Review: The Volcanic Rose by Rene Duke

All of Renee's books are on sale this month at Smashwords. Click on over and get the entire Time Rose series. You'll love them!

The Volcanic Rose by Renee Duke
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Buy at Amazon

The time-traveling saga of the Wolverton family comes to an explosive end in "The Volcanic Rose." I'm not giving any spoilers you can't get off the cover. Yes, Mt. Vesuvius is involved.

One thing about the Wolvertons, there are plenty of them to get involved in fixing the things that go wrong in the past. Featured over the four previous books, we follow the current generation of time travelers, siblings Paige and Dane, and their cousin, Jack. In the third book (Spirit Rose), they meet Skookaweethp, a syilx (First Nations tribe) girl from centuries before, who knows not only they are time travelers, but that another time traveler, the evil Khatcheres, wants to disrupt time to his own advantage.

The Time Rose travelers learn they are tasked by time itself to thwart Khatcheres' plot, but in doing so, their ability to time travel will end.

The cryptic writings of one of their time traveling ancestors, Aurea-Rose, leads them through the steps they must take, which involves returning their Time Rose and other time artifacts to a girl named Varteni who awaits them in 79 AD at Ercolano, known now as Herculaneum. Varteni and the town lie in the direct path of the explosion of Mt. Vesuvius. To be sure, time is more of the essence than usual.

This is a great setup to end the series with both dramatic flair, but also to make sure we readers of the series will (sadly) know this will be the end of the Time Rose tales.

It is best to read the books in order even if the travelers are hopping around in time themselves. Lots of clues are provided throughout the series which make the conclusion logical and inevitable.

My only complaint is the cast of characters within the Wolverton clan alone is numerous. However, five plus generations of the family are represented, so it's not surprising there are tons of aunts, uncles, cousins, parents, grand-parents, great-grand-parents and even a great-great-great-grand-aunt. It's a bit difficult keeping track of who's who. I'd love to see the Family Tree.

It'd be great if the publisher now puts the entire series together as a boxed set. It'd be a wonderful gift for middle-grade kids who like a rousing fantasy tale.

Highly recommended for kids of all ages. I'm giving this five stars to include the entire series. I'm usually stingier with stars.


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Review: Strictly Analog

Strictly Analog by Richard Levesque
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Buy at Amazon

Clever mix of cyberspace and traditional (strictly analog) detective.

The blurb pretty much covers the boring part I'd write here, so I'll skip it.

First good thing: Being reasonably familiar with computers and the trends of personal (really personal) computing, I totally believe Levesque's prediction of the future.

Second good thing: Ted Lomax is likable behind the hard-bitten detective facade. He'd do anything to save his daughter, despite her not having much of a personality.

Third good thing: The love interest, Philly, is not a "throw in a chick for the romance crowd" character. She's unique (boy is she unique), smart, and caring.

Bad things: Um, a couple of typos. Maybe Ted's daughter could be less of a putz. Miles (the villain) might have a little more depth for us to understand his motivations. Strictly for a too-light touch with secondary characters, I'm knocking off one star.

Highly recommended.

Review: A Gathering of Rebels (Parts 1 and 2)

A Gathering of Rebels (1): Volume 1 by D.L. Keur writing as Aeros
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
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This is complex science fiction, but with plenty of space battles and action. Good for hardcore SF readers, who prefer their SF without too much R.

My only complaint is the similarity of names for some characters. I'd think "why's he doing that?" only to discover I was think it was a different person. Once I got into the rhythm of the names, it got easier to follow the plot.

Since this story continues into Volume 2, I'll make further comments in that review.

A Gathering of Rebels (2): Volume 2 by D.L. Keur writing as Aeros
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Buy on Amazon

What if an alien wrote a novel based on their own world, leaving it behind on some abandoned moon of some planet going around a star which can't be seen from Earth?

Say, some future explorers discover the manuscript and find a way to translate it into English, but leave the alien style intact.

It wouldn't be surprising if it read a lot like "A Gathering of Rebels," volumes 1 and 2.

This is what struck me most about this hard scifi 2-volume epic. I feel its alienness while still being able to understand the motives, actions, and feelings of the characters. It will always be not human.

That's what makes this a unique book in my experience. It's as fascinating as finding ancient writings which were only translated by the discovery of the Rosetta Stone.

