The Space Between by Shawn D Brink – book review

Disclosure.  This post is a review of an ebook I was sent for free.  All opinions are my own.

I have received a free e-copy of the book The Space Between by Shawn D Brink to review. You may find out more about the author on his website.

Here is the book blurb.

“I’m the hundred-year-old woman in the hundred-year-old store. With my hundred-year-old eyes I guard the hundred-year-old door.”

After five nights of the same vivid dream, Hunter sets out in search of the ancient woman who haunts his nights. When he and his wife Nora find the elderly Nancy Love, they find far more than they bargained for. She refuses to let them leave her antique shop until they open the door. What could it possibly hurt?

What is behind that door will send Hunter and Nora on a journey beyond imagination.

This is the first book in a trilogy.

Initially the story seems to be unrelated events. So in chaper 1, a lone driver Kenneth is killed in Nebraska by an alien who appears through a lightning bolt. Then in chapter 2 we meet Hunter, one of the main characters having a dream about the “hundred year old woman”, but his dream morphs into a dark evil alien nightmare. Hunter also has an OCD around the number 5 and apparently he has now had this dream 5 nights in a row. He decides to try and find the “hundred year old woman”.

But by chapter 3, I had settled into the tale as we get introduced to Hunter’s wife Nora who coincidentally has had a nightmare about the Century Old Antiques store for 5 nights.

And of course in chapter 4 we meet Nancy, aged 100, devout Christian owner of an antique shop, who by now as the reader could anticipate has also had a repetitive dream for 5 nights.

Can you guess what happens next? Yes both Nora and Hunter separately find Nancy in her shop, but what happens when they open the “hundred year old door”. Things take an even more far-fetched turn, as the story progresses into the fantasy realm in Outer Earth. It also gets more spiritual with lots of biblical references. But plenty of surprises too. Can any of them save the day?

The author had personally told me that this was Christian fiction. However the blurb doesn’t make this clear, and although a different genre to the previous title My Gypsy War Diary which I have also read by this author, once again I did feel rather uncomfortable to have the religious godly message thrust at me, particularly as this time it was through a large proportion of the tale.

I subsequently rechecked on Amazon and there is very little to indicate that this is specifically Christian fiction. I eventually spotted the book was categorised as Religious & Inspirational Fiction and if you are viewing the paperback version rather than kindle, it includes an image of the back cover with some clues to it being somewhat religious. I feel it would be more appropriate to forewarn the reader within the blurb, to give the opportunity before purchasing to consider whether they wish to read this genre.

That said, it is still an interesting read with a unique storyline.

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Journey to Justice: The Adventures of Spider and Ruby by Tanni Haas – book review

Disclosure.  This post is a review of an e-book I was sent for free.  All opinions are my own.

I have received a free e-copy of the book Journey to Justice: The Adventures of Spider and Ruby by Tanni Haas to review.

Here is the book blurb.

Journey to Justice, Book 1 of The Adventures of Spider and Ruby, is a fast-paced, suspenseful novel that takes place in a post-global-warming future in which the Earth has flooded. The surviving population lives on houseboats on the water or in large greenhouses deep in the water. They are all servants to a small group of people (The Chosen) who run the planet from a mysterious, man-made island. Spider, a HouseBoater, and Ruby, his friend, who’s an AquaGrower, are on a quest to free Spider’s 12-year-old twin brother Luke, who’s been arrested and imprisoned on the island for trying to organize an uprising against The Chosen. Along the way, Spider and Ruby face many dangerous obstacles including being held hostage by marauders, escaping from prison, and participating in high-speed chases.

This story is set in a dystopian future after climate change has caused the world to flood.

12 year old Spider and his family live on a houseboat, surviving on meagre catches of fish within a 3 mile patrolled zone, most of which they are forced to give away to the “Collectors” for “The Chosen” or face arrest by the “Patrollers”.

The powerful Chosen rule the world from a far-away man-made island and Spider’s twin Luke has been arrested for trying to start a revolt against them.

When fate intervenes, Spider discovers the “AquaGrowers” who live and grow fruit and vegetables in greenhouses at the bottom of the ocean, similarly oppressed by The Chosen. Likewise the AquaGrowers had not heard of the Houseboaters and are not happy about Spider appearing in their midst. Is he a spy? Disaster almost strikes.

But Spider is saved by Ruby. Her grandfather tells them both how the world used to be. Together the 3 of them hatch a great plan.

We also discover that there are yet more groups of people called Mauraders, Preparers and Servants.

This is a really good tale as it weaves together many themes of social inequality and environmental issues in an easily understandable adventure read for older children.

