Promotion & Giveaway: Joshua N'Gon Last Prince of Alkebulahn by Anton Marks AKA Anthony Hewitt

Attention Readers

 I have collaborated with Anton Marks aka Anthony Hewitt, author of Joshua N'Gon Last Prince of Alkebulahn with a fun opportunity. We are giving away free copies of the Last Prince of Alkebulahn. All you have to do is read this review http://juliesaraporterbookworm.blogspot.com/2020/02/new-book-alert-joshua-ngon-last-prince.html?m=0 and answer one question:

What does RCT stand for?

Email me or Anton

at juliesaraporter@gmail.com

or marksmanstudios1@gmail.com

You will participate in a drawing to be given one of five free vouchers to purchase Joshua N'Gon Last Prince of Alkebulahn on Amazon.

Good luck and Happy Reaading!

Weekly Reader: Mr. Harding Proposes (The Rowland Sisters Book One) by Catherine Dove; Regency-Era Romance Shines With Cute, Fun, Likeable Characters

Weekly Reader: Mr. Harding Proposes (The Rowland Sisters Series Book One) by Catherine Dove; Regency-Era Romance Shines With Cute, Fun, Likeable Characters

By Julie Sara Porter

Bookworm Reviews


PopSugar Reading Challenge: A book written by an author with flora and fauna in their name (dove).


Spoilers: If the last set of books that I read such as Laura Preble's Anna Incognito and Matthew S. Cox's The Girl Who Found The Sun ended up making me too uncomfortable because they became frequent even unintentional reminders of current events, then the books that I am reading now are the exact opposite. These books are doing everything they can to get the Reader away from the real world. These books are the ultimate escape from a world in turmoil from a pandemic, first responders and essential workers putting their lives on the line, and conspiracy theorists and impatient protestors who are disobeying pandemic guidelines that could potentially cause premature openings and further illness.


These are the books that are designed to help you forget and one genre that thrives on escapism is Romance. This is the second of three different types of Romances that I am reviewing this week. One Month Only is a modern love story about a couple combining business and love in Tuscany. Two Like Me and You is a breezy humorous YA Novel about two teens falling in love while helping a nongenerean reunite with his lost love.


This one, Catherine Dove's Mr. Harding Proposes is a historical Regency era romance that invokes comparisons to the works of Jane Austen and Oscar Wilde, a humorous little novel that thrives on manners, class structure, and cute lovable couples to help see the Reader through the plot that is fun and lighter than air.

The plot revolves around two sisters, Georgiana AKA Georgie and Cecelia AKA Cecy Rowland. Cecy prepares for her Season where she will be dolled up, attend many balls, soirees, and salons, and is officially declared available for England's Most Eligible Bachelors. Georgie does her best to help her sister through this whirlwind Season while dealing with her own romantic troubles.

Georgie receives a proposal of marriage, but not one that she expects. It comes from the mouth of Mr. Richard Harding, her best friend since childhood. Unfortunately, Richard does it so awkwardly and with his usual jocular teasing tone of voice that Georgie thinks that he is kidding and turns him down.


Meanwhile, there is a character that causes a lot of discomfort and controversy during the social Season. She is Lady Shipton, a former actress made good by an advantageous marriage. Unfortunately, she is the target of much scandal and gossip and many dowagers prefer their daughters to stay away from her including Georgie and Cecy's mother. However, the more that they spend time with Lady Shipton, the more Georgie and Cecy find her charming and helpful.


Mr. Harding Proposes is hardly a deep plot, but it is a lot of fun and the perfect antidote of sunshine for a time of tough stress and darkness. You can't help but root for Georgie and Richard to get together. They are like those couples like Benedick and Beatrice from Much Ado About Nothing who need to be together because life would be too boring for them otherwise.

Georgie is a character who is extremely smart and liberal minded, perhaps too smart for her own good. She is very intelligent and we'll read the kind of woman who in another time would be a great career woman but is hampered when her only career is finding a husband. Her intelligence and sarcasm unfortunately turns many men off.