Don't start reading if you don't want to think hard about what's here unless you're from the universe explored in these volumes.

Just a note: Volume 2 is not a sequel, but a continuation of the story begun in volume 1. I think the two volumes could be combined in ebook format now, but were in separate volumes originally because of the length limitations on deadwood books.

Review: Murder is a Family Business

Murder is a Family Business by Heather Haven
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I first read this book when it was freshly released. I thought I'd re-run this review to introduce the Alvarez family to fans of cozy mysteries. No little old ladies however. Lee is young, smart, a sharp dresser, and has a family with skills in the detecting business. Enjoy.

My Review Starts Here:

This is a nice introduction to a family of private detectives. True, they're supposed to be in the business of investigating corporate theft and other ethically challenged business practices.

However, Lee has been set the task of tailing on her mother's (the agency boss) friend's husband because the wife is suspicious that he's having an affair. Lee finds herself sitting on a dock in San Francisco in a driving rainstorm, getting soaked to the skin, and she can't even see her quarry in a dilapidated warehouse. What the heck would a warehouse have to do with a man philandering on his wife? Lee loses contact with the man, but finds a lost kitten. To me, far better to take the kitty home then to hang out trying to track the man's supposed extramarital affairs.

Lee returns the next day to check out the warehouse and finds the man dead, shot three times in the chest.

Okay, Lee is now hip-deep in a murder, somewhere the family agency didn't want to be. Lee is persistent, however (an annoying characteristic according to her mom) and just has to find out why the man is dead and whodunit.

The clues pile up while Lee investigates, leaving the kitten to the care of her tio (uncle) while she tries to figure out why the man is dead.

Okay, enough plot because this is just the beginning as Haven stacks up a lot of clues and hints and puts Lee is dire danger.

All in all a nicely done suspense/mystery. The only complaint I have is that a section set in a hospital goes on too long for my taste. There. I said something negative so you know I am really giving an honest assessment.

I definitely enjoyed this book and I look forward to the continuing adventures of the Alvarez family detective agency.

Review: The Volcanic Rose by Renee Duke

The Volcanic Rose by Renee Duke
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The time-traveling saga of the Wolverton family comes to an explosive end in "The Volcanic Rose." I'm not giving any spoilers you can't get off the cover. Yes, Mt. Vesuvius is involved.

One thing about the Wolvertons, there are plenty of them to get involved in fixing the things that go wrong in the past. Featured over the four previous books, we follow the current generation of time travelers, siblings Paige and Dane, and their cousin, Jack. In the third book (Spirit Rose), they meet Skookaweethp, a syilx (First Nations tribe) girl from centuries before, who knows not only they are time travelers, but that another time traveler, the evil Khatcheres, wants to disrupt time to his own advantage.

The Time Rose travelers learn they are tasked by time itself to thwart Khatcheres' plot, but in doing so, their ability to time travel will end.

The cryptic writings of one of their time traveling ancestors, Aurea-Rose, leads them through the steps they must take, which involves returning their Time Rose and other time artifacts to a girl named Varteni who awaits them in 79 AD at Ercolano, known now as Herculaneum. Varteni and the town lie in the direct path of the explosion of Mt. Vesuvius. To be sure, time is more of the essence than usual.

This is a great setup to end the series with both dramatic flair, but also to make sure we readers of the series will (sadly) know this will be the end of the Time Rose tales.

It is best to read the books in order even if the travelers are hopping around in time themselves. Lots of clues are provided throughout the series which make the conclusion logical and inevitable.

My only complaint is the cast of characters within the Wolverton clan alone is numerous. However, five plus generations of the family are represented, so it's not surprising there are tons of aunts, uncles, cousins, parents, grand-parents, great-grand-parents and even a great-great-great-grand-aunt. It's a bit difficult keeping track of who's who. I'd love to see the Family Tree.

It'd be great if the publisher now puts the entire series together as a boxed set. It'd be a wonderful gift for middle-grade kids who like a rousing fantasy tale.

Highly recommended for kids of all ages. I'm giving this five stars to include the entire series. I'm usually stingier with stars.


