The Promise of Love (The Promise of a Dragonblood Book 1) by Emmeline Lovel; Fantasy Romance Features Promising Female Lead and Questionable Plot Points

 

The Promise of Love (The Promise of a Dragonblood Book 1) by Emmeline Lovel; Fantasy Romance Features Promising Female Lead and Questionable Plot Points 

By Julie Sara Porter 

Bookworm Reviews 

Spoilers: Emmeline Lovel’s Fantasy Romance, The Promise of Love, the first book in the Promise of a Dragonblood series reveals a character that has a lot of promise but has extremely questionable plot points.

In a world where people are judged by their magical abilities, Princess Mira is an outlier. One of three sisters, she is magically resistant. She can telepathically communicate with dragons but she keeps that a secret from everyone around her. She is the victim of bullying, threats, and condescending attitudes. She has a chance meeting with a stranger who is revealed to be Walderon, prince of a neighboring kingdom and the two develop an attraction which is hampered by Walderon’s arrangement with Mira’s sister. There is also a conspiracy unfolding within the kingdoms and Mira finds that she, her friends, family, and way of life are in danger.

Mira is a heroine surrounded by people who can do fantastic things. That makes her feel out of place and bland compared to others. She often uses attributes like observation, intelligence, courage, and resilience that most take for granted. It could be a story about someone discovering her actual talents and strengths could be her power and that she doesn't need magic to be a hero. 

However this theme is not as cut and dry as it should be. She has two attributes that set her apart from others. One is that she is magically resistant. She is unable to use magic but she is also unable to receive magic. Ironically, this makes her invincible from magical attacks, a gift that is eventually used to a benefit but takes some time for others to recognize it.

One can look at Mira’s magical resilience as a metaphor for disabilities but only up to a point. Her family tries to keep her in hiding so she doesn't get hurt. Her peers and sometimes relatives mock and disregard her. Some think that she can be cured. She even becomes swayed by a manipulator who uses her uniqueness to their advantage. These are all things that people with disabilities have to endure.

But this theme is muted by one simple glaring fact. Mira actually has a magical ability but is unwilling to share it with others. Her telepathic communications with dragons show strong mental and emotional connections and animal communications. She explains why she doesn't share her talent but it is not explained clearly enough and makes the rest of the book ring hollow.

Perhaps one of the issues that I have is that her telepathic abilities seem to be ongoing. She didn't just discover them. There is no sudden hearing of the voices, being shown her new abilities or learning the advantages and limitations. Her unwillingness to share them could be depicted as her just learning about them. She's new at this and isn't certain whether she is crazy or not. Her secret keeping could be reframed out of uncertainty and self-preservation.

Instead, Mira has had them for a long time, for years in fact. Hiding and never mentioning them especially when there are times that it could help her family make her seem like an idiot at best and selfish at worst. 

There are also other issues. She is in a love triangle with Walderon and her sister which gets over-explained and repetitive. The manipulative character is so obvious from the word go that their betrayal leads to sighs and eye rolls rather than opened agape mouths and wide eyed surprised expressions.

For a Fantasy novel, this needs more than just promise to make it dearly loved.

The Orphanage of Cheswick Court (The Hollowbloods Book 1) by Haule Voss; Magical Training is Both Familiar and Exceptional

 The Orphanage of Cheswick Court (The Hollowbloods Book 1) by Haule Voss; Magical Training is Both Familiar and Exceptional 

By Julie Sara Porter 

Bookworm Reviews 

Spoilers: The first book in Haule Voss’s The Hollowbloods Series, The Orphanage on Cheswick Court is both familiar and exceptional. It features a young magic user discovering and studying magic among other magically gifted students which is familiar. But it also has enough originality to create some unique characters and themes that make it an exceptional work.

In the kingdom of Alodia, Thaddeus Rigel Volkameria is born and raised in the woods so he wouldn't be found and destroyed by Orion, a cruel despotic wizard. He is one of the Hollowblood, those born with volatile and forbidden magic. He is then raised by the Angrec Wolves of Eldenwood and protected and educated by Ozzy, a wise owl. It is foretold that the one who wears the Robe of Astra will be powerful enough to defeat Orion. Thaddeus is given a map to guide him to the Robe and told that he must find and don it before his 18th birthday.

To do so, Thaddeus must be trained at the Orphanage on Cheswick Court, an institution that trains Hollowbloods. But he is not alone. He is accompanied by Gilgal “Gilly” Mezereon, his adopted wolf brother, and Elara Bramblefern and Emerson Thornwillow, two Fairies. Gilly and the Fairies have to take human form to accompany their friend to the Orphanage so they can protect and study alongside him.

There are some very familiar tropes and beats that The Orphanage on Cheswick Court has that can be found in many Occult Academia novels. Thaddeus is the typical wife eyed naive newcomer sent on his Hero’s Journey. He is somewhat of a blank slate where most of the more interesting character trajectories are given to the other characters. 

He goes through some darker transformations, especially when he and his friends go on a journey to receive some magical objects that will lead them to the Robe and empower them to face Orion. During this journey, the objects latch on to Thaddeus’s desire for power, obsessive need for success, desire for revenge against Orion, and hidden anger. While he tries to shake this influence off for now, there is a strong possibility that it may not be a good thing for Thaddeus to wear the Robe any more than it would be okay to let Orion gain more power. 

The Orphanage is both a home and a school for Hollowbloods so we have the usual trajectories of magical boarding school stories with eccentric teachers with hidden secrets, loyal friends and classmates, unique classes, and obnoxious bullies. They are also here in this book.

The Orphanage headmasters Mabel and Jack Calidora seem like a nice wise couple that know their stuff and are protective of the young ones in their care. But they also exhibit some sinister mannerisms and leave subtle auras of mistrust. They seem decent but there might be something potentially troublesome about them.

Most of the students are not very memorable. There are two antagonists, Clavian, who will be our bully for the evening, and Lydia, The Calidora’s niece and resident mean girl. There are some suggestions that there might be more to their characters than we have seen with Lydia's crush on Thaddeus and Clavian’s silent analysis and fear of Thaddeus but it's mostly hidden and speculated. Nothing is revealed so they are mostly one dimensional.

 Clavian and Lydia join forces towards the end suggesting a dangerous duo for the main characters but a delicious bickering and romantic duo for the Readers. However, I must admit after seeing how multifaceted Drake Corvus, the arrogant bully from The Amazing Flight of Aaron William Hawk vol 2 Wings of Emifra by J. Bruno was written, Clavian and Lydia pale in comparison. It seems like their stories aren't quite finished, so perhaps they are only getting started. But for now, they could be less standard.

By far the best characters are Thaddeus’s friends, his adopted brother, Gilly, female friend, Emerson, and potential love interest Elara. Because they transform into humans, they have to weigh their former identities with their current ones. They are even told that the longer they are in human form, the more they will forget the beings that they once were.

Gilly is a protective loyal brother to Thaddeus. They never saw each other as different species but as brothers. Gilly still has many of his animal instincts like heightened awareness and extreme strength. However, he can't suppress his transformation and often goes into hiding when that happens. His struggles are balancing his new found human nature with his innate animal one.

Elara and Emerson entered the book as flighty flirtatious mischievous fairies that would help but may tease or play pranks just for fun. They were charming but mostly just flat comic relief. When they became human, they had to encounter human emotions and experiences.

Emerson struggles with her sexuality and identity and reconciles her feelings for a female student. Elara develops romantic affection for Thaddeus and has to weigh becoming involved with him and leaving her life as a fairy behind. They and Gilly question what makes a human and where their real roles and identities lie.

The Orphanage on Cheswick Court is well executed as a first volume and leaves open ended questions and enough curiosity to contact into the second book. 