However, it also is a virtue for the right kind of people. She is able to tell that one of Cecy's suitors is a cad and is able to handily get rid of him.
She is also able to see through social constraints to see the real
person. This is particularly noticeable in her moments with Lady Shipton, who is certainly a scene stealer and is one of the more interesting characters in the book. (I highly recommend that Dove write a prequel starring a youthful Lady Shipton.) She is able to see beyond the scandalous past to the warm woman underneath.

Lady Shipton arouses the interest of Georgie because of her being so scandalous, but she earns her gratitude when she takes part in getting rid of Cecy's rakish suitor. Georgie also defends her when she begins dating Georgie's uncle much to her mother's shock and chagrin.

Unfortunately, Georgie's intelligence causes her to question everything even Richard's proposal. Her better traits are a detriment as they are with Richard. He is a humorous character, probably in another book would be the plucky comic relief best friend of the lead male. But in his own book that could be a problem when he is sifting through his own love life. He has a quick wit and is often there for Georgie when she needs him. Because of this, he is permanently Regency Friend Zoned.

Georgie confuses his romantic overtures for simple friendship or using her as a safety marriage ("If we are still single at 35 let's marry each other…") . He even questions his own motives, but the two clearly care for each other. There are times when they especially Richard counter romantic expectations knowing that sometimes there is more to love than romantic poetry and beautiful wordy proposals against the backdrop of a scenic lakeview. Sometimes, it is about just being the handy life saver that is just what the other person needs.

Sometimes all you need to get through life is a good Romance and q chance to escape. Mr. Harding Proposes provides that expertly. The answer to the proposal of whether this book should be read is "Yes, yes a thousand times, yes!"

New Book Alert: One Month Only (Tuscany Nights Book One) by Kate Blake; Warm and Sexy Lovers And Tuscany Setting Brighten Up Beginning of Romance Series

New Book Alert: One Month Only (Tuscany Nights Series Book One) by Kate Blake; Warm and Sexy Lovers and Tuscany Setting Brighten Up Beginning of Romance Series

By Julie Sara Porter

Bookworm Reviews


Spoilers: I admit that I am not the biggest fan of Romances in the world. I find the plots and characters repetitive and don't really engage in plots where the big question is "will they won't they?" When I do like Romances, they are usually combined with other genres like Historical Fiction or Fantasies. Yes, characters might fall in love, but there are often greater stakes involved like saving a kingdom or becoming involved in world events. However, some things that I like about Romances are when the lovers are particularly likeable or understandable and another is when the Romance is set in a particularly great escapist setting.


One Month Only by Kate Blake gives us both an interesting couple that alternate between passionate and warm to each other and a great setting in Tuscany, Italy. This is of a personal interest to me because I took an educational trip to Italy and Greece in 1999 and among the places that I visited was Florence in Tuscany. So, I can easily visualize the winding roads, the classic and modern architecture, and the beautiful Renaissance art. While visualizing a place in which one has never been is nice, it is more interactive when you have seen the place with your own eyes and have experienced what the characters have experienced.


Tuscany almost becomes a character itself as a place that is still historic in appearance, but whose residents are caught up in the modern world of business and tourism. There are the ancient buildings, scenic winefields, adorable sidewalk cafes and spicy Italian food that is a backdrop for big businesses that thrive on foreign interests and are foundering with the changing economy. The characters have a proud sense of family and tradition, but also are trying to maintain their individuality and their own needs in today's rapidly changing world.


The lovers in this book are Angelica and Ricardo, forner childhood acquaintances turned business minded adults. Angie's family's cashmere company is about to be sold so her father turns to Ricardo, the son of an old friend to help him find a buyer. Ricardo happens to be the current CEO of his family's multi-million dollar wine company and has been the life of a jet set Playboy in London. He returns to Tuscany for one month to help Angie's father straighten out or sell his company and romances the lovely Angie.


The plot is standard for most Romances. There is the gobsmacked reaction when the former buddies from childhood now see one another in grown up more attractive bodies. The buried sexual tension when characters talk about one thing and really mean another. The moments when the two have to pretend that they mean more to each other for older disapproving relatives. The classic misunderstanding which leads to a quarrel that lasts several chapters (or in this case to the next book). However, what carries the plot is the sheer likeability of the characters.