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Review of Active Shooter by Eduardo Suastegui

Active Shooter by Eduardo Suastegui
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This novella is book 3 in the Our Cyber World series by Eduardo Suastegui. Its purpose is to introduce us to a new player in the Cyber series. Andre Esperanza is a former cyber-spy who just wants to go about his new job as a fine art photographer. However, circumstances throw him slam-bang back into the covert world he wants to leave. The LA airport is attacked by a band of terrorists. Split into groups, the terrorists are making their way to an airliner to plant a bomb. They're leaving plenty of bodies in their path. As it happens, Andre is in the airport and his training kicks in. He turns into Jason Bourne (not the actual Bourne, but sort of like that).

This whole airport scene is quite exciting and well-written. I could visualize every part of the encounters between terrorists, cops, and Andre.

The story continues to show us more about Andre's past as he gets together with the reporter interviewing him after the big shootout in the LA airport. However, Bridget is more than just a reporter. She has a secretive source who knows about Andre's past, but we never meet that source (that may be coming in "Pink Ballerina," the next book in the series). Suffice to say, Andre and Bridget end up in escape mode fleeing some nasty characters. Andre shows his resourcefulness. Kudos to Mr. Suastegui on his believable use of spycraft.

Let's just say this is an interim book meant to introduce a character in the next books. I kind of wish it was put together with Pink Ballerina to make it a bit clearer about who the bad guys are and what role Bridget plays in the future. Another interesting character added here is Luz, a woman who wants to represent Andre's fine art photography. She, too, will most likely show up later.

Overall, this is a good read, but I would have liked a little more to gnaw on about the bad guys. That's a little too unclear for me. I guess that just means I'll need to continue to the next book to find out what happens. Don't worry, though, this is not a cliffhanger ending, but it is a book which leaves you wanting more.

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Nice Review from Dave Higgins

Dave Higgins is an excellent  reviewer. You should read all his reviews and not just because he likes my book (though that's plenty important). He posts reviews to his blog, which you should follow. Dave also writes speculative fiction. He serializes his books which makes it a little hard to keep up with, but it's worth the effort. - Dave: Please put Seven Stones, Book 1 for sale somewhere.

NOTE: Ultimate Duty will be #free on Amazon from June 4th-6th. I extended the free days so others will also have the opportunity to review this book. That IS the point of giveaways in case you thought it was just to download a book to hide away on your e-reader and never bother to read. Just sayin'.

Dave Higgins' Review of Ultimate Duty

Combining an interesting set of social and scientific advances with engaging characters, Dasef creates a spy thriller set against an intriguing galactic empire.

Nearly everyone on Arcadia works in either the ore mines, or the ore processing plant. But Remy Belieux wants more than a life of industrial labour in exchange for the guarantee of a job for life. Not wanting the equal tedium of crewing a merchant craft or rising through corporate bureaucracy, she joins the Space Service; the military arm of the galactic government. Skilled in martial arts, her first posting is the covert escort of a rebel leader; a man who claims he merely wants to reform the same system that makes Remy’s parents de facto slaves; and who wants her to join him.

Read the rest of the review on Dave's Wordpress site.

Review of The Desperate Case of the Diamond Chip

The Desperate Case of the Diamond Chip by Pendred Noyce
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

See that cell phone sitting next to you like a 24-hour a day nanny? Your iPad, computer, laptop, even your flat screen TV?

None of those things were around in 1967 when the computer chip (integrated circuit) was created by Robert Noyce (and some other guys). But it didn't just appear out of thin air.

This is where "The Desperate Case of the Diamond Chip" fills in the history of the invention ranging all the way back to Mendeleev's creation of the first Periodic Table in the 19th Century. Discovery built upon discovery in a lightning fast journey from "what's an atom?" through to your multiple electronic devices.

I mention Robert Noyce particularly because he was the father of author, Pendred Noyce. It must make her proud her father was in the thick of discovery, working at the top electronics companies in Silicon Valley.

Anyway, that's not about the book, which is about the journey explored by Mae and Clinton, two school kids looking for a science project. They had a little help from a future organization named G.A.S.--Galactic Academy of Science--which provide them with a time machine allowing them to go into the past to talk to famous people for brief periods.