Life Into Death And Other Stories About The Two Gods Who Balance The Earth by E.S. Sibbald; The Hidden Raphael's Banker The Art and Finance Mystery Series Book 1 by Alessandra Oddi Baglioni; Labyrinth of Shadows (The Witch's Rebirth Part 1) by Michaela Riley

 Life Into Death And Other Stories About The Two Gods Who Balance The Earth by E.S. Sibbald; The Hidden Raphael's Banker (The Art and Finance Mystery Series Book 1) by Alessandra Oddi Baglioni; Labyrinth of Shadows (The Witch's Rebirth Part 1) by Michaela Riley 

By Julie Sara Porter 

Bookworm Reviews 

Spoilers:

Life Into Death And Other Stories About The Two Gods Who Balance The Earth by E.S. Sibbald

E.S. Sibbald’s Fantasy short novel, Life Into Death and Other Stories About Two Gods Who Balance the Earth is a lyrical, visceral, and powerful meditation on life and death. These two transitions are personified by a pair of gods who are on opposite sides, banter, vie, and love one another. 

They are present in the literal beginning. In the primordial sea, Life watches single celled organisms form and reproduce. Death appears when one stops moving. They are together at the end when after environmental and nuclear disasters have taken their toll, Life and Death stand in a global wide wasteland where nothing can ever be born or grow. If nothing can live, then nothing can ever die. So Life and Death just fade from existence. The book combines their first meeting, their last reunion, and many of the times in between to give us the full experience of this odd but loving immortal couple. 

Life and Death naturally are a study in contrasts. The first paragraphs of the book remind us that Life is in the bright places of the world while Death is in the shadows. Life exists in the birth of babies, the growth of plants, and in the forests, seas and skies. Death exists in street corners, graveyards, hospital beds, mausoleums, and in the dark corner of the human mind. Life is loved and praised while Death is feared and sometimes hated.

 Both are beautiful, powerful, awe inspiring, and are everywhere in everything and everybody. They are genderless and can take many forms, children, animals, soldiers, elderly people, men, women, married couples, single celled organisms but they always recognize each other. They are drawn together so it is no surprise that their coexistence transforms over the eons into a partnership, to a flirtation, to a friendship, to a romance, to an undying love for each other. It’s a union developed from years of observing each other watching the global experience. 

Many of the most compelling chapters occur as the duo observe mortals in many situations. They see soldiers on the battlefield killing one another, then sees soldiers on different sides calling for a Christmas Day truce during WWI (true story by the way). They participate in a Pride March when same-sex marriage becomes legal in the U.S. Death despairs over having to take a suicidal young woman and silently cheers when Life interferes giving her extra years. They see families sharing love, craftspeople and artists proud of their work, adventurers seeking another thrill, parents holding their children for the first time, and people closing their eyes for the last. 

Each experience leaves their marks on Life and Death and exposes their deeper emotions and vulnerabilities. It is no wonder that they express their love for each other as they see humans do the same. It would be impossible to dwell among mortals and not be emotionally affected by their transience and their desires to find meaning in the short time in which they are given. They try to find out who they are. Life and Death don’t have to.They just are. But that doesn’t mean that they can’t feel, can’t connect, and can’t love. 

In exploring the most important transitions of life and death, Life Into Death tells Readers about what happens at the beginning and the end. But it also tells us that what we do in between is what gives us meaning and existence. They make us alive. 

The Hidden Raphael's Banker (The Art and Finance Mystery Series Book 1) by Alessandra Oddi Baglioni;

Alessandra Oddi Baglioni’s The Hidden Raphael's Banker is a continuation to her Historical Fiction short novel, The Red Wedding. Instead of a family history about a Renaissance era family scheming and conniving against other families and each other, it's a modern Mystery Thriller with a wide conspiracy involving a painting once commissioned by said Renaissance era family.

In The Red Wedding, we learn that Atalanta Baglioni commissioned Raphael to paint a portrait of Jesus’ Deposition as an act of contrition after family members were killed during the wedding of her cousin Astor Baglioni and his wife Lavinia Colonna Orsini. This book continues the story of what happened to that painting. 

Architect and art aficionado, George Lacroix is in Rome at the Borghese Museum. He sees the painting and becomes fascinated by its origins and history. While researching the history of the Baglioni Family, the painting, and its previous owners, George stumbles across a conspiracy that reveals other motives connected to the painting. 

This book is an intricate thriller in which art and history provide clues and hints leading to modern day events. What in The Red Wedding was a simple act of repentance and memorial to those lost, in this volume became symbolic of the institutions that hold real power through politics, finance, culture, business, philanthropy, and leadership. In a meta moment, George uses Baglioni’s own previous book, The Red Wedding, for research, complete with passages lifted from the book. 

 It sounds bizarre that this painting would lead to such a conspiracy. But the commission was made by a very influential Renaissance-era family that was involved in high circles including The Pope and had rivalries with other families like the Medicis and the Borgias. It makes sense that they would be involved with some secret inner circles. It also makes sense that these circles would have a ripple effect into modern day with despots in suits that prefer to do their power grabs by spreading money around and remaining hidden rather than poison or stab someone at a wedding.  

There are genuine moments of suspense during George’s investigation. He meets betrayal from people who he thought that he could trust. He becomes romantically involved or is enamored with a couple of women who have their own agendas. There are many global agents who want to keep this discovery hidden and aren’t above killing to get it done.

By far the most enigmatic character is Colomba. At first she appears to be a tour guide who gives George information about The Deposition then disappears. Her story becomes more complicated when George learns that there is nobody employed at the Borghese with her name and appearance. George also encounters her other times on the streets, inside museums, and other places. She acts as a guide or guardian angel who helps George.

 Sometimes Columba provides information, warns George of danger, or keeps him away from pursuers. It’s also interesting to note that there is a similar character in The Red Wedding who also provides a similar function. This suggests that the current Columba is a ghost of the former Columba and is atoning for the death and destruction that happened in the Renaissance by preventing it from happening again. 

The Hidden Raphael’s Banker is for those who like their adventure thrillers to be widespread with conspiracies that tie history with current events, are led by brilliant experts in their field, and excite readers while making them think.

Labyrinth of Shadows The Witch's Return Part 1 by Michaela Riley 

Michaela Riley’s Historical Fantasy Labyrinth of Shadows (The Witch's Rebirth) is a rich, enchanting, and complex novel about a witch that is reincarnated over the centuries.

The Witch is a very powerful being. While there are other witches, this specific figure, The Witch, is said to be the most powerful. She has been reborn countless times. In 1590 Copenhagen she is Anna facing a witch trial in which she is to be burned at the stake. In 478, she seduces young Prince Clovis of the Franks to tell him that he will lead his armies into victory. 

The majority of this book is set in the 5th Century when Mairead, a Druid High Priestess conducts a Samhain ritual to rid her tribe of Armaeus, the most feared Daemon in the entire realm. During the ritual, she discovers an abandoned baby and takes her in. The baby, named Merona, is the current incarnation of The Witch and is destined to fight and hopefully defeat Armaeus. She shows flashes of insight from her former lives but she also has to receive training. To do that Merona must be taught by Murdach, Mairead’s friend.

This book has an abundance of witch lore weaved into the narrative. Those who have an interest in folklore and legends of witches and their origins will be fascinated with the references. Mairead and her Druids follow ancient rites and rituals

Mairead’s authority was high during a time period which still respected Druids and the Ancient Celtic traditions that they represented even as they were also aware of the transition towards Christianity that was on its way. This is a society that is firmly holding onto the old ways, even as new ones are starting to gain influence. 

An interesting twist to this book is the appearance of Armaeus and his goal. Instead of being an instrument of Satan or dark magic, he is an instrument of the evil in humanity. He encourages the Witch Trials to attack women who could fight against him and fan the flames of human prejudice. It’s interesting that the Christians who claim to be fighting Satan end up serving someone just as powerful and dangerous. But hatred often clouds judgement. People can’t always tell who their enemies really are as long as they use the right words and hate who they hate. Merona certainly has her work cut out for her. 