Angie and Ricardo are a couple who are definitely hot for each other. They are clearly physically attractive to one another and their chapters where they actually have sex are sensual and almost soft eroticism. This is a couple that does not wait around with small talk. They know what they want and aren't afraid to get it.


Besides being a couple that are sexually hot, they show a lot of warmth and tenderness that reveals that they are companions as well as lovers. Ricardo gives Angie good solid business advice to keep her cashmere company up and running as well as competitive in today's market. They reminisce about old friends and visit cozy family run places that Ricardo admits that he misses during his busy lifestyle in London. They also have many friends and relatives, like their sisters who are rooting for them to get together as much as the Reader is.


One Month Only is the kind of escapist book that is needed, especially in times like this. When one is under great stress because of the world around them, sometimes all they really need is a beautiful setting, a sexy charming couple, and to answer only one question: will they or won't they.

New Book Alert: The Girl Who Found The Sun by Matthew S. Cox; Unintentionally Difficult Science Fiction Book To Read These Days

New Book Alert: The Girl Who Found The Sun by Matthew S. Cox; Unintentionally Difficult Science Fiction Book To Read These Days

By Julie Sara Porter

Bookworm Reviews



Spoilers: Matthew S. Cox's The Girl Who Found The Sun is a very difficult book to read right now.

It's hard to read about a futuristic world in which characters a trapped underground hiding from the environmental and sociopolitical disasters up above. It can make a Reader anxious to visualize the claustrophobia, the deprivation from even the simplest things, and the dependence on people who are just as frightened and uncertain as they are, especially when the Reader is living that life in reality.


That is the situation faced by Raven, one of a dwindling group of Earth's survivors in the Arc, an underground shelter. They hid to get away from an alien race called plutions who destroyed the planet, leaving noxious gases. Should anyone go outside, the toxic air could kill them. The community leader, Noah, rules with an iron fist. Unfortunately, a few members disappeared including Raven's father who often talked about the world up above.

Raven also has to make the difficult decision to face that world. As a tech, she is one of the people in charge with bringing oxygen into the Arc. Unfortunately, the air filtration system is breaking down. Raven has to go above to fix it. She has an even more pressing reason to do so when many of the community members become seriously ill, including Raven's daughter, Tinsley.

The underground world of the characters is bleak and terrifying, especially when you are living a life indoors and kept away from the outside world. In both cases in fiction and reality, the reasons are to keep the residents safe but it still makes them longing for the outside world. Of course in the fictional, The Girl Who Found The Sun, the situation is excaberated by the fact that many generations have lived underground to the point that the populace of the Arc is dwindling with only eight small children and very few couples that are genetically related. All of those things like blue skies, colorful birds and animals, different types of people and nations can only be found in books and stories. The Arc was meant to be only a temporary solution, but after several centuries have gone by, the characters stay underground because it's the only life that they know. They have become apathetic and agoraphobic living only for their immediate survival.

Raven would be the same way: working in the job in which she was assigned, giving birth and raising a daughter at a young age even though she does not get on with the child's father, and following the various rules without question. She would never go outside, except her father, Eli, had been in and out numerous times and has told her about the beautiful world that he had seen. Most people think that Eli was just telling stories or out of his mind, especially since he disappeared and never returned.


Raven is a courageous and independent thinker, thanks to her dad's freethinking ways. She had dreams of the outside world, but her encounter with that world to fix the air filtration system intensifies those desire to explore. For the first time, she is blinded by the sun, feels the grass underneath her toes, and breathes the clean air without the aid of an oxygen mask. She longs to explore more of the outside world, especially when she sees potential evidence that other people live on the outside.

Raven also reveals her kindness and devotion to the other Members of the community, particularly her daughter, Tinsley. She has no intention of leaving them behind. First, she lures out her colleague, Lark then Tinsley. Her plan is to lead out a small group at a time recognizing the strength in numbers. She reasons that if more people acknowledge that it really is safe out there, then Noah could be convinced to let the others out or at least let outside air come into the Arc.


