The Two Towers by Jaime A. Waters

This is a sci-fi romance and the first of two books in the series.

Kayla is a ruin rat who loves nothing more than scavenging through places traders deem clear and finding artefacts that have been left behind. After the planet's devastation, Omnilabs controls those who search for lost pieces of history in the ruins via traders and their crews. Kayla doesn't play by the rules and prefers the freelancers she works with. When a trader named Carl wants to make a deal with her she is thrust into a life she had forgotten. A life she still doesn't want. Sometimes however, even reluctant heroes have to step up for the greater good. Will Kayla rise to the occasion?

This was a very entertaining novel to read but definitely focussed on the romantic aspect more than the sci-fi. Kayla is one of those characters that you really want to like but she seems too perfect. Even with her snarky attitude 95% of the book's characters were immediately drawn to her beauty and brains and wanted to be around her.  Veridian had such an important role in her life yet I felt his character lacked substance or a story. The conflict between Carl and Alec is, as well as the life she wants vs the life she is supposed to live, a great section of the story. Personally the energy and mind connection was explained to the reader too many times.

The story was well written and edited. Apart from the intimate scenes I would recommend it for YA and up but I would have preferred more of the sci-fi aspect to be elaborated on. A good, fun read.

In the Shadow of David by Martin Baggen

This is the alternative account of the life and "creation" of Jesus as told by the rebellion.

Yohannon (John the Baptist) is set to claim the title of messiah with Miriam at his side. A messiah with a radically different view from current teachings. His cousin Yeshua (Jesus) resurfaces to spend some time with Yohannon only to be thrust unexpectedly into the limelight when plans go awry. Now with Yohannon out of the way, Mirriam and her family Zachary and Lazarus as well as friends  Yehudah and Thomas, must manipulate events in order to keep Yeshua in the dark but still believing that he is the son of God.  The miracles and deeds must seem real, but can the behind-the-scenes influence go too far?

I found this a difficult read and had to restart it a number of times. I wanted to gauge reader reaction before I started it and found two reviews that thoroughly praised it so I was looking forward to getting stuck into it. It wasn't what I expected and it's definitely not for everyone. Firstly a lot of names sounded so similar that I was getting confused between the characters. The chapters begin with varying points of view too, which sometimes makes  it puzzling as to where the story is coming from. Personally (and this is just my subjective opinion), I did not like the lies and "manufacture" of Jesus. I also found that the lead up to where Yeshua becomes convinced that he is the son of God too long, and then the miracles all leading up to his crucifixion happen in a short space of time in the book. The depiction of the horrors of the crucifixion and the torture leading to it are very vivid and hard to stomach. The writing itself is excellent but the plot was not for me.

I'd still give it 3 stars because of the way it was written and the idea behind it but don't pick this up expecting a light read. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to review the book. 

Brats, Inc. by Emmanuel Sullivan

This is a short story appropriate for middle school children and up.

The Meyters are siblings in an orphanage run by the horrid Mrs Brown. Orphanage might be too kind a word seeing as the children are actually sold off to the highest bidder. When the children are about to be "adopted", but separately, they decide to run away and find a parent that will love and take care of them. So begins their adventure.

I downloaded this book for free after I read some rave reviews about it but didn't realise it was aimed at such a young audience. It is extremely short and can be read very quickly. The plot is very sweet and suitable for about a 10 year old - don't expect anything new to crop up as this kind of story has been done many times before. The characters are not fleshed out very much as there is no time to do this, but I found Marc's character very irritating and precocious as he doesn't listen or do as he is told. A very light read with a moral to the tale.

The Light Fantastic by Sarah Combs

This is a work of fiction suitable for mature young adults and up with a very pertinent and thought-provoking theme.

The Mastermind has his group of assassins positioned and ready to go. All online and known only by the name of a state, they are everyday high school students. Except these run of the mill students are all planning to walk into their schools and start shooting. Indiscriminately. The story is told from a number of different points of view and really shows how many secrets or hurts are hidden behind a smiling face. The story emphasises the shock people go through when they think someone else has the perfect life, only to find out that sometimes even the most confident of people are hiding their fear of something. The script lets you into the mindset of some of the students as well as some of the teachers, and really hits home that the lead up to some of these tragedies could be a school friend or a neighbour's hurt or anger.

Even after reading the bio for the book, I didn't expect what I actually read. The author manages to take a teenager's brain and the millions of things they are happy and worry about and put them on paper. As an adult you can look back and laugh at what to you at the time seemed so important, yet at the time it overwhelms your life. The shooters were not a stereotypical group. Whether a jock or a nerd, popular or a loner, they all had friends and were all hiding the pain of something. Catfishing, hyperthymesia, bullying, being spiteful, revenge and genuine friendship are some of the deep themes that are explored.

I would have given the book 5 stars but (and I know why the author did it), to show a teenager's mind speed (well sometimes) that it works at, a lot of words were put together in run-ons. Sometimes you have to stop and go back to reread them and you land up getting a headache. The sticky caps and hashtags were also a little annoying. The different points of view between chapters had me confused in the beginning but it was necessary for the story.

A fantastic read with a very mature theme. Amazingly written with a storyline that keeps you thinking well after you have put the book down. Highly recommended.   

Thanks to NetGalley for the chance to review the book.