Some of the most fascinating chapters occur during Murdach’s training of Merona that increases her knowledge and abilities. The flashes of intuition from other lives become stronger and more concrete as she explores past lives. She also explores future lives like her time as Anna, to give herself foresight and precognition and begins to recognize patterns of people and situations that keep reoccurring. She recognizes that she, Murdach, and Armaeus have a history that stretches through time. 

Meronia also has to expand her magical abilities. Murdoch takes her on a series of tests to train her in elemental magic. She faces trials of earth, air, fire, and water to channel her abilities and control the elements. The training takes several years and many revelations before Merona is considered powerful enough to fight Armaeus.

The final test is for Merona to go to the Labyrinth of Shadows where she has to encounter her fears, face her biggest challenges, and discover her inner power. It is a challenging trial, the kind in which one could emerge as an insane threat or an extremely potent witch. 

Icy Heart, Empty Chest by Holly Lee and The Hat Man by Greg Marchand

Icy Heart, Empty Chest by Holly Lee 

This review is also on Reedsy Discovery.

Icy Heart, Empty Chest by Holly Lee is great at world building by creating a modern society of fairies, nymphs, elves, kelpies, and other magical creatures. It has a fascinating albeit gruesome plot and characters with potential. However, it is a slow paced book that gets repetitive very quickly.

In an alternate universe in which magical creatures live their daily modern lives, Cora is a barista, bounty hunter, smuggler, and art thief. Her client Finneas gives her a new assignment to retrieve a kelpie’s heart from the witch who stole it and give it to a potential buyer. While investigating Filla, the witch who took the heart, she learns that the heart belongs to Damien, a kelpie who is also her ex. He is alive but is growing weaker without his heart. Cora must choose between duty of following her assignment and a love that never really ended.

The strongest aspect of this book is the world building. It does not pull the old standard “Fairylands are stuck in a pastoral arcane Medieval like society" trope. If human society changes, there is no reason to assume that Fairy Worlds wouldn’t. They live in a society where magic and technology combine to create a world that is both fantastic and identifiable. 

This is a world where nymphs and sprites live next door to each other in suburban homes. Where an elf runs the local cafe. Where a doctor might treat your illness or injuries or you might get a witch to do it. Lee clearly had a lot of fun with treating magical characters like people that we might see every day. They just happen to have powers to create storms, curse people, heal with their hands, or teleport from one place to another. 

Some might have large ears, fur on their whole bodies, wings, sharp fangs, or look more animal than human. But they are just like you and me. They go to work or school, go shopping, run errands, hang out with friends, spend money, relax at home, and live mundane lives while having awesome powers and fascinating physical characteristics. 

The book has a promising character and its plot is alright for the most part. Cora isn’t a smuggler simply for money. She steals because she loves and appreciates art. Her love of art is inherited from her late father. In a way, her career keeps her memory of him alive even if her pursuits aren't exactly legal.

Cora’s love for her father also is evident in her conflicts with Damien. In fact, their fathers had a violent confrontation. As children who are close to their parents will do, Cora and Damien defended their old men and ended their relationship in a battle of words. While Cora rejects what she lost, she recognizes that Damien doesn’t deserve to have his heart taken out and doesn’t want his death on her conscience. No matter how their relationship ended, she does not want to be the one to give him a death sentence. 

The most serious drawback in the book is its pacing and it drags what would be an interesting plot. The heart assignment is well executed and there is genuine suspense in Cora’s search and retrieval of the heart. It could be a thrilling cat and mouse game that happens to have a living macguffin and lucky for Damien, a patient that is actually alive to take part in the search.

However the slowest moments occur during Cora and Damien’s reunions. There are several chapters devoted to them discussing their conflicts before they are resolved. A few are fine because this is a couple with a lot of serious baggage but those chapters repeat themselves. Cora and Damien spend a lot of talking in circles over the same topics and discussions without coming to any resolution or clarity. 

The pacing drags down what could be an interesting book with a fascinating premise and characters and makes it tedious and even boring. Their conversations could have been shorter, or came to the main points quicker. Also instead of talking about their issues and telling each other how they feel, they could show each other. What is overly verbose could have more action showing the two coming closer together emotionally on this heart stopping, pun not intended adventure. 

The Hat Man by Greg Marchand 

A supernatural creature that has gained popular culture relevance is The Hat Man. a mysterious tall figure with no facial features and dressed in a black suit, coat, and fedora appears from out of the shadows and stands over an unwilling victim usually in their bedrooms, in an abandoned street, or the woods, somewhere they are alone. It doesn’t touch them or talk to them mostly. It just stands there as a frightening silent presence. The Hat Man is most commonly associated with sleep paralysis as humans have largely reported seeing it in their bedrooms and over their beds before approaching REM sleep. There are urban legends of Benadryl users taking large quantities of the antihistamine to purposely encounter the figure. 

The Hat Men inspired the look of various characters like Freddy Krueger in the Nightmare on Elm Street franchise, The Babadook, and Creepypasta’s Slenderman. He has also appeared in the horror films, Shadow People and The Shadow Man, the documentaries The Nightmare and The Hat Man: Cases of Pure Evil, the games LSD: Dream Emulator and Deep Sleep, the Jason Pargin novel, John Dies At the End, and The Twilight Zone episode, “The Shadow Man.” The Twilight Zone episode in particular builds on the legend by depicting The Shadow Man as attacking people except “the one under whose bed (they) lay.” Unfortunately, the young protagonist finds himself the prey of a Shadow Man from under someone else’s bed!

The most recent portrayal of this enigmatic eerie and otherworldly figure can be found in Greg Marchand’s horror novel, The Hat Man. Similar to The Twilight Zone episode, it shows a Hat Man who isn't just terrifying because of its mere presence. It isn’t above using violence to make a point. 

This version of the Hat Man appears after a couple excavate trees for their gum. Instead of the expected sap from a slash pine, blood emerges and the two stumble upon an abandoned grave. They then see a terrifying figure dressed in a fedora who attacks the couple. Once unleashed, The Hat Man attacks various characters in violent ways. Two brothers searching for the monster are separated then murdered with great efficiency by The Hat Man. It falls to Sadie Burrows and Colton Garrett, who lose loved ones to the Hat Man, to investigate the mystery of this strange specter, its origins, and hopefully how to stop it. 

This book embellishes The Hat Man mythos by giving it more agency, character traits, and even a backstory. Instead of being a silent detached observer, it is an aggressive creature of action and rage. He uses his sharp claws, ice cold death breath, and superhuman strength to overpower then kill its victims. The action removes the more ominous ambiguous presence from the legend but makes sense from a storytelling point of view in this context. 

In some ways, Marchand combines the behavior of The Hat Man with more malevolent spirits like the dybbuk, which possesses and torments the living and the revenant which returns from the dead to inflict harm or terror. 

The behavior of the Hat Man becomes more understandable once we learn about its backstory before its death. It was once a person that was involved in horrible things and died graphically and violently. It is trying to seek the vengeance and justice in death that was denied in life. It’s not a particularly understandable or sympathetic character in the past or present, but knowing that it was once human gives it more of a relatable edge.

 There are many people filled with such hatred in their hearts that they make life miserable for those around them. Their words, actions, and very presence stirs negative emotions within people and they almost delight in that persona. They could fly into violent rages or play cold sociopathic mind games, but no matter their means they bring cruelty and inspire fear, despair, dependance, self-blame, guilt, submission, anger, fury, trauma, depression, anxiety, complacency, and apathy. Now picture a person like that coming back to life after their death and having supernatural abilities. It’s very easy to see why The Hat Man leaves such an impression on those he encounters.

This presence is also augmented by the personal suffering inflicted by the human characters. Sadie is coming off of an abusive relationship in which her ex hurt her dog, Buddy, who would later be killed by The Hat Man. A vet assistant and animal lover, Sadie’s strongest emotional core was her dog and the Hat Man destroys it. 