Of the more brilliant choices that Cox makes with his work is how he writes Noah, the Arc leader. It would be tempting to make him the Big Bad, someone who has gone insane and drunk with power through the years and is willing to kill his people rather than see the outside or part of some giant conspiracy that knows the outside world is safe and will kill to prevent that secret to hold onto his little world. There are many times when the Reader expects the novel to go into that direction.

Thankfully, Cox subverts those expectations. Noah actually is a decent man who wants to do right by his community, but is in over his head. He became leader at a fairly young age and is somewhat overwhelmed by his responsibilities, especially when people around him become sick. He is driven by his own fears and ignorance of the outside world, unfortunately as leader that fear is also passed onto his people. However, he is not completely hard hearted and when times get desperate, Noah is willing to weigh different probable solutions and is ultimately willing to admit that he is wrong. Because of how well Cox writes them, Raven and Noah are the two best characters in the book.




Once the outside world is revealed, the writing becomes quite beautiful and almost wistful. There are beautiful moments such as when Raven encounters a flock of birds for the first time. The sun becomes blinding when they approach it, but the warmth is intoxicating. Raven and her crew also encounter dangers such as feral cats and humans gone mad by the outside hardship. One of the more harshest discoveries is when Raven learns that the Earth's destruction was not caused by alien forces called plutions, but from within by humanity itself.

As Raven and the others wander the rubble of the fallen cities and see the corpses of the people left behind, a lump fills the Reader's throat over the fallen world and how quickly this fiction could become a reality if we do not do our part to take care of the world.


That's what makes The Girl Who Found The Sun so haunting and difficult to read. This is a world that could be all too real and made even more real every day. It also makes one take pleasure in those little things like a walk through the grass, the feel of the sun, a walk down a city street, a trip to the store, and love it more.

New Book Alert: Loose Threads (Cool Assassins Book One) by J.O. Quantaman; Confusing But Involving Suspense Thriller About Spies and Assassins

New Book Alert: Loose Threads Cool Assasins Book One by J.O. Quantaman; Confusing But Involved Suspense Thriller About Spies and Assassins

By Julie Sara Porter

Bookworm Reviews


LopSugar Reading Challenge: A book recommended by your favorite podcast, blog, or online group (BookTasters, Twitter)

Spoilers: This is the second book in a row that I have reviewed about assassins and it's not as straight forward as Blood of the Assassin. In fact, it is downright confusing. However, there is a lot more involvement and investment in world building that pays off.

Cool Assassins takes place in 2073-2076 in various solar colonies, particularly the Dog Breakfast Co-op, a cooperative which appears to be a training ground for spies and assassins. The training is largely seen through the eyes of Nyssa Person, a former actress/call girl on the run from her dangerous former employers. The Dogs draw her into this new world of bloodthirsty fellow trainees, new identities to be forged, and a chance to gain strength and self reliance when facing sinister figures.

Meanwhile, three years later Mishima Security has a breach and Yamazaki Kazuo, security chief, is on the trail of someone called hotfeet. Three guesses who hotfeet works for and how the Nyssa plot is tied to the Kazuo plot.

In Loose Threads, the Nyssa plot is far better than the Kazuo plot. Quantaman does a great job of creating this futuristic environment and taking the Reader inside. He puts news press releases that provide exposition towards the socioeconomic and political situation that abounds. He also includes a much required glossary that defines such terms as acks (acolyte, trainee), creche (educational institution for those under 18), and qat (Quantum Assasination Theory, physical excellence aquired through intensive practice and phisiologic meditation.) The glossary helps define these terms that would otherwise cause the Readers to be lost.

As Nyssa trains with the other acks, she learns quite a bit about their methods. One of the more interesting passages is one that appears to be borrowed from Eastern philosophy that describes psigns, the framework of any natural group. They include taste, urgency, smell, hearing, seeing, breathing, moving, gravity, coordinating, warmth, balance and touch. The psigns are treated like a metaphysical and spiritual following that are meant to bring balance in physical activity and life.

Characterization is also particularly strong. Besides Nyssa, we also meet Jen, an expert climber and former acrobat who is always on the look for a thrill. Meg and Subie are a lesbian couple who have suffered tremendous loss and cling to each other even while mocking and teasing one another. Then there's Ahab "Cook" Ho, Dog Breakfast co-founder who captures Nyssa's heart by simply being a decent man and kind hearted leader. This is a pretty likable bunch, even if they are in the business of spying on people and taking lives.

