Jeffrey A. Davis - Revenge of the Ninja

Revenge of the Ninja
The Adventure Chronicles #1


By Jeffrey A. Davis


Available on Amazon

Product Description (from Amazon)

Jamie and Yoshi are late twentieth century members of the Funakoshi ninja clan who were trained by Yoshi’s uncle, Tanemura Funakoshi. When the Waruiyatsu, a sinister clan with an ancient grudge, attack Jamie’s high school and hold his classmates hostage in an effort to bring Tanemura and his two students into the open, Jamie and his clan sister are forced to attempt a rescue. 

Going along are a close group of friends, each with his own interest in the fighting arts. From Dave, whose muscle-bound frame and love of a good scuffle are overshadowed by his cheerful personality and kind heart, to Buster, whose Bible is his greatest weapon, each of their friends has a loyalty to them and each other that is stronger than the Waruiyatsu can ever fathom.

This is a story of courage, friendship, and faith ....

About the Author (from Amazon)

Jeffrey Allen Davis was born on March 2, 1975, in St. Charles, MO.The youngest of three boys, he was sheltered by his loving mother. Instead of going out to parties when he was in high school, he stayed at home and watched 80s ninja movies or played RPGs with his fellow geeks (a term that he uses affectionately). These experiences have found their way into his writing. His first book, "Invasion of the Togakura", was released in 2003 by Publish America. It's sequel, "Klandestine Maneuvers", was published by the same company in 2005. After a five-year hiatus from publishing, Davis founded a new press for his third book, "Lily's Redemption." A rewrite of his first book, retitled "Invasion of the Ninja," was released in 2013.

Davis is a licensed Baptist preacher and lives in the St. Louis area with his wife, daughter and two stepchildren. http://www.jeffreyallendavis.tk

O.Scarlett! REVIEW by Kendra

A few years back, Jeffery Davis contacted me, asking if I would review his book, and I agreed, since the premise of a Christain Ninja novel appealed to me, not so much because I enjoy ninjas, but because I have cousins who do, and I wanted to see if it was a book that I could give to them.

I started the book right away, and finally finished it a few months ago, feelings very mixed. It wasn't entirely the book's fault that it took me so long to read it - I switched kindles in the middle of it, and since it was a review file, it wasn't easy for me to skip ahead through the book to where I'd left off. It wasn't until late last year that I was given my old kindle back and was able to finish the book. Still, since I wasn't interested in burrowing through the book to find my place, it meant that I wasn't invested - and I was halfway through the book. I should have been invested by that point.

Honestly, I think that the premise still holds a lot of promise. A ninja tribe converted to Christianity, but decide to retain their traditions and skills (the ones that don't involve mysticism, that is). I've been toying with a people group who did the exact same thing in one of my own books. The further premise that they're being attacked by one of their old rivals, I loved that, too. 

The problem with this book is a problem I see in many Christian books. It tries to do too much. Address all of the issues. As a result, the characters are molded to bring issues, rather than the issues brought up in response to the characters. There was a huge cast, but the only one whose name I can remember is Yoshi, and there are only a few distinct personalities that I can pick out from the rest of the crowd. I have a good memory when it comes to books. I don't forget people. But I was so meh about all of these characters that only the main character and the preacher kid, and the preacher kid's love interest stand out in my mind. Oh, and Yoshi's ... uncle, I believe it was.

The main character, Jamie (just referred to the book's description to get his name...), is an American kid who was honorarily adopted by Christian Ninja tribe after a run-in with thugs a few years back where he showed fighting promise. Now he keeps quiet about his ninja skills at school ... until a bully pushes him over the edge. Oh, and then the rival tribe shows up and besieges them in school.

After that, the book alternates between action scenes and conversations about Sensitive Topics.

Topics like swearing, salvation, domestic violence, saving yourself for marriage...

Granted, these are important topics that need to be addressed, but this wasn't necessarily the best book for them. It felt as though the characters were built for the sole reason of talking about these issues. In short, it came out preachy. Even for a book with a preacher kid in it. There was even an awkward jab at abortion at the end that just ... fell flat.

I might have forgiven it, if it hadn't ignored the glaring issues that the book was MADE to address. Violence and the dangers of mysticism. There was a LOT of fighting. Sure, the characters would express remorse for outright killing, but they had no problems with knocking characters unconscious, which, contrary to popular belief, can potentially kill someone. If a knock to the head is hard enough to render you unconscious, it's enough to kill you.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not anti-fighting, and I knew what I was getting into. Giving that the enemies were trying to kill our characters, I don't blame them for fighting back. I just wanted there to be more than just a few moment's remorse, and an acknowledgement that they'd not come out of the incident the same when it was over.

Mysticism was addressed even less. A bit at the front of "oh, we don't follow those ways," and then at the end when a prophecy popped out of nowhere and uncle claimed that it might actually have weight.

And then the villains were ... faceless. They were there for no reason but to be fought. Oh, and they're trying to kill the main cast, and traumatized Yoshi when she was younger, but they had no individual personalities.

My other issue was the flashbacks. They're clearly marked, but I failed to notice and was seriously confused on the first one. Normally, I'd forgive them, since they're marked, but almost of the information you learn in the flashbacks is either pointless or it could have been just as easily conveyed in a three minute conversation elsewhere. I'm not a huge fan of flashbacks, though - I've rarely found a book with them that I felt handled it well - so this may be a me-issue.

I don't hate this book, and I don't feel that the time reading it was wasted. I'm just very meh about it. And I don't want to feel meh about a book.

Genre/Theme: Action/Adventure, Christian, Contemporary

Reading Level: TEEN - upper elementary to middle school 
Profanity: NONE - no offensive language, as far as I can remember, though glancing through the other reviews, it is stated that a character does swear, but his words aren't given. 
Sexuality: SUBTLE - hinted, but not explicit. Two of the characters have a discussion about waiting until marriage to have sex. 
Other: 
There is a LOT of fighting. I forget how graphic it was, though, because I tend to skim action scenes.  

Vicki V. Lucas - Toxic

Toxic
The Trap Series


By Vicki V. Lucas 


Available on Amazon

Product Description (from Amazon)

In a fantasy world, a reckless teen must join forces with a determined student and an insecure musician to fight terrifying armies and powerful sorcerers to purify the poisoned water that is sweeping across the land.