Colton’s family is extremely dysfunctional, particularly his troubled, addicted younger brother, Trevor, whom Colton has always taken a paternal role towards. He also greatly admires his older steadier brother, Bill, who is also the Sheriff. Both are murdered by The Hat Man. In killing them, The Hat Man also deprives Colton of his strongest emotional touchstones. 

It’s not enough for The Hat Man to kill someone physically, he destroys them emotionally by removing those they love the most and leaving them completely vulnerable and helpless when he comes after them.

That is the atmosphere that surrounds the book. It is a cruel world obsessed with death and violence that is reflected by an even crueler afterworld where the violence doesn’t end. Instead it increases. One of the more disturbing passages occurs when Sadie, Colton, and their friends hunt for The Hat Man during a Mardi Gras parade and stare befuddled and shaken at a float from The Hat Man Krewe, a float that not only honors the terrifying spirit that ruined their lives, but turns him into an attraction. It is one thing to become victimized by a disturbing person or presence but it is another thing to see that same presence glamorized into a figure of fun, sexuality, or worse admiration. 

The Hat Man book reveals a lot about a supernatural creature but it also reveals a lot more about the humans who talk about it. 

Altered Parallel by CT Malachite; Romance Turns Tragic in Magic Powers Fantasy

 

Altered Parallel by CT Malachite; Romance Turns Tragic in Magic Powers Fantasy 

By Julie Sara Porter 

Bookworm Reviews 

Spoilers: CT Malachite’s Altered Parallel is a powerful Romance Fantasy with some questionable attributes and flaws to keep from being perfect. However, it does tell an interesting story of two souls with magical powers whose love is passionate, emotional, empathetic, all consuming, troubling, and ultimately tragic. 

Skyler Aymon is a teacher who is concerned about the frequent absences, failing grades, and sudden bad attitude of her once promising student, Tate Morrow. After a confrontation, she sees a strange aura and feels a powerful surge of energy around him. Curious, Skylar follows Tate to a group whose members have the same presence. They are able to practice The Magic and live in a parallel universe similar to our own but whose residents can use those abilities. In fact, Skyler is revealed to also come from this universe and can access The Magic but needs to learn how to use it. Since she already has a connection with Tate, he decides to train her so the student becomes the teacher. She learns fast and proves to be quite adept and powerful as they become closer.

The book has an extremely slow and at times awkward start. The initial meeting between Skyler and Tate and the introduction of The Magic works well but it falters a bit. At least three times, the book follows the same scenario: Tate introduces Skyler to The Magic and the parallel universe. She is enchanted and practices some aspects like teleportation, mental telepathy, or clairvoyance. Then after a fun time, she returns to her apartment and wakes up with no memories of her adventures. Amnesia is given to her so she doesn't unintentionally blab The Magic’s secret. Finally, she and Tate get through that hurdle and she retains her memories as she embraces and excels in learning to use The Magic.

It's understandable that they wouldn't want everyone to know about The Magic and the introductions are secret tests of character to evaluate Skyler’s honesty and trust but it gets old. We only needed one trip and amnesia before returning to get the point. Three just stretches the concept too far before the narration really begins. 

There is also the discomfort in the age difference between Skyler and Tate and that they were initially a teacher and her student. It's obviously very uncomfortable when this shared experience creates a bond that veers towards romance. Thoughts of statutory rape and pedophilia might uncomfortably pound into Reader's heads. 

Thankfully, Malachite creates a time portal in which one can enter and emerge years older as Tate does and returns seven years older to Skyler after only one year passes in her world. That however creates another problem in the text. This incident happens so early that it's easy to forget that they started out as different ages. 

In fact their backstory becomes superfluous and unnecessary not to mention creepy which is made less so by a plot device. They not only didn't need the plot device, they didn't need that awkward introduction. They could have started at the same age, perhaps as work colleagues or neighbors and it would have had the same effect. It would also have made the rest of the book more comfortable when it comes to discussing how well written the rest of the Romance is and it is an excellent romance.

Once that hurdle is crossed and the plot fully takes hold, Altered Parallel excels at both Fantasy and Romance. Malachite captures The Magic and all of the strengths, weaknesses, and rules that those who have it would follow.

An intriguing concept is how different locations around the world are connected to sources of power. One place could carry an aura of positive Magic that helps practitioners feel welcome and rejuvenated. Another feels cold, negative, and drains Magic users. 

The locations retain the residual energy, actions, and motives left by the users. There are those who use The Magic to help others and those who use it for darker purposes. Magic itself is neither good nor bad. It just exists as a neutral force. The good and evil lie in the user.

In fact, this tug between the various motives becomes a barrier between Skyler and Tate. At first, they are magically in sync with each other. Their powers increase the closer they become. They can fly to different locations, create objects, and share a telepathic link. Their romance strengthens their magical connections and vice versa.

In The Magic universe, emotions are heightened so what they felt in the previous world increases, particularly the darker negative ones. This is especially true for Skyler. The Magic opens her mind but also opens stronger emotions like rage, insecurity, longing, envy, fear, pride, and terror. She tries to resist and bury them but they only become stronger. In some of the strongest chapters, Skyler and Tate give their separate alternate versions of various key moments that show increased uncontrollable power but a decreased personal relationship. This relationship becomes darker, confrontational, and more tragic as they come to terms with different views.

In some ways Altered Parallel is very similar to another book that I recently reviewed, The Fallen Dreamer The Seers: Storyteller Edition by Kevin G. Broas. They both are novels about people discovering inner powers and some characters explore the darker aspects of what having those powers can bring. The difference is in tone. 

The Fallen Dreamer is more introspective and philosophical. It shows the larger picture of how those abilities impact society around us. It makes Readers think about the process, the results, and consequences and how they affect reality, imagination, free will, and human connection.

Altered Parallel is more evocative and poignant. While there is an awareness of the larger picture, it's more interested in the details of how these powers affect the characters. It makes Readers feel the loss within trusting someone with a deep secret and then using that secret to betray all they once believed in and how that betrayal affected their personal connection. Both books tell the same story and do it well. They just use different words and meanings to describe it. 

The Fallen Dreamer: The Seers Storyteller Edition by Kevin G. Broas; Philosophical and Metaphysical Themes Are Highlights of Magical Kids Novel

 The Fallen Dreamer: The Seers Storyteller Edition by Kevin G. Broas; Philosophical and Metaphysical Themes Are Highlights of Magical Kids Novel

By Julie Sara Porter 

Bookworm Reviews 

Spoilers: Okay yes, Kevin G. Broas’ The Fallen Dreamer: The Seers Storyteller Edition, is another book in which teenagers obtain supernatural powers and explore the consequences and responsibilities that are tied to them. But there are some deep philosophical and metaphysical questions, details, and themes that are intrinsic to the book and keep it from being a hoary superhero/magic user plot.

Johnny is a teen who emerged from a cave collapse possessing extraordinary abilities such as flight, precognition, and clairvoyance. They are activated by Johnny manipulating clusters of invisible blue energy strands around his body. Excited by this discovery, Johnny shares the news with his best friend, Jake and girlfriend, Brooke who also gain those abilities. As the trio become more powerful, they discover darker purposes for these powers. Not only that but others become involved. Other people also possess these gifts. Supernatural creatures, called Spooks and another creature called The Taker absorb their powers by destroying the human body. Then there's Johnny who is acting stranger and more unpredictable the longer he has these powers.

This is a Contemporary Fantasy about kids discovering magical powers that isn't afraid to get deep and touch on various themes such as the ego, human nature, dreaming, the subconscious, the notions of good and evil, and what it means to truly have godlike powers inside a human body with its vulnerabilities, frailties, and best and worst personality attributes.

Johnny explains that they have to shift the blue energy strands that surround their clusters to harness these abilities. The key he says is in learning control and not letting worries, distractions, and anxieties or other thoughts and emotions drain their energy. Most importantly, it involves killing the ego and foregoing material and physical trappings. That includes relationships which feed the ego and binds the soul to the illusion of the physical world. 