Beginning with Doctor Mendeleev (remember the Periodic Table?), Nils Bohr who refined the elements table and figured out the makeup of atoms, and the brilliant scientists, John Bardeen, Walter Brattain, Robert Shockley (a major jerk, but no dummy), and Robert Noyce who joined with others to build Intel, the largest chip manufacturer in the world. I'll bet your computer has an Intel Inside sticker on it.

Since my own computer background began shortly after the beginning of Intel, I was delighted that I was "there" when it all happened. Like many others, we just couldn't conceive how far the technology would go. But what we were doing would have been impossible without those who came before. Well, we know how far in 2015, but what's ahead of us in 2050, 2100, and onward? I wish I could be a member of G.A.S. so I could find out.

The G.A.S. series are always a delight to read. Meant for kids, the books will aid parents to keep up with their children as the new discoveries occur. And you can learn all about zombies (in another of the G.A.S. series).

I look forward to reading the entire series. Even us old folks can learn a thing or two. Put on your thinking cap and dive in.

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More Favs of 2014: Perilous Case of the Zombie Potion

I listed some of my favorite reads from 2014. I've realized I didn't list every book I thought was far better than the average. So, what the heck, I'll post a few more while nothing else is going on (except that Valentine Day Sale for two of my books at Smashwords).

Today's share is by Penny Noyce who publishes educational (and fun) kids' books through Tumblehome Learning. You can only get Tumblehome books in paperback format. The books are illustrated, so really work better in print format. I hope Tumblehome will start publishing in ebook format soon. Penny's books in the "Lost in Lexicon" series are available in ebook format. Just check Amazon.

The Perilous Case of the Zombie Potion by Pendred (Penny) Noyce
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Not just another zombie story, this book is one of the G.A.S. (Galactic Academy of Science) collection published by Tumblehome Learning. It offers an entertaining tale and sneaks in real science under the guise of a time-traveling series. Nicely illustrated, it makes learning not only palatable but down-right fun.

Clinton and Sam are put together at summer camp. Clinton thinks Sam is a little too fearful, but comes to understand that a kid with diabetes is restricted: he can't go swimming or do lots of things the other kids can do. Result: Sam is bullied unfairly.

Clinton, however, happens to be a time traveling kid recruited by the mysterious G.A.S. organization to go back in time to learn and then use the knowledge he attains to good use in the present.

He's surprised when he overhears Sam speaking to someone who appears to be from the future and part of G.A.S. Soon Clinton finds that Sam is being used by another time-traveling agency: S.A.G. This isn't the benevolent agency Clinton knows.

Joined by Mae, another G.A.S. agent, the three kids travel back in time to discover what zombies are all about. They jump from one time frame to another learning as they go. What will be their conclusion? Are zombies real or just fantasy? Their first time stop is China for the investigation of an accidental death or was it a murder?

Kids will enjoy discovering the historical roots of zombies while Clinton and Mae help save Sam's mother from the death threatened by the evil S.A.G. organization.

Any more information would be as spoiled as a zombie staggering along searching for brains to eat.

This is a fun book that all kids will enjoy. The illustrations are great, the storyline interesting. What more could a curious kid want?

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Reviews of My Favorite 2014 Books (6)

Only a couple more reviews to go. I hope you enjoyed my reviews enough to consider buying, reading, and reviewing the books I've recommended.

DEAD....If Only by Heather Haven
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I don't hand out five stars lightly. However, I'll make this exception since I've read all the books in the Alvarez mysteries and consistently gave them four stars. This one is my favorite of them all, so five stars it is.

It's been a fun journey following Lea Alvarez and her strange family which make up Discretionary Inquiries. The purpose of the private investigation firm is to solve cyber crime, not chase down murderers. But Lea can't seem to avoid putting herself on the front line especially when members of her family are in danger.

The idea of the wise-cracking Lea in a wetsuit flippering her way to the bad guy's yacht during a hurricane can only come out of the twisted mind of Heather Haven. How she can make murder and mayhem funny is truly a special talent.

Read all the Alvarez mysteries in order. The development of this oddball bunch of crime solvers will leave you in stitches while you bite your nails in suspense.

Highly recommended.

The Revenge of the Dead Enemy by Lorinda J. Taylor
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

So you think you can't empathize with a giant termite? We've had many insectoid and arachnid heroes in literature. Consider "Charlotte's Web." If you didn't get teary-eyed when Charlotte died, then you must have a heart of stone. Other stories empathetic toward multi-legged creatures: Ant Bully, It's a Bug's Life, Bee Story. I'm sure there are others. I don't usually seek out books about bugs, but I could come up with these examples in a few seconds.