What doesn't particularly mesh is the Kazuo plot. It distracts the Reader and makes the process confusing. The fact that it is three years ahead of the rest of the story doesn't help. The characters that we have gotten to know only make appearances towards the end, though it becomes evident and obvious that one has been there all along. It might have served better to tell this book as a straight chronological story and leave the Kazuo subplot to fill a later book. Plus, it could make Kazuo a more interesting character as he is being targeted and how the gang moves in to investigate and surround him. Let's hope later volumes in the series are more linear.

Despite the confusion, Loose Threads introduces us to an intricate and well thought out world that would be great to return. 

New Book Alert: Blood of the Assassin by Bill Brewer; Exciting Page Turner Equals Great Antidote For Staying At Home

New Book Alert: Blood of the Assassin by Bill Brewer; Exciting Page Turner Equals Great Antidote For Staying At Home

By Julie Sara Porter

Bookworm Reviews




Spoilers: One way to entertain yourself while staying at home during the Coronavirus pandemic is to immerse yourself into an exciting action packed page turner. You are caught up in the vicarious suspense of spies, detectives, dastardly villains, cat and mouse chases, unsolved puzzles, and thrilling climaxes. For several hundred pages, this world of pandemics, hate crimes, political unrest, income inequality, climate change, and unsolvable problems disappears into a world which is difficult but at least solvable, if not by the end of the first book then by the end of the trilogy.

A perfect example of a good exciting book to turn to during these tough times is Bill Brewer's Blood of the Assassin. The Reader gets swept into the suspenseful world of David Diegert, professional hitman, that they can forget that the word "Coronavirus" even exists.




David is an assassin under the employ of Crepesculous, a secret organization headed by the "one percent of the one percent." However, he is not exactly happy at the prospect. He doesn't know who the big shots are that pull the strings. Not to mention that they have a nasty habit of threatening family members if employees go against their regulations such as David and his new partner, Fatima who are forced to their dirty work when Crepesculous's goons kidnap David's mother and Fatima's son. When David's informant is murdered after discovering the identity of Crepesculous's fearless leaders, David finds himself working for and against these very powerful and very dangerous men.




This is the type of book that is full of suspenseful moments. Most of the tension lies in the double cross and agendas that characters hide. David discovers Crepesculous's three-part plan for world domination and is framed for a presidential assasination. It's that kind of book where stakes are set so unbelievably high that it's almost entertaining. There are also some pretty intense moments when David does some illegal things to meet his goals suggesting that he is more like his employers than he is willing to admit.




Thankfully, the characters are as well-written as the suspense, otherwise the book wouldn't be near as captivating. We peer into David's dysfunctional family in Minnesota including his drug dealer father, his toady of a half-brother, and his beloved mother who David admits was the one bright spot in his life. Even though David lives a life of danger and mistrust, it's clear that he prefers the tense life that he lives now to the one he left behind.

Fatima also has her issues as well. In fact, most of the cast lives pretty screwed up lives suggesting that this spy/assassin/conspiracy career path is a natural choice for troubled unbalanced individuals that had troubled dysfunctional relationships. (Makes you sleep better knowing that they stand between us and world destruction and domination, doesn't it?) In Fatima's case, her relationships with her son and the boy's father take precedence. Her son is special needs and she protects him with all of the fierceness of a mother bear. She has some tender moments with the father of her child, a Crepesculous operative who lived a privileged lifestyle of money, luxury, and women. Recently, he has taken a more serious look at his life and is prepared to redeem himself in the eyes of his former lover and biological son.




Brewer also captures the antagonists well, particularly and surprisingly, the four main heads of Crepesculous. This is contrasted to the shadowy government conspiracy in other novels, for example Taylor Caldwell's Captains and the Kings. Many of these books portray the shadowy conspiracy figures as one-dimensional interchangeable static characters, no past and no motivation except to keep their organization in charge. They are treated like automotons or forces of nature rather than actual characters.




