Angelfall by Susan Ee

Published synopsis:

It's been six weeks since angels of the apocalypse descended to demolish the modern world. Street gangs rule the day while fear and superstition rule the night. When warrior angels fly away with a helpless little girl, her seventeen-year-old sister Penryn will do anything to get her back.

Anything, including making a deal with an enemy angel.

Raffe is a warrior who lies broken and wingless on the street. After eons of fighting his own battles, he finds himself being rescued from a desperate situation by a half-starved teenage girl.

Traveling through a dark and twisted Northern California, they have only each other to rely on for survival. Together, they journey toward the angels' stronghold in San Francisco where she'll risk everything to rescue her sister and he'll put himself at the mercy of his greatest enemies for the chance to be made whole again.

Review:

Penryn is a seventeen year old girl who has found herself fighting to stay alive in an angel ravished world. As if that isn’t hard enough, she also has to look out for her schizophrenic mother and her paraplegic sister. Risking the night and what it may bring, the three make a dash for some type of safety away from the war torn, gang populated streets, but they don’t make it far. Penryn can’t save her sister from the angel who snatches her out of her wheelchair. Now, her only hope of finding her sister is to team up with Raffe, an angel whose comrades have left him wingless and dying in the street. As these reluctant companions journey together to San Francisco towards their separate goals, they find that the angels aren’t the only ones to fear.

Angelfall is a fast paced, post-apocalyptic story that sweeps you away into the lives of characters that are both sympathetic and likable even as the world goes crazy around them. Susan Ee does a great job portraying a world that is reduced to its most basic components. She shows us what happens in a world where there is nowhere safe to hide. Where cell phones, computers, televisions, and transportation are useless. A world where the humans who survive the battles with the angels have to then survive what has become of the world and its people.Prejudices must be let go because the world has been diminished to two sects - us and them, human and angel. There’s no room in the equation for anything else.But as in all wars, loyalty can become a gray area when the ones you love the most are involved.

Susan Ee swept me away into this world from the very beginning. Her writing style has the ability to hook you in and keep you glued to the book until the very end. The characters are vivid and her writing style is clean and concise. I enjoyed taking this journey into her dark world. There were just two things that kept me from giving this book an all out five stars. As I read, it was never really clear why the angels had attacked the world, nor what Raffe’s involvement had been. The other was a supernatural element at the end of the book that didn’t quite mesh with the rest of the story. This part was creative and unique, and it certainly made for an interesting ending, but nothing up to that point had given the impression that things like this were possible.

The ending of Angelfall isn’t neat and tidy. It will leave you wanting to pick up the sequel to find out what happens next with the characters; so I really hope one is coming. I will definitely be picking it up as soon as it comes out.

I give Angelfall 4 ½ stars.

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Bob Wacszowski, Necromancer

Published synopsis:

Bob Wacszowski, Necromancer is the harrowing and hilarious tale of a regular guy who stumbles across an ancient tome of Atlantean necromancy and decides to make full use of his new powers for good, despite the world's increasingly negative reaction to his expanding army of skeletal minions. On his way home from being broken up with by his girlfriend Anna for the nth time, mild-mannered, unemployed janitor Bob Wacszowski stumbles into an underground chamber where he finds a huge leathery codex of ancient death magic. After he and his best friend Tony use it to animate and command a graveyard full of skeletons, Bob becomes determined to use the magic to make a living for himself, while also proving to Anna that he can be a force for good in the world. Unfortunately, Bob lives in the heartland of America, and despite his assurances of goodwill he finds much difficulty convincing his countrymen that he is not the Antichrist and that it is not the End Times. Bob Wacszowski, Necromancer tackles a range of topics from contemporary American politics and culture to religion and metaphysics, all with a modern comedic voice. Bob Wacszowski, Necromancer is to be the first in a series.

Review:

Bob Wacszoski is thirty-one and hasn’t managed to do much with his life so far, as his girlfriend points out when she breaks up with him. On his walk home from her apartment, he stumbles upon an ancient tome and is given the power to understand it from the demon who has been watching over it. Suddenly, he is Bob, the necromancer, and this just may be his chance to prove that he is more than an unemployed janitor.

Bob Wacszowski, Necromancer is a fun read that brings you on the journey of an average guy who suddenly finds himself not so average when he proves he can raise the dead; which, unfortunately, also makes him the target of mass hysteria and fear. To the reader, Bob comes off as a guy who just wants to have a chance to prove to his girlfriend that he can be who she needs him to be – a guy who is independent, strong, and capable of managing his own life. Bob passes the test as he grows into a self-confidant man but not without shaking his own values to the very core. And those of the rest of the human population.