Once the ego falls, so does the energy that holds them to the physical world. They are able to then access a higher metaphysical existence and manipulate forces outside their limited experiences. It requires a lot of self-examination and reflection before the strands can be accessed and those powers can be used.

Once Johnny, Brooke, and Jake become acquainted with the idea of seeing and using clusters, they see them everywhere and in everything (though because of their practices, theirs are stronger and brighter). Seeing the clusters surrounding other people gives the trio a rare opportunity to control others. In one chilling chapter, Jake tests his powers by moving a bully’s strands so he is severely injured with headaches, nose bleeds, and temporary loss of breath. This causes a slippery slope as they discover that they can use these powers for nefarious purposes like creating hallucinations or telekinetically fighting someone. 

Johnny, Jake, Brooke and the other characters are teenagers. Teenagers by nature are argumentative, surly, emotional, unpredictable, immature, and intolerant. Now give someone with that attitude the powers of a god or goddess and it makes sense why they do what they do with their strands. 

Many people like to think that if they had any type of magical superpowers they might do good things with it like stopping crime or helping people. They might but more than likely they would use it to their advantage the way these kids do to defend themselves against bullies, receive a passing grade, or to win a football championship. In a meritocratic society where we are told to use our talents and win at all costs, many would use whatever advantage that they have to succeed even if it is an otherworldly advantage. 

As they control their strands, they gain higher perspectives. The usual teen talk, high school social hierarchy, dates, and material possessions that once identified their placement in society become mere distractions. It’s practically an ascension into a higher plane of existence. 

Part of this elevated ascension involves altering time and space. One of the most interesting aspects of the book is the continuous references to dreams and astral travel. The characters explore The Dreamer's World which is exactly what it says in the title. It is a vast endless land of silver sand dunes and aurora borealis filling the night sky. This land exists out of time and space and looks like a world before awareness and consciousness. It appears to be barren as though waiting to be filled with memories, fears, moments, the things that dreams store and decode.

The land in the Dreamer’s World shifts as they are faced with challenges like climbing cliffs, fields of grass, and seemingly endless seas. The world is connected to their subconscious and alters itself accordingly. 

The Dreamer’s World is also where The Spooks and The Taker emerge from. They represent their fears, insecurities, all of the ego trappings that had been removed from them. They haunt the protagonists so they can torture them psychologically before they ruin them physically. The fact that they strive to drain Johnny and the others of their powers before destroying their bodies is highly significant. They weigh them down with the egos that they once held so they descend into their human states before they are faced with their mortality. 

In one terrifying chapter, The Taker becomes so powerful that it becomes a natural storm that obliterates Johnny, Jake, and Brooke’s school. This happens during a very key moment as the characters are questioning their own loyalties, allegiances, and self worth. The Taker is fueled by their worst emotions and this threat spills out into the world around them. It changes the physical as well as metaphysical world and creates schisms within both.

Besides the supernatural creatures that threaten the protagonists, they also face threats from within. Some characters take frightening turns with their strands and become intoxicated with power. They use different means from violence to mental manipulation to sway events in their favor. Because of their detached ascended nature, they no longer respond to emotions like empathy, trust, understanding, friendship, or love. They may have removed their egos but they also stripped themselves of their humanity. 

The Fallen Dreamer may be a Fantasy about kids embracing the magic around them, but it also reveals a lot about the constant struggle to achieve awareness and enlightenment while also retaining one’s humanity and the reason that they began this ascension in the first place.

Gittel by Laurie Schneider; Speechless in Achten Tan (Book 1 Of The Sands of Achten Tan) by Debbie Iancu-Haddad; Slumber Nevermore by R.J. Garcia

 

Gittel by Laurie Schneider 

This is a brief summary of my review. The main review can be found on LitPick 

Gittel by Laurie Schneider is reminiscent of many coming of age books like Anne of Green Gables and The Little House books. It's not long on plot. It prefers instead to focus on various individual conflicts in Gittel’s life that test her character and teach her various lessons.

13 year old Gittel Borenstein is part of a Jewish family that emigrated from East Europe because of a pogrom to Mill Creek, Wisconsin with 12 other Jewish families. The book focuses on various events in Gittel’s young life such as bullying from Antisemitic classmates, conflicts with her more traditional Orthodox family, a budding romance with a local boy, and her participation in a Chautauqua.  

The book is strong on character, time, and place. The Borensteins emigrated for their safety but still feel out of place in this rural American country. Gittel has to suffer from insults and threats from other students, particularly Karl Leckner, whose religious Antisemitic father takes every opportunity to compare them to demons. Gittel shows her strengths by using witty comebacks and verbally challenging her antagonists. She even describes her mouth as the sharpest weapon that she and her friends, Irene and Emily, have.

Gittel struggles with not only societal conflicts but those within her own family. Gittel is a maturing young woman who is fascinated with the American way of life while her traditional Orthodox family mostly clings to the tight-knit Jewish community around them. Gittel makes gentile friends, develops her interests in singing, dancing, and reading, and uses her talent in public speaking during a Chautauqua. She nurtures aspirations to continue her education and become an actress or writer despite some of her family's concerns and soft objections. 

The most heartwarming moments are when Gittel and her family come to an understanding about her aspirations and interests and she recognizes their own adaptability as well as her own. She recognizes loving bonds which while hidden and not always expressed out loud, but are always felt. 

Gittel is the Yiddish word for “good” which is a decent description of the book. However, it's more than good. Gittel is great.

Speechless in Achten Tan (Book 1 in The Sands of Achten Tan) by Debbie Iancu-Haddad

This is a brief summary of my review. The main review can be found on LitPick. 

Speechless in Achten Tan is a Fantasy novel that will appeal to YA and Adult Readers with its captivating lead character and her search for her personal power.

 Mila, a mute cavern gnome, goes through a test to be considered worthy to study magic. After she fails the test, her mentor, Nora, sends her to the desert world of Achten Tan to study magic under Gerwyn, a wise and powerful witch. While in Achten Tan, Mila finds romance and friendship, becomes involved in a power struggle against the despotic Bone Chief Opu Haku, and discovers her strength and voice.

After her test, Mila is in despair because she doesn't conform to what her community believes are their standards of maturity. She is deprived of the ability to speak and to practice magic. She cannot ascend in their world so she is deprived of her agency. The dramatic irony is the reason behind her failure. Mila’s brother, Turosh, drowned over the same waterfall where she was being tested. She was temporarily overcome with grief, lost control, and failed the test. A moment of emotion remembering a traumatic event that shaped her youth and motivated her to continue studying ended up becoming a barrier in her pursuit of magic and full acceptance into her society.

As with the heroes in many legends and books in the genre, Mila is sent to continue her journey elsewhere. She has to leave to continue her studies. Her journey to Achten Tan also allows her to connect with her past, present, and future. Her boyfriend from the village, Geb, is also in Achten Tan to train as a healer. He provides an emotional center and keeps Mila focused as her abilities increase.

She also befriends Kaii, son of Opu Haku, the Bone Chief. Mila's friendship allows the son to step out from his father's tyrannical shadow and fight against him. Mila widens the scope of her magical pursuits to make long lasting changes with other kingdoms including her own. 

Mila is even able to reconcile her grief over Tarush’s death. She comes to terms with the loss and its aftereffects. While death and loss are still painful for her, she is able to set them aside and move forward on her path to maturity.

This is a Fantasy novel that many, especially young people, will relate to as they follow their own paths, discover their own abilities, and gain their own voices.

Slumber Nevermore by R.J. Garcia

R.J. Garcia knows how to keep Readers up at night. With the anthology, Slumber Nevermore she crosses genres to give the Readers a full effect of dark twisted tales that deliver on chills, ominous energy, and unforgettable mental images. 

There are seven stories but the best are:

“The Stolen Child”-This story is a Dark Fantasy that plays on those frightening magical creatures: Fairies.

Garcia refrains from the wholesome fairytale Disney image of fairies and focuses instead on the variations from myth and legends where they are powerful, capricious, demand to be respected, and should be kept at a safe distance. 