Journey to Justice: The Adventures of Spider and Ruby is available on Amazon in Kindle format, targeted at readers from about age 9-12. I highly recommend this great adventure read.

Also listed on Goodreads.

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About Tanni Haas

Tanni Haas, Ph.D., is a professor in the Department of Communication Arts, Sciences, and Disorders at the City University of New York, Brooklyn College. He’s the author of three books and hundreds of academic and popular articles (including dozens of articles on parenting) and the editor of two books. His poems and short stories have appeared in many literary publications. His various writings have been translated into Chinese, Greek, Korean, Persian, Polish, Portuguese, and Spanish.

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When Fire Splits the Sky by Tyler James Russell – book review

Disclosure.  This post is a review of an ebook I was sent for free.  All opinions are my own.

I have received a free e-copy of the book When Fire Splits the Sky by Tyler James Russell to review. You may find out more about the author on his website.

Here is the book blurb.

Following Ben’s weekend hunting trip outside Juneau, his wife Maranda—a trauma survivor with multiple personalities—makes a discovery that looks like it will finally put their limping, less-than-a-year marriage out of its misery. But in the morning, when a cataclysmic blast throws the world into chaos, Ben and Maranda find themselves stuck in a car, heading north to Anchorage, on a seemingly hopeless quest to reunite with a missing family member before it’s too late.

I struggled to get into this book, being turned off on page 2 by the casual use of strong swear words. There is a lot going on in the story, as Maranda has 6+ multiple personalities, both male and female, both child and adult, an extra complexity for the reader. Maranda and Ben’s marriage is in a mess, when their own situation is dwarved by a huge blast in Yukon.

As sirens wail, a memory resurfaces for Maranda and they head on a long car trip to Anchorage, Why does Ben come too? Who do all Maranda’s alter egos represent? Who is Maranda trying to find? What is Maranda’s history? And who are trailing them? Why are they heading the opposite way to everyone else fleeing? What dangers await?

The author has packed a lot in encompassing mental illness and post traumatic stress.

When Fire Splits the Sky is available on Amazon in paperback and kindle formats. Plenty going on in this dark storyline, but it didn’t hit the spot for me.

Note does include human trafficking and suicide.

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Screamcatcher: Sa’be Most Monstrous by Christy J Breedlove – book review

Disclosure.  This post is a review of an e-book I was sent for free.  All opinions are my own.

I have received a free e-copy of the book Screamcatcher: Sa’be Most Monstrous by Christy J Breedlove to review. You may find out more about the author on her website.

Here is the book blurb.

Jory Pike and the Badlands Paranormal Society get a strange and frantic call from a woman who claims her property has been invaded by unknown trespassers who have terrorized her and her husband and killed their two dogs. She says her husband has gone hunting for the culprits and disappeared. The Sherriff’s office performed a routine investigation and mysteriously quit. The woman also called a first nations tribe tracker to help her, but after a short investigation, he claimed she had something more dangerous than a bear and wanted nothing to do with it.

This is the fourth title in the Screamcatcher series, but works perfectly as a stand-alone read. In fact, I haven’t been reading them in sequence. I’ve read them in the order 2, 1 and now 4. All the books feature teenage friends Jory, Choice, Lander and Darcy who are collectively known as the Badlands Paranormal Society.

This story begins with Jory receiving a desperate phone call from Tonya who wants the team to investigate mysterious intruders who have been creating havoc for 4 months and have now killed her dogs. Her husband Kyle tried to hunt for them 3 days ago and hasn’t returned. The police and a tracker have found nothing bar a few prints.

Jory’s 91 year old grandfather Albert has been listening to the call and has identified the intruders as Sa’be Most Monstrous, also known as Sasquatch or Bigfoot. He considers it a very dangerous situation and insists on coming on the mission.

2 solid days of driving 1,500 miles across the States from South Dakota to California, more details from Tonya on arrival and then woken in the middle of the night by rocks being thrown at the barn walls. Sa’be is obviously aware of their arrival.

Albert is insistent that they carry no visible weapons, but dress as tourists and wear cameras as they trek into the forest for clues.

How many Sa’be are there? Where is Kyle? What danger may they face? Will the trek be too arduous for Albert?

I think this is my favourite tale in the series so far, but it could be Sa’be who has biassed me. Certainly a popular choice for a story theme. I’ve now reviewed quite a few books prominently featuring Bigfoot or Sasquatch.

Screamcatcher: Sa’be Most Monstrous is available on Amazon in paperback and Kindle format. A great fantasy read, targeted at young adult readers. Highly recommended.

