Saturday 18 March 2017

Boook Review: Zeeka Chronicles by Brenda Mohammed

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Synopsis:

How can one man misuse Science for Revenge?
Zeeka Chronicles is a spine -chilling series about betrayal, kidnapping, revenge, secrets, lies, murder, and evil. 
To what end is Zeeka willing to go to unleash terror on the small exotic island of Gosh? 
Will he and his zombies escape the law? 
Is he angry because his former lover jilted him? 
Or is it because his child was born deformed and his wife died in childbirth? 
Why did this vengeful man kidnap the son of his former lover? 
One man knows his secrets.
Can he stop him before more blood is shed and save the islanders? 
Find out the answers to these provocative questions. 
Get the book.

Review:

The Zeeka Chronicles bring together all five stories in the Zeeka series. It is well presented and formatted to a high standard, and it's been a pleasure to see the author's expertise and wordcraft evolve as the series came to its conclusion.

There are many interesting characters in the series, I especially like the robots Miranda and Eve, but also the humans, such as Detective Jack Wildy who is surely due a spin-off story of his own.

It may be beyond most of us to write one good zombie tale, but Brenda Mohammed has given us five.

When book three came out it appeared to be the end of Zeeka's story, but book four - Zeeka's Ghost - took the series to a new and exciting higher level.

Resurrection - Book Five, does what it is supposed to do - it rounds off the series nicely but not in a limp, predictable way. 

"Detective Jack Wildy....is surely due a spin-off story of his own."

It is sufficiently different from 'Ghost' to buy on its own, which you can do of course. But 'Chronicles' gives you the whole story for a great price.

So if you want a zombie story with a heart - get this collection today. 



Tuesday 7 March 2017

Book Review: From the Baroness's Diary by Cristiane Serruya

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Synopsis: At the tender age of 18, Lady ChloĆ© de La Fleur was married off to 40 year-old Baron Beardley, a wealthy English peer, and taken away from the whirlwind of Paris and London societies to live in a forsaken manor way out of Warwickshire. 
Young, beautiful, and voluptuous, the Baroness finds that in Beardley Manor innocent flirtations can become erotic sex escapades. 
And soon Lady Chloe’s diary pages are filled with her adventures!

Review:

This intriguingly written short story has all the hallmark’s of the author’s longer tales, but it is no less punchy or lacking depth.

The diary / journal format works beautifully, as we learn first hand the thoughts that are running through the rather beautiful head of one Lady Chloe.

She is a dutiful wife but being married to a Baron has its plusses and minuses – she likes her high standard of living, but she would probably like to have more time with her husband.

While he is off doing whatever he is doing, Chloe opens up each chapter in this book with a Mon Cher Journal, and we know we are going to have fun reading the lines as she empties her thoughts onto the pages.

She is like any woman who wants to be sexually fulfilled. Sometimes her attention turns towards the gardener. He could be a bumbling, balding, 75 year old. But this is Lady Chloe’s world, so the man in question has to be some kind of musclebound type, so he is.

"This intriguingly written short story has all the hallmark’s of the author’s longer tales, but it is no less punchy or lacking depth."

The sex scenes are, as the subtitle suggest, rather erotic, and in the hands of a lesser author, would come across clumsy and forced.

It is a well written, fun, erotic tale, showcasing a character that is not without her flaws but does have her heart in the right place.

Strongly recommended.


Monday 6 March 2017

Book Review: Resurrection - Revenge of Zeeka Book 5 by Brenda Mohammed

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Synopsis: 

#New Release - Mandy’s new robot helper Eve encounters a stranger in the backyard.
He claims to have connections with Zeeka. Who is this stranger?
When he learns that Eve is a robot, he discloses his story to her.
Eve promises him to keep their conversation secret but can she?
‪She records it on her security device and plays it for Steven and Mandy. ‬‬‬‬
When he collapses in the backyard with an epileptic fit, Eve alerts the Gosh hospital
Tests and records reveal the stranger’s identity.
Police records show that he died in the Carnival massacre in 2036, but did he?
Steven faces opposition to launch his greatest invention of the century.
Who will be the first volunteer to test it? 
For answers to all these questions read the final instalment -" Resurrection: Revenge of Zeeka Book 5 "for this intriguing story

Review:

In an entertaining conclusion to the Zeeka series, Resurrection brings the story full circle. If you haven’t read any of the stories in the series, it’s worth starting with book one ‘Revenge of Zeeka’ just to see the author evolve alongside the story and her characters.

For me, the high point of the series was this book’s predecessor, Zeeka’s Ghost, but then, as a reader I do like ghost stories and this paranormal element was handled well in book four.

This final installment is quite surprising as it brings back the rather disturbing character of Nine from book one. Nine is on a mission all of his own, and when he learns of technology that may save him from the Zika virus and help him on his ultimate goal (read to find out) – he’s all for the procedure, despite the risks.

"Resurrection brings the story full circle."