So, what about the entire epic journey "The Labors of Ki'sh'toba: Volumes 1-6?" I have previously reviewed 1-5, not to mention the 2-volume "Termite Queen" saga. I liked them...a lot. I continually complained about the difficult names, places, and concepts with the conlang (constructed language) of the Termite world. Too many apostrophes and a bunch of other punctuation I have no clue how to pronounce.

I will complain no more. I still can't pronounce 90% of the termite language, but I can visually recognize the names of the main characters. All have become familiar and lovable in their own ways. Di'fa'kro'mi, the Remembrancer (story teller) is quite an adept author considering he had to invent a written language in which to tell the tales. I know, the real Remembrancer is Lorinda Taylor, but she is such a wonderful writer, I was immersed in the stories as if they were really told by Di'fa'kro'mi.

As I did when first reading "Charlotte's Web," I wept over the death of some of my favorites throughout the entire six volumes. I cried for termites? Yes, I did, and I'm not ashamed.

The entire tale of Ki'shto'ba and his labors (modeled on the Greek Hercules myth) is hard to get into, but an epic worthy of the difficulty of the journey.

I completely and thoroughly recommend the entire six volumes. But you might want to start with the Termite Queen books to allow yourself to ease into the idea of termite heroes.

Reviews of My Favorite 2014 Books (5)

Reviews of my favorite 2014 books continued.

Just a Smidgen of Magic: Enchantment at the Edge of Mundane by Charlotte Henley Babb
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I wish this book was longer. Compiled from a few short stories dealing with magic, it reads like a set of beautiful long poems.

If this was a novel, I wouldn't have liked the "flowery" language. I always say, "get on with the story." However, in such short works as these, the mundane does become the magical. For example (two of many I noted):

"She pulled the gibbering fears through her heart and into the earth below her, like a rod grounding lightning safely into the earth, where they would become life energy."

or

"Wizards know that white magic is poetry, and black magic is anything that works."

I've read some of Ms. Babb's other books. All whimsical, but closer to childrens' fairy tales. These stories are beautifully written little gems.

More, I say, MORE! Well done, Charlotte Babb.


Trial by Ordeal by Mark Neumayer
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

As Charming as How to Train Your Dragon

I really enjoyed the first in the Valda the Valkyrie stories. The plucky dwarf, Valda, finds herself tapped to be a Valkyrie by Odin. The only thing she had in common with the nordic goddesses was blonde hair, which is unheard of for a dwarf.

Since Valda has few qualifications for the job. The other Valkyies treat her like dirt, but that doesn't keep Valda down. She makes friends with the thralls and less-than-heroic warriors inhabiting Valhalla. Given the crappy jobs all the time, Valda finds a way to make it a positive experience even if she does cry herself to sleep every night. When she can get any sleep at all. The head Valkyrie, Kara, has a particular grudge against Valda and makes the dwarf girl's life as miserable as possible.

The references to the Norse myths are accurate and included a few of gods I hadn't heard of before. The author's take on how Valhalla operates is a far cry from the Avengers' Thor version, but I kind of like it better.

This is a book for kids of all ages. Since I write books for kids, I found it just at the right level, with good deeds and persistence rewarded, but without pounding a kid (even an old kid like me) over the head with a moral. Kids aren't so dumb they can't get the lesson without the author telling them what it is.

I recommend it.

Reviews of My Favorite 2014 Books (4)

Continuing the Goodreads reviews of some of my favorite books from 2014 (just one today since the review is fairly long).

Old Hickory Lane by E.J. Ruek
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Summary:
Warren Jeffreys wants to be a premiere veterinarian on the horse show circuit. He certainly has the education (multiple degrees) and a special connection with the horses he loves (not to mention the cows, pigs, goats, and mules), but he's got a prickly personality. Who'd care, you think? The top horse breeders are a snooty bunch and want to be catered to by their vet. Warren is not a people person.