Mae is anxious about her sister, Emmie, who disappeared right in front of her. She has this sensation that they had been watched and out of the corner of her eye, she thinks that strange figures appear and disappear. She always suspected that there were fairies in the woods. Could she be right? Spoiler Alert: She is.

The fairies are written as ominous and secretive. They appear as orbs of light, shrill whistles, or silhouettes. Mae isn't sure if they are dreams or if they are real. Then when she finally talks to them, she isn't sure if they are good, evil, or neutral with their own moral code. They could go either way. Their ambiguity is their strength and while she is with them, Mae is completely at their mercy. As long as she is in their world, they could do whatever they want to her and no one would know about it. 

“The Stolen Child” is a modern fairy tale told to a Horror loving audience. Anyone who reads fairy tales knows that fairies can be sinister or helpful but are rarely the main antagonists. Instead the real villains are often a lot closer to the protagonist’s home than that. Those villains are cruel, malicious, and bring the worst misfortunes. 

“Lipstick”-This story is a Paranormal Horror that should not be read by anyone with coulrophobia. 

10 year old Billy sneaks out one night to see a carnival. The night of rickety rides, junk food, and fun to be scared thrills turns to terror when he encounters a demonic looking clown. The clown not only makes a formidable impression but makes him an offer that haunts him for years.

Dark carnivals might be cliched and scary clowns even more so, but they are used so often because they work. Carnivals can give off a sinister vibe when one thinks about it. These places of supposed amusement contain rides that are quickly put together by people who might have dubious reputations and are certainly in a hurry. A guest’s safety depends on them. Is it any wonder that they inspire fear? If you read books like Something Wicked This Way Comes or saw movies like Freaks or Carnival of Souls among others, you know what I am talking about.

Then there are clowns. They hide their true faces, come up close and face to face with children, seem impossibly cherry, and wear garish makeup. Lest we forget fictional clowns like Pennywise or real ones like John Wayne Gacy who certainly had dark sides. A clown can be terrifying. A carnival can be spooky. A clown in a carnival is frequent but also can give you that instant chill down the spine, the chill that warns you that maybe you should have stayed home.

Billy ignored that chilly warning and ultimately paid a huge price for it. This brief moment changes his life in many disturbing ways that leaves him traumatized and alone. The final paragraphs show the complete impact that this demonic clown had over his life to the point that Billy can't separate himself from him.

“Sister Witches”-It’s rare to have a Horror short story told from the point of view of the monster, but this story does and turns a story that would normally herald fear for the victim instead invites pity and regret for the monster. 

Cassandra is one of three witches. The other two are her sisters, Sheba and Celeste. The trio kill mortals and absorb their youth to remain forever young and beautiful. Their latest victim is Tommy, an aging man who is residing in a nursing home. 

The witches' goal is to preserve their youth. Their absorption of others’s essences is graphic but is comparable to an addiction rather than an unexplainable supernatural or demonic force. It ruins the mortals but also the witches as well.

Cassandra and her sisters absorb the essence not because they want to, but because they think that they have to and are unable to survive without it. This takes a toll on Cassandra in particular. She has become someone who isn't terrifying or frightening. Instead, she's weary and tired of life. She is ready to die but is unable to. 

In a way the fear doesn't come from an outside source, but from within. If we compare their immortality to an addiction, the fear comes from feeling forced to get that immortality and what it would be like to live without it. Cassandra fears what they have done, what they will do, and what would happen if that eternity would end. She is simultaneously longing for death and afraid of what happens if it comes. 

“The Axeman Among Us”-Of the stories, this is the most realistic. Instead of Dark Fantasy or Supernatural Horror, this is more like a Psychological Thriller. It features an infamous real life serial killer. The Axeman of New Orleans was a serial killer who murdered mostly Italian immigrants or Italian-American men from 1918-1919. Most notably, a letter allegedly from The Axeman said that he would not kill anyone on a certain night in homes where jazz played. Musicians played in hundreds of homes that night. The Axeman was never identified and no arrests were made.

Vincent and his friends, Mikey and Dupree are startled one night by the sound of a scream and a dark mysterious figure hastily leaving a building with an ax in hand. They suspect that he might be the Axeman. The trio become obsessed with the case and go to extreme lengths to stop the Axeman's reign of terror.

This story’s tone and atmosphere are on point. The Axeman is certainly human but he carries a demonic aura. He haunts Vincent's dreams and is described more of as an otherworldly presence than an actual human being. He invites the possibility that he might not be human at least in this version. But the fact that he is, somehow makes him even more chilling. He has a human way of planning and analyzing how to commit the murders without getting caught and an inhuman desire to hack a human body to pieces.

There are some interesting twists to the story. Since it is set in New Orleans, we get motifs like voodoo and jazz. Voodoo presents the only supernatural link in the story and even that might just be within the minds of those who believe in it. It also makes sense that in absence of any physical legal help to stop the Axeman, the boys would turn to more esoteric means. Voodoo is a large part of New Orleans life but it is also held in suspicion by non-practitioners. There is something supernatural and eerie about it, the type of thing that would draw someone like the Axeman. The boys are using one unusual potentially dark path to capture one unusual dark person. 

Jazz music also plays a large part most prominently practiced by Vincent's brother, Peter. It not only plays into the physical location but the time period as well. Jazz is improvisation mixed with deep emotion like pain, anger, sadness, and love. While popular, it was also controversial and considered an outsider’s choice of music like rock or rap would be later. The kind of music someone who stands on the outside fringes of society would listen to.

It's also worth noting that Peter is a WWI veteran. This is the time of the Lost Generation, when soldiers returned home with deep trauma. Where flappers and college kids decided to live freely without a care. It was a time where people were aware that life could end at any moment, so might as well grab all that you can. This deep emotion is played by someone who saw death up close and killed people because his government told him to. Maybe Peter feels a disturbing connection to the Axeman, an understanding about what it's like to live on the outside fringe, with longing and emotions that he can't express openly, and living with a violent and bloody past. 

These stories deliver scares to the characters and the Reader making their sleep a truly unpleasant one.

Among Stars and Shadows by Diane Farrugia; Beautiful Romantic Fantasy Between An Elven Prince and Human Woman

Among Stars and Shadows by Diane Farrugia; Beautiful Romantic Fantasy Between An Elven Prince and Human Woman 

By Julie Sara Porter 

Bookworm Reviews 

Spoilers: Diane Farrugia’s Fantasy Romance Among Stars and Shadows can be formulaic and predictable with its story of the love between a human woman and an Elven Prince. However, Farrugia does enough in terms of characterization and world building that she works well within the formula to make the book a standout.

In the kingdom of Lockhaven in the land of Encantraalm, Prince Declan is sworn to defeat his tyrannical father by any means necessary. Declan’s allies have discovered an artifact that could remove The King’s magic and potentially end his life. The only problem is that it's inside the domain of the High King. For Declan to gain access to the artifact, he has to receive admittance from the High King. To do that he has to offer his hand to the High King's daughter, Princess Myra. Oh well, some things are more important than Declan's personal feelings and whether he likes Myra or not is immaterial as long as his father is defeated. Unfortunately, a serious wrinkle in Declan's plans arrives in the form of Kayla Winters, a woman from London, or Humaynraalm to phrase the vernacular. After receiving some devastating news, Kayla is swept away by a mysterious vortex right into Encantraalm and Declan’s presence. The two are instantly attracted to one another despite Declan's misgivings about a human in the elven realm and also his growing awareness that Kayla might be his Lasai Cara, his twin flame.

The world building is that right blend of imagination and archetypes that can be found in this genre. When Kayla first stumbles into Encantraalm, she has a strange encounter with an underwater siren only to be rescued by a winged elf, also known as an avariel. Many of the characters display certain gifts like Declan's empathic abilities. In one very creepy chapter, The King displays his abilities of mental manipulation.