Blood of the Assassin subverts those portrayals by revealing who these men are when they aren't engaged in starting wars and arranging assasinations for fun and profit. Like the protagonists, they too have troubled home lives. In an almost Aesop like manner in proving that money can't always buy happiness, the Crepesculous leaders are all revealed to have troubled relationships with their spouses and children. Some are permanently estranged from them. Others have to helplessly watch as their children party, become drug addicts, career criminals, or live the life of over privileged celebutantes. Others use their children as philanthropic or entrepreneuel fronts for their nefarious deeds knowing full well that their relationship with these kids would shatter beyond repair should they find out what their dads are really doing. It's a sad commentary that these men have built this tremendous empire and not one would even think of appointing one of their children to inherit it. These kids are too dumb, too honest, or too separated from their fathers to do so. The only thing that the Crepesculous men are willing to do is take what they can as much as they can for themselves.




Blood of the Assassin is the right antidote for these troubled times. It keeps the Reader on the edge of their seat with tight suspense and gives rich characters, both protagonists and antagonists to experience it. Above all, it provides something that we long for in periods of uncertainty: a real resolution and ending.

New Book Alert: Blood of the Assassin by Bill Brewer; Exciting Page Turner Equals Great Antidote For Staying At Home

By Julie Sara Porter

Bookworm Reviews




Spoilers: One way to entertain yourself while staying at home during the Coronavirus pandemic is to immerse yourself into an exciting action packed page turner. You are caught up in the vicarious suspense of spies, detectives, dastardly villains, cat and mouse chases, unsolved puzzles, and thrilling climaxes. For several hundred pages, this world of pandemics, hate crimes, political unrest, income inequality, climate change, and unsolvable problems disappears into a world which is difficult but at least solvable, if not by the end of the first book then by the end of the trilogy.

A perfect example of a good exciting book to turn to during these tough times is Bill Brewer's Blood of the Assassin. The Reader gets swept into the suspenseful world of David Diegert, professional hitman, that they can forget that the word "Coronavirus" even exists.




David is an assassin under the employ of Crepesculous, a secret organization headed by the "one percent of the one percent." However, he is not exactly happy at the prospect. He doesn't know who the big shots are that pull the strings. Not to mention that they have a nasty habit of threatening family members if employees go against their regulations such as David and his new partner, Fatima who are forced to their dirty work when Crepesculous's goons kidnap David's mother and Fatima's son. When David's informant is murdered after discovering the identity of Crepesculous's fearless leaders, David finds himself working for and against these very powerful and very dangerous men.




This is the type of book that is full of suspenseful moments. Most of the tension lies in the double cross and agendas that characters hide. David discovers Crepesculous's three-part plan for world domination and is framed for a presidential assasination. It's that kind of book where stakes are set so unbelievably high that it's almost entertaining. There are also some pretty intense moments when David does some illegal things to meet his goals suggesting that he is more like his employers than he is willing to admit.




Thankfully, the characters are as well-written as the suspense, otherwise the book wouldn't be near as captivating. We peer into David's dysfunctional family in Minnesota including his drug dealer father, his toady of a half-brother, and his beloved mother who David admits was the one bright spot in his life. Even though David lives a life of danger and mistrust, it's clear that he prefers the tense life that he lives now to the one he left behind.

Fatima also has her issues as well. In fact, most of the cast lives pretty screwed up lives suggesting that this spy/assassin/conspiracy career path is a natural choice for troubled unbalanced individuals that had troubled dysfunctional relationships. (Makes you sleep better knowing that they stand between us and world destruction and domination, doesn't it?) In Fatima's case, her relationships with her son and the boy's father take precedence. Her son is special needs and she protects him with all of the fierceness of a mother bear. She has some tender moments with the father of her child, a Crepesculous operative who lived a privileged lifestyle of money, luxury, and women. Recently, he has taken a more serious look at his life and is prepared to redeem himself in the eyes of his former lover and biological son.




Brewer also captures the antagonists well, particularly and surprisingly, the four main heads of Crepesculous. This is contrasted to the shadowy government conspiracy in other novels, for example Taylor Caldwell's Captains and the Kings. Many of these books portray the shadowy conspiracy figures as one-dimensional interchangeable static characters, no past and no motivation except to keep their organization in charge. They are treated like automotons or forces of nature rather than actual characters.




