Kindle Spotlight -- Flame Kissed

Alexis Radcliff is back with a new series called Seeking the Dragon. She asked me to review the first book, Flame Kissed, and so here we go.

The protagonist is 17-year-old Ella Denton. Years ago, her family was killed in a mysterious fire and she got shuffled between foster families until finally arriving at the Dentons. So now she's settled in and getting ready to go off to college. But before she does, she heads off to a ski lodge with friends and family. There she is reunited with her long-time crush Nick. She plans to confess her feelings for him, but stuff happens and she ends up getting transported to a parallel world called Ether-Realm which seems to be filled entirely with dicks. They all either want to perform unspeakable medical experiments on her, enslave her, or just beat her into submission. Not a good way to spend summer vacation. I get the sense there are nicer people around, but we don't meet them in the first book. But hey, at least she has some strange magic power to make things a little better.

And that's pretty much it for the first volume. It's very short and mostly just serves to introduce us to Ella and the Ether-World. Obviously there are big secrets to be revealed, but you'll have to wait until later. Honestly, you can almost skip this one because I've told you just about everything. Still, it wouldn't hurt to start from the beginning, and you can knock this out in about an hour. For the most part, it's written well, although Radcliff uses words like "feel" and "saw" instead of just showing what was felt and seen.

I sort of feel this should have been longer, because it just doesn't do as good of a job as it should bringing us into the world. It doesn't really get good until the end. On the flip side, however, that hopefully means the subsequent books will be even better.

https://www.amazon.com/Flame-Kissed-Seeking-Dragon-Book-ebook/dp/B074SWT6C2/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1508706089&sr=1-1&keywords=Flame+kissed

Kindle Spotlight -- Claimed (Flash Gold #4)

It's been a while since I've done a book review, but now this segment is back and ready to rock. Today we have Claimed, the fourth entry in Lindsay Buroker's Flash Gold series. Refer to past posts on this blog for reviews of the previous novellas.

This time the story is told from Cedar's point of view. He returns to the cave he shares with Kali to find her talking with a young reporter named Travis Andrews who wants to write a story about the airship she's building. But before he can, a Mountie arrives to ask for their help in solving a mystery. People all over the area are suddenly selling their gold claims and hightailing it out of the Yukon, and the Mountie wants to know why. Cedar suspects his sworn enemy Cudgel Conrad is involved and agrees to investigate so he can finally put an end to him. He and Kali hop on her motorized bicycle and head off to investigate. Their latest adventure has them facing an Indiana Jones-esque snake pit, armed baddies, suspicious lawmen, invisibility powder, and possibly even Cudgel himself. Will Cedar finally get his man?

I've long sung the praises of Lindsay Buroker. I think she is a very talented writer, and her quality work continues here. Claimed offers few surprises, and lacks the insane airship action of previous entries (in fact, there are no working airships this time around), but it still delivers a solid narrative. Cedar finally tells Kali how he feels about her (sort of) and the ending is satisfying. I personally want to see more of the mysterious people who view Kali as a threat for unknown reasons, but hopefully that will happen in the upcoming fifth book.

Bottom line: if you liked the previous Flash Gold books, you'll like this one. If not, it won't do anything to change your mind. This series comes highly recommended by yours truly either way.

Kindle Spotlight -- Shackleton Crater

Today we have a novella by Jody Rawley: Shackleton Crater. Without further ado, let's get into it.

Taking place in the present, the story concerns a group of astronauts given a perilous mission. You see, the Chinese are about to establish a base on the moon. This would force the international community to acknowledge the big rock as theirs. Unwilling to let China take the whole moon for themselves, the President orders our protagonists to haul prefab structures there and beat the easterners at their own game. Chosen to lead the mission is Caird, a former professor with some wild ideas. When it comes to actual space travel, he's as green as they come, and his crew of seasoned explorers don't know if they can trust him. 