While facing global annihilation from toxic water in Eltiria, Kai is trying to save his sister from death. But when he seizes his only chance to make enough money to pay for healers, his plans are torn to shreds, and he finds himself battling monsters as he is chased farther away from his family.

Lizzy travels to a nearby city for safety, only to watch her older brother dragged away from her by monsters from myths. Running for her life, she must find a way to reunite her family as she is thrown into choices that lead her further from what she wants. Taryn knows it is his destiny to save the world through magic and is on his way to begin his journey to greatness. But then his beliefs are challenged as he is thrown off the path he has chosen for himself and into a life he never desired.

Guided by a mysterious winged horse named Eladar, they discover that the world is not what they thought and everything they believed was wrong. Can they locate the source of the poison and find their faith as they battle to find the truth in a world of chaos and destruction?

About the Author (from Amazon)

Vicki V. Lucas has always struggled with the question "What are you going to be when you grow up?" She received her Bachelor's in Psychology...only to find herself with no desire to counsel people. She obtained a Master's in Teaching English as a Second Language. Teaching at universities and colleges gave her incredible experiences and unforgettable friends from many different countries. However, the distant mountains called, and she responded. After traveling through quiet places, she settled in Missoula, MT with her family. She has begun to write the Christian YA fantasy stories she heard on the wind.

Toxic is the first of these stories. Set in the fantasy world of Eltiria, it is the tale of a young untrained warrior who has been sent on a quest to purify the poisoned water of the world. Together with the help of Lizzy and Taryn, they seek to find a solution for both their world and their own problems.

Vicki loves to hear what you have to say. Please leave a review or visit her webpage at www.vickivlucas.com. But if she doesn't respond very soon, just remember that she may be off in the lonely mountains.

O.Scarlett! REVIEW by Kendra

I picked this story up for free at least a year and a half ago. I sent it directly to my android app, since I loved the cover and thought the theme sounded intriguing. I gobbled down the introduction and first chapter or so, and then the POV changed to a completely different character who I didn't identify with ... so I put it down and read something else.

Ever so often I would pull it back up and read another chapter, but for some reason, I couldn't connect to the story. It was following three very different characters on three very different paths, and I couldn't stay interested.

The other day, however, I stumbled across it on my new kindle, and since I really wanted to finish the book, pulled it up, prepared to plow through another chapter - except that suddenly the three stories converged and I was now interested! I finished the book that very day.

The three main characters are Kai, Lizzy, and Taryn. Kai is the son of a crippled race jockey, and his younger sister is sick with the plague. He wants to find a cure for her, and also achieve the fame that his father lost. Lizzy is the daughter of traveling musicians, who doesn't measure up to her older brother. She desperately wants to prove herself to her parents and earn their love. Taryn wants power. He thinks he has natural magic - and some of the people from the temple he talked with seemed to confirm it. There's also a wind spirit named Foehn, who was an interesting character.

The uniting issue they face is the fact that the water is poisoned. 

Kai seemed to be the main character, but unfortunately, I didn't connect to him, much preferring Lizzy's and Foehn's stories. So I kept wandering away from this book.

And then the three protagonists met, and from that moment on, I couldn't put the book down, and by the time I'd finished, it was on my list of the best Christian Fantasies I've ever read. The worldbuilding was amazing, though weird at moments (Zombie - I mean, Untwanted army anyone?). The plot moved quickly, and twisted enough I couldn't tell how it was going to end. And the Christian message was well done.

This was not an allegory. Yes, there was a Jesus figure, but he belonged to the world's history. I was really impressed with this, since prior to this book, I don't think I'd ever read a fantasy that had dealt with our Lord's Sacrifice and had chosen to treat it as history. It didn't loose any of its power for that, and it still played a huge role in the plot.

I thoroughly recommend this book to anyone.

Genre/Theme: Christian, Fantasy, Adventure

Reading Level:  TEEN - upper elementary to middle school 
Profanity: NONE - no offensive language 
Sexuality: NONE - not even hinted at, although one young man, after being stabbed in the stomach jokes that, had it been any lower, he wouldn't have been able to father any children. 
Other: 
Lots of fighting. Some dabbling in magic, but it is portrayed as bad.

Melody Jackson - The Dragon Within

The Dragon Within



By Melody Jackson


Available on Amazon

Product Description (from Amazon)

Are dragons good...or evil? 

Kaena Armae doesn’t really care either way. No one’s seen a dragon in over twenty years, so why should she even care? 

But when she comes face to face with the shocking truth in the forest near her home, she is forced to choose sides in a feud that 
started centuries ago. 

And the real war is just beginning. 

Now, Kaena must convince opposing sides to join together to combat an ancient evil, or face the destruction of their whole world, forever. 

But what if they’re fighting the wrong enemy?

About the Author (from Amazon)

Melody Jackson lives in the unbearably hot state of Arizona, (well, at least it's a dry heat) and enjoys writing, singing, playing guitar, and, well, more writing. She lives with her crazy family, as well as a menagerie of animals, including her four siblings, cats, and one grumpy chinchilla.

O.Scarlett! REVIEW by Kendra

I have mixed feelings about this book.

For an author's first book, it wasn't bad, In fact, I found it to be a very clever slant on dragons. The character cast was engaging, the worldbuilding delightful, and the spiritual truths well done. The plot kept me on the edge of my seat, and I had NO idea how things could possibly sort themselves out. However the characters also had a habit of falling flat, and the plot jerked uncomfortably in places, and there were formatting issues.

The book begins with a Kaena trying to catch a chicken that has run into the forest - dragon territory. When she actually runs into a dragon and finds herself able to communicate telepathically, and, when men attack and she's able to use a sword despite - as far as she can remember at least - never having picked one up in her life, she begins to question everything she thought she knew. Then the dragon gives her an egg, which hatches in her bedroom, and she then has to conceal the cute baby dragon that grows, as is typical of dragons, rather quickly. The common opinion on dragons is that they should be eradicated.

Her brother, Jarden, is of that opinion. In fact, he's working with the guy who's at the head of dragon eradication, who he thinks is his uncle. He discovers her baby dragon, and tries to get her to give it up. When she refuses, he feels he has no choice but to bring the matter to the "uncle."

With help from her father, who has also realized that she has a dragon, but is on the dragon's side, she escapes, and flies away to the house of someone who he told her would help her. While there, she discovers that her memory had been wiped as a child, and that her real parents are leaders on the dragon's side, and that she used to come here as for sword training. But even here she isn't safe and she and Toran, the son in this household, have to run again. Eventually, they end up where her parents are, and then in the middle of a war.

