Mystery in the Metaverse by Nick Airus; AI Metaiverse Science Fiction is Harrowing and Thought Provoking

 

Mystery in the Metaverse by Nick Airus; AI Metaiverse Science Fiction is Harrowing and Thought Provoking 

By Julie Sara Porter

Bookworm Reviews 

Spoilers: The Metaverse could be one of the best or one of the worst experiences ever. It could be the best because people can experience and interact in another world that before they could only experience with the arts, entertainment, and their own imagination. We can learn so much more and communicate with others around the world. It could also be the worst with the ever approaching overuse of AI and not knowing what is real and what isn't. Art and literature are being replicated and while still being flawed, could one day be hard to discern whether they were made by human hands or a program designed to appear human. There is also the possibility of technological addiction and people preferring to live in the AI world instead of the physical and natural world around them. Nick Airus explores the good and bad of AI and the Metaverse with his thought provoking and harrowing Science Fiction/ Mystery, Mystery in the Metaverse.

Damien Zill, Chief Technical Officer of Emergence AI and member of a secret group known as Obsidian Goal, has been attacked and is reported missing from his home. Detective Asher Bloom and Evidence Response Team Leader, Jade Heart investigate the disappearance. Witnesses said that Zill spent a lot of time in his Metaverse theater and books and notes left in Zill’s home describe a singularity and a cult. To find out what all of this means, Bloom has to travel inside the AI Metaverse to find clues towards Zill’s disappearance and other murders and death threats that pile up. To solve this mystery, Bloom must play the sadistic games of the enigmatic avatar known only as Ninjagod1138, who knows more than they are letting on.

This book has many highlights but the greatest among them is the Metaverse setting itself. When Bloom enters the virtual world, it is almost as real as the physical one. However, it is populated with various settings and characters that seem just a little bit off in that uncanny valley way where the virtual world seems real but not quite. It adds to the tension and blurred lines between AI and human, imagination and reality making them even more faint the longer that Bloom and others stay in this VR world. 

The best parts of the book are the trips into the Metaverse. Bloom is like a stranger in a strange land, in awe and amazement but wary about the dangers around him. The Metaverse manages to activate all senses and provides the visitor with knowledge to interact with other avatars.

 When arriving in Meta City, Bloom sees a city with shiny skyscrapers and avatars of all kinds from humans, to animals, to superheroes, walking around. It's like everyone's fantasy brought to life but it has a dark side. He also visits various other locations such as an ancient Greek civilization, under water, and a desert.

It would be fascinating to visually imagine the transition as pixels, binary numbers, codes , and images transform into a setting that is technically animated, but appears more real than reality itself. 

That dark side is seen when characters get hurt in the simulation world and still suffer the pain in the real world suggesting yes, if they die in the Metaverse, they die in real life too. It is a fascinating ever changing AI world and visiting it only covers a third of what this technology can do. That is a fascinating and terrifying thought and Mystery in the Metaverse covers those alternating schools of thought towards AI.

The investigation is intricate and detailed as well. Ninjagod1138 provides clues and games for Bloom and his colleagues to follow to find each hint and solve the case. One of the creepier aspects occurs when Bloom and his colleagues are forced to play Hangman to find a vital clue. Ninjagod 1138 is a sadistic genius who enjoys forcing the other characters to play off their sick and disturbing mind games.

 

The investigation also reveals much of the suspects’ motives on how they tried to put AI in its place but ended up becoming more servile than ever to the invention that humans created.

Robotics CEO, Eon Tarik (I thought ELONg and hard over who was Tarik’s inspiration but the results seem rather MUSKy) reveals some key information about the plans that he and his colleagues are working towards. It becomes clear that their plans are about to change but not by their own intended will.  Instead, they have to bear the responsibility for what they made and what will result from it. What is particularly frightening is that they do so without any remorse. No “what have I done” cries of anguish No, “I have become Death, Destroyer of Worlds” moments of self-realization. They not only acknowledge and own up to it, but welcome the destruction and change their AI baby will bring about. It says something that the human characters like the tech gurus and possibly those behind  the avatars like Ninjagod 1138 are more terrifying and inhuman than the AI that strives to conquer through subjugation and assimilation. 

The Metaverse takes an even wider perspective especially towards the end where a transformation occurs that goes beyond known technological capabilities. After a while, I nearly forgot what book that I was reading as it turned from Science Fiction/Mystery into something else. The tone is changed by the end and the world goes through an evolution but it remains to be seen whether it's for the better or worse.

The World As It Should Be by Lee Ann Kostempski; Witches, Kelpies, Demons, and Ghosts Haunt Post Apocalyptic Fantasy Landscape

 The World As It Should Be by Lee Ann Kostempski; Witches, Kelpies, Demons, and Ghosts Haunt Post Apocalyptic Fantasy Landscape 

By Julie Sara Porter

Bookworm Reviews

Spoilers: Lee Ann Kostempski’s The World As It Should Be is a strange but effective mashup of Post-Apocalyptic Science Fiction and Dark Fantasy. It's one of those strange concoctions that takes the best of two or more genres and creates an awesome work of its own.

Charity Olmstead is wandering around a wasteland that used to be Salem, Massachusetts. The world ended in earthquakes and dragon-fire 48 hours prior with few survivors. Charity was kicked out of her studio apartment by her ex-boyfriend, Dean and his mother. She also comes from a witch family and has psychic abilities so ghosts have been bothering her, especially those that have recently died because of the attacks. Charity is in despair when she encounters a kelpie, a shape shifting horse creature originated in Irish and Scottish folklore. Since kelpies are known to consume flesh, a suicidal Charity offers herself to the creature. The Kelpie at first refuses but then strikes a bargain with her. His mate has been killed and he can't find his colt so if Charity helps him look for his child and the monster hunters who killed his mate, then he will eat her. As the two unlikely partners travel through the fallen world, powerful authority figures from Salem have their own theories about who or what caused the end of the world and they want to resurrect the trials that once made their town infamous.

