Fantasy Review: The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman

The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A fantastic book.

The Golden Compass presents a world where humans are accompanied by an external manifestation of their souls. They call them daemons, which might bring to mind something sinister, but in this case they are not. They take on the form of animals, linked to the nature of their human companions, shifting between forms with the speed of thought until their humans reach puberty.

The world itself is similar to ours. Basically, it's portrayed as an alternate universe or alternate reality that could exist even now alongside our own. But in this reality we have the daemon companions, flying witches who live hundreds of years, and speaking bears who are fierce and proud. Yet even these fantastic things are presented in a way that they are believable within the world they inhabit.

Short Story Review: Stray (Feast, Stray, Love #2)

The author enjoyed my first review so he asked me to review #2 and #3 as well!  I always love hearing that my reviews are well received  and getting follow up review requests.  Plus, I like "collecting" an entire series in my reviews.  If you scroll back far enough in my blog (especially on Goodreads, which is where I started off), you'll find a few of my collections.  Some of them are still in progress.

Feast, Stray, Love by Kevin Anthony
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Funny follow up to Feast (Feast, Stray, Love #1).

Stray takes up a bit after the final showdown in Feast. The story is short, funny, and doesn't lose track of the original storyline. I thought it did for a while, but the threads were being laid to tie everything together. Damien has left Mayson for Port Rising, a cozy seaside town. Living and working at Dirty Betty's, a gay bar, and moonlighting at the local Church for Pastor Abram in gratitude for help when he first came to town, Damien finds himself living a double life.

My favorite character in this one is Sparkles, the owner of the gay bar. I can totally picture him in his evening gowns, or in his teddy bear pajamas. Although he seems silly at times, he as a person comes across as realistic. He's afraid for his bar and his staff, and acts desperately to save them. I also love that Ava pops up again. She is the jack of all trades from Feast, who pops up everywhere performing her latest "part-time." It's funny, but also intriguing. Why is she everywhere Damien goes?

Besides the characters, there is an underlying theme of being true to yourself, even when the mainstream thought is against you. Caleb, the pastor's son, is the primary vehicle of this message. Damien, who sees the good side of the pastor, is surprised to learn that his son was written off when he came out, but doesn't truly believe the pastor is all that bad, just a strict follower of his beliefs. Then he begins to learn more.

Another theme is one of moving on after loss. Damien is coming to terms with the loss of his boyfriend and is avoiding any romantic entanglements, a difficult proposition when the handsome Detective Jaxom rolls into town on a basketball trip. Sparkles says go for it, but Damien feels it would be a betrayal to Ben.

I noticed much less cursing than in Feast, which I felt was good. The sexual situations are relatively tame, but they do focus on m-m relationships. Personally, I don't mind that, but it's worth note. If the reader is uncomfortable with such things, this is not the book for them. I also noticed an improvement in the execution of the dialog, making it seem more natural and easier to picture what's happening while the characters are talking.

As for things I didn't like, I found a couple of places where I felt like something changed in the matrix (pardon the pun). The people would be talking, then something would be said that I thought had already been said. I'd flip back and it wouldn't be exact, but it would be close enough to throw me off. It wasn't too bad, but it was confusing when it happened. I also noticed a few minor errors in grammar such as using a singular verb for a plural noun.

Overall, I really liked this one. It's primarily funny, with underlying themes of social acceptance, dealing with loss, and learning to be oneself. Plus, the creepy Factory is still in play, though not quite as much as in the first, so it has the horror component going for it. I'd recommend this to people who enjoy humorous and scary stories and who either prefer or don't mind the portrayal of m-m romantic relationships.

I picked up a free copy of Stray during a promotion on Smashwords after completing an author-requested review for Feast. When the author requested a review for Stray, I had already added it to my TBR list.

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Review: The Forest of Angor (World of Myth #2) by Travis Bughi

The Forest of Angor by Travis Bughi
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A great story full of twists, surprises, and action.