The backstory of Encantraalm is combined with the legend of Camelot connecting the mythical and the real worlds. Another clever bit is Kayla's astonishment at Encantraalm having electricity and appearing modern when in her mind, a fantasy realm would be Medieval in appearance. It is fascinating how the book plays with expected characters and situations but also has fun exploring new ones and concepts within them.

Declan and Kayla's relationship goes through the usual spots of difficult first meeting, arguments based on assumptions, and different worlds to the point where those spots are predictable but somewhat comforting in their predictability. It's like comfort food. You know what's going to happen but like it anyway.

There is a lot of depth in their relationship that takes the novel in interesting dimensions. One of the complications is that Kayla was diagnosed with lupus before arriving in Encantraalm. She is not just in danger from this magical world but also from her own body and is in a place where the people don't know about lupus and certainly don't have any treatment for it. It's also refreshing to see a character in an Epic Fantasy setting dealing with real world problems. 

Declan and Kayla's romance takes a long time to build and actually goes through several stages that take advantage of a long 900+ page book so they are fully developed as individuals and as a couple. 

 

The Girl in The Corn (Girl in the Corn Series Book 1) by Jason Offutt; Set Up is Just as Chilling as The Climax in This Contemporary Fantasy

 

The Girl in The Corn (Girl in the Corn Series Book 1) by Jason Offutt; Set Up is Just as Chilling as The Climax in This Contemporary Fantasy

By Julie Sara Porter 

Bookworm Reviews 

Spoilers: Warning: Before I begin this review, I insist that you read my review of the book, Boy From Two Worlds as this book will reveal important spoilers in this series. I will also reiterate that this review contains MAJOR HEAVY DUTY SPOILERS!!!

I find it an interesting experience to read a book series out of order. Sometimes, it can be very confusing. Sometimes, it can be tedious if the exciting parts happen in the earlier volume so we have to encounter the exposition. Other times, it actually makes the books better especially if you think of them as though they were meant to be written out of order. 

An example of the latter experience falls in The Girl in the Corn by Jason Offutt which is actually the first book in Offutt’s two part series but is actually the second book that I read in the series after its follow up Boy From Two Worlds. Reading the two books in the proper order works in a linear storytelling fashion in which the plot points are introduced, conflicts begin, action builds up to a climax, the events expand in the next volume, characters evolve, the scope of the threat expands, solutions are given, and resolutions are made. 

But Offutt gives his books a unique gift in which they are just as well written out of order as they are in. Instead of thinking of the books as an ongoing series, one can instead look at Boy From Two Worlds as the main book that tells the important story and Girl in the Corn as the prequel that sets up the situation retroactively. They can be read in order or out of order and the Reader would still be just as fascinated either way. 

In Boy From Two Worlds, a mass murder committed by Bobby Garrett sets up a chain reaction that includes the birth of his son, Jakey, by a woman named Marguerite Jenkins, the disintegration of the relationship between Thomas Cavannaugh and his girlfriend Jillian Robertson, and a series of strange events that get stranger. It is eventually revealed that there are fairies that are violent predators who feast on human flesh and live for their suffering. Jakey inherited some of their powers which the fairies want to take full advantage of in their campaign against the mortals of St. Joseph, Missouri

Girl in the Corn takes us back in time to when 6-year-old Thomas first encounters a fairy in his mother’s garden who tells him that he is special. The fairy girl appears throughout his life telling him that he must defeat Dauor, a dark creature from her world. Meanwhile we are introduced to Bobby, who pre-murder is a teenager with violent impulses that are nurtured by a mysterious creature who takes the form of a Girl Scout. Throughout the years, Thomas and Bobby are encouraged, tormented, cajoled, persuaded, and shaped by these strange creatures who eventually pull them into a battle between supernatural forces, the lives and souls of many, and their own sanity. 

One thing that Boy From Two Worlds did well was expand the universe. Weird things didn't just happen to Thomas or Bobby. They happened all over St. Joseph. Through that we got to explore the town itself and particularly its obsession with Wild West outlaw/infamous native son, Jesse James. Exploring the daily realistic life of St. Joseph's residents builds up tension when the otherworldly action begins.

The supernatural incidents vary including bloody ritualistic murder, cattle mutilations, abductions, lost time, mass murder. If you didn't know going into the book series what happened in the first volume, you would be led to believe that anything could be responsible for the strange happenings.

Instead of expansion, Girl in The Corn focuses on intimacy. The events specifically happen to Thomas, Bobby, or someone associated with them. While we lose something in the setting, we gain something in character. It is not so much the supernatural invading an unprepared small town as it is the supernatural affecting two specific young men who happen to live in that town.

Through their separate experiences, the Reader is given contrasting characters that will end up confronting one another. 

When Thomas first encounters the fairy, he is a little boy. She appears as a sweet innocent little girl, one who promises to befriend the young boy. She plays on the portrayal of old fairy tale concepts where fairies were seen as beautiful,helpful, charming, adorable, and innocent creatures. 

As Thomas matures, his meetings with the fairy become more intense and less fanciful. She now appears as a troubled young woman who appeals to Thomas's good guy helpful personality and his insecurities about being average. She builds up his confidence by saying that he is destined to fight Dauor. This plays on Epic Fantasies where ordinary people are given the Chosen One narrative where they are the ones destined to fight evil for…reasons. Of course, this book is a clever subversion of that trope because it asks the question whether the figure predicting the heroism can be trusted and whether they have ulterior motives for what they do.

As with Boy From Two Worlds, Girl in the Corn builds on different genres. While Thomas's journey compared to Fairy Tales and Fantasy novels, Bobby’s story is more grounded in Occult Supernatural Horror. He comes from a religious family and has his own complicated spiritual beliefs so the fairy builds on that. It first appears as a disembodied voice that builds on Bobby’s anxieties and fears of God's judgment. Bobby begins to commit violence to silence those ever growing fears.

As Bobby ages, his spiritual encounters become angrier, more fierce, and graphic. They are reminiscent of his diminishing mental state and growing blood lust. It takes on horrific images like the body of a murdered girl to taunt and rage at Bobby until he does what it wants. If it weren't for knowing what would happen in the next book, it could be entirely possible that this fairy is in Bobby's head. But since we do know, it's a matter of seeing where it's going to go before it reaches its foreseen explosive conclusion.

Reading the series backwards, turns this book into an unfinished jigsaw puzzle. We see all of the sides and colors and are waiting for the whole image to show. “Okay we see Thomas and Bobby,” the Reader might think. “What about Jillian and Marguerite? When is Jakey conceived? What about the mass murder?” All of those questions are answered and the pieces fit in ways that make the Readers look at them differently in Boy From Two Worlds or deepen understanding in the second book if we read them in the right order.

Cleverly, Thomas and Bobby's journeys seem to be a battle of good vs. evil but once they face those final confrontations, those lines are less defined. The two young men realize that they were led to this conclusion by not only the magical influences but by their own choices. They were given great gifts to see another world, obtain intuition and knowledge, and to decide what to do with that information. In reading the two books, it becomes apparent that the trouble didn't start with a mass murder in a hospital. It started when a six year old boy met a fairy and chose to follow her.

The Others (Book 1 in the Council Trilogy) by Evette Davis; Blue by Charles Keatts; The Blind Smith (Book 1 in the Forge Trilogy in The Shadow Guardian Series) by G. Russell Gaynor; Eveningstar: Awakening by Samantha Curl

 The Others (Book 1 in the Council Trilogy) by Evette Davis; Blue by Charles Keatts; The Blind Smith (Book 1 in the Forge Trilogy in The Shadow Guardian Series) by G. Russell Gaynor; Eveningstar: Awakening by Samantha Curl 

The Others (Book 1 in The Council Trilogy) by Evette Davis

The entire review can be found on LitPick.

Evette Davis’ The Others is an intriguing concept that is illustrated with intrinsic copious details that fully explores it.

