Lia: Human of Utah by Greg Ramsay

Lia: Human of Utah is a duology about a dystopian sci-fi world and the effects of a virus and alien invasion.

Lia wakes up alone with no idea of who she is and is shortly thereafter attacked by a monster; an abomination that humans have evolved into. Somehow she has the skills to fight back but when more monsters join in, she realises she is outclassed. Her body assimilates some of the dead, which replenishes her and she soon realises that she now has an alien consciousness in her system. Lia goes out into the world and finds a band of human soldiers who immediately do not trust her. Lia vows to work with them but something at the back of her mind constantly nags that she needs to remember. As more evidence comes to light as to how the world was decimated by a strain of virus, Lia and the crew fight new monsters and Lia learns to control her shifting. But everything she thought she understood about her change and indeed the world might be completely wrong...

The title and front cover drew me to the book, and the idea of humans and aliens assimilating and sharing a host was intriguing. The descriptions of the armour and its creation and movement along with the tendrils was explained very well. I found the fight scenes very laborious, though, as each action was described, whether blow or duck and the fights (there were many) went on and on. Lia’s character was strange, and she went from being one with compassion to ice-cold killer to selfish leader. The fluctuations were jarring at times, as was her dialogue. In book one she adopted a standoffish manner of speech and in book two her dialogue was littered with “cuz” amongst others and then would veer off into “high speech” again. In book one there were a few punctuation editing mistakes but nothing major, yet in book two there were a lot more, and mistakes like your/you’re and lightning and lightening. The writing almost felt like it was a different person between the books.

Unfortunately, I was never vested in Lia or her journey. I only felt a slight bit of empathy for her at the end as you realised what she would have to go through forever. But it was as if she brought it on herself, as her motives and actions were always about her. Some sections of the books flew by and others were so drawn out I was tempted to skip pages. It is a great base idea but could do with some serious streamlining as the parts where I could really get into the story were overshadowed by the parts that were superfluous.

Thanks to Voracious Readers Only and the author for a copy of the book.  

The House of Twelve by Sean Davies

The House of Twelve is a paranormal/psychological horror story and does not hold back on the mental games or the physical gore.

Twelve strangers wake up in a house together with no idea how they got there, where they are or who the other people are. All they have is a set of house rules, which is not very long. Seems simple, right? You have no more supplies than are in the house—ok then. Your numbers have to be reduced by one (no more and no less) by a certain time each day or everyone dies—surely they can’t be serious? And redemption is the only key to escape! This has to be a joke...

The author feeds you titbits about each character and as you grow to like one something crops up and you change your mind. It’s an interesting dilemma to put out there—exactly how far is a person willing to go to save their life? As the bodies start piling up and the personalities come out you realise that there is a thread that binds them all together, but just when you think you have it figured out, you find you are wrong. Some of the more supernatural elements like the clock and the walls seemed strange, but I guess in the big scheme they make sense. The answer to escape is right there but it’s funny how so many will not accept it.

I started wondering if the plot was echoing Identity or Saw and then decided it was more like the ending to the Dark Tower series. The writing is engaging if a little rushed and it’s a quick read. The problem with it being a quick read and that bodies do pile up, is that you don’t really get to know any of the characters well and some of the questions surrounding the house and characters never get answered.

It’s a great idea for a story but could use a bit of work on the execution by allowing the reader to engage more with the characters and not rush through their stories. Thanks to Voracious Readers Only and the author for a copy of the book.    

From Illusion and Blood by Karen See

From Illusion and blood is a paranormal/horror story and is the first in a series.

Renee is a first-time hunter. As part of one of the most influential clans, she is desperate to prove herself. The clan is personally invited to go demon hunting in a supposed haunted house, but when they arrive they find a member of a rival clan already there. What starts out as a routine investigation soon turns into a fight for sanity and survival, as a witch, intent on keeping the secrets of the house, will push limits—physically and emotionally.

I enjoy a good paranormal/horror story and I must admit that this one impressed me more than I expected it to. Not only do you get to experience the hunting and the rituals and spells involved, but you are privy to the undertones and nuances of the backstabbing and fighting and what it takes to get your clan to the top and keep it there. There was an interesting dynamic between the members of the clan and how the matriarch, in an attempt to escape a hellish past and ensure they keep the clan on top, manipulates her family to the point of ostracising some and physically and mentally abusing others. The way that the story and haunting were revealed in layers made for exciting reading and the suspense and action definitely made for a fast-paced read.

The editing of the story was very good with only one or two minor errors and the author’s writing style kept you riveted through most of it. One negative was that I didn’t feel the cover did the book justice and I also felt the take on witches and demons was a bit singular but probably needed for this particular plot.

I thoroughly enjoyed the book and had a few heart-beating-faster moments. I would definitely recommend it as long as you have to stomach for horror and some gore.

Thanks to Voracious Readers Only and the author for a copy of the book.

His Fool by Garry Sullivan

For the full review please go to:

https://forums.onlinebookclub.org/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=116742

The Dating Process: Casey (Book 1)

The Dating Process: Casey (Book 1) is the first in a series about a group of teenage girls and explores the trials and tribulations they go through in navigating love, school and friendship. Each book is told from a different character’s perspective and the series is suitable for young adults and up.

Casey has a new nickname and it’s not flattering. Casey Commando. And no, it has nothing to do with the military. Oh boy. Casey and her two besties Amber and Kiera are trying to get through their school career without any more chaos. Except boys keep cropping up. There is an online wacko that they are trying to keep Kiera away from, and Amber’s Gavin, well, Gavin, is in a band. Enough said. Casey is doing her best to keep them all on the level but she has a sneaky suspicion that there is something deeper going on here. Something beyond the normal games that guys play. And Casey prides herself on being able to outsmart the players. Most of the time, anyway...

This was definitely a guilty pleasure to read and made me think back to those days of being that age and feeling like other people’s opinions actually mattered like that. The story itself as a snapshot is very clever and written in such an easy and flowing way that you truly feel you need to get through just one more chapter and then just one more. Her writing style is fun and inclusive and makes you believe what the character is feeling. I understood Casey’s frustrating struggle in trying to get Amber to see passed her rose-tinted glasses and I wanted to shake Amber so many times!

The only negatives I found were a few editing mistakes, but nothing that would interrupt the flow of reading, and I found Casey’s tirade about playing games a bit hysterical and could actually hear high-pitched shrieks in my head. But those were very minor things.

Be warned—the book ends on a major cliffhanger which is rather frustrating but understandable to lead into the next one. A fab, fun lazy day read! Thanks to Voracious Readers Only and the author for the opportunity to review the book.