Blood of the Assassin subverts those portrayals by revealing who these men are when they aren't engaged in starting wars and arranging assasinations for fun and profit. Like the protagonists, they too have troubled home lives. In an almost Aesop like manner in proving that money can't always buy happiness, the Crepesculous leaders are all revealed to have troubled relationships with their spouses and children. Some are permanently estranged from them. Others have to helplessly watch as their children party, become drug addicts, career criminals, or live the life of over privileged celebutantes. Others use their children as philanthropic or entrepreneuel fronts for their nefarious deeds knowing full well that their relationship with these kids would shatter beyond repair should they find out what their dads are really doing. It's a sad commentary that these men have built this tremendous empire and not one would even think of appointing one of their children to inherit it. These kids are too dumb, too honest, or too separated from their fathers to do so. The only thing that the Crepesculous men are willing to do is take what they can as much as they can for themselves.




Blood of the Assassin is the right antidote for these troubled times. It keeps the Reader on the edge of their seat with tight suspense and gives rich characters, both protagonists and antagonists to experience it. Above all, it provides something that we long for in periods of uncertainty: a real resolution and ending.

New Book Alert: The Other Magic (Passage to Dawn Series Book One) by Derrick Smythe; Brilliant Epic Fantasy Subverts Light Vs. Dark

New Book Alert: The Other Magic (Passage to Dawn Series Book One) by Derrick Smythe; Brilliant Epic Fantasy Subverts of Light Vs. Dark

By Julie Sara Porter

Bookworm Reviews




Spoilers: The common consensus in most epic fantasies is that light equals good and dark equals bad. The heroes are always on the light side using only beneficial white magic (except when defending themselves against their adversaries. Then they kick major ass.). The villains are always on the dark side using black magic against enemies. That's how it used to be.

Recently however, authors and other artists have broken from that trope finding it cliched, simplistic, and even racist. They have taken more subtle approaches giving a more nuanced look at this conflict. Then there are ones like Derek Smythe's first book to his Passage to Dawn series, The Other Magic which have a lot of fun completely subverting the trope and turning it on its head.


In the possibly mythical world of Dorea (there are subtle hints that the setting might be in a post-Apolcalyptic future or alternate universe but nothing is ever outright stated), a prophecy was fulfilled 25 years ago in which a Child of Hope was born to save their world from the demons of darkness. Sound familiar? Not quite. As if the child's name, Magog, wasn't enough of a clue being lifted from the Book of Revelation, that all is not as it seems, his true nature is revealed as he grows and assumes the title of god-king. Magog becomes less of Jesus Christ and more of Jim Jones. He orders his priests, particularly his right hand man, Grobennar, to seek out and locate other magic users so he can drain their powers and devour them whole. Everyone is beholden to Magog and his extremely powerful and corrupt council of priests.


Three other characters emerge to fight their way through this increasingly violent and terrifying world. Aynward, a rebellious prince, is beginning his university studies and learns some interesting things that causes him to question the world around him. Sindri is a former high priestess in exile who is looking to find other magic users. Then there is Kibure, a slave boy who has learned that he has magical abilities. He also learns that he might be a tazamine, a demon.


This is a complete turn around over what we consider light and dark, good and evil and Smythe does this excellently. Magog is power mad and Groebnner is blinded by his fanaticism. He knows that Magog is insane and dangerous, but he is so far gone in his spiritual path and his belief in the prophecies, that he is willing to forego doubt and common sense to follow Magog. He justifies his reasoning in his head and acts as an enabler towards the god-king's obssession, taking pride in the power that his role as chief advisor brings.


The three protagonists are fundamentally flawed and even though they are branded as using demonic or dark magic, they are actually more understandable and relatable than those on the side of light.

Sindri is extremely arrogant and snobbish, and some of her training towards Kibure borders on the sadistic. However, she is also cunning and resourceful in getting out of trouble such as when she sensibly lies about her nationality in front of potentially violent natives of a rival kingdom. She also carries a lot of hurt over her past when she was exiled and her equally magical brother was killed. Her discovery and training of Kibure becomes a ticket towards redemption.