This novel also tackles some gray areas that we don’t always like to think about.For instance, the idea that religion may not have all the answers and, maybe, the leaders of the largest religions in the world know that. Or even worse, they know the real answers but aren’t willing to share them with the people of the world for fear they will lose their power and privilege. This is not a new concept. Throughout history, there has been much debate about religious leaders using fear and ignorance to control their followers, but George Dalphin does a good job of bringing the idea back to the forefront in his novel. He also goes after the government and military that often has a shoot first, ask questions later mentality, regardless of the collateral damage.

I enjoyed Bob Wacszowski, Necromancer. It is written in a style that to me is reminiscent of A. Lee Martinez with maybe a little Christopher Moore thrown in.There were a few things that I had a hard time reconciling myself with, though.Bob seems almost too naïve about how the world is going to react to his ability to raise and control the dead. Most people could probably guess that it would be a largely negative reaction. They also may have tried to be a bit more discreet about it, or at least taken the reactions around them a bit more seriously. Bob spent a lot of time trying to ignore the world at large. Around the middle of the novel, I was also ready to take a little break from Bob and his friends as they meandered almost aimlessly for a while. The dialogue became a little repetitive during this time. I was glad when the novel got back on track towards the climax.

All in all, I thought this was a well thought out novel with parts that made me laugh out loud. I enjoyed the characters and I am curious to see where the next novel takes them. I give this novel 4 stars.

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Darwin's Children by Natasha Larry

Published synopsis:

Life can get pretty complicated for any seventeen-year-old girl, but for a home-schooled telepathic black girl trying to survive in a prestigious private school in small-town Jonesborough, Tennessee, it can be maddening – especially when her telepathic father keeps eavesdropping on her thoughts!

Jaycie Lerner’s family isn’t the usual mom-dad-kid setup. Jaycie’s mom’s MIA, but Allison, her personal live-in ‘trainer,’ is more than a mom, with her own special abilities, like being able to lift cars and run incredibly fast. And Jaycie’s godfather John is more than persuasive – he can literally convince anyone to do anything.

As far as the rest of the world’s concerned, Jaycie’s on the outside looking in. The townsfolk love Jaycie’s pediatrician father, but she doesn’t fit in with ‘normal’ kids, and she doesn’t really want to. Most of her free time is spent training to keep her telekinetic and telepathic powers under control. But there’s one thing she can’t control – and that’s her feelings, especially when her best friend Matt is nearby. If only he knew what she was truly capable of...

Everything seems to be status quo for Jaycie until she receives a cryptic message from a stranger and meets a very unusual girl new to Jonesborough. Then all hell breaks loose!

Review:

Jaycie Lerner is not your average teenager. To begin with, she has to constantly shield her mind from the onslaught of other’s thoughts, which is not easy to do when surrounded by teenagers who practically scream their heightened emotional thoughts at her. The result is that Jaycie often reacts inappropriately to social situations and is considered an outcast and a freak by her classmates. Her home life, though, is what keeps her sane. Her telepathic father helps her learn to keep shields in place in her mind and Allison and John help her learn control over her other abilities. Even if sometimes their lessons are a bit on the extreme side, the bond between these people not related by blood is stronger than most families who are.

Eventually, it is Jaycie’s turn to help another understand her superhuman abilities.A lost, broken girl, who Jaycie befriends at the request of a persuasive stranger, carries dark secrets inside of herself that are tearing her apart. With the help of Jaycie and her family, this girl learns that there is more to life than the memories of pure evil she holds inside of her. And sometimes, revenge is the only way to help along recovery.

The characters in Darwin’s Children are not only powerful, they also come across as people you would love to meet at the next neighborhood barbecue. Natasha Larry has done an excellent job of making the characters stand out from those in other books with their down home style and southern manners. But as secrets unfold and revenge becomes not a wish but a must, the strength the characters show prove that they are made of stronger stuff than most people. Not to mention, their powers are most enviable – superhuman strength, mind reading, telekinesis, the power to persuade anyone of anything, and the power to make evil doers feel the pain of their actions towards others. With all of these traits rolled into one book, this is a novel that lovers of paranormal and supernatural will love.

There were a couple of things that held me back, though, from giving this book a 5 star rating instead of a 4. A lot of information was thrown out over the course of the book and sometimes this distracted me from the main story line and made some of the passages move along slower than I would have liked. Not all of the information may have been necessary to the story line, such as Jaycie’s father and John going after a fire-starter in another state. The pace of the novel seemed to waver because of these extra details from fast-paced to meandering and as much as I enjoyed it, I couldn’t help but feel that some areas of the book could have moved along a little faster towards the final showdown. The other thing that held me back was the last few chapters of the book. Although they were well written and interesting, they were a little anticlimactic after the story had already reached a stunning climax. These chapters may have been better served as the beginning of the next book in the series.