You may see my reviews of the first two books here.
Screamcatcher: Web World
Screamcatcher: Dream Chasers

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My Gypsy War Diary by Shawn D Brink – book review

Disclosure.  This post is a review of an ebook I was sent for free.  All opinions are my own.

I have received a free e-copy of the book My Gypsy War Diary by Shawn D Brink to review. You may find out more about the author on his website.

Here is the book blurb.

Where is Milo’s Bible, the intruders demanded. They came under cover of darkness, their guns pointed at my elderly neighbor and only friend. And with the break in, an old story came out–young love, betrayal, blackmail, a treasure stolen and stolen again, a tale of vengeance and a life lived in secret. I was just a kid in the 70s, unable to sit still in school, living in my imaginary world of TV and movies. And now this betrayal from half a century ago threatened my life, as I found myself caught between hidden treasure and a band of gypsies who would stop at nothing to get it.

This story set in Norfolk, Nebraska is written in the format of a diary of memories and begins with a very exciting adventure as our hero retrieves an old book from a remote attic but almost gets caught by two people who are after the same book. At the end of chapter 1, you realise this is a flash forward to an event later in the book.

In Chapter 2 we head back to 1978 when our hero aged 7 had just moved to Norfolk and makes best friends with the elderly lady next door, Mrs Scholes. I feel the author made a wise move giving the reader an exciting opening to the book, as the next few chapters are slow mainly describing how he likes to help Mrs Scholes and continually trying to persuade her to attend church, with occasional tantalising mentions of either gypsies or unexplained happenings. Mrs Scholes marks these down to a mysterious guardian angel.

About a third of the way through the book, the story starts to hot up. It is now 1986 and our hero wakes up in the middle of the night to hear two gypsies have broken in next door and are threatening Mrs Scholes with a gun. He thwarts their attempt and the next day hears a jaw-dropping tale from Mrs Scholes, which sets him on the path to what happened in chapter 1. From this point on, the story continues apace with plenty of twists and turns.

I liked how it portrayed a friendship across the generations. And it was inclusive from the point of view as describing ADHD symptoms for the young protagonist. Plus an old tale retold incorporated a history of the Great Depression.

However I did think it strange that the hero was never given a name. I also found the repetition of him trying to persuade Mrs Scholes to attend church rather tiresome, as it seems as if the author is attempting to convey the same message to the reader.

And although the story did incorporate a couple of good gypsies, I was uncomfortable with how on the whole, they were portrayed in aggregate as bad. It did feel as verging towards an ethnic racial sterotype bias.

My Gypsy War Diary is available on Amazon in paperback and kindle formats. A good mystery targetted at YA, but suitable from age 10 up in my opinion..

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The Rescue of Vincent by Bob Doerr – book review

Disclosure. This post is a review of an e-book I was sent for free.. All opinions are my own.

Earlier this year I reviewed The Enchanted Coin by Bob Doerr and I have now received a free e-copy of The Rescue of Vincent, the second title in the series to review. To find out more about the author you may visit his website.

Here is the book blurb.

Fourteen year old Ricky Street discovers a magical coin in a small creek near his parent’s Florida home. The coin has his name inscribed on it along with directions that he toss it into the fountain by the Tree of Life. He does so and suddenly finds himself transported to a strange world where he encounters two other teen agers from two separate worlds who had also been transported there by magical coins that they had found. The three soon meet Vincent Wollitzer, whom they save from drowning in quicksand, and learn that if Vincent doesn’t reach civilization soon his world will be thrust into a terrible war. The exciting adventures the four experience in their efforts to get Vincent back to civilization include surviving attacks by dragons, sea monsters, and other strange creatures.

Adventure and tossing a magical coin into the fountain by the Tree of Life at Disney World is the link between this book and The Enchanted Coin, the first title in the series. But all the characters are different.

So the story starts with 14 year old Ricky finding a coin during a storm. Just like in the first book, the coin is engraved with a personalised message “Ricky Street, throw this coin into the fountain in front of the Tree of Life!”. He shows it to his Mom and together they plan a trip to Disney World. But when he tosses the coin into the fountain, everything goes dark.

He can’t see anything. Where is he? Where is his Mom? A girl speaks to him in the darkness. She is Lexus and she too has just thrown a coin into a lake. Then a scream and another boy, Bebo arrives, who also tossed a coin into a river. They have all been transported to this dark cave, but why?

When they reach daylight, they observe how different they all look. Lexus has blue skin and hair, whilst Bebo is hairless and very short. They are all from different worlds. Soon they also start coming across dangerous creatures and poisonous plants, but they use their varied abilities to work togther as a team.