The World As It Should Be is definitely among the darkest Fantasies that I have ever read. The post apocalyptic setting pulls out all the stops with its disturbing graphic imagery and the impact of what it means to those who suffer and try to survive through it. The fact that the protagonist is so suicidal that her main goal is to seek death also adds to the grimness. 

What is particularly disturbing about the setting is the immediacy and cause of this scenario. The end just happened only two days prior and it shows. Charity wanders around a world in a daze because she still remembers the stores and houses that were standing there a week ago. Still remembers friends that she kept in touch with a few days prior and still wouldn't have minded meeting for lunch on a typical day. Still remembers the world that was two days ago. It reminds the Reader of tragic events when the world seems to stop and we remember and long for the normal that happened before.

The cause of the end is terrifying and is even more so the longer one thinks about it. For spoiler’s sake, I won't reveal too much. But let's just say that a hurt soul and an errant wish made out of anger, no matter how righteous it is, caused much damage. It's frightening to imagine someone with that much power and was pushed into such a situation that compelled this thought.

Of course what makes the setting stand out is the presence of fantasy characters and magic users. It's also rather clever that the human characters treat their presence as a non-event. They act like talking to Kelpies and hiding from dragons is simply an everyday occurrence which it probably is. The implications are that they weren't created because of the apocalypse. They have always been there and this is a modern fantasy world that just got hit with a science fiction dystopian situation.

This relative ease between humans and fantasy creatures explains the casual acquaintanceship between Charity and the Kelpie. Humans like Charity are aware of the kelpie’s carnivorous situation so they stay away from them, the way most humans stay away from dangerous animals that could attack them. Charity however shows her death seeking tendencies by approaching him and setting herself up as a meal. The Kelpie is part of a species with animalistic instincts but human-like reason and intellect. They have an urge to feast but know when to do so and decide not to. The Kelpie weighs his options and eventually his growing loyalty towards Charity and his concern for her situation causes him to rethink their bargain. 

The presence of witches and witchcraft is brilliantly handled. Charity reacts like her magical and clairvoyant abilities are something that she has always had to the point that she's tired of them. She walks away from ghosts not out of fear but out of annoyance that they keep stalking her. She has a group of childhood friends called The Coven Kids-sounds like a great YA series-who, like her, are the children of prominent witches in this area of Massachusetts. While Charity grew apart from them upon adulthood, she now pleads with and seeks solace from them for magical assistance and to reclaim her spellcasting heritage. 

Of course where there are witches, there are witch hunters and in Salem that is a definite given. The humans of Salem react the way that humans do when they are faced with a deadly situation, look for a scapegoat, a minority to lay all the blame on. Being prominent Salemites, they revert to their past to find the current scapegoats and resurrect the witch trials that made their town so notorious in the annals of history. The misogyny and authoritarianism of the Salemites is laid bare in the present as they try Charity and the past as a frightening spirit seeks violent vengeance for past sins. It will take all of Charity's magic and intelligence and her friendship with the Kelpie to face her enemies and her own deep depression and suicidal tendencies.

The World As It Should Be is a dark, disturbing, but detailed and endlessly fascinating blend of Post-Apocalyptic Science Fiction and Dark Fantasy. It brings the best of both genres to make one whole wonderful book.

Lit List Short Reviews Flames of Flamenco by Jennifer Ivy Walker; Slay Bells Ring The Rise of the Banner Elk Slayer by S. David Acuff; Affirmations for Glowing Skin by Rhys Blanco; Blackstone Griddle Cookbook Simple Fast and Delicious Recipes With Photography Your Ultimate Guide to Sizzling Success on the Hottest Griddle in Town by Dr Ezekiel

 Lit List Short Reviews Flames of Flamenco by Jennifer Ivy Walker; Slay Bells Ring The Rise of the Banner Elk Slayer by S. David Acuff; Affirmations for Glowing Skin by Rhys Blanco; Blackstone Griddle Cookbook Simple Fast and Delicious Recipes With Photography Your Ultimate Guide to Sizzling Success on the Hottest Griddle in Town by Dr Ezekiel 

Flames of Flamenco by Jennifer Ivy Walker

At 136 pages, Jennifer Ivy Walker’s Erotic Romance doesn't have a lot of time for plot twists or individual character depth that goes beyond getting the main couple together. It knows what it wants to be and does it. It is a Romance in which a troubled recently wounded woman gets involved with a handsome stranger who is perfect for her. Expect a great detailed almost fanciful setting and plenty of love making to make the Readers sign and get extremely heated. 

American French teacher Ella Jacobs is in Paris for an academic program meeting with other French teachers. She is also recovering from her divorce from her emotionally abusive ex-husband. While seeing and sketching the sites, she sees a muscular, handsome, tattooed artist. She purchases a portrait of a Flamenco dancer and requests for the hunky artist to paint her portrait as well. Said artist is named Jean-Luc Cortes. Jean-Luc takes Ella out to eat and to watch Flamenco dancing. Amidst the spicy dancing and spicy food, the two engage in spice of their own.