It was a very detailed world, and I can tell that Melody put a lot of time and effort into it, though I found a few details, such as timing, hazy. Also, one of my favorite characters, Treya, is obviously half dragon - she has a pair of blue wings - but when you meet her parents, both appear to be human. Also, I would have liked a scene where she and her half brother actually sat down and talked about their relationship once he found out about it, but it never happened.

As for the spiritual side, while I really liked how she managed the theme of how everyone has an evil nature, "the dragon within" per se, and especially Jarden's struggle. However the Sacrifice scene, while it isn't the worst allegory ever done, there was a high level of "blink and you miss it," and I think I blinked. Also, the Jesus character was a bit too fond of "bending the rules" for me to be comfortable with.

And, finally, the formatting. I don't like to bring formatting into reviews, but this one had two big issues. I read the Smashwords version, and I don't know if Kindle has the same issue, but first of all, the book is in the file twice. Literally. Part of the reason I had no idea what was going to happen next was that, I thought I wasn't yet half-way through the book when things started to tie up. And then it ended and went into character lists and such. And then the story started over. The other problem was that, in the first go-round of the story, the first line of every chapter was missing. The same didn't seem to be true of the second go-round when I skimmed over it to confirm that, yes, the book was here twice.

But all that aside, this was a very good book for a first-time author, and I enjoyed my journey through this world that Melody created. The plot was thought-provoking. And, while I went into the book hoping for a story about half-dragons (for some reason, I had that theme on my mind when I came across the book), I wasn't disappointed in the plot I found. I fully intend to read the sequel when it comes out.

Genre/Theme: Fantasy, Dragons, Adventure, Christian 

Reading Level: TEEN - upper elementary to middle school 
Mature TEEN - high school to college 
ADULT - self-explanatory 
Profanity: NONE - no offensive language 
Sexuality: NONE - not even hinted at. I think there was a kiss at the wedding at the end, but that would be as far as it went. 
Other: Lots of fighting and people dying. At one point, Teran goes to a 

Molly Evangeline - Trust

Trust
Makilien Trilogy


By Molly Evangeline


Kindle Edition Available

Product Description (from Amazon)

Struggling to cope with the losses of battle, Makilien seeks to live each day in trust of Elohim's plans. As the conflict of hope and reality war in her mind, a sudden arrival changes everything, bringing to light a new scheme wrought by the remnant of Zirtan's men.
Finding herself witness to a shocking act of treachery, Makilien is thrust into the very center of the dangerous plans. Trust is something she must give carefully as those who appear trustworthy fail even as those she would least expect could hold the key to success. Can she and those around her secure their safety and freedom or will they find themselves outwitted by their enemy's final act of dominance?

About the Author (from Amazon)

Molly Evangeline is the oldest of three, all of whom are homeschool graduates. Since graduating she has actively pursued her writing career and is the author of the historical adventure series Pirates & Faith. She currently lives with her family in Wisconsin where she continues to focus on her writing and other creative endeavors.

O.Scarlett! REVIEW by Kendra

After receiving and reviewing the first two books of the trilogy, I was on the edge of my seat in anticipation for book three. When it came out, it had a special introductory kindle price of 99 cents, and I just happened to have 99 cents in my Amazon gift card balance … so I snatched it up. I had it read within twenty-four hours. (The only book I can claim to have read within twenty-four hours its release)

And it's taken me … ten months to get around to writing the review. I really need to get on the ball with this reviewing business.

I approached this book with much trepidation. On one hand I already loved the world and most of the characters, and I really wanted to know what was up with the cliff hanger ending … but it was the last book in the trilogy, and I didn't want it to end. Also, I was left with a blah taste in my mouth from the last book's repetitiveness … and I didn't want to read the same book for the third time in a row.

I needn't have worried. This book was delightfully new, different, surprising, amazing, wonderful, and I'd almost come to like Makilien by the end of the book.

The book begins a year after the events of Courage. Unlike the previous two books, it began not in Reylaun, but in Elimar, where Makilien and Vonawyn are hiding behind a tree while strange men are shooting at them.

And they had thought the battle was over.

Things make even less sense when they discover that the orders given to the men are signed with a "V" rather than the "Z" that would have pointed to Zirtan. Someone is putting Zirtan's army back together and pestering them again.

On a more personal and emotional level, Makilien is still, after a year, trying to get over the fact that they hadn't been able to find a certain someone at the end of the great battle at the end of Courage. What's worse is that, just as she was beginning to accept that he has died, she has begun waking up in the middle of the night with strong urges to pray for him.

The plot twists in this book were amazing. Every time I thought I had everything figured out, it would take a new turn and I was left gasping for air. And every time it made complete sense! 

As for Characters, despite the fact that I never connected with Makilien, everyone else was superb. There were many old faces, many new faces, and no one felt out of place or forced upon me. One new person was the identical twin to one of the old characters a twist I absolutely loved. I may or may not have mentioned this before, but I love twins.

As for romance, Makilien's was beautiful. As for the other two, the one I had known about from book two still left me unsatisfied. I hadn't seen them together enough in Courage and they didn't get a single moment together in Trust until the epilogue. The new one, however, was sweet and sad. I hope he someday realizes that he can have a happily ever after, even if he had been a force for evil for so long. There was another one hinted at, and I liked the hint, but I would have preferred to see her and her people in person. Guess there wasn't time for it. And there are two characters that I strongly suspect will fall in love when she gets older. She's still seven right now, but he's an elf, so there's time.

My hugest qualm with this book is that the Jesus character, who had been so important in book one, received only one or two mentions. I admired the theme of trusting in God, or Elohim, but I would have liked His Son to have received more credit.

But everything else, every twist, every new character, every part of the theme of Trust was amazing. It was a perfect conclusion to the trilogy, and while I'd like more, I don't think the author plans to write more ... which is a pity unless you consider the fact that her upcoming Ilyon series is going to be twice as long and thrice as exciting!

Note: Highly recommended for teen girls who love fantasy but don't want the magic so often prevalent in the genre.

Genre/Theme: Christian Allegory, Fantasy, Adventure

Reading Level: TEEN - upper elementary to middle school 
Profanity: NONE - no offensive language 
Sexuality: NONE - I think I remember some kissing, but that was it.
Other: 
As with the former two books, there's war going on. People get killed trough various methods (including poisons), people are tortured, whipped, made slaves. It can be quite frightening at times.

