The Name and the Shadow

An Armand Ptolemy Novel

by Mark Jeffrey

Publishing Date: 2023

Genre: SciFi

Rating: 3.6/5

Review: This started out in cringeville with the dialogue between brothers sounding like a group of stoned surfers. Almost DNF’ed it but held on to what turned out to be a very creative story line. Armand’s character is well built and you find yourself pulling for him at every turn. Would like to see Armand continue, perhaps aspiring to a Himalayan abode.

I am sure the editors will work out the pages and pages of grammatical errors. A bit distracting.

Death Takes a Bath: A Cotswold Crimes Mystery

Sharon Lynn

Publishing Date: 2023

Genre: Mystery

Rating: 3.6/4

Review: All within the first couple of chapters our heroine hoists the drama Queen trophy with constant bouts of queasiness, dizziness, and homesickness. But the “I’ll show you” vim and vinegar spirit will suddenly appear with clenched fists and gritted teeth. A real renaissance woman who finds the time between murders to flirt with hunky men. She loves rabbits too.
Not only is she brilliant but hotter than a Pharaohs sun god and every bit as privileged and wealthy. She wants to make it on her own without relying on her parents’ wealth and influence but always has the option.

Did I like this? I didn’t want to as it has everything I hate about YA, in that authors pander to those shitwits by infusing romance into every genre. Mystery being no exception. The world building is extremely finite and some of the scenes lacked continuity. Dumbass is really annoying with her constant narcissistic flouncing and lack of expediting important information as it suits her. Her friend is even dumber but manages to make brilliant assessments a la deus ex. Within the first few pages you should already know whom the killer is, so that area needs some work.

This is not my story to tell, but why not make a good impression on the YA by developing a character that is believable. Make her smart, tough and vulnerable without the tembling, queasy, puking hunky man drama dependence.

So yeah, I still liked it.

Gullivar Jones and the Treasure of the Tsar

by Michael Martin

Publishing Date: 2023

Genre: Fantasy

Rating: 4.6/5

Review: I am not sure why this author does not have more exposure. For pure escapism this series fits the bill. Kind of a mix between Raiders of the Lost Ark, Baron Muchausen and Pirates of the Caribbean.

A real creative dive into adventure with well built, although fleeting, characters.

Hudson

Rejects Pack, Book 1

by Bethany Maines

Publishing Date: 2023

Genre: Fantasy

Rating: 2.2/5

Review: I never imagined that I would like a fantasy novel with romance. Hunky wolf men with hot love interests that are spicey, assertive (bossy), opinionated, rash (emotional), antagonistic and sexually feral round out the first few chapters. I mean this novel gets to the point rather quickly with graphic scenes.

I almost ditched this but it was written in a light hearted and funny way that pulls you into the story. Artfully done. Yeah, the romance sux, but is it romance if the main characters have sex within hours of meeting each other?

There was no thought given to modesty, hence, the characters were fairly one-dimensional. I must have missed the point of the story line, as the ending is non-sensical. Perhaps in subsequent novels the resolve will clear the confusion.

I liked this writers style and ability. The sexual content, not so much.

Wizard in Exile

Michael G. Manning

Publishing Date: 2023

Genre: Fantasy

Rating: 2.7/5

Review: What first struck me about this novel was that the world building failed to enhance the characters. It seemed like an affectation that failed to impress. The various “areas” were not only confusing yet also crammed into a descriptive explanation using dialogue as the vehicle. That never works as backstory filler. You need to have the world unfold along with the movement. I know, more worky.

Still, I liked the brat as he was written real to the roots of his awareness. He is introduced then summarily dismissed. The supporting characters are….meh. Just your usual OTT family/friends that happen to be hotter than a sun fart and oversexed to boot. Everyone within scratching distance of Will is an accomplished Wizard or on their way to being so. There are also numerous shifts in the plot as you progress that are flung about without a slow reveal. What you get is a sudden introduction with a rushed back story, interleaved with the circumstance. This process gets old really quick when you have to endure Sam’s pouting and demanding behavior. This standard of female presentation tends to tie-in with most of the novels beta males.

This needs a lot of editing. Is it worth it? I think so. Although a bit smug in places, there is a raw talent that needs polishing. A dose of logical progression and continuity would help immensely. The cover art is just terrible.

Murder in the Marshes

Carter Fielding

Publishing Date: 2023

Genre: Mystery

Rating: DNF

Review: Not much to review here as I gave up pretty early. Maybe it is my ADHD but it is hard for me to wade through and follow endless dialogue. Tanzania, love of my life, my house, his house, what does home mean, I love him so, strong jaw, blah blah. I really don’t care for those details of a life in an attempt to build characters, as the process tends to fail due to the summary nature of daily ruminations.

This is the very British style of writing that wears you down with descriptive verbage. This might sell really well overseas.

Herrick’s Lie

by T. M. Blanchet

Publishing Date: 2023

Genre: Fantasy

Rating: 4.3/5

Review: A really strong run at world building coupled with constant movement, made for an entertaining read that ended too soon.

The narrative is from Ollie’s perspective which can run a bit dry as he is ruled by emotion. He is at once petty (jealouse) and almost Buddha like in understanding. The two polar perspectives don’t marry well when pushed together. Perhaps develop the character rather than devolve.

The world this story resides in rarely makes sense and that is what makes it so good. Biologicially this is a hot mess yet you must discard logic and enjoy the inventiveness of the authors creation. Really trippy shjt. Looking forward to the next.

Detective Liz Moorland #1

Lest We Forgive

Phillipa Nefri Clark

Publishing Date: 2023

Genre: Mystery

Rating: 1.6/5

Spoilers

Review: This was a not-mystery. As in, there was no mystery/whodunnit whatsoever. Zip, nada. Now don’t think I was not pulling for some left field surprise all they way through this fkr. Like Carla is revealed as some criminal master-mind whom has an evil and sinister bent while calmly running a dark business with her husband unawares. Now that would have been a monster of a novel.

Too bad. The killer while being drawn as obivious is scantily hidden from view. There really was never any attempt by the author to hide and subsequently reveal a surprise. What we get are pages of moping interludes, suffused with self-recriminating behavior. Page after page of whining that contributes nothing to building a character and more importantly, fails the story line which is being sold as a MYSTERY!

I dunno, maybe burn the pages of tears and what could have beens and throw out the chapters on “what a resilient and courageous little girl Melly-Belly is”. Cut down Carla’s interference by at least a third, or run her over with a truck at the get go. When you uncover someones nefarious past, use it as bait to hide the real culprit.

Chaos: Collision of Realms

A Steampunk Mystery Romance Book 1

by Monica Red

Publishing Date: 2023

Genre: Steampunk?

Rating: DNF

Review: I thought the story line was inventive, the lack was in the execution. A confusing plot within a jumbling narrative, overshadowed by the poor disheveled hunky brainiac. Yeah, the cliche’s run deep as does the pervasiveness of the hotty freedom fighter.

Not sure much can save this other than a total re-write.