Firestone: A Tale of the Eternal Stones Book One by Ryan Carriere

 

A Tale of the Eternal Stones: Firestone is the first in a fantasy series aimed at absolutely any age group that enjoys a good fantasy story.

 

Two stories run parallel to each other and are sure to meet up sometime within the series. On one side you have Sephonei, who has been forced into becoming a Crystal Hunter (with the barest of training), and who has set off with Ku-aya and Abil to find an eternal stone from a cavern just outside Atlantea.

 

On the other side, you have Roeg, who lives with the Great Spirit Clan but is an outsider as he was brought in as a child and looks different to everyone else. While battling to find his place within the clan, Roeg is given a quest by his adopted father and the shaman of the clan to go to the King of Gnomes, who will help him find the Land of Darkness. Along with his clanmates Tsisa and Ookum, Roeg will embark on a perilous journey to battle a fire demon and find the meaning of the firestone he carries.

 

However, the Crystal Hunters are after the same stone and their paths are on the verge of colliding…

 

First, I must apologise to the author for taking this long to write a review of the book. I only recently found it again after hardware crashed and burned and a promise is a promise! 

 

I enjoyed the book tremendously. I suspect the author has ties to South Africa as the terms “eish” and “kuk (kak)” were all too familiar! And I suspect the gnome bread had its roots in a rusk?

 

I liked how Sephonei was coming into her own, and no longer the scared child she started off as. Her quick thinking and abilities to understand her aura reading made her an excellent empath. Ku-aya was needed to ground the trio and Abil was just a nasty piece of work. However, I battled to understand their use of language sometimes with dialect words like fistler, and when I saw “yaa” my mind automatically said it was spelt incorrectly.

 

Roeg’s side spoke more to me as I felt transported along with his “growth” story and how he felt he didn’t belong anywhere, to showing his courage and being an integral part of saving the day. He showed that trying and trying again was what was needed and his empathy I think will somehow integrate with Sephonei’s. Tsisa’s bravery was fun but foolish, and I enjoyed Ookum’s perseverance in trying to find his place in the world.

 

I was intrigued by the mythical creatures, and Sephonei’s recordings of them in her journal, including the sketches. There were, however, a few grammar and punctuation errors that stopped me a couple of times within the script. Overall, a fantastic read and since the story ends in a place open for the next chapter, I look forward to reading the next one!

 

Thanks to the author for the opportunity to review the book (albeit eventually!).

Crazy on You by Christen Bensten

Crazy on You is a psychological thriller and a sad take on what jealousy and the “If only I hads” will push a person to.

 

Olivia has had a bit of a rough start. Having cared for an abusive father until he died, and still looking after a mentally ill mother has skewed her outlook on life somewhat. She knows the perfect life is out there for her. She just needs a few things to make it right.

 

She and her husband live in one of the smaller houses in Huntwood Valley. With wealth and possessions she can only aspire to. When Olivia becomes a mother, she is sure this will be exactly what she needs to make her life perfect. But being a new mother is not easy, and Olivia is battling to cope. All she has is her husband and he is often out at work. Desperate to stop feeling invisible and needing support, Olivia reaches out to three mothers in the same situation and forms a group. Charlotte has a husband in the political arena who seems very absent from their relationship, Claire and her wife are lawyers and Claire is wrestling with her own demons about keeping safe, and Beth has everything that Olivia could wish for. All three are wealthier, coping with their newborns better, and seem to have it together compare to Olivia.

 

So Olivia begins the “If only I hads” game in her quest for the perfect life. Little by little she becomes more and more interfering in Beth’s life, trying to make her the invaluable friend while doing everything she can to isolate Beth. Her persistent and uninvited visits, calls, texts, and emails become obsessive, and the three mothers are trying to pull away.

 

But Olivia knows what she wants to make her life perfect, and no one will stand in her way…

 

The book starts with the end, so the author skilfully draws you in from the first chapter and makes you aware that something epic will finish the story. I was fascinated/horrified by Olivia’s deeds and thought processes. The problems she went through as a new mom were intense and certainly give the reader pause to try to empathise with her, but her selfish actions were dreadful.

 

I enjoyed the friends’ stories as they showed the real issues behind the facades you see and how everyone faces hardships of varying degrees. It is scary that there are people like Olivia who only see the perfect façade and think that in order to have it, they need to take it and not make their own way in life.

 

I do agree that the events leading up to the finale were a bit suspect as I’m sure they wouldn’t have been allowed to slide like that, but just the depths to which Olivia was prepared to go (and believed was right) was crazy.

 

The book was written with an easy flow and definitely had you saying: “just one more chapter”. No major editorial mistakes interrupted the reading and the author had a fabulous way of describing scenes in such a rich manner that you felt as though you were in the room or even experiencing the emotions the character felt. I look forward to more by this author!  