Their fears are proven to be well-founded when they arrive at the moon and all hell breaks loose. An accident causes part of the crew--along with Caird--to crash in the ominous Shackleton Crater. This place is deep and dark, and things look bleak for our intrepid heroes. Fortunately, they manage to salvage enough of their ship's supplies to survive. They dig a small cave in the crater's wall and seal it up. Then they set fire to the frozen oxygen ('cause it's really cold in there), giving them both heat and air to breathe. This keeps them alive, but they still have to find a way out of the crater, reunite with the rest of the crew, and establish their own base to thwart the Chinese. The odds are against them, so do they even have the slightest hope of succeeding? A huge curve ball towards the end may just make the question moot.

I liked Shackleton Crater. The story is compelling and full of the kind of cool survival space drama (such as Apollo 13) I enjoy. I'm really not sure if all the things the characters in the story manage to do are even possible, but nor do I particularly care. Ultimately, it's a story about hope and working together to survive ridiculous odds, and I think that's something we can all get on board with.

However, there is a double-edged sword to this story. I can tell an impressive amount of research went into it. All kinds of details and technical jargon make their presence felt throughout the narrative. I always like a well-researched story. On the other hand, the multitude of astronaut and NASA lingo may turn off some readers. A healthy knowledge of these things is recommended, though not required. I was able to go along with the story regardless.

In conclusion: Shackleton Crater is a gripping, well-researched tale, and well worth it at 99 cents.

http://www.amazon.com/Shackleton-Crater-Jody-Rawley-ebook/dp/B00H1VKJZ2/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1388704653&sr=1-1&keywords=shackleton+crater

Kindle Spotlight -- Folding Reality

Today we have a quirky novella by Mit Sandru: Folding Reality.

Mike, an insurance salesman, is having a very bad day. For some reason, every time he folds a piece of paper--whether it's a map, a dollar or take-out menu--he finds himself transported to another (usually unfriendly) place and time. He ends up in Jerusalem where he somehow prevents the crucifixion of Christ--and gets nailed to a cross himself! Later, becomes a Jewish prisoner of the Nazis at Auschwitz, followed by a stint aboard a decidedly hostile Russian space capsule. He has no idea where--or when--he'll end up next. Is he losing his mind, or is reality considerably more fleeting than he realized? And what's the deal with the magic circus tent in the middle of the desert?

I would describe Folding Reality as a more violent version of the 1980s TV show Quantum Leap, except the main character makes the leap home repeatedly. Mike certainly does not spare us the details of how painful crucifixion can be. There is virtually no character development; Mike is focused entirely on solving this mystery rather than telling us his life story. Still, the plot was intriguing enough to keep me hooked until the rewarding end. I especially like the shocking revelation about the nature of reality Mike is ultimately presented with. 

In summary: if you like weird sci-fi stories, this is for you.

http://www.amazon.com/Folding-Reality-ebook/dp/B00D3Y1PDQ/ref=pd_rhf_se_p_t_2_YVA5

Kindle Spotlight -- Daymare

Today I have a novella by Gordon Bentley-Mix entitled Daymare.

The story takes place on a mining vessel in our asteroid belt. There are four crew members total: Marcus, his "partner" Bex, mentally unstable Janet and disgusting pig Jonno. Perhaps it would be more accurate to say there are only three crew members since Janet recently lost her mind in a very mysterious incident, leaving the other three to mine asteroids for The Company (yes, "The" is capitalized). Unfortunately, whatever broke Janet seems to be affecting the others as well, since they keep experiencing waking nightmares. Perhaps the mysterious crystal they find embedded in the asteroid they're mining can give them the answers they seek, but can they get to the bottom of this before the daymares drive them insane?

I found Daymare to be an engaging mystery. Since it's a novella and there are only four characters, there isn't a lot of character development. They spend more time trying to solve the conundrum of the daymares and don't talk about themselves that much. Sadly, the most developed character is the purposely unlikable Jonno. Also, as with Mortimus Walker and the Secret of the White City last week, there isn't a whole lot of conflict in this story. The characters are generally on the same page since they make it a point to keep Jonno out of the loop as they know how unhelpful he would be. Plus, their problem turns out to be easily solved in the end. Nevertheless, the compelling mystery kept me invested in the story until the finale.

http://www.amazon.com/Daymare-ebook/dp/B00CWM4HV2/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1370038574&sr=1-1&keywords=Daymare

Kindle Spotlight -- Mortimus Walker and the Secret of the White City

Today we have a novella by Zach Turner: Mortimus Walker and the Secret of the White City.