Ms. Ruek's sometimes frightening, sometimes humorous story of the aspiring veterinarian is an engrossing read. Not all warm and fuzzy like "All Things Great and Small," it still has elements to tug at your heart strings. You can't help but wish Warren success, but you also want to slap him upside the head to knock the chip off his shoulder. If he was totally likable, I don't think the story would be near as compelling. The characters, the situations, the details of day-to-day veterinary work will keep you glued to the page. I would have read it all in one session, but for the book's substantial size. You definitely get your money's worth.

Highly recommended.

More about the story if you're interested (potential spoilers):

Before Warren can realize his dream, he's got to get the all-important work credits. He joins a veterinary clinic in Idaho to gain the all-important experience. Just a couple of years, he thinks.

Unfortunately for Warren, his personality along with being an "Injun" is a prejudiced and tight-knit area, he is scorned and even ripped off by a rotten slumlord. Forced to live in a hobo camp until he can earn enough to afford an apartment, he has to hide so nobody will know his poor circumstances. To the rich horsey set, it'd never do for their vet to be anything but prosperous...and white.

Along the way, he finds himself falling for Elise, whose grandmother raises a rare breed of horse which fascinates Warren. He wants both the woman and the job. Elise likes him, so that's not a problem, but her grandmother keeps pushing him away from having a relationship with the young woman. Prejudice or something more?

Slowly, Warren gains the trust of the farmers and ranchers in the area. His bosses at the Lewis and Clark Clinic see his skill and the something extra Warren adds when he treats animals. A skill or magic? Warren doesn't even know for sure, only that his Cree grandmother taught him ways to feel an animal's emotional state and even tell him what their problem is. Not in words, but in a metaphysical connection to the animal that allows him see and understand more than any normal human.

Reviews of My Favorite 2014 Books (3)

Continuing with the reviews of my favorite books of 2014.

Energize by Thomas R. Manning
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Very readable story.

An interesting character, Daniel Quinn, is trying to make a living as a jack-of-all-trades space jockey. A a traumatic past haunts his dreams, and a vindictive spaceship captain is out to destroy him.

All he's got going for him is his ship, a spit and baling wire clunker, and a unique Artificial Intelligence named Al. Having stolen the AI from the renegade captain, Daniel keeps his head down and just tries to get along.

That is, until he discovers what may be a revolutionary energy source on a distant planet. If he can just get to the planet and take advantage of what might be the discovery of the century, he could put his past behind him. But it's never that easy, is it?

I really enjoyed this book and look forward to the continuing chronicles of Daniel Quinn. I highly recommend this to the hard SF junkies looking for something good to read.


Waiting for Shadow by Eduardo Suastegui
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I'd already read Shadow 7 (book 1 of Tracking Jane) and liked it a lot. Since I already knew most of the information about Jane from reading the other book, this didn't add to my understanding of her. It did, however, reinforce Jane's past a little more. Briefly, Jane was a soldier with the K9 Corps in the middle east wars. When she runs into an IED, she becomes a double amputee and has to leave the military and her beloved dog, Shadow behind. She has done the paperwork to adopt Shadow and awaits his return from the wars. In the meantime, she has trained another dog, Shady, as a search dog.

It also shows how she got into the business of tracking for law enforcement. She reluctantly joins the search for two missing teens. Shady, her tracking dog, takes to the task and succeeds where other dogs don't. Does Shady have mystical powers? No. Shady has the smartest handler, Jane.

There is a mystery involved, but don't want to give out any spoilers. Not just the disappearance of the teens, but exactly how that occurred is related to Jane's new prosthetic legs and the company that developed them.

Since I need a balancing statement, I'll mention the author's need of an editor. There are far too many typos, but I believe Mr. Suastegui is working on that. The errors did not stop me from reading. The story is that good.

Recommended.

Reviews of My Favorite 2014 Books (2)

Continuing with the reviews of the books I liked and recommended in 2014.

Side Trip by Renee Duke
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A thoroughly enjoyable tale of a trio of planet-hopping teenagers who end up saving a Prince's Kingdom and keeping one little brother out of jail. Fun and fast reading.

Meda and Kristy look forward to the edu-tour of multiple planets but the chaperone is bound and determined that no kid in her care is going actually have fun on it. The two girls form a plan to get off the tour and head out on their own, hopping between planets, getting jobs to make money for food and their next ticket. All is going well until they discover Meda's clever little brother has jumped ship as well. Unfortunately, he's hooked up with a couple of older boys who talk him into stealing an important item from an exhibit.