The Forest of Angor is set in the world first introduced in Beyond the Plains (World of Myth #1). The heroine, Emily Stout, is learning the ropes among the Amazons, working to build her minimal skill with a bow, and trying to make friends with the tight knit group of women. Her grandmother is supportive while Adelpha, the young Amazon princess, has taken her under her wing, but the others mistrust her. Besides that, a traitorous enemy travels among the Amazons, and Emily has a good idea who it is. She must convince the others before it's too late to prevent the disaster foretold in the nightmares that plague her each night, nightmares sent as a warning from the angel, Quartus.

I really liked this installment for several reasons. The locations seem more realistic, the descriptions are vivid, and there are more interesting creatures, such as gremlins, treants, centaurs, and werewolves (not the romantic kind).

Review: Cinnamon Twigs by Darren Freebury-Jones

Cinnamon Twigs by Darren Freebury-Jones

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Intelligent, poignant, believable...

These are the three words I'd use to describe Cinnamon Twigs. This fictional memoir follows the rise and fall of Daniel Mace from childhood, through college, love, loss, fame, and finally redemption. Daniel falls in love with drama as a child, and this early love molds his life and guides him towards greatness as an adult. His memories of youth include best friends Lisa and Elliot, making home movies, and playing small parts in school productions. Not all is perfect even then. His friend Lisa's father is abusive and violent, his mother is bipolar, his own father abandoned him and his mother.

From there, the story progresses into his teen and college years. Daniel meets best friend, Michael, and their adventures play out in the youthful illusion of invincibility.

Review: The Tree of Mindala by Elle Jacklee

The Tree of Mindala by Elle Jacklee

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Wonderful tale!

The Tree of Mindala is perfect for kids and kids at heart. The story unfolds 40 years ago when the magical land, Wunderwood, is under the attack of power-hungry Thornton and his followers. Their goal is to find The Tree of Mindala and steal away it's essence so they alone can decide who can use magic and to what extent. But, although the flora of Wunderwood withers under Thornton's attack and all seems lost, a young man named Truman discovers he could be the key to righting things. And that's just the Prologue!

Fast forward to present day, near Halloween, and we meet Miranda and Marcus. Eleven year old Miranda, ever the daydreamer, reports seeing a mermaid in a pond and gets in trouble when her teacher investigates. Marcus, her pessimistic

Review: Beyond the Plains (World of Myth #1) by Travis Bughi

Beyond the Plains by Travis Bughi

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Fantasy meets the old west...

Coming of age in a mythical world has it's own challenges. Sixteen year old Emily Stout lives with her family on their farm in the Great Plains. The harsh environment lends itself to a hard life. Although similar to the old west, these Great Plains are roamed by behemoths and banshees. The dangers and toils of this desolate land are compounded by the monotony, and Emily dreams of one day escaping to find adventure beyond the plains.

Over the course of events, Emily grows from a flighty and naive farm girl into a strong and courageous young woman. I also love the way old west meets fantasy. Unicorns are used as draft horses, gunslingers sell their services to take down massive behemoths, and minotaurs are much sought after as hired hands.

Review: The River of Blue Fire (Otherland #2) by Tad Williams

River of Blue Fire by Tad Williams

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Enjoyable, but takes its time...

The second installment of the Otherland series by Tad Williams picks up where the last leaves off. The "heroes" gathered by Mr. Sellers at the Golden City narrowly escape into another simulation, one that seems perfectly normal except that they are now 1/100th their real size. Gigantic insects and birds populate the world, going about their natural activities, but those are hazardous when you're the size of the next meal.

Soon, events beyond their control shatter the small company and each remnant must find its own way through the increasingly disturbing simulations. Renie and !Xabbu find themselves in Oz gone wrong where they meet a mysterious man who can overcome the rules of the simulation and a naive young girl named Emily who needs rescuing.

Review: City of Golden Shadow (Otherland #1) by Tad Williams

City of Golden Shadow by Tad Williams

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Surprising, complex, and insane...but I like it.

The City of Golden Shadow has been sitting on my bookshelf for over ten years, unread. In times past, I've picked it up and tried to read it, only to give up after twenty pages or so. That being said, I'm glad that I decided to stick it out this time, because this is an astonishingly complex, intricately woven masterpiece. 

Now, to get it out of the way, let me begin with why I never got far in previous attempts. The book starts off on a battlefield with Paul Jonas, a lone soldier stuck in a ditch listening to a man screaming insanely in the background. The imagery is fantastically realistic and more than a little disturbing. In short, it gives every impression of being a war book, which isn't a genre I particularly enjoy. Alas, until this time, I never made it far enough in to realize that nothing is as it seems at first glance.