The book doesn't lend much in the way of plot. There is a complication later that gets in the way of Ella and Jean Luc’s relationship but it is inserted so late that it bears little bearing to the overall story. By the time it is introduced, Ella and Jean-Luc’s romance is a done deal. It's almost like Walker wanted to add a last minute conflict to add a few more pages.

However the setting and romance are on point. Paris is as cliche for a Romance setting as New Orleans is for a Horror setting. But sometimes there is a reason why authors use those cliches. It's because they work. In this case, Paris adds to the passion between the two characters. 

One of the more prominent places that Ella and Jean-Luc visit is The Tablao Flamenco. It's where they see a Flamenco performance and later Jean-Luc shows Ella his own talent for Flamenco dancing. Flamenco is a style of dance developed by Romany Spanish people in the Southern Andalusian region. It is known for the dancers wearing bright colors, moving their arms and feet to indicate rhythm and expression, and conveying sensuality, passion, and vibrance in the music and dance. 

Flamenco dancing and portrait painting are Jean-Luc’s ways of expressing his deepest passions and sexuality. That Ella is herself an artist and has a fondness for European culture shows that she has the same creative expressions and shares those passions. Even before they have sex, their devotion to art and dance connects them on an emotional plane before they connect physically.

Of course the sex is plentiful. Ella and Jean-Luc have plenty of chemistry as they have dates that often end with them jumping in the bed and making love. However, the sex scenes are able to be both seductive and romantic as we see Ella and Jean-Luc interact, share ideas, and express themselves. 

Flames of Flamenco hits eroticism and romanticism and uses both physically and emotionally to connect the characters to each other and the Readers.

Slay Bells Ring: The Rise of the Banner Elk Slayer by S. David Acuff 

S. David Acuff’s Horror Novella Slay Bells Ring: The Rise of the Banner Elk Slayer is a tribute to horror movies and shows like The Lost Boys, The Monster Squad, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and Supernatural. Supernatural creatures are thwarted by crafty tough humans who are armed with genre savviness towards folklore and horror movies, an arsenal of awesome killer weapons, and a sardonic outlook in which they make sarcastic quips while battling the undead.

6th grade Math teacher, Daniel Archibald Helsing was a typical teacher until weird things started happening. He was a self-proclaimed pop culture aficionado who has “references up the Ying Yang.” Dan is single but still carries a torch for a female friend, Jan Switcher (despite insisting to his Readers that no it's not like that, he swears!) 

Besides loving Math so much that he “wants to marry it and have dozens of babies,” Dan is good at his job. Besides teaching class, he runs the Orphan Fight Club, a club in which he and various orphans play board games like Settlers of Catan, Lord of the Rings Monopoly, and Yahtzee when they get really aggressive (but not Dungeons and Dragons, Ouija, or Tarot cards. The Orphan Fight Club takes place in the local orphanage and the nuns forbid those “Satanic games” on their turf.) He acts like a big brother figure to his students and the orphans and is always on hand to give advice or tell a corny joke. 

One of those orphans is Charlie Summers, a mysterious young girl who keeps to herself and sneaks inside the basement. She informs him that the portal to Hell has been opened inside their town of Banner Elk, North Carolina. Monsters and hellhounds have been released. As a slayer, it's her job to kill them. In fact, Dan is also a slayer and comes from a powerful family line of slayers. You might have heard of his ancestor, one Professor Abraham Van Helsing (Dracula's archenemy). At first Dan doesn't believe her but coming face to face with one of those beasts makes him a believer. He then picks up weapons and goes in for the kill.

Slay Bells Ring is a violent, bloody, but mostly funny Dark Comedy. The violent acts and supernatural horrors are augmented by the sardonic witty tone that runs throughout the book. A lot of it is because of Dan’s wisecracking sarcastic observations.

After Jan kills a hellhound, Dan is fixated with how sexy Jan looks. “What, I'm sorry she did!” 

He whines to the judgemental Reader. He also complains that his Christmas break should have been filled with “shopping, eating, white elephant gift exchanges, and watching classic Holiday films like Miracle on 34th Street and Die Hard. Instead it's filled with Gothic jewelry, family curses, medieval weapons, hellhounds, fire, death, and half naked temptresses in (his) bed.”He says, “I wanted a do over. A mulligan. A stunt double.”

 However, it's not just him. Everyone has something to say and are willing to say it between demon killings. When they receive a ring that will help close the Portal, Jan reminds them that they have “a dwarf” in Charlie and a “clumsy naive Hobbit with the heart of gold and smelly feet” in Dan. 

Charlie isn't afraid to get violent and bloody when it comes to killing and hellhounds, but she will not tolerate swearing. Whenever Dan swears, she yells, “Cussbucket,” Reminding him that he owes her money every time he drops four letters words in the conversation.

The humor keeps the plot from being too dark and disturbing. It helps detach the Reader from the circumstances that they are reading about but also serves as a balm for the characters as well.

 The characters are faced with a fatal situation that could not only alter their outlook on the world around them but end the entire world as well. But they deal with this dour situation with sarcastic comments and a smiles on their face. They laugh so they don't shiver with fear or cry in grief about their fallen comrades.

Slay Bells Ring is an engaging book that helps the Reader see a darkly comic side to the end of the world. Might as well face it with a weapon in hand and a mouth full of wit.

Affirmations for Glowing Skin by Rhys Blanco 

Rhys Blanco’s small book of affirmations, Affirmations for Glowing Skin, is a life affirming and spiritually uplifting book that encourages the Reader to practice self-care with encouraging words and exercises.

The Introduction tells you what kind of poems that the Reader will encounter. Phrases like “Evoke surrender. Absolute effortlessness” flow in a chant to pull the Reader to embrace a higher consciousness.