The chase is on! The girls and little brother are joined in their travels by a Jip, a girl who can move between different planes of existence. A very handy skill when the kids are on the run from various evil-doers trying to get that certain item back and won't hesitate to kill to do it. Meda, Kristy, Jip, and bratty brother are on the run and determined to help an alien prince become the Emperor he's destined to be.

It's a mad dash for the teens, avoiding the men who oppose the prince, a strange man who seems to be chasing them for no reason, and their parents who will most likely ground them for life for ditching the tour.

Very well written (as I've come to expect from Ms. Duke). My favorite of hers to date. I hope she turns this into a series.

I received a free advance copy of this book from the author.


Elspeth, The Living Dead Girl by Stuart R. West
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

We met Elspeth and Elizabeth in the third "Tex the Witch Boy" book. I'm happy that Stuart West decided to go on the Elspeth/Elizabeth branch in this spinoff series.

What Stuart West has done is rotate first person accounts of the two girls (Elspeth is actually in her 50s if she'd lived). The changes in Elizabeth (the one inhabited by Elspeth the dead girl) are progressive and natural as information builds. It's good to see her moved and changed by events. Elspeth is unlikely to change a lot, being dead and all, but she does find a softer side who cares about Elizabeth and helps the living girl become a better person.

Okay, confused? It's really not too difficult. A rocker chick, Elspeth died in the 1980s. She's hanging out in a sort of limbo where (thought not specifically stated) she has a chance to "earn her wings" and move on. To do her requisite good deeds, she occupies the body of Elizabeth, an extremely annoying high school princess type (I know. We all hated her, the bitch.)

What's very cool here is the way Stuart West has managed to do a few impossible things:

1. He needed to write in first person from the point of view of two girls who couldn't be more opposite.

2. He had to show the transition of both girls away from their original personalities and into better and kinder people.

3. He had to entertain us readers.

Mission accomplished. I'm looking forward to the further adventures of Elspeth/Elizabeth. Well done, Mr. West.

Reviews of My Favorite 2014 Books (1)

The next few days, I'll be posting my reviews of the books I recommended for 2014. I'll post two or three each day.

Fear the Light by William Massa
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Approached with trepidation in fear of discovering yet more sparkly vampires, I was quite pleased with this twist on Agatha Christie's "Ten Little Indians."

Whether you're a vampire fan or not, I think you can enjoy this murder mystery. Who exactly dunnit?

Recommended.


The Stairway To Nowhere by Brian Rush
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I like this concept of the dueling magic objects with mages defending the two sides, light and dark.

Correl and Karla have a passion for each other, but everyday living together just doesn't work for them. As mages, they can perform some magic, but not until they are recruited to the Star (good) and the Crystal (evil) do they truly separate. Correl is taken in my Dolphin when he's at his lowest point and learns to be a Star adept. Karla is initiated into the Crystal. One now a good mage, and the other evil completes their separation. But not really. Both still love the other, but now they're almost enemies.

Some Star and Crystal mages rebel against their orders and decide to construct a third object of power, one they can use openly. Prior to this, the mages performed their magic secretly. Of course, this results in a mage war, but the sides aren't easily defined.

This book is a good and relatively original story of magic, mayhem, star-crossed lovers, and the graying of the line between good and evil.

A good read overall. No complaints about any technical issues, but some longish sections which I think could have been much shorter with the same information imparted.

REVIEWS! A Recipe for Disaster by Ardyth DeBruyn

A Recipe for Disaster by Ardyth DeBruyn
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A recipe for disaster indeed.

Cal, the magician's apprentice, decides to do a little freelancing without permission. All he wants to do is take the girl of his dreams to the ball. But that requires money, lots of it.

When a stranger arrives at the magician's door asking for a disaster spell, Cal decides to take the task himself on the QT. Seems a simple thing, he thinks. Well, it doesn't go well. In fact, the results are disastrous.

This isn't just Cal's story though. It involves a prince who overeats to compensate for his overbearing mother, a princess who has zero interest in marrying the chunky prince, an adviser who thinks HE should be the next kind, and lots and lots of rats. Oh, don't forget the green goo.