Overall, I truly enjoyed Darwin’s Children and I am grateful that the author gave me a copy to review. It definitely makes my must read book list and if there is a sequel, I’ll be reading it! I give this book a strong four stars.

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Mindbenders by Ted Krever

Published synopsis:

If you could hear the thoughts of every person for three blocks around-the regrets, rationalizations, commercial jingles, the lies that hide what they can't bear to think--how could you ever trust anyone? And if you could make them believe anything you wanted, how could you ever trust yourself?

Max Renn is a legend of the Soviet mind control program, a genetic experiment, the product of three generations of psychics bred by the state for their power. Before his first mission, the Soviet Union collapses and he disappears.

We meet him twenty years later in the Everglades, keeping as far from people as he can get, until his best friend-his only friend-is murdered and he is forced to assemble a team of people like him to fight the international conspiracy behind the murder.

Review:

Greg is a vet suffering from debilitating memory loss. The man who took it upon himself to help him through, possibly draw out the memories and his voice, is suddenly killed. Now, the only person left to trust is the man who tells Greg that he is a map of sorts. A map of the locations of the people who once served the government as mindbenders. A defunct program with a lot of loose ends.

Greg and Max follow a path that leads them to a disturbing reality. Someone wants to kill hope, the most important of all human emotions; the one that keeps people going in their day to day lives. Rounding up a small team of people who share their desire to set things right, they piece together the clues and ready themselves for the final showdown.

In Mindbenders, Ted Krever takes the reader on a fantastic journey of the mind.His characters unfold and expand, keeping the reader riveted, turning the page to see how they grow. His suggestions of what governments are willing to do to breed the best possible weapon are disturbing but yet - believable. The search for power, greed, and control is too much temptation, and when others who are like Max decide big business is more lucrative than helping governments succeed, the world is trouble.

Ted Krever had me hooked from page one. Throughout the book, the reactions, the feelings of the characters, all seemed real. I felt their discomfort, their reluctance, and I felt their minds growing and blossoming into the people they needed to become. Mr. Krever’s writing style is clean and concise, and his ability to describe what is happening keeps you in the moment, able to understand how the characters felt or reacted - “Well, I’m not comfortable running away without a good reason,” Fine answered, speaking slowly, biting each word off as if they came a la carte.

Mindbenders is an incredible read and I was recommending it to others before I even finished reading it. I loved the characters with their flaws and their quirks. I loved the action and the way the characters used their powers. The idea of people like this actually existing in our reality is disquieting, to say the least. Ted Krever’s world is a scary one, but one you shouldn’t miss reading about.

This book deserves every bit of the five stars I give it.

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Tales of Aradia by L.A. Jones

Published Synopsis:

Unknown to the humans who hung innocent people at the Salem Witch Trials real witches of the hidden race were killed for fear of exposure or at least that's what all the vampires, werewolves, and other races thought. There was not one witch whom survived the genocide of the Salem Witch Trials. But one day a girl named Aradia moves to Salem, MA and all that changes.

Review:

Having exposed the Hidden beings – witches, vampires, weres, etc., to the human race, the witches were systematically killed until only one was left. Hidden in the folds of time, Aradia had no knowledge of where she came from or why she could do the things she could do. Strange behavior and the struggle to control her powers during her childhood made her a lonely, shy girl. A move to Salem, MA helps change that. Strange behavior seems to be the norm in Salem and Aradia finds that she has more in common with many of its residents than she originally thought.

In this first book of the series by LA Jones, Tales of Aradia was a story that held my attention throughout. Aradia goes from that shy, quiet girl to a self-assured young woman as the book progresses, and by the end, she is a force to be reckoned with. The supporting characters were unusual and interesting, if at times rather unlikable. As most of them were supposed to be Aradia’s enemies, that wasn’t surprising.

I believe Tales of Aradia has the potential to be a great book. The idea for the story line was well thought out and clever, but the presentation of it in this book left some room for improvement. Shifts in writing from different characters’ perspectives were at times confusing and hard to follow. Some unrealistic events even within a paranormal book occurred, such as a young girl being able to bring someone to the police station and put him in a cell overnight without an explanation of how. There were also jumps in time passed that were unexpected and affected the flow of the book. A few inconsistencies in facts were also present – for instance, a character is supposed to be in jail and on the next page he is out with no explanations of how he managed to escape. If the author has the inclination, some short, concise sentences could fix many of these issues. As a side note – there may be grammatical errors but because self-published authors usually do not have the benefit of professional editing, and conversion of files can affect text when sending electronic review copies, I do not include comments about editing in my reviews.

Overall, I give Tales of Aradia three stars because of its potential to become a great series.

