation seemed almost superhuman to this reviewer. I sympathized with her the most.

On the other hand, Maude was hard to sympathize with at first. Yet, I grew to understand her perspective, and she grew on me over the course of the novel. She had the best payoff of the three.

The ending—though it makes perfect sense—was a surprise. Sentimental and positive, the conclusion fits the book as precisely as the last jigsaw piece in a puzzle. I’ve read romance book endings, and while Exes has all the trappings of one, it has something extra. The scenes wrapping up each character elevated the novel above most romances.

Greeting Cards for Exes has a clever premise, hilarious moments, and a lot of heart. From three engaging points-of-view to a creative ending, this novel has the warmth of a greeting card from a friend.

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D96D8NPX

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Review of This is How You Lose the Time War

Authors Amar El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone bring us a unique time travel novel entitled This is How You Lose the Time War. The novel is told from the point-of-view of two protagonists. Nearly all chapters end with one of them reading a letter. An unconventional choice.

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This reviewer loves the risks the authors take. A rich, science-fiction word encapsulated in under 200 pages? Check. Two different points-of-view? Check. A complex time traveling system never fully explained? Check. A rich vocabulary filled with references most readers will have to look up? Check. I’m amazed any publisher sanctioned bringing this book to market. But the basic theme propels it forward between what starts as a cat-and-mouse game between two agents, Red and Blue, fighting a war against each other. At first, they are out to thwart each other’s plans. Quickly, the sentiment of the letters start to change.

Each chapter is concise, rarely ending on a cliffhanger. The reader knows what to expect next. Red has a chapter, then Blue, then Red. At first, the novel reads like a chess match. Then, the letters explore questions on how the other side deals with certain elements of the war, or life, or letter-writing. Soon, the letters become more conversational, less taunting. While at the start it may be easy to put the book down, near the end the plot becomes compelling.

Most choices work in the authors’ favor. The terse chapters, the mysterious person following Red and Blue, and the creative ways the letters are written grip the reader up front. The novel never slows down, but the changing attitudes of the protagonists seems rushed. At the halfway point, the shift of viewpoint is not sublime but jarring. Could it have benefited from a few more chapters? I don’t think so. It lacks an inciting event that changes the sentiments of Red and Blue. One comes for them around page 75 but too soon. Both characters appear to change at the same time. Becoming aligned simultaneously is difficult to believe.

This novel has a modern ending as well. While satisfying, I’m always a little disappointed with the “go bigger” endings in current novels. But in reviewing a book, one must deal with the ending that is written, not that might have been. And this ending completes the narrative, bringing the plot to a decent stopping point.

This is How You Lose the Time War. The title is excellent, the format is exquisite, the writing is admirable, and the ideas are creative. A worthy read with minor issues, this novel should be on any science fiction reader’s list.

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1534430997

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Review of Golden Locks and Riddles

The fourth novel in the Dreaming Princesses series continues the pattern of royal daughters falling under a sleeping curse. In each case, the victims travel to Earth, have an adventure, and then awaken in their world. On Earth, each princess finds they lose “something” (taste, sight, etc.), but when they return to their home in the Rezhina Valley, they gain an ability.

Golden Locks and Riddles focuses again on the characters introduced in book three, the Ormio family with its family of four princesses and one prince. The retellings this time are Goldilocks and the Three Bears for one princess, and The Miser’s Daughter, more popularly known as Rumplestilskin, for the oldest sister.

In one half of the book, Princess Ruby of Ormio awakens on Earth as a camp counselor. Thinking she is still dreaming, she urges a fellow employee, Chase, on two madcap outings. Chase is an underage driver who follows Ruby’s lead despite his reservations. Ruby is so persuasive and uninhibited, however, that she convinces him. Ruby’s misadventures to a chocolate shop, a carnival, even a crosswalk is a delight to read even while the reader is wincing. Ruby helps Chase investigate his missing brother, and in doing so, comes across something from her past as well.