Soulstealer Book Two by Shane Bouleware

The once mighty Ordo Solis – the Order of the Sun – has lost its following. Created to fight a demon who inhabited people and ate the souls of its victims, it no longer wields the power it had. People don’t believe the demon exists anymore. So, the American chapter of the Order now only consists of two members. Yes, two members in the form of Steven and Jeff, who still keep up traditions and faithfully watch the Raptor Gatekeeper each night for one hour in the hopes of clues to catch the demon.

 

But Jeff is struggling with keeping his commitment to his day job, his Order work, and spending time with his wife and daughter. And Steven feels he needs a holiday. Maybe permanently. They decide to watch one last viewing together, when they notice a person approaching the Gatekeeper. It’s almost like he knows the secret signal, but not quite.

 

With the Raptors, Unas, and Sanhe cults still out there and waiting for the Soulstealer’s return, there is a huge task awaiting Ordo Solis as the cults have no mercy and will stop at nothing to defend him. Unfortunately, Steven is about to find out the depths they will go to. After teaming up with Adeline from the European chapter, they land up going to different countries and working with different Orders. Orders who have had so little to do over the years that they have forgotten traditions. Most don’t believe the Bane is back and others just don’t know what to do. Steven takes matters into his own hands and, with evidence he has cleverly hidden, he plans to use someone with influence who will present the evidence as valid and back it. Will the government agree with this ruse, or will he and his evidence disappear without a trace?

 

The Soulstealer is able to siphon millions of souls at a time. But working out where and when he will attack leaves a whole planet to keep an eye on. This ancient evil will take a lot to beat… 

 

This is a very clever “side-story” in that it is written in the same time frame as the first book but from a different character’s perspective so we get to see how the other side felt about what happened and how they dealt with it. The books fit together so well and a side-by-side comparison will remind you of many small details you may have forgotten.

 

Steven is not your average hero, and the author allows you to feel his frustration and cheer when he defies orders in order to put plans in motion. In book one, you feel empathy for the Soulstealer as you understand the reasons why he is forced to do what he does, yet in book two you can feel the pain that his actions caused. Characters that were only briefly mentioned in book one now have their time to shine as you understand their role in the big picture.

 

The author has a lovely fluid style of writing and while there were a few small punctuation mistakes, they were not enough to play a major distraction. I thoroughly enjoyed the book, both in the manner of construction and the content, and am keen to see the direction the story will go.

 

Thanks to Reedsy Discovery and the author for an advance copy…

A Killing Game by Jeff Buick

 Renee Charlebois has been kidnapped. Or so her father believes. And he is certainly rich enough to make a stink about it to get something to happen. Curtis Westcott is the unfortunate Boston Chief of Homicide who is about to receive his demands, but with no ransom or evidence to indicate she has been kidnapped, he is flummoxed.

 

Having picked up an odd clue at a party he attended, he and Aislinn, a colleague of his, have the first part of a very specific puzzle set by someone out for revenge. No part of any clue can be ignored, as each random thing mentioned points to deeds done in the past and deeds still to be carried out. There is, of course, a time limit and if Curtis doesn’t stick to the schedule precisely, Renee will be another tick on the list of victims. But so many clues just don’t make sense, and when Renee’s father puts out a massive reward, this throws everything into chaos as multiple dead ends are thrown at the police.

 

Who is doing this? Why are they doing it? And most importantly, can they be stopped?

 

I picked this book up on a giveaway, and from the first page was hooked. The action is non-stop and the puzzles very cleverly put together. So clever, in fact, that sometimes you had to wonder how anyone could work them out. And this is where the book had me divided. On the one hand, you have an intricate plot with police deductions that are genius. On the other hand, you have a really dubious reason for the killer to be doing this, and the fact that Westcott (who has not been introduced as having a photographic memory for images or words) is able to recall conversations word for word – even to the smallest pronoun.

 

So I chose to suspend disbelief and read it for the story it was meant to be read as! It went along very quickly and it was a case of “just one more chapter” as I finished one. The cast of characters were all necessary to drive the story forward, and the conflict between some of the police departments made it seem more real. There were some silly punctuation mistakes, but they did not detract from the overall experience. A great read where you can put your feet up for the afternoon and dive into a world of “will they figure it out in time?”

The Puzzle Maker (Book 13 in the Abby Kane series) by Ty Hutchinson

This is a crime thriller and the 13^th (to my sorrow) in a series.

 

The fog is thick. Crazy thick. So for the fisherman to have found his body was luck. It looks like another victim who has been tortured, had the skin removed from their back, and been dumped. Well, if it’s the work of a serial killer, then the number one expert needs to be called in.

 

Cue Agent Kane, she who has solved similar odd mysteries. Agents Kane and Kang head off to Yuba City to assist the local police department with this new victim. And their enquiries will lead them to many dead ends that always land up in the fog. It seems the killer needs the skin from the victims’ backs for something, but with the number of possibilities out there, narrowing it down seems hopeless. Until hard work and intuition leads them to a possible suspect, who may be blind, which sets in motion a chain of events that could be the undoing of one of their finest. And bring home someone they thought dead…

 

So yes, it was to my sorrow that I found out this was in a series. Sorrow because I picked the book up on a giveaway and now, like Robert J. Crane’s books, I’m going to have to work the series into my budget to find out what happens next!