Molly Evangeline - The Pirate Daughter's Promise

The Pirate Daughter's Promise
Pirates and Faith


By Molly Evangeline


Kindle Edition Available




Product Description (from Amazon) 

Orphaned at a young age, Skylar McHenry grew up as little more than a servant and shunned by everyone around her because of her reputation as a pirate's daughter. Each day Skye faces is marked by some new struggle. Her only hope is to rely on her heavenly Father's care and comfort and the solace of her best friend, Will, who has become more than dear to her.

Just when an unexpected encounter gives Skye a small glimmer of hope that things might change in her favor, her world is shattered. She is awakened in the night by cannon blasts. Pirates storm the orphanage, drag her away, and force her aboard their ship. The cruel captain's intentions are clear. He will extract from her, through any means necessary, the location of the treasure hidden by her father. For Skye to divulge the location would mean breaking the last promise she made to him. She's certain she never will, but what happens when the lives of those dearest to her are at stake?

The Pirate Daughter's Promise is full of daring high seas adventure; sweet, wholesome romance; surprising discoveries; unlikely new friends; and the rewards of trusting in God even when life seems impossible.

About the Author (from Amazon)

Molly Evangeline has been using her active imagination to create stories since she was eight years old, encouraged by her mom's own love for writing. For years she wrote as a pastime until age fifteen when she began writing her first historical Christian novel, The Pirate Daughter's Promise, book one of her Pirates & Faith series. Three years later, it became the first of her books to be published.

Molly credits her success to God and her mom's teaching, guidance, and decision to homeschool her from kindergarten through high school. Since graduating she has actively pursued her independent writing career while living with her family in Wisconsin.

For more information, visit her website: www.mollyevangeline.com

O.Scarlett! REVIEW by Kendra



After reading and reviewing the first two books of Molly’s fantasy trilogy, I offered to read and review her Historical Fiction as well.

The Pirate Daughter’s Promise was Molly’s first book, so I knew that to have the same high expectations I had gleaned from Makilien would be unreasonable. Pirates aren’t my usual forte, but I do enjoy good historical fiction, so I was willing to give it a go.

The prologue was somewhat hard to get into, but I knew to expect that from reading other reviews. Once I got past the prologue, it was a whirlwind of a book that twisted and turned and kept me guessing. I was never able to guess what would happen to Skye – all I knew was that somehow she and Will would somehow come through in the end (and that only from reading the description of the second book). My biggest complaint in that area is that the twists felt, at times, contrived. They were too out of the blue. They made sense after they were explained … but … still …

While reading the book, I couldn’t help but compare Skye to Makilien. On the whole, I think I preferred Skye as a main character and as a person in general. She seemed more human to me – more of a woman. She was already a good fighter at the beginning of the book, but it made sense because she spent her first seven years of her life on the open sea, and the village weapon smith – who is pretty much her only friend beyond Will – helped her keep her skills up. Not only that, her years in the orphanage had softened her. Her name bothered me as out of place for the era, but I got used to it. It suited her.

Normally pirates and faith don’t mix – but it did for this book. The pirates aren’t the good guys. Skye’s father, though he had been a pirate, repented of his crimes. His treasure was amassed of the rewards he had gotten for recapturing and returning what pirates had stolen from others.

However, due to his pirate past, he was arrested and put in prison. Then punished the way all pirates ought to be punished: hanging. Skye was only seven. The last time she saw him he extracted from her a promise to never tell anyone where the treasure is hidden. Until she’s eighteen, the promise is easy. She’s in an orphanage, and there’s no one who wants to know, and even those she is close to would not be able to help her get the treasure. Telling would be pointless, and possibly dangerous.

But then the man that had been her father’s captain during his pirate days appears and kidnaps her. And his goal isn’t exactly a pleasure cruise. He’s got his heart set on that treasure, you see, and she’s the only one who knows where it is hidden.

This is a beautiful story, though it was a tad bit rough around the edges. I recommend it just as highly as I do her Fantasy trilogy. I’m eager to read the rest of the series once I finish with the last book of her trilogy.


Genre/Theme: Pirates, historical fiction, Christian


Reading Level:  TEEN - upper elementary to middle school
Profanity: NONE - no offensive language – the pirates are mentioned to use bad words, but the actual words are left unsaid
Sexuality: NONE - not even hinted at

Other:
Quite a bit of fighting, involving people dying. Whipping and starvation are employed to try to convince Skye to give up the location to her father’s treasure.

Yvonne Anderson - Words in the Wind

Words in the Wind
Gateway to Gannah


By Yvonne Anderson 


Kindle Version Available




Product Description (from Amazon)

Dassa is back on Gannah, but things aren’t going the way she’d planned.

A shuttle crash leaves her marooned 10,000 kilometers from the settlement just as a blizzard sets in. Injured, she takes refuge in Ruwach Gorge. Seeking food and shelter, she stumbles across the ruins of a place she’d always thought was a myth. What she finds there casts doubt on some of her fundamental beliefs.

Her husband, Pik, reluctantly takes charge of the settlement in her absence and organizes a search for her. Rebellious settlers and a wayward daughter make things difficult enough. But when the planet’s animals threaten to break the ancient treaty and resume the old Wildlife Wars, Pik’s hard-pressed to hold things together. If he can manage to find Dassa, will she have a home to come back to?

Alone in the mysterious canyon where reality and fairytale are flipped, Dassa wonders the same thing.

About the Author (from Amazon)

Anderson writes fiction that takes you out of this world. Words in the Wind is the second in her Gateway to Gannah series.

Visit her Website

O.Scarlett! REVIEW by Rachel


Warning .. don’t pick up this book unless you have time to be transported to another time and place for several hours.  At nearly 300 pages, it took me around 8 – 10 hours to read.
Pik and Dassa are again the main two characters, but where The Story in the Stars (first book) jumped from location to location, and shifted sub characters several times, this book has two primary locations and only one set of characters. Many of them were in the first book, and it was delightful to get to know them better.

Whereas the first book’s theme was love and forgiveness and the Gospel, this story is about maintaining our Walk with God and obedience and discipline.  There are many spots that will make you squirm in your seat, particularly if you find that character’s words and thoughts too much like your own.  Another splendid novel by Yvonne Anderson, and I feel sure she would say to give the glory to God.