Political consultant Olivia Shepherd is suffering from a professional crisis when she encounters Elsa, a spirit called a Time Walker. Elsa informs her that her rival, Stoner Halbert has made a deal with a demon and is using that influence to grab power. As if that's not enough there is a hidden society called The Others: vampires, fairies, witches, ghosts, and other creatures. They live alongside our own and affect the human world around them. Olivia has some untapped abilities and must use them and her newfound friendships within the Others community to make some important political changes of their own, ones that will benefit humans and Otherkind not dominate it as Halbert wants to do.

The Others Society is captured brilliantly because it seems so much like the normal 21st century human society. The Others live in houses, have regular jobs, and go about their daily lives.

Once she is introduced to the concept, Olivia realizes that she is surrounded by The Others. Her best friend Lily, a teacher, is a fairy. William, a musician whom Olivia begins a relationship with, is a vampire. Gabriel, a multi billionaire who mentors Olivia, is a witch and so on.

There are also some other interesting facets to the plot. William and Olivia begin a tentative romance that is conflicted by differing views but a strong emotional and physical connection.

The political landscape is adequately explored and has some very timely relevance in an already eventful Presidential election year.

The Others takes a fascinating concept and lets the imagination run wild with it.

Blue by Charles Keatts

Blue by Charles Keatts is not an easy book to read. It's confusing, rambling, and disjointed, but it is also honest, introspective, and real. It shows the mental decline of a creative artist who is losing himself to addiction, depression, disconnection, and the despair felt by the people around him.

The Narrator mostly ruminates on his struggles and those of the people around him. They are highly artistic and highly troubled. There's Robert, a music critic, who falls into addiction and various love affairs. His painter friend, Ann soothes herself with heroin. The Narrator, a novelist and poet, has flashbacks of his unhappy youth and is overcome with depression, manic thoughts, and alcoholism. Other names and situations float through the book and disappear quickly as the Narrator’s sanity spirals.

This book is not an easy read. The narrative is confusing, repetitive, jumps from one point of view to another, and rambles on with little to no point. At times it comes across as boring. It tries for a stream of consciousness narration ala James Joyce or Virginia Woolf and sometimes it works but often it doesn't.

Blue works by capturing the slipping sanity of a brilliant but unraveling mind. The Narrator can't keep his thoughts together so it shows in the chapters. He repeats himself, tangles his thoughts, forgets names and places. Even his descriptions of Robert and Ann are causes for concern because The Narrator purposely leaves information out. It is unclear who Robert and Ann even are in his life. Are they friends of his? Is he Robert? Are they parts of his psyche? Fictional characters whose conflicts bleed into his own? We don't know and it is left to interpretation.

At times however, the narration is too complex and pretentious for its own good.

Blue contrasts with another recent book, blue: season by Chris Lombardi which also captures a stream of consciousness narration but does it better than Blue. blue: season is also narrated by a character who is a genius but has a fractured mind but this is a book with a character and plot. It doesn't lose focus so it can tell a good story along with a smart introspective narrative. We care about the characters and want to explore this strange journey into one woman's struggle with mental illness and traumatic memories of her past.

Blue on the other hand is more concerned with showing off the narration than putting it together in a book. It's hard to understand who the Narrator is or who the other characters are partly because of the limited perspective. We only see everyone through the Narrator's eyes. They all live miserable lives and that's it. The bleakness overpowers and since The Narrator jumps around, we can't really know the characters beyond mere sketches. The misery just piles on them without any full understanding of who they are as people or a reason why we should care about them when they reach rock bottom.

Blue is hard to comprehend and sometimes hard to care about, but it is an introspective and honest book about a brilliant mind that is falling apart. As those around him suffer from their own problems, he has to deal with his own heartaches and disappointments. The Narrator lives inside his own head and finds solace in his writing. If in fact, Robert and Ann are fictional characters that he created, he is perhaps using their addictions and psychological problems to confront or even avoid his own. 

As his life and the other's collapse, The Narrator who once found solace in his own mind can no longer trust it. He completely retreats into the fragmented remains in his mind as they slip away into nothingness. 

The Blind Smith (Book 1 in the Forge Trilogy in The Shadow Guardian Series) by G. Russell Gaynor

Note: This book was not selected because of current events. This schedule was made beforehand. Use caution when reading this review.

Even though G. Russell Gaynor’s The Blind Smith is 112 pages, it is a tightly wound and taut thriller about betrayal, revenge, and using one's own abilities and power to get that revenge.

An assassin blinds teen tech billionaire John J.J. Moore and kills members of his security team. He is taken in by Bob, a mysterious figure who teaches the young man how to be an assassin. Within a few years, J.J. excels in his training and recruits some new assassins to help him plan his revenge on the people who attacked him and killed his friends.

The opening chapter begins with a violent attack and there are some other subsequent action oriented chapters. However, the emphasis in this book is on gathering intelligence and planning strategies. Fighting harder takes a backseat to fighting smarter.

J.J. is particularly skilled in the whole “fighting smarter” mindset. He fits the description of someone who “plays 3D chess while his opponents play checkers.” In the beginning of the book, he is taught to use his other senses to become a formidable fighter ala Daredevil.

This style not only sharpens his physical strength but his mental strength too. He almost obtains a second sight and awareness into his allies and opponents's thoughts and actions.

With J.J.’s physical strength and analytical prowess, he is more than formidable against his enemies. Half way through the book only a few years into his training, he is already recruiting and leading his own groups. He picks into his protegee’s desires for revenge and anger at being wronged.

He helps his new recruits channel their anger into being a fighting team that makes up for the deficiencies that he lacks. They will be his force for revenge over the enemies who attacked him and the traitors that allowed it.

The Blind Smith is a brilliant game between a genius who is conditioned to fight and those who he is conditioned to fight against.

Eveningstar: Awakening by Samantha Curl 

Samantha Curl’s first Eveningstar novel, Awakening, skillfully tells three separate stories with the same characters. Curl then entwines them into one wide reaching expansive Epic High Fantasy that passes through three universes.

Alethia Eveningstar is the daughter of The God of War and Queen of the Stars and is destined to defeat Kakaron, God of Chaos before she can inherit her father's title. Kakaron seduces and betrays Alethia before making an escape. The Goddess-to-Be has to live ten or eleven lives encountering and fighting Kakaron before their final battle. Most of the book is set during two of those lives: Our Realm, where she is a high school girl in modern times discovering magic powers while dealing with new friendships, romance, and studies and the Other Realm, a Medieval like forest where her powers manifest as she is involved in a love triangle between her betrothed and a handsome and familiar stranger.

For a short novel of 178 pages, a lot is accomplished in an impressive manner. Curl devotes enough time to all three universes to give us ideas of the plots, settings, and characters and how they overlap and interact with each other. 

With time and interdimensional travel and the decision to set alternating chapters into different worlds, Awakening can be a very difficult book to follow. But thankfully many plot points parallel each other enough so if it already happened in one universe, the Reader will expect it to happen in another.

The key is to make each universe unique from the others and Curl does this superlatively. We know that Alethia and Kakaron are destined to encounter each other in each universe. 

There are also friends, relatives, authority figures, and romantic rivals that carry over in amusing ways. It gets to the point where the Reader goes “Okay there's this character in Our Realm. She should appear in the Other Realm right about..now.” It becomes an interesting game to see how quickly the characters' doppelgangers appear and in what way plots shift in the various worlds.

There are some interesting twists to keep Readers from expecting or assuming too much. One character strangely can jump from universe to universe so instead of being a reincarnated soul or a double, he's the same person in all three worlds and is able to teach Our World Alethia this ability so she can see what her Other Realm counterpart can. The circumstances of how Alethia and Kakaron meet, what forms they take, who seduced who, and how they discover the truth are different each time. Different enough that in one universe, Kakaron’s reveal is a genuine surprise. It keeps the momentum going in this strange novel.

Eveningstar: Awakening has a lot of fun playing with the laws of time and space and taking the Reader along with it.