Aside from this storyline the quirkiness of the robot Eve adds some humour to the story. The characters that have been with us throughout the series get a good send off too.

Sunday 5 March 2017

Book Review: Darkly Wood II by Max Power

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Synopsis: This chilling sequel to Darkly Wood brings us back to the mysterious wood perched above the sleepy village of Cranby. The mystery returns with love and terror walking hand and hand through the seemingly innocent paths of the place that has generated many fearful tales. This time however, there is an even more sinister presence. Much time has passed since Daisy escaped the terror of the wood and on the surface little has changed. But behind the tree line, a new danger lurks. Fans of the original will be taken to darker depths and first time readers will discover the true art of storytelling from the mind of the award winning author Max Power. Heart stopping, fast paced, unrelenting danger lies waiting for you between the pages. Sometimes love is all you have. Sometimes, love is not enough. Darkness is coming…

Review: 

Darkly Wood was such an incredible read that any follow up had its work cut out. All the same I was very excited to hear of the release of Darkly Wood II, and just like its predecessor, it does live up to most of my expectations.

I’m generally more critical of my favourite authors so my review should be taken in the spirit it is meant.

In the opening pages of the story, we are introduced to Wormhold, a simply genius creation in terms of the creep factor. This is a man – if he is not a demon in disguise, who is genuinely creepy and acts in such a subtle way that you really don’t know what he is going to do from one scene to the next.

His first request of the wonderfully named Cathecus Flincher is truly horrifying. I was staring stunned at the page when I read the request / demand (the latter description more true as bad things happen to those who cross Wormhold.)

" This is one author who is a genius storyteller."

As the story progresses, we are taken back into the aptly named Darkly Wood, and this is strangely where the story lost a little of its power. ‘Woody’ seems less scary here, whereas in the first book he was something to be feared.

The book is part of a trilogy, that’s obvious from the ending, and whilst DW2 doesn’t suffer from ‘middle book syndrome’ it does have a slightly bloated middle.

The final third introduces us to Squelby – certainly a character to watch.

The simple and sheer joy of the Darkly Wood books is that they seem to be written by someone who enjoys enticing us with mysteriously named people – I thought a certain author of a young wizard was good at naming characters until I read the Darkly Wood series.

I do not wish to harp on about it, but this is one author who is a genius storyteller. You are pulled so effortlessly into the world he has created, it is a believable setup that would have me wanting to evacuate the village of Cranby if I could.

There is a delicious morsel for us who want more, because there is going to be a further segment to this series. For now, I am giving this particular book four stars. When I have read the closing chapter to the series, and I will be excited for it’s forthcoming release, I may come back and revise that rating.

It’s recommended to read the first book in any case. One could read this book as a standalone, but you would be missing out on vital character development from the first book.

Strongly recommended.



Monday 27 February 2017

Goodreads Book Giveaway

The Ghost of Normandy Road by John    Hennessy

The Ghost of Normandy Road

by John Hennessy

Giveaway ends March 13, 2017.

See the giveaway details at Goodreads.

Enter Giveaway

Thursday 26 January 2017

Book Review: How Missionaries Destroyed a Paradise by Katerina Sestakova Novotna


Synopsis

Laa, a girl from Bikini Atoll, is very naĆÆve. She does not always understand men, philosophy of religion and the world in general since she has spent most of her life on an isolated island with limited access to information.
She has studied closely only three books: “The Marshallese Bible,” “Princes and Princesses” and “The Christmas Book.” Yet she does her best to interpret these sources, and confronts them with her own daily observations. 
It seems obvious to Laa that American missionaries were mistaken about many things. How could an all-good, all-wise and all-powerful God forget about Laa’s ancestors? Why did He not let them see the Star of Bethlehem thousands of years ago, if it is so important to know and accept Jesus? Were they all damned merely for being born in the wrong place at the wrong time?
Many questions puzzle the young woman while she is falling in love with an American man. He seems to take advantage of her gullible nature, and she soon goes through many other hardships, which make her wiser and stronger.
One day, Laa finally sees a colorful light in the sky that looks even more magical than the Star of Bethlehem in her Christmas Book. It is the star of Bikini. It seems to Laa that God has decided to address her doubts and answer all her questions. It does not really matter that the star turns out to be just a blast caused by one of sixty-six atomic bombs detonated on the Marshall Islands between 1946 and 1958.

Review

How Missionaries Destroyed a Paradise is an intriguing work from Katerina Sestakova Novotna. Set against the idyllic background of the Marshall Island, the story is about a sexual awakening of Laa, a local girl on the tiny locale named Bikini Atoll.

With a population of a mere 167, there are not many men to choose from on the island as potential sexual partners, certainly not a pool large enough to consider marrying one of them. As the story begins it is set in the 1940s, the book’s cover giving an ominous warning about the story’s backdrop – the horrors that unfolded in Hiroshima and Nagasaki when the Americans dropped the bomb on Japan. Yes, it ended the Japanese participation in WWII, but this has been well documented in history and recycled on the silver and small screen alike.