Because of his slave background, Kibure is mistrustful and quick to anger particularly when he unthinkingly uses his magic in fits of rage and desperation. However, he shows a softer side as he grows fond of his new companions. He particularly bonds with a Raven called Rave as he learns to channel his abilities and emotion. Rave acts as a familiar and Kibure's link with the bird emerge as some of the most genuine and heartfelt moments in the book.


Aynward's story provides much of the humor and some of the bitterest truths. The prince is a likeable scoundrel who runs into his fair share of trouble in school usually spying on behalf of others or getting into fights with students. He is also drawn to a pretty face as he demonstrates when he encounters Sindri for the first time. However, his experience plays strongly into the theme of the subversion of light and dark as well as the price that is paid in certain pursuits. During his studies, Aynward and his fellow students pour over legends, stories, and histories that Aynward knows. However, they present another side to the works in which he was previously familiar. He learns that there are many sides to every story and that sometimes truth gets swept under by propoganda and legend.



Everything in this book has a price, allegiances, honors, wisdom, the truth, and above all magic. One of the more intriguing prospects is the physical sacrifices that are made when characters use magic. When Kibure first begins to use his powers, he suffers temporary hearing loss and total color blindness. Groebnner is in possession of a pendent that holds Jaween, a sardonic spirit that seems to take hold of Groebnner's mind leaving possible questions of demonic possession combined with multiple personalities. Many of the magic users speak of intense and painful physical transformations that their bones go through when they use major wide ranging spells (no doubt keeping them from using these spells very often. In fact in his search for tazamines, Groebnner is limited by this very handicap. He has to be physically near a tazamines before he can sense them.) These prices reveal how painful and single minded the pursuit of these goals can be and how they reflect on all characters on all sides.


The Other Magic is a fascinating epic fantasy. It subverts dark and light in a way that casts an enchanting spell on the Reader.

New Book Alert: Rising Petals by Ashwini Rath; Beautiful Lyrical Poems of Conflict and Emotion

New Book Alert: Rising Petals by Ashwini Rath; Beautiful Lyrical Poems of Conflict and Emotion




By Julie Sara Porter

Bookworm Reviews


Ashwini Rath's poems in his book, Rising Petals are brief but they are beautiful. Like the petals of the title, they are small pieces that one by one peel off to reveal their lyrical sensory imagery to form one whole beautiful object of deep emotion and social conscience.



In his introduction, Rath explains that his poems are meant to put his Readers into a stronger level of emotion, interconnectivity, and thought and he does it well. "Rising Petals is an anthology of poems that reflect the anxiety of anybody yearning for the next stage of evolution as an individual and a society without disruption or bloodshed," Rath wrote.



The poem, "Blink" captures those all too brief ephemeral moments. The Speaker muses "Bang! In a blink-/The song of thrills/Echoes once more/And resonates/With each last song and forever."


Rath's writing finds comfort in the simplest things that help give comfort and rejuvenation during uncertainty and tiredness. The poem, "Coffee" finds meaning in a simple cup of coffee. It says "Collapsed at desk/In a big open hall/Among many dead people-/With animated limbs/Busy in boring acts/Away from life,/Waiting with glee/For a sip of coffee."


The poems create lovely sensory word pictures as in "Evening." Rath uses sight, sound, and thought to capture a peaceful evening. "As shy cats meow/And macho dogs bark/The sunlight fades/And the world turns dark/It's an evening/When life gladly rumbles/And stares back.


In his poem, "Mirage," Rath expertly uses the word mirage as an extended metaphor of the illusions of freedom and life. "Turning back/When I glance/At a long path covered/Plenty of time spent,/Many following behind-/Thirst to quench/To seed a life/Of truth and light/In myself, in others/Beyond this illusion."


Many of the poems suggest for a world in which people look inward for peace, awareness, and kindness towards others. The poem "Query" is such an example. "May we live/Through gloom and darkness/With our resolve/Ignite grit within/And be led by reason."


Rising Petals is a masterful work of emotion and beauty in a troubled world. Surely, Rath did as he suggested in his final poem, "Epilogue": "Fuel (his) hope/As (he) stands alone/To stand, struggle, and hum."