Words in the Wind is not a soft read; it will grab you and work you over a bit.  It will stretch your comfort zone, and pull your comfy chair right out from under you.  I laughed.  I cried.  My heart ached and rejoiced.  I don’t often enjoy emotional books – but this one had a subtle lesson as it took you through the journey and was far beyond the typical “tear-jerker”.

While ‘Stars’ had an underlying “Star Trek” feel to the universe, because the entire story takes place on Gannah, there is very little of that feeling in this book.  Gannah was a familiar location from the first book, and so it felt homey and unique all at the same time.  The plot here is vastly different from ‘Stars.’  The book flips back and forth between Pik’s story and Dassa’s story.

Basic Plot

A decade or more has passed.

Dassa has just finished translating an ancient log book for the Karkar.  She has spent several weeks on a space ship, piloted by the captain of the rescue ship in the first book, Dr. Broward.  In spite of less than clear skies and her better judgment, she opts to return to the surface of the planet, she is so anxious to see her two children and husband Pik again.  But as the shuttle descends, Yasha talks with Dassa about her attitude of aloofness and hiding from him.  Suddenly, things go very wrong ... and the shuttle crashes.

Dassa survives the crash, only to find herself in the most edge of a gorge at the northern edge of the land.  A blizzard is beginning, and temperatures are dropping fast.  She needs to find shelter fast – and in spite of her injuries, including damaging her meah, she escapes the burning shuttle, kills a lion, takes his skin, and manages to escape down the edge of the gorge against all odds of her surviving.  She knows help will arrive ... eventually.  But she also knows that winter has begun, and the storm above could rage unchecked for weeks.  In the meantime, she needs to find food and shelter, warm clothes, and better shoes.  This is one part of her world that she knows very little about.

After many days of travel, which take several chapters due to the extreme danger, she arrives at a statue – and realizes that the mythical cities of the stories of her people are not myths at all.  What she finds inside shakes her to her very core and upends everything she thought she knew about her beloved Gannah’s history.

But she is determined to return home.  She estimates it will take her a year, maybe two, but she will cross all of Gannah with nothing more than her survival skills, her faith in Yasha, and the ghosts that haunt her memories.

Meanwhile ...

Pik has suddenly found himself the Gannah ruler of over 1000 Earthers.  None of them truly understand Gannah yet, and they feel the loss of Dassa as a young child would feel to be suddenly ripped from loving parents.  Dassa’s two children especially feel this loss, as they are separated from their mother’s meah as well – something they have never been without, no matter how far away she has been.  Eventually, the young daughter’s fears and anguish cause her to make an unwise choice and she is badly injured.

Meanwhile, one of the council members uses Dassa’s disappearance to advance his own agenda.  He wants to lead a group to start a second settlement, and he will stop at nothing to get his way.  Pik does his best to treat him fairly and keep the matter private.

The animals come to talk to them – only Adam had a meah to talk to them – and they try to trick the humans into breaking their agreement – and then report that one of them has seen Dassa, but was unable to communicate with her.

The first rescue attempt was called short, but they see signs that Dassa is alive.  But with so many things going wrong at the settlement, and the bad weather of winter, will she be able to continue to survive?  Can the settlement survive without her?

........

Whether you are “into sci-fi” or not, this book is compelling on so many human levels as well.  It will challenge you to re-evaluate where you stand in your faith, and compel you to a more faithful level of obedience.  At least, I found that true for myself.

Now that I’ve finished reading, I find myself mulling over things.  And definitely, I am looking forward to the next book.   The book comes to an end at a good place, but it leaves several problems unsolved and unaddressed, minor issues to be sure, but a vital part of the sub plot.

Thank you so much to Yvonne for inviting us into her world of Gannah.

I handed the books to my sci-fi loving 14 year old daughter, and she is devouring them as well, and has declared them “too good to let me sleep until I know how it ends!”


O.Scarlett! review by V. Kathie

This book did not captivate me as much as the first, but I still enjoyed it. Mom says it is probably because I am not a mother and I never had to deal with the problem of “what would happen to my family if I was separated from them for a large amount of time.” Although that broken arm of hers gave my imagination a work out as I tried to picture the book as it happened. I kept having her reach for things with her right hand but realized that was the one that was broken so I had to switch my mental picture to having her reach with her left hand.
I was able to put this one down a whole lot easier than the last one. But I still had trouble. I enjoyed the lesson and it got me thinking. (I love a book that makes me think, probably why I enjoy listening to Unshackled so much.) If you are the type of person who has a ‘camera’ running in your head while you are reading something you probably will have a bit more trouble reading it than if you are not. I had to walk away from it every thirty minutes to let my ‘camera’ cool off although I do enjoy a good mind stretcher that works with my brain to see things in different lights. I give this book a five star rating and will definitely be reading it over and over and over again.



Note:  Depending on a child’s ability to handle violence, this book could be enjoyed by most Jr. High students, and some in upper elementary.  Violence is not the theme of the book, but is “extreme” (not graphic) on the occasions that it occurs.   Theme is learning obedience and reliance on God through the things that you suffer.


Genre/Theme:  Science Fiction, Survival/Adventure, Christian,
Reading Level:  TEEN - high school to college  (ages 10 and up)
Profanity:  Mild
Sexuality: Very SUBTLE - hinted, but not explicit  -  people marry, have babies, and the Captain flirts
Other: Dassa crashes on the northern most extreme edge of her world (only one land mass) just as winter begins.  Describes crash and the extremes she goes to in order to survive.  At the settlement,  one child is badly injured.  A few descriptions of the violence of the animals of the planet.

PJ Marsden - Amelia, the Monkey, and the Magic Bag

Amelia, the Monkey, and the Magic Bag

By PJ Marsden


Kindle Edition Available 




Product Description (from Amazon) 

Fantasy adventure for YA/10+   .

Amelia's uncles, aunts and cousins are different from ordinary folk, as they come from another world. So when the family arrives for a holiday visit, strange and exciting things start to happen.

But it gets more serious when invaders from a sinister under-world start sneaking in, and it's up to the family to stop them. There are many twists and turns, many dangers to face and many enemies to outwit, before Amelia can take her rightful place in the promised world Beyond.

If you like a non-stop adventure with lots of exotic characters, clever animals and secret identities, as well as magic, mystery and danger... if you like a long thrilling read, then this is the book for you.