When they hear a call for help, is that why they have all been brought here? They discover  another boy trapped in quicksand. This is Vincent who was in a plane crash, enroute to becoming leader of his world. Vincent looks different too, being very furry. If he doesn’t get there, a terrible war may ensue. Can they all pull together overcoming the challenges, to get Vincent there in time? And will the others be able to return to their own worlds?

I really loved how this story celebrates the diversity and teamwork of the 4 main characters. But I would have preferred a bit more variation between the covers of both this book and the previous title.

The Rescue of Vincent is another brilliant fantasy adventure read, which I highly recommend to teens and children aged 9+.

And for those of you like me, who hadn’t heard of it, here is some information regarding the Tree of Life at Disney World. Sounds an amazing sculpture with over 300 carvings of species including some extinct, plus a theatre at the base.

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The Enchanted Coin by Bob Doerr – book review

Disclosure. This post is a review of an e-book I was sent for free.. All opinions are my own.

I received a free e-copy of the book The Enchanted Coin by Bob Doerr to review. It is the first title in a series of 4. To find out more about the author you may visit his website.

Here is the book blurb.

We have all heard of tales of UFO’s, ghosts, people who say they can talk to the spirits, ancient curses, and magical talismans. Most of us automatically dismiss them as false, figments of people’s imagination, and understandably so. However, might not just a few of them be true? I don’t know, but I heard this story from a young man the other day who swore the fascinating tale I have set forth in this book really did really occur, because it happened to him. You be the judge.

Fourteen year old Greg Worling’s life changed the day he found an eight sided coin along the edge of a pond on his parent’s farm. The coin sparkled as though it reflected the sun’s light even in the shade. Drawn to it, Greg discovers an inscription on the coin that read, “Greg, drop this coin into the fountain in front of the tree of life.” Weeks later, his little sister by his side, Greg tosses the coin into the small fountain and is instantaneously transported to a strange land.

The story begins with 14 year old Greg and his family heading on holiday to Disney World. He is particularly excited as he has a plan to execute there. This is regarding the coin he recently found, not just any old coin but one which is inscribed “Greg, drop this coin into the fountain in front of the Tree of Life!”. His research online has identified that there is a Tree of Life in the Animal Kingdom Park at Disney World. He has kept it secret from his parents but shared his plan with sister Cindy, who watches as he tosses the coin into the tiny fountain under the tree.

But where is he? And where is Cindy? He is alone in a dark uninviting tunnel behind a waterfall, so he darts through the waterfall into the daylight. A sheer rock-face below so he starts to climb up, when a girl crashes down the cliff on top of him. She is fleeing from the evil Denza, so they retreat into the tunnel.

The girl is Princess Fawn of the Cheerakoo and this is the start of an adventure in a strange land as he assists Fawn with her dangerous mission to save her people’s land, learning about the different tribes here. He is even more startled when they come across a sabre-toothed tiger and pterodactyls. Not only does it seem like nowhere on earth, but a totally different timeframe too.

So how will the adventure play out? And will Greg ever get home again?

The Enchanted Coin is a great fantasy adventure read, which I highly recommend to teens and children aged 9+.

Not having heard of the Tree of Life at Disney World, I looked it up. Sounds an amazing sculpture with over 300 carvings of species including some extinct, plus a theatre at the base.

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Dragon’s Future by Kandi J Wyatt – book review

Disclosure.  This post is a review of an e-book I downloaded for free.  All opinions are my own.

I have received a free e-copy of the book Dragon’s Future by Kandi J Wyatt to review. You may find out more about the author on her website.

Here is the book blurb.

Trapped in a boring life, Carryl longs for something different. With the death of a dragon rider, she realizes her dream of becoming a rider herself. But first she must save the despondent dragon’s life.

Ruskya has settled into his new role as a dragon rider. A sinister rider has attacked the colony. The fate of all that Ruskya holds dear lies in his hands.

Ruskya and Carryl step into leadership roles to defend the colony and their village. Now they battle dragons and their own insecurities. They’ll need the courage of a dragon to defeat their enemies or die trying.

Dragon’s Future is the fabulous first book in the coming of age fantasy series Dragon Courage. If you like enticing worlds, captivating stories, and a new twist on dragon lore, you’ll love Kandi J Wyatt’s fantastic series.

This is the first title in the Dragon Courage series.

The story begins with a prologue set 15 years earlier when twins Duskya and Ruskya, then aged 10 were both selected at the annual procession by the dragons Wryn and Wyeth to become their respective riders. They leave their mother Meredyth and village home to go live at the Three Spans Canyon dragon colony where Glendyn will train them as riders.