The protagonist is, of course, the aging Mortimus Walker who has toiled all his life in anticipation of his sixtieth birthday. In this world people are divided into Ones and Twos. Ones work while Twos live the good life up in the White City. However, upon reaching the age of sixty, Ones have their brains transferred into young clones of themselves--thus becoming One-Twos--and then they can enjoy retirement. On the flipside, Twos start off on easy street and later go to work as Two-Ones.

The bulk of the story shows Morty as he and another group of Ones spend two weeks preparing for their brain transplant. They meditate, they exercise, they play videogames, and Morty even finds romance with fellow One Patti (the guy can still get it on even in his twilight years).

I enjoyed Mortimus Walker. It's well-written and well-formatted for Kindle. Some readers may be turned off by the lack of conflict in the story. For the most part, the characters enjoy their journey to the White City and there is almost no action at all. However, the surprising twist at the end makes it all worthwhile. I won't give it away, but I will say that it's worthy of an M. Night Shyamalan movie.

http://www.amazon.com/Mortimus-Walker-Secret-White-ebook/dp/B00CLJQFLG/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1369626117&sr=1-1&keywords=Mortimus+Walker

Kindle Spotlight -- Peacemaker

Here we are: Peacemaker, the third novella in Lindsay Buroker's Flash Gold steampunk series. I previously reviewed the first two books in the series, so you may want to read those before diving into this.

The story picks up some time after Hunted. 18-year-old Kali McAlister has begun building the airship which she very much hopes will get her and her bounty-hunting partner Cedar out of the Yukon. Cedar has been making himself scarce as of late, so Kali is having to build the thing by herself in a cave, so as you can imagine it's not going as fast as she would like. Complicating matters is a Pinkerton agent looking to bust Cedar for a murder that happened in his past, as well as a series of seemingly supernatural murders. Once again, Kali and Cedar must work together to defeat the bad guys and solve a mystery. Oh, and the dastardly Cudgel Conrad finally makes his appearance, seeking to gain the mysterious substance Flash Gold for his own undoubtedly evil ends.

Peacemaker serves to reveal the respective pasts of Kali and Cedar. We learn about Kali's upbringing in her mother's native tribe, and Cedar's time before he met her. The story gives us more insight into what motivates these two, and that's very important in fiction.

But, of course, that's not all Peacemaker offers. Buroker has ratcheted up the action to an explosive new level, as evident by the story's fiery climax. In addition, the plight of female murder victims in the story gives the narrative emotional weight.

I'll wrap this up by saying the same thing I said in the review of Hunted: Lindsay Buroker is a talented writer who continues to deliver a solid read.

Kindle Spotlight -- The Girl Who Bled Forever

Today I'm looking at an experimental novella: Kent David Kelly's The Girl Who Bled Forever (The Slipstream Chronicles). This book is every bit as macabre as the title suggests, and it's also pretty unconventional.

The story centers around Captain Alan Ramsey, USAF. He's being detained for disobeying orders. What exactly he did is revealed slowly as the story progresses. The plot is told entirely through military records,  meaning there is no real narrator to tell the reader what the protagonist is thinking. I guess you could say it's the literary equivalent of video camera movies like Cloverfield or Paranormal Activity.

Interrogating Captain Ramsey is Anna Morgenstern, a woman he has a relationship with...at some point (since the story is not told entirely in chronological order, we don't really know when their relationship took place). Anna wants to know the details of the year in which Ramsey had to watch a mysterious girl die every night while she (the girl) tried to climb out of a hole in the sky. The details of her daily death are particularly graphic, so people with weak stomachs should beware. Why is this poor girl caught in a never-ending death loop? Ramsey has some theories, but they involve quantum mechanics so they ended up taxing my brain.

The Girl Who Bled Forever runs about 92 pages, so it's not very long. It's mostly the set-up for a much larger story involving time travel and other universes. It's pretty interesting if you can understand Ramsey's narrative, which touches on high-level scientific concepts ranging from Schrodinger's Cat to causality theory. Nevertheless, the story is nicely formatted and the protagonist is a compelling one. I recommend this story to either hardcore sci-fi readers or fans of the TV show The Big Bang Theory (that's me).