About the Author (from Amazon)

I love reading books that take me to strange places, real or imagined, and when I started writing I found that my pen was taking me far away too.

But whatever the setting, some things are constant, like love and fear and courage, and these are also present in the worlds I'd like to share with you.

My first two novels have been republished as Kindle eBooks, and I'm currently busy on my third.


O.Scarlett! REVIEW by Rachel


Amelia caught me off guard, I was expecting a much shorter story and nowhere near complex.  But the book was neither short nor simple.  It was delightfully complex, and did a wonderful job of telling the WHOLE story.  It even has a brilliant conclusion, enough of a puzzle in case a second book should be written, but enough closure to make you feel it was solid and complete.

Amelia is a delightful girl, plenty of spunk and tons of courage, but she still respects those around her, showing love and care for all.  Amelia is the core character, but you also get to know her mom really well too, and both are a huge mystery.

There is magic in this book – but each person has a certain type of magic, and each world’s magic is different from the next, with lower worlds having darker magic or no magic.  Amelia lives in London with her mother and her father, although at school, she has no father listed.  Her father comes from Above.  Her mother is a mystery, one that will unfold as the book progresses – but is never quite solved.

Every summer, Amelia’s family comes to a cottage (a very large cottage) where all of  the aunts and uncles and cousins come and spend several weeks together.  During the preparation for their trip, Takers show up, and the family makes a brief stop inside Above and Beyond, where Amelia finds a cute monkey.  It follows her when they return to the train.

This year, Amelia turns nine and that is very special in this family – for that is when the children are assigned their names.  Not just any name, but a name that defines their magic ... except that Amelia shows absolutely no color or talent at all.  This summer is different in another way as well, for the Grandmother Purple is coming to her party, and so is cousin Herbert.

It is through Herbert’s mischief that her color shows itself, the day of her party – she’s a silver! and that means she can talk to animals.  But Grandmother makes a startling discovery during the party, as she watches Amelia place all of her presents into her small hand bag.  It is a magic hand bag, and very rare, everything that is put inside will fit, and it still will weigh nothing more than the bag.

The next morning, she sees Herbert sneaking around, and it isn’t long before things start to go very wrong.  The tunnel appears to be collapsing – and everyone packs and leaves in a huge hurry.  Amelia and her mother plan to wait for her father ... but end up sneaking back to London the next morning.  They are cut off from everyone – including the father.

Nearly three years pass ... and strange things start to happen.  First, Amelia accidentally uses her father’s purple pen in her diary to her aunt ... and the aunt writes back giving her advice, but runs out of ink before the sentence is finished.  There is a sinister plan afoot, and Amelia may hold a key part.

Help is found in the most unlikely place, and suddenly everything is bumped into high gear – the 3 years are nearly up – Down Under and the Takers are gaining more and more control of London and Above and Beyond.  Who is behind it?  Who can they turn to for help, and who is the enemy?

The story slowed a tiny bit in the middle, while they were stuck waiting for something to happen.   But the action never stops, twists and turns and surprises await at every new chapter.   I was sorry to see the book end, it was such an enchanting story – a great early fantasy book for children – lots of action, but not too scary.  It is a very clean story – well developed plot and characters – and believable conversations and action.  Lots of silliness balances the tension nicely.

A delightful story for young and old alike, perfect for an advanced reader, or as a read aloud for bedtime or snuggling afternoons.  I really liked that Amelia was a respectful child, and not a brat as is so common in stories today.  I wouldn’t mind if my child brought Amelia home as a friend – and in the pages of this book, you will soon feel as if she is your friend.


Note:  I would not have a problem with my 7 year old son reading, or listening to this book, although I’m pretty sure that some of the characters will be rather disturbing to him.   Reading level is mid 3rd to 4th grade, but it is a long book at 284 pgs.

Genre/Theme: Fantasy, Children, Family, Adventure,
Reading Level: TEEN - upper elementary to middle school  (Age 10 +)
Profanity:  LOW - few mildly offensive words  (there are a smattering of words that a few will find distasteful)
Sexuality: NONE - not even hinted at 
Other:   The flat faced “Takers” are as violent as this book gets.  But that can be pretty scary – as the name suggests.  Also, the people from “under” are not pleasant characters either.

Kay Lawrence - Billy of Boldre Wood

Billy of Boldre Wood
Boldre Woods Trilogy


By Kay Lawrence 


Kindle Version Available 




Product Description (from Amazon) 

Boldre Wood, a vast, wild, impenetrable forest, stretches from the eastern shores of the continent all the way to the west. Undisturbed by man, the forest is home to a miniature race of people who live in the ancient trees. Theirs is a dangerous world, where even the smallest insect is a formidable foe.
Shielded from these dangers by his parents during his early childhood, Barnaby 'Billy' Billicoot is brutally forced to face the reality of his world when he is orphaned at the age of fourteen.
As his mother lies dying from the viral infection raging through Angloak, she tells Billy of her belief that he will go on to make their world a better place. With his mother's dying prophecy ringing in his ears, Billy sets out to learn more about his home, only to be immediately attacked by the vicious stairway-men who rule the great stairs of the tree.
Can one young boy really make such a hostile world a better place, especially when he learns of a new threat facing Boldre Wood, more deadly and terrifying than anything they have ever seen before?


About the Author (from Amazon)

I always loved writing stories. It was one of the few things that ever won me praise in school. I wasn't good at maths, or catching a ball, or remembering historical dates and figures, but I could spin a yarn. I announced at an early age that I planned to be a writer and keep my parents in style. Now, all these years later I am a writer, though the style I'm keeping my parents in is probably not all they might have hoped for.
As a writer I'm a bit of a butterfly, flitting through age ranges and genre as the mood takes me. My children's fantasy adventure series, The Boldre Wood Trilogy, has now made its debut on Kindle in the form of Book One, Billy of Boldre Wood. Boldre Wood is home to a miniature race of people who live in the ancient trees, fighting for survival in a hostile world. Book Two will follow, hopefully, later this year.
In meantime, I'm working on a collection of short stories for Kindle, 'The QT Anthology', as well as adding to the growing library of shorts on my website: http://www.quirkytales.co.uk



O.Scarlett! REVIEW by Rachel

  This was a surprising book, and in the end I enjoyed it very much, other than one character who used d*** many times.  This one problem may make parents hesitate to allow their younger children to read the book, especially since the more acceptable Darn could have been used in it’s place.  Other than that, I was quite delighted with the story.