Now it is Ruskya’s turn to train Kyn, the latest youngling to join. At the same time he is also developing his mental control, mind reading and communication powers, plus learning what his father’s role with the dragons was.

Meanwhile riders from another colony attack both them and the village. Why are they under attack? One of their group is killed. Can Carryl, a healer save the grieving dragon? More deaths of villagers follow. As they try to defend, one of them is kidnapped along with a dragon. How will this all end?

A good story, but I did find it difficult to remember whose dragon was who’s as all the dragon names are fairly similar. And I did feel that the way the riders continually addressed each other was just superfluous padding to the book, eg “Honoured Rider, may your dragon fly straight and true”.

Dragon’s Future is available on Amazon free in Kindle format, or alternatively may be purchased in paperback or audiobook. A fantastical adventure read for older children and teens.

I’ve also previously read the Myth Coast Adventures trilogy by this author and here are the links to my reviews of those titles.
An Unexpected Adventure
An Unexpected Escapade
An Unexpected Exploit

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Crusade by Elizabeth Laird – book review

My latest personal choice of read, rather than a requested book review is Crusade by Elizabeth Laird. To find out more about the author you may visit her website.

Here is the book blurb.

Two boys. Two faiths. One unholy war . . .

When Adam’s mother dies unconfessed, he pledges to save her soul with dust from the Holy Land. Employed as a dog-boy for the local knight, Adam grabs the chance to join the Crusade to reclaim Jerusalem. He burns with determination to strike down the infidel enemy . . .

Salim, a merchant’s son, is leading an uneventful life in the port of Acre – until news arrives that a Crusader attack is imminent. To keep Salim safe, his father buys him an apprenticeship with an esteemed, travelling doctor. But Salim’s employment leads him to the heart of Sultan Saladin’s camp – and into battle against the barbaric and unholy invaders . . .

This adventure story is set about 1000 years ago in the times of the Crusaders.

Chapters alternate between the stories of two boys starting with 13 year old Salim, a Muslim boy in Acre. He is upset because his father is sending him away from home to be apprenticed to Jewish Dr Musa, as the Frankish army is expected to arrive imminently. The plan is to travel to Damascus, but instead they end up in Saladin’s camp, outside the walls of Acre.

In chapter two we are introduced to 14 year old English peasant boy Adam on the day his mother is buried. He is saved from destitution by Lord Guy, who employs him to help look after his hounds. But Adam also wants to save his mother’s soul, as she died unconfessed. He needs dust from Jerusalem, so he leaps at the chance to go too when Lord Guy joins the Holy Crusade.

We follow the tales of the two boys until eventually their paths cross.

Crusade is an excellent book, targeted at YA readers from about age 11+. A great historical read.

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The Power of the Pearl by William Edmonds – book review

Disclosure.  This post is a review of an e-book I was sent for free.  All opinions are my own.

I have received a free e-copy of the book The Power of the Pearl by William Edmonds to review. You may find out more about the author on his website.

Here is the book blurb.

Thirteen-year-old Alaric Swift lives a tough, lonely life. He’s never known his parents, nor had any friends.
However, everything changes after his adoptive parents attempt to eat him, and he’s taken to live on the magical island of Harramore. The reason? Alaric is the son of the most powerful being to have ever existed—the King Guardian, Rei.
So begins a magical adventure as Alaric learns to master hidden extraordinary powers, meets creatures beyond his imagination, and gets caught up in a plot to steal the world’s most dangerous object, the Golden Pearl.
The Power of the Pearl is a captivating opening to the Miracle Prince series and a page-turning debut..

This debut novel by William Edmonds is the first title in The Miracle Prince series.

The story starts with Mr Solomon taking 13 year old Alaric to John and Sue, another set of foster parents in a long line. Alaric always seems to end up doing something which makes things go wrong with each foster family, but this time it is the other way round. John and Sue transform and try to eat him. Alaric is rescued in the nick of time by Mr Solomon and magically transported to Harramore, Land of the Nephilim.

Turns out Alaric is one of the Nephilim, in fact he is the Miracle Prince, son of assassinated King Guardian Rei. He fits in much better with his next foster family, the Trolleys and soon is on the Rei basketball team at school, which in Harramore is a totally different experience to what Alaric and you and I are used to.

Lots of magical mythical adventures then follow for Alaric, along with his friends Laurence and Lucy.

The Power of the Pearl is available on Amazon, in paperback and Kindle formats. A great adventure which will certainly appeal to fans of Harry Potter and Percy Jackson. Suitable for older children and teens.

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