Review: The Return of the King by J.R.R. Tolkien

The Return of the King by J.R.R. Tolkien

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Riveting conclusion of epic proportions...

Return of the King begins with the Gondor story line where The Two Towers leaves off. Sauron's eye is focused on the city and his forces are gathering for a final strike. Ringwraiths, men, ogres, orcs and trolls are on the move. In Gondor, Faramir struggles to gain the acceptance of his father, Denethor. The young hobbit, Pippin, swears fealty to Denethor on a whim and soon finds himself garbed as a soldier of Minus Tirith. As Denethor loses his grasp on reality, Pippin must decide whether to stay true to his oath or true to his conscious.

Likewise, Merry has sworn his services to the King of Rohan. But the King, unlike Denethor, does not want his small vassal in harms way and decides to leave him behind. His plight is noticed by another who would also fight, despite being told to stay behind, and the two join up and follow together, a decision that just might mean the difference between victory and defeat in the final battle.

Review: Talented by Sophie Davis

Talented by Sophie Davis

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Very cool, I loved it!

Talented takes place in a distant future 100 years after a series of catastrophic natural disasters damages underground nuclear reactors, which in turn contaminates the world's oceans. In the years following The Great Contamination, some children are born with strange genetic defects, some as simple as purple eye color others as complex as superhuman powers of the mind and body. I love the strange and wonderful skills portrayed in the book.

The world is divided between those who would accept (or perhaps just use) the gifted and those who would suppress (or exterminate) them. I found it interesting that the organization that gathers, trains and uses the talented kids is called TOXIC, not a very positive acronym for a group supposedly devoted to training and supporting the population's uniquely qualified outcasts.

Review: The Two Towers by J.R.R. Tolkien

The Two Towers by J.R.R. Tolkien

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The Two Towers is the second book in J.R.R. Tolkien's epic fantasy, The Lord of the Rings. The story picks up right after the Fellowship tasked with destroying Sauron's One Ring parts ways for good.

First up, Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli set out to rescue Merry and Pippin, who were taken by the orcs of Saruman at the end of the previous book. Running for three days, they encounter Eomer of the Rohirim (or Riders of Rohan) who inform them that the orcs have been slain and no hobbits spotted. In return for a promise to return them, the three companions borrow three riderless horses to complete their journey to Fangorn Forrest hoping against all odds that Merry and Pippen live.

Review: Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien

The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The Fellowship of the Ring is an epic fantasy set in Middle Earth starring hobbits, dwarves, elves and even a few men.

I love this story. I remember the first time I read it, at twelve. It took me three days to get through the Hobbit and the entire Lord of the Rings trilogy. All I did was eat, sleep, and read.

I remember the chills that ran down my spine as Frodo and Sam first hid from the mysterious black riders (Ringwraiths) as they raced through the Shire and later on the road to Rivendell. The simple ring of invisibility (from The Hobbit) having taken on a dark purpose and the formation of the fellowship of the ring to take it into the very heart of Mordor captured my mind and drew me on.

The characters, the places and the enemies are what make the story so memorable to me. So I wanted to list each below with a brief description (most are spoilers if you haven't read this before, but probably not that bad if you've seen the movie).

Review: Oooeelie by Kenneth Crowe

Oooeelie by Kenneth Crowe

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Intriguing and complex...

Oooeelie, a superior being who crash lands on earth tens of thousands of years ago in mankind's infancy, is stranded. Lonely, he mentally connects with a human girl to form a bridge between himself and her tribe. In the process, she speaks the very first fully formed word, Oooeelie.

Fast forward to modern day New York, the original Oooeelie is long dead. However, he isn't gone. Joanna, a dissatisfied woman is plagued by recurring dreams that feature strange cave paintings, a shaman and her dog, Oooeelie. Through chance, she comes across a picture in an old book that exactly matches her dreams and tracks its origins to an address in the city. What she doesn't know is that the building hosts the offices of the Order of Man, an organization whose members have systematically tracked down and destroyed Oooeelies throughout history.