The guidelines explain that each exercise fits three categories: “Me, Myself Affirmations,” “You, Yourself Affirmations,” and “We, Us Affirmations” that activate the body, mind, and soul respectively. They offer a holistic approach to wellness that causes one to feel connected in all spheres.

One affirmation, “Relax” is a breathing exercise in which the Reader is encouraged to breathe deeply and scan their body from their toes to the top of their head. This tells the Reader that a simple action like breathing can become a positive assistance for a soothed mind and body.

Another exercise, “Affirmations” gives Readers an imaginary vacation by mentally visualizing themselves in a serene location and becoming one with that natural beauty around them. This exercise gives one a way to mentally check out for a few minutes when stress threatens to overpower them.

Other exercises suggest things like showing gratitude, taking nature walks, and expressing oneself creatively through music and dance. All of these offer different ways that the Reader can build and maintain a more positive outlook.

One of the biggest themes of the book is self-love. “Windows to the Soul” presents some calming words about appreciating our own physical appearances. It says “I see myself with such Beautiful, Clear, Smooth, Supple skin/My skin is noticeably beautiful to all, even amongst models and children, the inner love is seen by All My Skin is ageless.” In a time when racism, body shaming, lookism, and ageism provides vicious people with rancorous insults, it's important for people to find and take pride in what they love about themselves.

The final affirmation exercise, “All I Am,” encourages not only love of one's body but also of their thoughts and emotions and spreading that love towards others. It says, “The universe has fallen in love with my soul As am I the love flowing through through all/I am worthy of beauty I am worthy of clear, youthful, glowing skin/I am worthy of all that is beautiful I am grateful for life I am worthy of life/I celebrate and nurture the ideal vision of life growing in the womb of being.”

Affirmations for Glowing Skin is a small book but gives its Readers a few seconds to rest, reflect, appreciate the world around them, and to love themselves a little better.

Blackstone Griddle Cookbook Simple Fast and Delicious Recipes With Photography Your Ultimate Guide to Sizzling Success on the Hottest Griddle in Town by Dr Ezekiel 

Dr Ezekiel’s book, Blackstone Griddle Cookbook, is filled with delicious recipes and colorful photographs to encourage good and healthy eating during outdoor cooking season.

The recipes are a nice variety of breakfast, lunch, and dinner meals. Some of the most mouth watering dishes include “Honey Mustard Glazed Chicken”, “BBQ Pork Chops” and “Butter Garlic Lobster Tails.”

There are plenty of bright colorful photographs to show chefs what the final results will look like and provide suggestions for future meals. Such pictures include “Garlic Butter Steak Bites,” “Teriyaki Beef Stir Fry,” and “Cajun Grilled Salmon.”

The Blackstone Griddle Cookbook will provide some good meals for anyone who wants to bring some spice and variety for their cookout plans.

Try the Leopard's Mouth by Charles Moberly; Dull Colorless Protagonist Weighs Down African Historical Fiction

Try the Leopard's Mouth by Charles Moberly; Dull Colorless Protagonist Weighs Down African Historical Fiction 

By Julie Sara Porter

Bookworm Reviews 

Spoilers: Charles Moberly’s Try the Leopard's Mouth commits one of the worst literary sins. He tells what could be an interesting history of a traumatic time in a country's history from the point of view of a newcomer who is dull, shallow, and only mildly transforms and evolves despite the stressful time surrounding him. It's a tale of the Armchair Protagonist, a protagonist who only serves as an observer reporting what they see around them while the Readers receive more interesting stories second hand. 

Tom Etheridge decides to leave his drab English life behind for adventure and excitement in Africa. He became a farm manager in Rhodesia (later known as Zimbabwe Rhodesia) in the 1960’s right as the Rhodesian Bush War began. He becomes disenchanted by the farm in which he works and his tyrannical employer. He has dreams of buying a farm of his own. He is attracted to Briony, a local woman with her own ambitious drive, and they end up working together on a farm of their own. They discover a rare drug that Tom eventually grows and Briony markets. The duo then finds their love tested by war, racism, ambition, greed, and a colonial system in which the black natives are exploited and the white government is in control. 

Try the Leopard's Mouth has the potential to be a great novel, but falls hard. The Rhodesian Bush War was a very traumatic time in Zimbabwe Rhodesian history and deserves to be explored in every capacity possible. The history of colonialism in general and British colonialism in particular left a dark mark within many countries that is still being felt around the world. Unfortunately, this book does not convey that. It suggests some things about how colonialism was bad for the country. How black and white people were segregated, How a system in which the ruling elites eventually collapsed in on itself. There are various points where Tom, Briony, and others realize that even with their good intentions they still perpetuate and allow a racist system to thrive.

Unfortunately, these glimpses are used sporadically because of Moberly's decision to tell the book solely from Tom's point of view. It cannot be stressed enough what a flawed point of view it is. Tom is merely a reporter, an observer of all that is going on. He is a privileged white man who arrives in Rhodesia for excitement. In the beginning, he says that he has no opinion either way about the Rhodesian government and their policies and exhibits very little change through the book aside from his status and romantic relationships. Because of his background, Tom only has a limited view of the events that surround him. He looks at the situation in Rhodesia  through this narrow limited lens so when he exhibits some personal change, it seems hollow and unearned.

Despite a plot trajectory that involves war, racism, sexual assault, criminal activity, death and many things that would cause great change in character, it really doesn't transform Tom. In fact, the final pages suggest that he has learned nothing from his experience and in fact regresses. This makes him a very boring character. A potentially exciting plot that covers years of struggles, conflict, and great metamorphosis requires much more dynamic characters to narrate it.