What child doesn’t dream of little people, and living in trees – this book has both.  It gets off to a really awkward start, a little girl in a school yard is telling a story to her friends, and then it switches over to a tree and rambles this way and that for a ways before landing with the main character.  I honestly nearly put the book down, the beginning was confusing and I didn’t see what it had to do with the story once it got under way, especially the little girl in the school yard.  But eventually, you arrive at the end of the introduction, and the story gets started.  Fortunately, I rarely let a bad introduction stop me from reading a story, because I found Billy to be a charming character, along with Tommy and Errol.

The story gets started with the three boys in the school yard.  You get to know them a bit before some catastrophe shakes the tree ... everyone runs to investigate.  Billy’s father is the floor hero – and he takes charge of the situation, but as the hours drag on and on, he doesn’t return home.  His father has fallen out of the tree.  They live on the 14th floor.

I do not know how many floors are above, from the wasp invasion, I guessed at least 3 or 4 more, and Billy and his friends eventually travel all the way down to the 5th floor.  It usually takes nearly a full day of walking to go from floor to floor, and the stairways are filled with despicable characters of all kinds, who survive by stealing from people who are foolish enough to travel alone, or too weak to keep up with the others.

There is a plot to this book, but to write out a basic plot as I often do for my reviews, would give far too much of the story away.

Before the end of the first chapter, Billy has lost his father, and life gets a lot harder.  He is a poor boy, but many, if not most, of the inhabitants of this floor are on the poor side.  Through school, you learn a little about the tree and it’s heroes.  Pay attention in school!

You begin to realize how fiercely loyal the boys friendship is, while they fight the war with the wasps.  The entire tree is under attack, and every able bodied man is called upon to do his duty to protect the tree.

Later, a virus rips through the tree, and Billy’s mother is one of the few on floor 14 who catches the virus, and the only one on their floor to die.  Billy decides that it is his duty to go to floor 13 and inform his mother’s parents of her death.  That is when the real adventure starts, up to this point, the focus has mainly been on character development and understanding the lifestyle of the tree people.

As she lay dying, Billy’s mother tells him that he is destined for greatness, and that he will make a big difference to life in the tree.  Through the rest of the book, the reader learns about how different life is on other floors, the overall politics of the tree, form friendships, learn about themselves and each other, and discover that there is a threat to their way of life far more dangerous than anything that they could ever imagine.

In spite of this book being the first of a trilogy, it ends quite nicely.  Their are hints of a new mystery that will likely be the focus of the continuing trilogy, but it doesn’t leave you hanging on the edge of your seat hoping that there are a few more pages to read.

I do look forward to visiting with Billy and his friends again.  They are nice boys with a lot of guts and gumption, who choose the right thing, because it is the right thing to do.  There is enough adventure and action to keep you turning pages.

I think the main disappointment to me, is that this could so easily be a story for parents to read aloud at bedtimes or a voracious young reader would enjoy.  But because of the language and the level of violence, I would not give this to my son to read until he is quite a bit older, maybe 10 or 11.  Most teens will not enjoy this book, as there is not enough action or romance, but as an adult, I found it charming and a delightful story.



Note:  Other than the violence and one character repeatedly using a bad word, this book may appeal to children as young as 5 or 6.  There is a LOT of violence – but it isn’t not so graphically worded that it would be overtly scary to most people.  Definitely a PG.

Parents could read this aloud to younger children, and skip the most squeamish and objectionable parts without the child realizing that they were missing.  Perhaps.

Genre/Theme:   Adventure, Teen, Fantasy, Little People, Best Friends, Loyalty
Reading Level:  TEEN - upper elementary to middle school
Profanity:  MODERATE - mild words & a few stronger expletives (actually, other than a single character, the Colonel, using D*** many times, I don’t remember any really objectionable words.  This was a minor character, and was  mostly in Chapter 11.)
Sexuality: NONE - not even hinted at
Other: Several deaths, war with wasps, repeated muggings on the stairs and bully on the play yard

KaSonndra Leigh - When Copper Suns Fall

When Copper Suns Fall
The Lost Immortals Saga #1

By KaSonndra Leigh

Kindle Edition Available





Product Description (from Amazon)
In fifteen-year-old Chela Prizeon’s city, alchemy is forbidden and angels hide among the mortal. With a deadly virus ravaging the globe, Chela’s nightmarish memories compels her to experience a past riddled with gloom, and now her brother is infected. 

"Chela’s only hope is the Caduceans, slayers sworn to protect the last seven Light Keepers and the ancient memories they share. A group led by the sometimes elusive, sometimes infuriating boy who intrigues Chela. But can she trust this boy with the mysterious past, someone who can influence her memories? 

With the Caduceans aid, Chela races to defeat her rivals, to unearth dark family secrets, and to find a cure…only to discover the glutovirus is far more than a simple disease. 

In this haunting debut, KaSonndra Leigh offers an escape into a world filled with celestial creatures, fascinating villainy, high-stake choices, and a secret romance, When Copper Suns Fall, is a fresh and original urban fantasy—with a dystopian twist—that will take readers on an unforgettable adventure.

About the Author (from Amazon)

KaSonndra Leigh was born in Charlotte, North Carolina. She now lives in the City of Alchemy and Medicine, North Carolina. She likes to write about teens doing fantastical things in magical worlds. Her two sons have made her promise to write a boy book next.

She holds the MFA in creative writing, and loves to play CLUE, Monopoly (the Indiana Jones version), and Pandora's Box (good writer's block therapy). She lives in an L-shaped house with a garden dedicated to her grandmother. It has a secret library complete with fairies, Venetian plastered walls, and a desk made out of clear blue glass.

http://www.kasonndraleigh.com/

O.Scarlett! REVIEW by Rachel

This book is set in a near future – about 55 years is all.  Although Fantasy/ Post Apocalyptical is usually among my more favorite genre’s, “When Copper Suns Fall” just kind of missed the mark for me.  Not that it wasn’t a good story, because there was a lot of imagination and action, not too much romance, but it just fell short of a great novel.

First, the vocabulary kept you either guessing at words or trying to muddle over them or reaching for a dictionary.  Now I really don’t mind new words in a story, but considering that this is, I think, a book aimed at teens, the language and new words made it boggy, even for an adult looking for a story you can just sit back and enjoy.