 

The book’s main section finished quite a bit before the end so I wondered if there was a section to the next book, only to find out the parallel story within the book led to a cliffhanger for the next one. The writing in the book was really easy and comfortable to read in that I could just get lost in the story and not be stopped by major proofing errors or story inconsistencies. The story itself is (unfortunately) not that far-fetched and people have killed for ideas like this. So it was one of those reminders to be careful and also thank the members of law enforcement for their skills.

 

While not on my list of best-sellers, this definitely made some reading time go by quickly, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

The Girl in the Box Series Books 1 - 3 by Robert J. Crane

 These are the first three in a “superhuman” series that will grab you and make you say, “And then???”

 

Sienna knows she is different and lives by a set of rules her mother has enforced. Sure, they are incredibly restrictive and she kinda doesn’t have a life because of them, but hey. Her mom knows best, right? Until one day someone tries to abduct her from her house with her mom having been missing for a while. And speaking to anyone else, let alone leaving the house, is against the rules. And going against the rules gets you punished (this was a bit of a dodgy one Mr Author). So… what to do?

 

After a big fight and a shootout and help from a stranger, Sienna wakes up to find herself in a strange place. One where they say they can help her. Turns out she is a metahuman and is super strong, with other powers that are just beginning to make themselves known. So what’s a teenage girl to do when her mother and the rules are not around? Fight villains, of course! But who’s to say who are the real villains?

 

As Sienna learns about team and self, and meets more of her family than she realised she had, she needs to learn about boundaries and lines and how and where to cross them. Because even if she is super strong, she is not immortal…

 

All I can say is, damn you Robert J. Crane! My hubby had gotten the first three books in a box set, so I had no clue there were more (yes, I’m late to the party) until I got to the end only to find there are another forty-seven books in the series available! My poor budget is going to take a hit here…

 

So even though there are bits in the books you kinda raise an eyebrow at or look at your kindle with a furrowed brow, you go, “Okay, I’ll buy into it.” Cause the story and the action are just that good. Sienna is one kickass meta and her powers are wow (even when some are not). The author has made me love and hate her at the same time and I sense her frustration yet desire to be part. His villains are interesting and Wolfe creeped me out. Okay, there are some sticky bits in the books, but skip over them if you must! I don’t want to say too much, as you have to start at the beginning and see where it’s going. But it’s a helluva ride and so easy to read that you can sit down, grab a cuppa, and just go until you need to load the next one.

 

Good job!!!

Of Flame and Ember Book One Resistance by CE Ord

Resistance is a YA fantasy novel and is the first in a series.

 

Lia is sitting in detention. Okay, maybe she shouldn’t have said what she did, but life is unfair and she feels angry a lot lately. She and her twin, Tyler, lost their parents recently and had to move from New York to Australia to live with their grandmother. She’s good to them, but it’s not the same.

 

So now school is out, and she and Tyler have gone to meet some friends. Lia feels as though she is being watched. She doesn’t know how she knows… she just does. Soon she is approached by someone who calls himself Coen. And he comes with a tale that she and Tyler are going to have a hard time believing.

 

It turns out that there is another world, similar to Earth, called Gaea, that is in desperate need of a hero to rescue it from war and a coming evil in the form of Samael and Achlaya. And, as it happens, she and Tyler have familial bonds with the royalty of Gaea. So, if she and Tyler go with Coen and allow him to help her unleash her hidden magical powers, well, they have a chance at defeating their foes.

 

Alrighty then… just another day at the office…

 

Hmmm. Not sure where I stand with this book. I read it in fits and starts the first time, so read it again to make sure I got everything. I liked it, but it wasn’t a standout for me. There was a lot of explaining about things – history, the worlds, feelings, and powers, and this slowed the story somewhat. Lia only has a short time to get ready for what will ultimately be a battle, and while the tasks have their necessity explained, it just felt like she went from no powers to full powers in a few days far too easily. And for a fifteen-year-old, she seemed to make decisions that were more mature than we were led to believe about her.

 

I also found it strange that the twins leave for Gaea after they get permission from their grandmother to go on “vacation” and yet since Gaea has no technology and they can’t use their phones, they don’t contact her to let her know they have arrived at their “destination” safely. Would she not be worried? And seeing as they have an important birthday in Gaea but are not able to be contacted, would this not compound things if she phoned them to wish them happy birthday? It just stuck in my head.

 

Tyler has a very small role to play in this book, which makes me think he will come into his own in the next one. At least there is a glimmer at the end of the book to signal this.

The ending of the book and the climax was very rushed. In fact, the most important part was over in 2% of the book and just as you thought it was about to get going, it finished. And with a conclusion to the climax where I went: “Oh, really????”

 

At least the story was written comfortably without glaring grammar and punctuation errors, so that reading was smooth and easy. I’m sure others will love this as there is nothing wrong with the book… it just didn’t make me go “Wow!”.

 

Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to review this book.