What is particularly egregious is that the book has better options for protagonists, one right in front of Tom: Briony. She would make a much more compelling narrator as she is familiar with the land and the government. She has plenty of ideals and is involved in dangerous and potentially rebellious activities against the government. She could reveal her struggles of being a farmer and businesswoman surrounded by misogyny. Her realization of what she allowed the government to do would be much more traumatic coming from her because she is someone who lived in the country for years, has family there, and felt acceptance around her. Her discovery that the acceptance came at the cost of diminishing and dehumanizing the black population, many of whom were long time friends, would be a legitimate cry of pain.

There are several chapters where Briony tells her life story or another character updates Tom on her status. Her story is one that is colorful, dangerous, exciting, vibrant, and stressful. She had to deal with abuse, sexism, misogyny, assault, abandonment, violence, corruption, and unhappy relationships. She took many risks and was involved in various adventures that required her to use great skill, intellect, attractiveness, and sexuality to survive. She steals every moment and every time that one of these chapters in which her story is summarized to Tom, I think, “Why aren't we reading about this? Why are we hearing about it secondhand?” Tom’s first person narration becomes a barrier to Briony’s much more interesting story.

There is also an elephant in the review that must be discussed. Even more egregious than leaving out the perspective from the far more interesting Briony over her bland and colorless love interest is this, why is a book set in Rhodesia and deals with the racism inflicted on the black population from the white government told from the point of view of a white character? Why isn't it told from the point of view of a native Rhodesian? This is a story that involves that country and its people. The people of Zimbabwe Rhodesia are more than capable of telling it themselves by revealing the impact colonialism and racism had on the country and its residents. 

Alternatively, why is it solely told from Tom's point of view? Another option could be to widen the narrative. Why can't it be third person omniscient or first person told by several characters from different backgrounds, status, races, and experiences showing the Rhodesian Bush Wars from multiple encompassing viewpoints? Ironically, in a book in which white characters discover that they are pawns in a racist government determined to maintain their grip and deprive the people of their own voices, the book does the same. Tom ends up being the spokesperson depriving Rhodesian characters a voice of their own. 

Try the Leopard's Mouth could be so much better with stronger narrators and a more intimate focus on the situations that the book dances around. The Rhodesian Bush Wars was a time that should be explored and dissected but in a better book than this.

 

Death in the Holler (A Luke Ryder Book 1) by John G Bluck; Troubled Alcoholic Protagonist is the Highlight of Somewhat Muddled Murder Mystery

 

Death in the Holler (A Luke Ryder Book 1) by John G Bluck; Troubled Alcoholic Protagonist is the Highlight of Somewhat Muddled Murder Mystery

By Julie Sara Porter

Bookworm Reviews 

Spoilers: 2024 so far looks to be the year of the “Troubled Mystery Investigator.” Between the friendship of cop/criminal duo, Vincent Bayonne and Kane Kulpa unraveling  in Journeyman by Indy Perro and the team of Ingrid Barker and Miles McCleod surrounded by an abusive husband, a dysfunctional family, and their own mental health issues in What Happened at the Abbey by Isobel Blackthorn, it seems that solving mysteries is the least of their problems. Instead, they could use some of that time investigating themselves rather than crime. We can now add Luke Ryder to that list. He is the protagonist of John G. Bluck’s Death in the Holler, a mystery that takes an intense look at its problematic perplexing protagonist.

Luke Ryder is a former Game Warden whose frequent alcoholism cost him his job. His sympathetic friend, Sheriff Jim Pike recruits him to lend his expertise to a murder investigation. Farmer Joe Ford has found an unknown dead body. Since it's muzzleloader deer hunting season and Ryder had previously investigated an incident in which a doe was killed on Ford’s property during the off season, Ryder is called to offer his expert advice on the murder weapon, potential identity of the victim, and identity and motive of the killer. As Ryder peers into the questions, he discovers that the case is wider than he thought. He comes face to face with drug dealers, organized crime, street gangs, a local psychopath, and his own addictions and tormented past. 

Bluck has a strong understanding towards his lead character and the conflicts and struggles that surround him. His past with parents who succumbed to their own dependencies reveals an inherited addictive personality which makes him susceptible to following his parent's path towards potential self-destruction. He destroyed relationships, friendships, and a career that he worked hard to obtain. This is a man who is stumbling towards rock bottom. In fact, Pike reveals that he wanted Ryder's help not necessarily as an expert but out of loyalty to give his oldest and best friend one final chance to turn his life around before it's too late.

Despite his addiction, Ryder proves his ability as an investigator. He has a good sense of how the criminal mind works as he develops an acquaintenceship with a gang member. He shows a protective side towards a prostitute and her child. He follows various leads to their conclusions. Perhaps his desire to solve this case is a barrier from his addiction. As long as there is a problem to solve or a mystery to investigate, he doesn't have to look at the mess that his personal life is in.

Ryder stands out from the somewhat muddled mystery. It is incredibly convoluted and sometimes difficult to follow. Many of the leads are arbitrary and have a very tangible connection to the initial investigation. Some subplots such as that of the young psychopath could be promising but aren’t as compelling as they could be. It is more interesting to see Ryder interact with the suspects than figuring out what they have to do with the murder. 

Luke Ryder is the most important aspect of this book and it shows in the writing. Bluck appears not as interested in the mystery than he is about Ryder's personal journey from debilitating addiction to a second chance to help others and save himself. 