The author chooses to inform us about the little known Bikini Atoll and its Marshellese speaking people. As is quite rightly pointed out in the narrative, to most people, a bikini is a woman’s two-piece swimsuit, but if you have read the author’s other works, you’ll definitely be more informed and educated than you were prior to picking up the book.

Laa may be young and naĆÆve, but she is aware of her sexuality and observes how other women close to her, for example her Grandma or her married sister Rostianna behave as adult women and also how they deal with the subjects of sex, love, marriage and of course, growing up.

"Throughout the story, one gets a sense that something terrible and yet undeniable is building."

It’s hard not to like Laa almost immediately. She has an innocent, old world charm about her that only covers her smouldering sexuality on the surface. To some readers the book may appear to be too overt in its approach to sex, but for this reader, I observed a woman who wanted the simple things in life – someone to love, someone to love her, someone to make her feel fulfilled sexually and also to share a life and grow together. Laa could see conflict with her married with children sister and her carefree and sage-like grandmother. It seemed she wanted parts of both women’s personality reflected in her own, whilst carving out a way for herself.

Laa certainly held strong views on many things, opinions that brought her into frequent conflict with the local pastor. It was not that Laa was necessarily anti-religion, it was more a case that she saw hypocrisy where the ones preaching it did not. It’s easy to be brainwashed if there is little between your ears in the first place.

As the story picks up apace, other men, namely American soldiers appear on the island. Laa had never seen such men, with their different coloured eyes, hair and skin. Not to mention that these men were not backward in coming forward in their affections towards Marshallese women. Indeed, it is one soldier, Benjamin, that Laa takes a particular interest in, having been let down by the local appple of her eye, Neljin. He seems scared of Laa’s interest in him but in some ways, he awakened her curiosity about the opposite sex.

This story has an array of well defined characters, none more so than Laa herself. He actions and behaviours may seem at conflict with her emotions at times, but I think this is what makes her more real as a character.

Throughout the story, one gets a sense that something terrible and yet undeniable is building. The cover gives an indication but the author’s wordcraft is far more clever than that, never dumbing down or insulting the reader’s intelligence. That said, this is a book strictly for adults only.

The author is not shy in including characters we may not necessarily like, but neither are they included as a mere contrived plot device. By the story’s latter third, I defy anyone not to be feeling for Laa and her people as the ‘tests’ now being carried out in ‘safety’ by the soldiers begins to take hold.

I especially liked the factual epilogue that rounded off this exceptional story. It’s long, but it never feels that way. If you want to read something different, if you want to read and be informed about a lesser known event in history, if you want to read a work of fiction that is beautiful and terrifying in equal measure, then grab this book today.




Sunday 4 December 2016

Book Review: Salby Evolution by Ian D Moore

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Synopsis: One man holds the key to our future. One man holds the key to our extinction. The merciless Salby viral strain, sweeping across the country, spawns a new breed of predator. Simon Lloyd, borderline alcoholic, must vanquish the demons of his past and change his single-minded ways. Filled with resentment, he enters a world far removed from his own. He must choose to take a stand for the greater good or risk losing his estranged wife and children forever. Against overwhelming odds, unethical science and the prospect of eternal exile, the decisions he makes will shape the future of mankind.


Review

This second story in the Salby trilogy is a true evolution. I really liked the first story, but Salby Evolution is a far better tale, that takes the reader from the outskirts of Russia to the North Yorkshire area where Salby (Selby) takes its name.

What sets Ian D Moore's zombie thriller apart from others for me is how well written it is. That may sound like a necessary element, but I have read books that had a good story and decent characters, but were sometimes lacking a structure in terms of the story itself. 

Here, the author takes another gamble with a first person narrative, before switching to third person. Throw in different timelines and, in the hands of a lesser writer, the result could have been a bit of a hot-potch.

I'm actually a fan of books that switch POVs, that challenge the reader to keep up with timelines. Any critics of this style are welcome to their opinion, but I like this style personally.

Fortunately, Salby Evolution picks up at the same pace as its predecessor, so while I enjoyed the action pieces, especially in the early scenes when Simon encounters his first zombie, I enjoyed the character emotions and their subsequent developments as real people. 

 "In the hands of a lesser writer, the result could have been a bit of a hot-potch."

This tale should appeal to readers of any age. For younger readers, they will enjoy the zombie encounters. It's suitably bloody but never over the top. For readers of the author's age (like myself), we can appreciate the issues of marriage and divorce elements that are presented quite brilliantly in this book.

Once that scene is set, and we understand the MC's motivations, some of the scenes are to be expected in how they play out, but that's part of the fun. It's also possible that readers can enjoy this one without reading Salby Damned (Book One) first, but I think you'd be missing out.

Overall, Salby Evolution is a fantastic rollercoaster of a tale. Expertly written, beautifully crafted, with a story that simply pulls you in. It's a book that despite a lot going in my life at the moment, I read it from start to finish within three days.

I will be around for the final installment.