Second, the action jumps around and is often rushed.  You lose the sense of where you are and when you are quite often.  I think having a paperback version would have helped a lot, but with a Kindle, you can’t just flip back and see if you missed something a few chapters back.  More than once, I wondered if I should go get a pen and notebook and try to take notes so I could keep when and where and who straight.

Third, there are many characters that pop in and out of the story in unexpected places, and become a huge part of the story line, but they are totally flat characters.  I couldn’t remember where they came from, let alone who they were.  It was very confusing for a minor character to suddenly become so important to the story line.  Most of the characters were left as paperboard thin personalities, and what little you did know, didn’t define their character much, and often contradicted what you thought you knew about the character.

Fourth, the climax ties itself up very poorly.  I was very confused at the end, other than the one point of she lied about what happened to the Beast.  I felt as if most of the questions raised in the earlier parts of the book were still hanging, not really sure if they had been answered for much of it.  Unfortunately, I don’t really feel compelled to try to read it a second time to try to straighten out everything that I didn’t get or understand the first time through.  Mostly because  I’m not much of one for rereading books, even the ones I dearly love.

On the positive side, it was a fairly clean read, not too much on the sex or profanity front, I think there were some rough words from some of the “mean” characters, but mostly it steered clear of the really bad language, and the same with the sexual situations.  I really appreciated that in a book with such a young heroine.

Also, the action moved along at a good clip, keeping you involved in the story in spite of not being overly sure when, or where, or who you were with at the time.  The action was very easy to get into and follow along with as you read the book.  Somewhere about halfway through the nearly 400 pages of book, it began to develop a rhythm and most of the characters were becoming familiar enough to keep the story interesting.

Chela is a great lead character.  She’s got her quirks, but you find yourself routing for her as the underdog that bad things just keep mysteriously happening to her and her beloved twin brother.  As the story moves along, you learn that most of these unusual things are purposely perpetrated against her to provoke a reaction, and she usually reacts.   And she’s got some great friends, although we only really get to know Jalen.  And the two boys who seem to suddenly be vying for her attention.  She’s kind of trapped in a 3 way tug between the 3 boys.

There are basically 4 types of people alive after the Tidal Wars.  The Tidal Wars were caused by the two ruling groups of angels – the Caduceans and the Tainted.  There are two types of humans, gifted and normal.  The gifted get to live in protected special cities.  The normals have to live in the ruined parts of the world.  There is also a strange army – Sons of Created Shade – that appeared to be either zombies or robots transformed from actual people.

The story takes place in just one of the eight protected cities of the new world, it appears to be in a South Eastern area of what use to be America.  I was not sure if the rest of the world was in similar state or only America, although it appeared to be a worldwide problem.

Basic Plot

The book opens with Chela visiting her comatose brother Micah.  There is a mystery surrounding his accident that she feels compelled to solve, and must prevent his becoming a vessel.  Once she has been thrown out of the hospital, she spends some time wandering around and thinking and looking at things ... and you begin to piece together the picture of her life and Micah’s accident as she begins to tell her story – first person narrative.  We learn a few interesting things right away, first, her father is a Historian, she and her brother were Homeschooled, and her real mother was an angel ... Seraphim.

The reminiscing soon gets her into trouble at work, and later at the park, and gets carded.  The whole event is rather strange.  Chela has one hot temper and a quick tongue, it gets her into a lot of trouble.  Usually her Dad can get her out of trouble, because of his position, but not this time.  Meanwhile, she meets up with her friends, go to a big party hang out, and she sees something she shouldn’t see ... only for some reason, she can’t really remember much of it.  But she met a guy ...

The Borough is having costing week – something I never quite figured out.  Maybe I’ve not read enough of this genre?  But she has to fight the champion, and if she wins, her sentence at the Barrows will be reduced.  While waiting for her match, she meets another new guy, and again meets the guy from the party place.

Now she gets told that she’s got to watch the Thoughtmasters while she’s at the Barrows, and be a spy.  She really isn’t sure what she is looking for, unusual behavior.  But now the two boys keep popping up in the strangest places.

She meets the dreaded Beast, and discovers she has wings.  There is so much going on that the plot is difficult to capsulate into a short form.  You find that the two boys are angels – each on opposite sides of the war – and each want HER for who she is and what she can do.  Both sides are giving her tiny bites of information and misinformation.  She doesn’t really know who to trust, nor does she understand her powers or how to trigger them when she needs them.

But she has to decide soon, because everyone she holds near and dear to her heart is being threatened in the great struggle for possession of her gift.  She has to decide before it is too late.

Readers who like Angels and lots of adventure will likely enjoy this book.  It has a definite genius under the surface, and if you can handle the difficult parts of the book, it is a very enjoyable read.  There are many great scenes that will compel many readers to keep reading, and most serious readers should be able to get to the end of the book.  A talented editor may be able to help her work out the rough spots and help turn this into a best seller.  Often, an author gets to know their world so well, that they don’t realize that others can’t see the same picture as they do, and what is plain to the author is choppy and confusing to the rest of us.

There are many unanswered questions as the book ends.  It is a world that is slightly familiar, but had enough strange things that I never quite grasped the nuisances of social or political structure.  More than once, I wondered if the world was loosely based on some TV or movie or other books that I have not watched or read, as it seemed as if the author assumed that we were familiar with some things ... such as costing day.

My daughter and I both fell in love with the authors name, KaSonndra, and Kendra has written it down to use as a character name someday in her own writings.  She is a gorgeous lady, from looking at her picture, and I wish her all the best as a writer.  She has definite talent and an amazing imagination.  I enjoyed the book and felt it was pretty original with a lot of interesting ideas.  It is an interesting world, and could definitely host quite a few more books in the setting provided.

 

Note:   While this book is tame enough for readers as young as 12 or so, many that young will find the reading/ vocabulary to be difficult.  It is not an easy read, but it is intriguing and action filled.  It is fast paced and challenging.   It is a story about destiny and loyalty, and discovering that everything you thought you knew and understood about your world – is pretty much wrong.

Genre/Theme:  Fantasy, Angels, Post Apocalyptical, Teen, Mystery/Adventure
Reading Level:  Mature TEEN - high school to college 
Profanity:  MODERATE - mild words & a few stronger expletives 
Sexuality:  MILD - descriptions of affection/desire 
OBVIOUS - blatant sexuality in text, but not explicit 
Other: Betrayal is a strong theme  in this book, angels  appear to be the creators of earth and are at war for power over the humans.