What Happened At The Abbey (The Straithbairn Trilogy) Book One by Isobel Blackthorn; Blackthorn Goes Gothic in Engaging Historical Murder Mystery

 

What Happened At The Abbey (The Straithbairn Trilogy) Book One by Isobel Blackthorn; Blackthorn Goes Gothic in Engaging Historical Murder Mystery 

By Julie Sara Porter

Bookworm Reviews

Spoilers: Isobel Blackthorn is a favorite author of the blog. She is one of the best recent mystery/suspense authors. Her attention to setting and character brings new light to the Cozy Mystery, Locked Room Case, and other subgenres. Her books, The Cabin Sessions and Emma's Tapestry were favorites on the Best of the Best Year End Lists of 2021 and 2022 respectively. So when I say that What Happened At The Abbey, the first in Blackthorn's The Straithbairn Trilogy is the best of Blackthorn's work, I mean that it is the best of quite an impressive collection indeed.

What Happened at the Abbey is a loving tribute to the Gothic Mystery with an innocent female protagonist hired to work at a creepy wealthy estate for an eccentric family and unearths a secret that the family or their antecedents are trying to hide. It is a wonderful subgenre already and a personal favorite but Blackthorn's attention to tone and character make this a great addition to the genre and a stellar work in its own right.

Ingrid Barker is escaping an abusive marriage with her daughter, Susan. She had to leave her upper middle class lifestyle behind and travel North to Scotland to accept the position of housekeeper at Straithbairn Abbey. As she adjusts to her new surroundings and life as a single mother, Ingrid gets to know her employers, the McCleod Family particularly the argumentative daughter, Gertrude and the feckless secretive son, Miles. Miles in particular arouses suspicion with his cryptic words, his habit of sneaking around outside at night, and family's apparent dislike of him. It becomes clear that something is creepy in the estate of Straithbairn. Meanwhile, Ingrid is receiving threats of her own as she learns that her abusive ex husband is hot on her trail.

The atmosphere is one of stern judgment and deep ominous potentially demonic energy. Ingrid personifies Straithbairn as a “house that seems to frown down on all who behold it.” It's described with rugged countryside, omnipresent sharp craggy stones, a dour facade, and no softness. It is cold, imposing, and already unloving. 

The people who dwell inside Straithbairn are just as dysfunctional as the location that surrounds them. The McCleods are people who share a last name but harbor no illusions that they love each other or consider themselves family. Charles, their father, has a tight psychological grip on his children. Gertrude cares more about the estate than she does for the people who live inside it. Blake loses himself in alcohol and defeatism.

Then there's Miles whose arrival instantly brings derision and anger from the rest of his family. He is the McCleod Family Outsider. He appears at Straithbairn to collect moss for an academic study. But his first person narrative (which he alternates with Ingrid’s point of view) reveals more about him than he tells others. 

Miles is haunted by his family history and is searching for some answers to questions that have dogged him for years. His narration suggests him as someone who is teetering on the edge of sanity. He alternates between trying to retain rational thought and drifting towards paranoid delusions and fantasies. With the potentially supernatural atmosphere that charges the air, there are moments where it is uncertain if Miles is going insane or actually possessed by demons. What is apparent is that Miles is a man who is inwardly suffering and has no support from the people around him leading to further suffering.

The tension is also experienced by Ingrid. For someone who survived a physically and emotionally abusive marriage, Ingrid no doubt personifies her own experience with the setting around her. Her Anxiety and PTSD is paramount as well as her desire to get away from her previous situation. Straithbairn reminds her of her marriage: intimidating, isolated, domineering, confining, and loveless.

Ingrid is also someone whose own nerves are naturally at an all-time high. She shows a tremendous amount of strength of character by pulling herself and Susan out of a bad situation and  starting over in another country by telling people that she is a widow. However, she shows obvious signs of PTSD and Generalized Anxiety Disorder. She is suspicious of the bond that develops between Susan and Ethel, the cook. She finds a newcomer, Hamish, to be alternatively attractive and mysterious. Then there is the news of Edward's return which causes her to fear the world inside and outside the estate.

The tension in the air consumes Ingrid and it becomes clear that something terrifying is hiding in the fringes or under the surface and is about to happen. 

It breaks when Ingrid and Miles come face to face with their own fears, anxieties, insecurities, and paranoia and those that cause them. 

 

Lit List Short Reviews The Ayurveda Cookbook for Women 2024: Regain Emotional Balance and Take Control of Your Life Through the Ayurvedic Culinary Remedies 100+ Recipes to Support Your Holistic Wellness by Sameera B. Joyce; Parenting ADHD With Empathy and Effectiveness: A Comprehensive Guide to Nurturing Success with Proven Strategies and Mindful Techniques to Improve Emotional Regulation, Focus, and Self-Control by Sierra Nice; Navigating Oppositional Defiant Disorder: A Compassionate Guide for Parenting ODD Children Empowering Strategies to Foster Cooperation, Communication, & Connection while Nurturing Your Child's Success by Sierra Nice

 Lit List Short Reviews The Ayurveda Cookbook for Women 2024: Regain Emotional Balance and Take Control of Your Life Through the Ayurvedic Culinary Remedies 100+ Recipes to Support Your Holistic Wellness by Sameera B. Joyce; Parenting ADHD With Empathy and Effectiveness: A Comprehensive Guide to Nurturing Success with Proven Strategies and Mindful Techniques to Improve Emotional Regulation, Focus, and Self-Control by Sierra Nice; Navigating Oppositional Defiant Disorder: A Compassionate Guide for Parenting ODD Children Empowering Strategies to Foster Cooperation, Communication, & Connection while Nurturing Your Child's Success by Sierra Nice 

Ayurveda Cookbook for Women 2024: Regain Emotional Balance and Take Control of Your Life Through the Ayurvedic Culinary Remedies 100+ Recipes to Support Your Holistic Wellness by Sameera B. Joyce

The Ayurveda Cookbook for Women 2024 is more than a cookbook. It's a lifestyle book about how Readers can use food to help provide balance to the physical, mental, and emotional difficulties in their lives.