This is a rollicking good fun story for anybody who likes their fantasy funny and fast. It reminds me of the Xanth books by Piers Anthony.

I recommend it, along with the rest of Ardyth DeBruyn's books. Look her up on Amazon. Her "A School for Villains" (first in a the Dark Lord's Academy series) is just as much fun. A big bonus with DeBruyn's books are the illustrations for chapter headings (as well as the covers).

Any downsides? Nope.

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REVIEWS! Wounds by Barbara Bockman

Wounds by Barbara Bockman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Craig is wounded, not just emotionally by his mother's death, but physically by a father who spiraled downhill after his wife's death.

Without an parent to guide him, Craig is torn by his own guilty conscience to the point he acts out disastrously. Nearly destroying an ancient oak tree with a chainsaw, Craig is doubly wounded. Not only by his own sad past, but the realization of his own terrible act.

So what, it's only a tree? Not so. The oak was an heirloom, having stood for centuries. The entire town pitches in to help save the damaged tree. Saving the damaged boy will be just as hard. The family who takes in the abandoned boy work hard to save both tree and boy. Craig's salvation comes from his desperate attempts to save the tree.

Bockman really knows how kids' minds work, or at least she has convinced me in this sad tale of loss, pain, and redemption.

Well done YA contemporary.

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REVIEWS! A Heap of Trouble by Lorrie Struiff

NOTE: I posted this review last year for the ebook. The print version is now available.

A Heap of Trouble by Lorrie Unites-Struiff
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Everybody in town respects and likes Sheriff Cole Walker. He does a good job keeping the peace in the little Kansas town.

Things are going along pretty easy until three things happen: Mattie Wells moves to town, rustlers start snagging JJ's cattle, and a ringtail monkey decides Cole is his BFF. After all that, well, Cole's in for a heap of trouble.

This is a funny tale of a mixed up lawman. He's fallen for Mattie, can't get rid of the monkey, and the rustlers elude his every attempt to track them down. Throughout this tale, you're laughing at the monkey's antics. But you're also wondering, along with Cole, why Mattie says she likes him, then blows him off. And just who is stealing the cattle?

Lorrie Unites-Struiff has a knack for putting together humor, romance, and danger into a solid tale of the west. Don't think you like westerns? Think again. You'll definitely enjoy this book. I did.

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REVIEWS! Elixir Bound by Katie Carroll

Elixir Bound by Katie L. Carroll
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Neither is the Quest trope, but Katie Carroll does manage to get past the cliches with sympathetic characters and a world just a breath away from our own.

Katora learns she's the designated keeper of a healing elixir, but it's not so easy as just taking the bottle, and saying "Okay, Pop. I'll take it from here." She's got to go on a long and dangerous journey into the wilderness to find the flowers that make the elixir. To make sure this isn't easy, she'll have to face a wicked witch with her three horsemen of the apocalypse, a bunch of vicious tiny people (not dwarves, but teeny, tiny people with sharp little swords), and other dangers. Why else would there be a quest, after all, if it wasn't hard to do?

While Ms. Carroll doesn't break much new ground here, what she does present is a good read. Katora might be a little too involved in the love interest for my taste. I mean, really, getting all hot and bothered when on the equivalent of the Donner party trek? So, less kissy face and more danger for this reader. Then again, I'm not the target audience.

I'm really at a 3.5 stars on this one, but I'll give the benefit of the doubt. I'm interested enough to see what Katora is up to in a sequel.

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REVIEWS! No Irish Need Apply by E.C. Patterson

No Irish Need Apply by Edward C. Patterson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This sweet story of first love kept my attention. Highschool boys, Louis and Kevin, are attracted to each other. Louis has already been identified as homosexual and has the bruises to prove it. Kevin is in the closet, but can't deny his attraction to his study mate. Soon, they become a couple, but not in public.

In a single up-yours moment, the boys attend the prom as a couple. Now, they have to face their respective mothers--good Irish Catholics--who aren't exactly happy their sons have found their soulmates.

Still, we appreciate Kevin's mom for going through her stages of anger, hostility, why me?, and finally acceptance of Louis, a boy she already liked as her son's friend. Louis' mother is not as forgiving, but we, as readers, hope she'll find it in her heart to love her son no matter what.

This is a nice YA LGBT with moderate swearing, but no explicit scenes.

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