A Red Mist (Assassin #2) by Simon Corn

This is a fantasy thriller and the second in the Assassin series. It is suitable for mature young adults and up and has a certain degree of violence.

Lucinda is in the hospital at the Killing Grounds in a deep depression. Even though she survived the final fight of the tournament, neither her boyfriend Alex, nor her friend Alara have come to see her. Her body is still wrecked, her face slashed and she can't see out of one of her eyes but she refuses to use her Arts to heal herself. She has never been close to anyone in her family besides her brother Bastian, and now that she knows what the Assassins Guild has in store for her she is dreading to go home and live with them. Little does she know that her life is about to take a huge turn. She will face vicious attacks, uncover secret plots, rescue a city full of children and eventually learn the deepest meaning of Family Comes First.

For full disclosure I did edit this book, but this in no way influences my review of the story. This is a great follow up to the first book which was told from Alara's perspective and this from Lucinda's point of view. This one focuses a lot more on family and the ties that bind them. I liked how Lucinda was able to show a much softer side to herself but still holds true to the assassin that she is. The story uncovers more of the politics between guilds and councils and the power play between the last remaining influential Houses heats up. Throw in a new love interest, a new family member and a portal or two and you have a well written and engaging read which leaves you wanting the third book immediately!

Ash - A Thriller (Asher Benson Book1)

Ash is a thriller with a touch of the paranormal and is suitable for mature young adults and up.

Ash Benson is a war hero. After suffering a brain injury from an exploded IED, his brain has changed in unexpected ways. Ash developed the power of telepathy. But hearing people's thoughts day in and day out is making him lose his mind. Alcohol helps, but not entirely. When he thwarts a bank robbery using his powers, a special branch of feds are after him to help them with a telepathy problem of their own. It seems a rogue agent is having too much fun controlling others with his powers and generally spreading chaos with violence. Can Ash use his own ability to counter this foe without being arrested for being the bad man himself?

While the story itself was interesting I battled to relate to the characters. If Ash was as snarky before the accident he would have definitely had problems in the military - the whole thing seemed forced. Sammy is basically a character with big boobs. She meets Ash in the bank robbery and all of a sudden is willing to give up her life to be with him. Her "assets" are mentioned frequently in the book. Throwing in an arch villain who should have been on the side of good able to force people to do things with his mind was a good plot line. Very reminiscent of Heroes. Nami would have been a great interjection of a character but her only qualities that were emphasised was that she was short and swore a lot.

An average read for me - an entertaining afternoon's fun but not interesting enough to want to carry on with the series. 

Brailing for Wile by Jason Zerndt

This is a fiction story aimed at young adults and up. Between the time the book was offered for review and the review going up the name has subsequently changed to The Roadrunner Cafe and the main character's name has changed.

Secrets are what caused this. Too many secrets have ruined too many lives. Like the fact that Mattius's father Wile was having an affair and after he was found out he hung himself. Four trees that used to symbolise the family sit outside of their cafe and Mattius's mom is sick of seeing them. She decides to have the one that symbolised Wile taken away, which causes the townsfolk issues - whether about the landscaper (Norwood) taking it away or even where it gets put. Norwood is currently dealing with his girlfriend who is desperate for a baby and Easy (Norwood's apprentice) still suffers from the loss of his father. Helyana (Mattius's friend) has lost both of her parents and been brought up by her exceptionally religious grandfather. All of their stories are just waiting to collide as death finds life and life finds death.

An interesting take on a story that is not that far removed from real life. It deals with the floundering that so many people feel when a loved one leaves them (by their own hand) and how to deal with the aftermath. Not just within themselves but also with friends and family. The only negative that really stood out to me was that it read like a book one would have to study at school when dealing with signs and hidden meanings in action - like a film study class trying to decide why a director used a specific shot. Otherwise a good read dealing with some difficult topics.

Stephen King and Philosophy: Various Authors. Edited by Jacob Held

Having been a Stephen King fan for many years I figured that this would be an interesting philosophical discussion of his more disturbing (or not) works. Having previously studied branches of philosophy for academic work , I thought I was partly equipped for what was to come, but I was oh so wrong. Jumping straight into Desperation after the forward set the tone of the dialogue, since the dark and good themes in the book weigh quite heavily on the mind. Moving into Carrie and Pet Semetary, the discussion moved past casual reading for me. It was like being back at varsity and I put the book away a number of times. So much repetition and rewording of the same ideas just gave me a headache. Once we hit the topics of bonds of friendship in The Body and Rita Hayworth I started feeling like it was a book I could read comfortably again, and the writing flowed a lot better for me. More interesting ideas were now explored from the teacher/pupil dynamic in Apt Pupil, to the possibility of time travel in The Langoliers and 11/22/63 and the application of power and violence in The Running Man and The Long Walk. Of course The Shining and The Dark Tower cropped up time after time with a look at many different aspects of the books.

This is not a light read by any means and I wonder sometimes if we can't just read a book for the sake of reading it. Do we need to dissect the author's intentions or just accept it for the narrative it is meant to be? I thought that too many of King's books were overlooked with some of the same books repeated in a number of different chapters. In some places the write ups about the authors were far more entertaining than the philosophy. An interesting take but not my cup of tea - I think I'll stick to "Stephen King for Dummies".