The book is filled with interesting recipes but that is not all. The first three chapters discuss what the Ayurvedic lifestyle is, how it can be implemented in one's daily life, and specifically how the lifestyle is used for food preparation. Using these practices one can see that Ayurveda is more than a means of cooking, it involves a way of living.

The most interesting parts of the book focus on the doshas, energies in the body that could create imbalance for an extended period of time. The doshas Vata, Pitta, and Kapha help with different areas in the body like circulation, digestion, and immunity respectively. 

Sometimes people who have one doshas more prominent than others can develop complications like bone and joint problems, distance and spaciness for Vata, overheating, migraines, anger, and aggression for Pitta, and excessive weight gain and depression for Kapha. 

The book suggests that the best way to balance the doshas is by eating certain foods. Vata involves eating warm, moist, oily, and ground foods like warm soups and stews, avocados, eggs, butter, and sweet potatoes and avoiding raw salads and bitter foods. Pitta involves eating calming and cooling foods like coconut, cucumbers, zucchini, freshwater fish, rice dishes, lentils, grains, pasta, and breads and avoiding spicy foods, red wine, and vodka. Kapha involves eating grains like quinoa, millet, ghee, butter, olive oil and warm spices like turmeric, cumin, coriander, black mustard seed, ginger, and cinnamon, and avoiding heavy, cold, and wet foods like avocado.

The book also encourages other means to implement an Ayurvedic lifestyle beyond cooking and eating. The means include practicing Yoga and Meditation, using concepts while taking Traditional Chinese and Western medicine, massage, and bodywork. These suggestions show that there are more ways to improve someone's life beyond food. 

Of course, the recipes are important as well. Delectable recipes include “Tasty Lemon Ginger Tea Scones,”  “Tofu and Tomato Indian Masala,” “Parmesan Topped Spaghetti,” “Creamy Avocado Sauce with a Citrus Zest,” “Lemon-Turmeric Quinoa Cookies,” and “Rose-Fennel-Clove Infused Water.” They provide the proper nutrition to balance the doshas and treat the complications.

The Ayurveda Cookbook is a great look at how one could commit to diet and fitness to reinvigorate and bring some much needed balance to their lives.

Parenting ADHD With Empathy and Effectiveness: A Comprehensive Guide to Nurturing Success with Proven Strategies and Mindful Techniques to Improve Emotional Regulation, Focus, and Self-Control by Sierra Nice

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a well publicized and known condition. Still many parents can feel confused and overwhelmed when their child is diagnosed. This book helps parents implement strategies and techniques that work with such children and keep the parent-child relationship strong through such difficult and stressful times.

What is refreshing about this book is how it does not demonize ADHD nor the children who have it. While it does lead to impulsive behavior and disorganized thinking, it also provides advantages like focus, activity, resilience, creativity, innovation, empathy, and communication. The book is not about treating or curing ADHD. It's about using the positive aspects that the condition brings while minimizing the negative so that they do not overpower the child's ability to function.

Many practices include medication, diet, exercise, therapy, creativity, and play offer holistic approaches to assist the child's physical, emotional, and mental well being. Parents are encouraged to practice such techniques like mindfulness, patience, active listening, and stress reduction to help clear their minds and understand their children and themselves.

Many mindful breathing techniques, emotional regulation games and exercises, recognizing emotional triggers, and coping skills help improve a child's emotional intelligence. One of the more interesting suggestions is that of an “emotional first aid kit” such as comfort food, a supportive network of friends and family members, favorite forms of entertainment like music, podcasts, movies, or a soothing memory or toy. This kit will help give children, and even adults who want to have something similar for their emotions as well, sources of security and warmth when they are under stress.

Understanding ADHD and finding ways to nurture the positive aspects and providing balance to counter the negative aspects will help children channel their condition into becoming young people with a different but enthusiastic and understanding mindset towards life.

Navigating Oppositional Defiant Disorder: A Compassionate Guide for Parenting ODD Children Empowering Strategies to Foster Cooperation, Communication, & Connection while Nurturing Your Child's Success by Sierra Nice 

Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) is a behavioral disorder in which those who have it exhibit characteristics like being uncooperative, defiant, or hostile. They often have recurring patterns of behavior like quickness to anger, irritability, and excessive arguments directed at parents and other authority figures. This book helps parents and children who have ODD find ways to understand the conditions and positively control those behaviors. 

Among the important parenting techniques that the book discusses is empathy. It helps parents and children relate to each other with a deep emotional and rational mindset. Along with empathy is recognizing and validating a child's emotions. When parents practice these traits, they can then help their ODD child practice them. They can set boundaries, note acceptable behavior and help children change unacceptable behavior. 

Communication strategies such as mirroring and paraphrasing a child's problem shows that parents are listening and understand their emotions and perspectives. Nonviolent communication is a key factor by observing without evaluation, recognizing feelings and needs, and requesting not demanding. Another strategy is to set boundaries for children such as creating simple and consistent rules, establishing routines, teaching responsibility, and encouraging them to understand different choices and the potential results. 

