Quick Review - Dragon Flame by Sue Perkins

Note: Sue Perkins visits this blog tomorrow (Aug. 9th) to talk about the next book in the Dragon series.

Dragon Flame by Sue Perkins
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The colonists go off course and end up on a planet suitable to survive in small communities. Talei is the first child born on the new planet. It's a rough, frontier life, but things have been going well until the dragons come.

On the celebratory ship landing day, Talei watches helplessly as dragons burn her parents and neighbors alive. She and her brother manage to escape the devastation and join up with others who survived. The small band find some caves to hide in and send out scouts to see if the other communities have also been attacked. They have, except for Boon, situated on the western coast. Talei and her friends warn the settlers of the dragon attacks and are laughed at. There is no such thing as dragons after all.

The Boon townsfolk learn differently when they're attacked as well. They, however, have a defense not available to the other towns--the space ship on which they arrived on the planet. It provides a shelter to protect them.

During the attack, Talei makes mental contact with one of the dragons. She soon learns that the dragons are not at fault, but are being forced to attack the human colonies by an alien race called the Pundras. With that knowledge, Talei leads a small group to the western continent--the home of the dragons--to help the dragons overcome the Pundra slavers.

Any more and I'd have to hide this review for spoilers.

Talei and Adri are likable, brave, and worthy. The dragons turn out to be noble and willing to partner with the humans to help both races survive.

This is a wonderful adventure story. Dragons and aliens are a great combination, and Sue Perkins does a good job combining the fantasy with the scifi. The second book in the series, Dragon Clans, is already available and I'm going to get my copy soon.

Great, fun read. I recommend the book (and most likely the entire series) to all the YA fantasy/sf readers who like an inventive and gripping adventure story.


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Quick Review - The Emerald City by J.A. Beard

The Emerald City by J.A. Beard
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I liked this book a lot. It held my attention from the first line onwards. The play on Wizard of Oz is handled deftly and not heavy-handed with th "look at my in-joke" attitude I've seen elsewhere.

Most surprising to me is how well Mr. Beard portrays the first person voice for Gail. His understanding of the teenage psyche is excellent.

There are a couple of downsides, but nothing that would diminish a pleasurable read. One of my main pains in the a.. (I guess the Osland Academy's rule against cursing applies here) is a bit of muddle with the rift watchers' roles since they're referred to both by their first names, then by "Miss Lastname." Maybe my brain cells are firing at full capacity, but I hate having to stop and think who is who.

I got my copy at Smashwords and found a lot of strange errors (missing words or extra words that just didn't smell of typo). At first, I was aghast at the number of errors, but then caught on that the uploaded file to Smashwords might be corrupt. I queried the author about these errors and determined that a flawed file was at fault. The Kindle and B&N editions should be much cleaner and the author is making adjustments. If you got an earlier version with the strangeness, don't count it as a fault.

This is a series, and I'm definitely interested in reading the next book. Best of all, I can choose to continue the series or not. I abhor books in a series that leave a clifhanger of gigantic proportions in an attempt to force the reader to buy the next in a series. My answer is always no. Give me a fully realized story in each book in a series or you won't keep me as a reader. Mr. Beard has done very well in making me WANT to know what happens next, rather than trying to force me to find out.


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Quick Review - Loyalty Binds Me by Joan Szechtman

Loyalty Binds Me by Joan Szechtman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Richard III. What's the first thing that comes to mind? Drowning little boys in a vat of wine? A hunched back that makes dogs bark at him? Lie, cheat, steal his way to the throne of England?

I've got news for you. There's a whole Ricardian Society that defends Richard III claiming he's not the horrible person portrayed by Will Shakespeare.

Ms. Szechtman gives the readers Richard's side of the story with a lovely device. She has Richard transported into the 21st Century where he attempts to live like a normal man. Unfortunately for Richard, the statute of limitations on murder is forever. He finds himself arrested for the murder of the princes.

This is a spellbinding book. Very original idea and handled well both historically and as a speculative fiction.

I was lucky to get an advance copy of the book. I've discovered recently that Loyalty Binds Me is now aailable at the usual outlets.

I recommend it to readers of historical fiction and speculative fiction. It's a nice blend of both.


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Quick Review - Desert Fire by H.M. Prevost

Note: A rarely give 5 stars to books even if I really liked them. I think this one was a step up, so it got one of my very very rare top ratings. 

Desert Fire by H.M. Prévost
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Boy, am I glad I bought Desert Fire. Also pleased I got it at a spectacular price.

This is everything a contemporary teen thriller should be. I was staying up way too late to read just a few more pages.

Desert Fire grabbed me from page 1 and did not disappoint all the way through to a brilliant ending. I won't give it away, but I'm super pleased the end sets up a perfect sequel.

We get a close look into the Arab world through the eyes of Nick, who's unwillingly moved to United Arab Emirates when his mother gets a job teaching English. I know H.M. lived in the area for several years, so I have no doubt as to the authenticity of the setting and culture.

Brothers Faris and Mohammad, are wonderful sidekicks, providing the hero with the backup support he needs to solve the mystery, but also provide respectful comic relief. I'd love to know these two wild and crazy Emiratis.

A bit of romance with an Arabian princess satisfies the romance readers. Will Nick get to know Shamsir despite the fact that her father would go ballistic if he knew she was flirting with a Canadian non-Arab?

Okay, lots of reviewers who happen to know the authors give 5 star reviews. I'm not one of them. I will grudgingly give out 4 stars for a very well-written book. I HAVE to give Desert Fire the top rating.


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Quick Review - Gypsy Blood

Gypsy Blood by Lorrie Unites-Struiff
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Rita is a cop. However, she's also of Romany blood and has a crystal that helps her find the bad guys. Using it, she can see the face of the last person the corpse saw before death. This works pretty well until, the last face isn't right. Rita thinks that her crystal's not working right, so she consults mom.

Problem is, the crystal is working fine, but the killer is...not so easy to find.

From that beginning, Gypsy Blood leads you into the realm of gypsies and a dark family secret. A major hunk, Matt, shows up to work the case. Rita is attracted, but tries to keep her distance. However, Matt knows things about the serial killer stalking the streets that Rita does not know. Together, they must find a horrible beast from the past who's killing prostitutes, but only because the taking is easy and the beast needs blood.

Ms. Unites-Struiff carries the story into the realm of the supernatural, along with some hot scenes between Rita and Matt, to take the reader along on a wild, supernatural ride. Great read.

*** Previously reviewed under the title Gypsy Crystal


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