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A Secret in the Attic by Samantha Jillian Bayarr

Published synopsis:

Amy has just inherited her grandmother's coffee shop and bookstore. But in order to accept it, she must move away from her childhood sweetheart, Jonathon, whom she hoped was on the verge of proposing. When a wealthy, older gentleman visits the bookstore one day, he spins a tale of Annabelle, his childhood sweetheart, and talks of a family curse that tore them apart more than fifty years ago. While searching her grandmother’s attic for the wedding dress worn by three generations before her, Amy stumbles upon clues in an old steamer trunk that could help lead the stranger to his Annabelle. But what does this curse have to do with her? When Jake, Henry’s grandson, gets involved, everything becomes more complicated than Amy bargained for. How can she help Henry and break the curse without destroying her own chance at true love?

Review:

After Amy is given her grandmother’s coffee shop and bookstore, she moves out of the city and into small town life. She finds it a little slow for her taste but she has a business to run so moving back isn’t an option. To make matters worse, her best friend and her soon to be fiancé, Jonathon, keep putting off making the hour and a half drive to visit her, leaving her with an even greater sense of loneliness.But the time apart from Jonathon has given her doubts about whether they are truly well matched for marriage.

Enter Jake, the handsome and charming grandson of an elderly man who swears that Amy is the exact likeness of his first love, Annabelle. Jake and his grandfather welcome Amy into their lives with open arms but it doesn’t take long to figure out that Jake has more than just friendship on his mind. As if choosing between two men isn’t hard enough, it turns out that if she marries the one who is her true love, the family curse will kick in bringing heartache to all. Should she settle for second best?

A Secret in the Attic is a delightful read and being a novella, it can be read in one sitting. The main character has to choose between following the path that she always thought she would follow or to jump in with both feet and let her life take a new direction. It is a little bothersome that she doesn’t have the courage to do the right thing until it is almost too late, but she does redeem herself nicely in the end.The characters have an interesting innocence to them that makes it possible to believe that a curse could make them change their life course and sacrifice true love, but the paranormal aspect of the book isn’t strong. Overall, A Secret in the Attic is a sweet romance about choosing passion over safety and I enjoyed reading it.

I give this book 4 stars.

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Heart On a Chain by Cindy C. Bennett

Published Synopsis:

17-year-old Kate has lived her whole life in abject poverty, with an alcoholic father and drug-addicted mother, who severely abuses Kate. At school, her second-hand clothing marks her as a target. Her refusal to stand up for herself makes her the recipient of her classmates taunts and bullying. That is, until Henry returns.

Henry Jamison moved away six years earlier, just as he and Kate had begun to develop feelings for one another. He returns to find the bright, funny, outgoing girl he had known now timidly hiding in corners, barely speaking to anyone around her, suspicious of even him.

Kate can't figure out what game Henry is playing with her - for surely it is a game. What else would the gorgeous, popular boy from her past want with her?

Kate finally decides to trust Henry's intentions, opening her heart to him. Just when it seems he might be genuine in his friendship, tragedy strikes, threatening everything Kate has worked so hard to gain. Can Henry help her to overcome this new devastation, or will it tear them apart forever?

Review:

In Heart on a String, a YA romance, Cindy C. Bennett tackles the issue of child abuse. Kate, a seventeen year old girl that has lived with physical abuse, verbal abuse, starvation, and, of course, great fear for the last eight years has no one she can turn to for help. Even when she finally is able to let her guard down and tries to trust someone, she knows that it isn’t a way out. Time with Henry is only a small reprieve from what she has to face on a daily basis, but she learns to cherish those times with all her heart.

Cindy C. Bennett does an excellent job of exposing the world of abuse and its physical and psychological impact on a child.Abuse doesn’t always stop at home.The defense mechanisms that an abused child puts in place can also help to make that child a target outside of the home as well. Kate accepts her abuse as inevitable and when the kids at school decide she’s everyone’s favorite punching bag, she feels she has no recourse but to sit back and take whatever they dish out. Even when Henry and his family embrace her and welcome her with open arms, that doesn’t mean her problems are solved. As she points out when his father wants to report a violent attack on her from her mother, in the flawed system now in place, teenagers have very few options for real help and often end up in more, or just different, trouble when the abuse is reported.

I cannot say enough how much I enjoyed reading Heart on a String. This is not a Cinderella story but it is a love story. The prince doesn’t come along and save Kate from her nightmare, but he is there to help her through the worst of what her mother, and others, dishes out. When the nightmare does finally end and the road to recovery is open to her, Kate still has to learn how to be whole again. She needs to learn to see herself as someone worth loving but it’s a long road and before she reaches the end of it, she may just push away those who are best able to help her see what a wonderful person she truly is. Readers of Heart on a Chain take this journey with her and come away with a little bit of this book in their hearts forever.

This is definitely a five star book.

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