There are many techniques that specifically pertain to children with emotional and behavioral disorders. Creating positive reinforcements, desecrating strategies for meltdowns, anger management, and problem solving benefit children with ODD.

This book helps Readers understand what ODD is, how to recognize the symptoms, live with and accept it.

Lit List Short Reviews Traeger Grill & Smoker/Blackstone Outdoor Gas Griddle Cookbook by Dr. Anisah; Calibrated Child Effective Anger Management for Kids: Unleashing Emotional Intelligence to Increase Positive Behaviors Through Playful Strategies, Mindful Moments and Creative Coping Techniques by Sierra Nice; Calibrated Parenting Effective Anger Management for Parents: How to Master Emotions, Connect with Your Kids, and Raise Confident, Happy Children Through Gentle Parenting Mastery & Positive Reinforcement by Sierra Nice

 Lit List Short Reviews Traeger Grill & Smoker/Blackstone Outdoor Gas Griddle Cookbook by Dr Anisah; Calibrated Child Effective Anger Management for Kids: Unleashing Emotional Intelligence to Increase Positive Behaviors Through Playful Strategies, Mindful Moments and Creative Coping Techniques by Sierra Nice; Calibrated Parenting Effective Anger Management for Parents: How to Master Emotions, Connect with Your Kids, and Raise Confident, Happy Children Through Gentle Parenting Mastery & Positive Reinforcement by Sierra Nice 

Traeger Grill & Smoker/Blackstone Outdoor Gas Griddle Cookbook by Dr  Anisah

This is a two part cookbook with double the amount of delicious recipes and plenty of advice on maintaining and caring for the proper equipment. Unfortunately, it has some formatting issues that could leave the Reader impaired when they try to follow the cooking instructions.

The recipes vary not only as breakfast, lunch, and dinner meals but elaborate on what one could cook on a grill, smoker, or griddle. Such recipes as “Cedar-Smoked Breakfast Pizza” and “Savory Grilled Breakfast Tacos” are rather interesting ideas to spice up any meal.

Since cooking with outdoor equipment can be unpredictable, the book offers tips on maintaining such equipment and keeping safe while cooking. It's always important to keep cooking equipment clean and in a secure environment so that they can still be used. That is especially important when said cooking equipment is only able to be used during certain times of the year and might not work the next time they are taken out.

Unfortunately, this set has some formatting issues that could be trouble for those wanting to follow the recipes. Some items within lists are not bold while others are.

Sometimes, Anisah or whoever did the editing forgot to add bullets or numbers with some of the individual items on lists. When working on a book that relies on a step-by-step process, it is important to make the lists uniform so the Reader can easily find what is needed. It can be rather difficult to follow a recipe and leave out a step because it wasn't bulleted or numbered correctly.

Despite the formatting issues, this is a good book for the eager outdoor chef. Just make sure to read closely.

Calibrated Child Effective Anger Management for Kids: Unleashing Emotional Intelligence to Increase Positive Behaviors Through Playful Strategies, Mindful Moments and Creative Coping Techniques by Sierra Nice

Calibrated Child is part of a four part series that helps to improve the relationship between parents and children. This book offers advice on how parents can deal with angry and emotional children.

The tips provided emphasize communication and understanding over punishment and retribution. Such tips like active listening and asking questions gets to the point of what is bothering the child. It asks why a kid is upset, not how their behavior is upsetting.

The book gets into correcting unruly behavior but focuses on discussion not anger. It particularly involves helping children understand empathy and kindness towards others and telling them why their behavior hurts others. 

One of the more interesting chapters consist of using play and creative techniques for kids to display and reveal their anger. Parents could encourage children to draw or write about what bothers them. Not only is it a good way of releasing anger, but it encourages children to develop and cultivate artistic talents.

It also deals with one of the more difficult concerns that parents often have. When parents make mistakes with rearing their children, they should admit it. It shows that adults are people who make mistakes and aren't infallible. When parents are wrong, they can admit they are wrong and apologize. It helps children understand that mistakes will always be a part of life.

Calibrated Child helps parents teach children to let go of their anger and become more understanding, empathetic, and better human beings.

Calibrated Parenting Effective Anger Management for Parents: How to Master Emotions, Connect with Your Kids, and Raise Confident, Happy Children Through Gentle Parenting Mastery & Positive Reinforcement by Sierra Nice 

This volume in the series focuses on parents and how they put their emotional baggage into raising children. This book offers advice on how Readers can manage and control their own anger becoming stronger and more understanding parents.

The book emphasizes gentle parenting, an evidence based approach based on being compassionate and setting boundaries. It emphasizes self-awareness and understanding behavior particularly in communicating with children why such behavior is wrong and what can be done to properly deal with the behavior and the situation that led to it.

Since parents are often busy taking care of others and seeing to their needs, they often ignore their own. Many times this leads to the parent feeling angry and resentful. They may take those emotions out on those closest to them. 

This book suggests various means of managing anger. Implementing techniques such as mindfulness, self-care, and journaling allow the parent to address those emotions in a healthy capacity and to give them a few moments of much needed solitude, rest, and relaxation.

The book offers advice on time management. It suggests that time allocating for family should be used with the family and not to divide attention between work and family. It helps the child feel accepted and encouraged to communicate with their parents. It also helps the parent focus on that specific allotment of time and what is more important to them instead of feeling mentally scattered and stressed.

Anger Management is a difficult process, one which parents and their children can learn. Books like this help them work together to understand that anger, not to let it control them, and to become closer as a family.