The second part has Princess Diamond, the oldest sister, waking up as Diana Mason in Las Vegas. Her “loss” on Earth are her memories of the Rezhina Valley, Ormio, and her family. Yet, she dreams about all these three at night. Dia is a graduate student working at a pawn shop to save for room and board at Stanford University. Her adventure starts with her first day on the job and meeting her coworkers. They are the counterparts to the people she’s dreaming about, the same people back in Ormio.

And if two threads aren’t enough, the third thread involves princesses from book one through three. They are seeking Ruby and Diamond and hoping to awaken them. Princess Emer and Prince Caden take center stage here, though the others all have their moment to shine.

Retellings of Rumplestilskin are plentiful, not so many with Goldilocks. While the Ruby / Goldilocks portion is shorter than the Dia / Rumplestilskin, Ruby’s narrative is still an exciting adventure. Her story zips by. Ruby’s loss of her inhibitions brings levity to the story, resulting in quite a few laugh-out-loud moments.

The Rumplestilskin story is different from most of the other princess’ narratives that precede it. Identifying who will be the love interest is never in doubt except in Dia’s story. Two potential male characters figure into her retelling, and the unfolding plot is fun to read. Dia’s character, having lost her memory, acts quite differently from all the stories before it. Diana Mason’s refusal to believe she’s a princess works to her plot’s advantage.

The Dreaming Princess series has both high and urban fantasy elements—both cleverly done. The bears in Goldilocks and the gold in Rumplestilskin are integrated in a surprisingly delightful way. The books are highly creative. The romance is clean and wonderful. The humor is top-notch. Quite a few of my “ha” and “LOL” virtual stickies are on my eBook version.

I read Golden Locks and Riddles twice, and a word of advice to the reader. In fairy tale retellings, knowing the story and how it’s re-interpreted is half the fun. But for the Rumplestilskin section, I found it better to forget the source. The character of Rumple, in particular, is quite different in this novel. Enjoy the inspiration for the story, but it veers more than the other retellings.

Riddles, gold, and bears—oh, my! (You knew I had to do this.) This fourth entry in this series is a winner. Go spin some straw into gold and purchase this novel as soon as possible.

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DT5QYCT3

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Review Down We Go

Down We Go & Other Strange Tales (hereafter abbreviated as “Down We Go”) was a recommendation from my Kindle for reading flash fiction (1200 words or less) and horror anthologies. The Kindle algorithm must have put two and two together and recommended this. Once I read the blurb, I bought it immediately.

Usually when something is branded “weird” in fiction, it indicates other-dimensional landscapes or tentacled monstrosities. But weird, as the introduction reminds us, may also encompass the unexpected or ambiguous. This anthology fits squarely into the broader definition, and I was glad it did.

I rated each story with two rankings: weirdness and payoff. A high weirdness rating means the story successfully adheres to an off-kilter story with a “What?” type ending. Though, the ending must be satisfying. Too many weird tales just end and leave the reader frustrated. The payoff rating signifies the ending may be ambiguous, but it terminates the tale on a strong note the reader will appreciate.

Note: To me, a low weirdness and high payoff is similar to a Twilight Zone episode. Those are still good stories, but a little too pat for what the anthology advertises itself as.

I’m pleased to say many stories rated high in one or the other category. Weirdness standouts include “The Ink Wells,” “Chef’s Special,” and “Watch the Teeth.” Those with a high payoff include “Telano,” “Fair Game,” “Stowaway,” and “Solstice.”

Three rated high in both. Prasuethsut’s title story, “Down We Go,” has the highest weirdness factor and a good payoff. It captivates with the best tool of suspense—the reader’s own imagination. Just what is below that door in the forest anyway? On the flip side, the same author’s “She Watches She Waits” isn’t so weird as masterfully ending right where it should. It leaves an impact. Lastly, “Long Live the Queen” by Ashley Reed has a high factor of weirdness and payoff. It worked fabulously. The formatting itself was inspired and “weird.” A knockout of a tale of this sort.

A collection of stories by a set of authors instead of a different author for each entry often works to the advantage if you have high-caliber ideas and writing. Fortunately, Down We Go has this in spades. I’ll be following these authors for more interesting flash fiction.

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07D3T353L