Book Review: The Kremlin’s Candidate by Jason Matthews

 

 

Publishing Date: 2018

Genre: Mystery/Fiction

Rating: 1.7/5

Review: This is way better than Palace, but that’s not saying much. Here you have two agents that are head over heels in love with each other, fuking anything that is not nailed down when not together. Huh? On a high note, smugly douche bag is still pounding us over the head with his chapter ending recipes and forced situational humor.

The biggest fail of this series is the ending which made no sense and undermines the premise of the novels that came before.  The plot holes near the end are so massive, you feel like a dick swimming in Egorovas canal. But since little penis Putin is banging away on Egorova (bi-weekly) and she is resisting having orgasms, then all must be well in little Russia.

Book Review: Palace of Treason by Jason Matthews

 

 

Publishing Date: 2013

Genre: Mystery/Fiction

Rating: 1.4/5

Review: Same as the first novel but with more sex, evil henches and smug recipes. Putin has a little dick that gets hard when ordering assassinations and Nash would fuk a snake if you held it for him.

Book Review: Red Sparrow by Jason Matthews

 

 

Publishing Date: 2013

Genre: Mystery/Fiction

Rating: 3.0/5

Review: This may be the “Fifty Shades of Grey” spy novel. Weak writing, implausible characters and sex fueled interactions with every scene (when torture is absent). Written by a CIA operations geek that never saw the backside of a Russian agent in his life.  Still, entertaining as fuk. Is something wrong with me?

Book Review: The Kings Guard by Emmet Moss

Publishing Date: December 2019

Genre: Fantasy

Rating: 3.2/5

Publisher’s Description: Mercenary companies loyal to the old ways race to defend one of the last bastions of freedom in the South. In the capable hands of its ardent commander, one city prepares for the decisive battle that will shape the future of Kal Maran. New allies have joined the cause, but can they turn the tide?

Review: This novel has all the players that you loved in the first run, only they are weighted down with very slow reveals, long-winded exchanges, excessive scene descriptions, unnecessary story lines and prolonged back stories. The battles are also drawn out and fail to mirror the first novels insightful impact.  I am not sure why Danys Ford was relevant. She seemed like an afterthought that was written to balance out the male heavy cast. She is so giving and perfect that if you’re not puking rainbows you still might be shjtting pixie spooge.

Silveron is still morose as ever and longs for Danys, which is confusing in itself. The only group worth following is Leoric’s crew. At least they embrace the movement in quest like fashion and garner something worthwhile. If this is the setup for the final novel in the trilogy, then a whole heck of a lot of disparate things need to come together in order to defeat the enemy.

A filler novel that sets up the grande finale? Maybe, but still a good read as the author wends and weaves a story line in expert fashion. I just got lost somewhere between the battle of Delfwane and the Dwarves of Aleron.

Book Review: Violya (In the heart of the mountains #2) by Rosalyn Kelly

 

 

Publishing Date: December 2019

Genre: Fantasy

Rating: 3.7/5

Publisher’s Description: A gifted warrior consumed by revenge. An unstoppable enemy rampaging ever closer. A ravaged country in desperate need of a ruler. After a brutal and bloody invasion, a once powerful matriarchal nation is in chaos. Only the shy warrior Violya can pick up the pieces and save her broken country. But an old threat – for one thousand years suppressed – has awoken. Now unleashed, it’s hell-bent on destruction. To protect her people, Violya must cast aside her desire for vengeance, master her rare magic and find the courage to rule – and fast.

Time is running out as a prophecy is coming true. A formidable enemy is closing in to crush them all. Can Violya unite friend and foe to face the looming catastrophe before it’s too late?
She’s out for blood, but first she must master her own…

Review: I received this from the author in exchange for an honest review and NOT Netgalley i.e. the tramplers of First Amendment rights while licking the anus’ of publishers.

Once again this author takes a very daunting approach to writing as there is a lot going on. Big props for wending a tale steeped in a myriad of unconventional approaches. What is a consistent theme throughout the novel, no matter the Kingdom in which it  resides, is that men suck and when not sucking they are beta males touting socialist rhetoric as an answer to a long abiding kleptocracy. The progressive message seeks to blend in with a the story line in a myriad of ways. Flexible belief systems and sexual orientations/species preferences are all on display in an attempt to embrace the collective “anything goes” mantra.

The characterization is what sets this novel apart from most in the genre. Violya is quite the ass-kicker with interesting abilities and a penchant for werewolf dick. Violya is a complex individual and you root for her success which is the outcome of a good writers ability of drawing the reader in. What mostly sucked was the not so believable transition of Princess Douche Baggery into a Valkyrie, assembling an entire army made up of only females (here we go again) to save her Kingdom from usurping jackasses.

The magic is spot on and develops with the story line. The scene descriptions are very accomplished and add a depth that is often needed when the bells of male denigration are rung. The sex scenes can be somewhat graphic but I like that fearlessness in writing.

I look forward to the next novel in this series to resolve some of the gaps that need filling.

Book Review: The Vanished Birds A Novel by Simon Jimenez

 

Publishing Date: January 2020

Publisher: Del Rey

ISBN: 9780593128985

Genre:SciFi

Rating: 4.2/5

Publisher’s Description: A mysterious child lands in the care of a solitary woman, changing both of their lives forever in this captivating debut of connection across space and time. “This is when your life begins.” Nia Imani is a woman out of place and outside of time. Decades of travel through the stars are condensed into mere months for her, though the years continue to march steadily onward for everyone she has ever known. Her friends and lovers have aged past her; all she has left is work. Alone and adrift, she lives only for the next paycheck, until the day she meets a mysterious boy, fallen from the sky.

Review: I don’t know what to say. Astounding writing for someones first novel. This writer weaves a complex tale that spans lifetimes while revolving around the same characters. Fascinating and wholly absorbing from start to semi-finish.

SPOILER ALERT!

“So why you no give 5 stars!!!”. While the story line moves at a pace that drives evolving characterization, the ending just plane sucked. There is this long build to become something greater and evolve within the universe that is never realized. The fail at culminating everything into a solid crescendo left no room in appreciating what came before. Like, what was the point?

So here’s to Jimenez for building one of the finest SciFi novels I have read in a long time. And also a poke in the eye for ruining it in a matter of pages. What a D-bag.

Book Review: Eridani’s Crown by by Alex Shvartsman

 

Publishing Date: October 2019

Publisher: UFO Publishing

ISBN: 9780999269015

Genre: Fantasy

Rating: 4.4/5

Publisher’s Description: When Eridani’s parents are murdered and their kingdom is seized by a traitorous duke, she plans to run. After she suffers yet another unendurable loss, the lure of revenge pulls her back. Eridani’s brilliance as a strategist offers her a path to vengeance and the throne, but success may mean becoming everything she hates. To survive, she must sway religious zealots, outwit ambitious politicians, and confront bloodthirsty warlords, all with few allies and fewer resources. Yet the most menacing obstacle she must overcome is the prophecy uttered by a powerful sorceress:

Review: With a many years spanning this novel, Eridani unfolds as more of an enigma in characterization rather than one spawned from influences that derive a logical outcome. Everything that develops within the body of the novel is sustained through personal choice(s) that leaves the reader saying in most instances “WTF are you doing?”.

The pivotal events and subsequent choices made by Eridani are manufactured as a means of acquiring what she desires in expedient fashion. Through doing what she originally abhorred in others….conquering and killing. Am I buying her sudden lack of awareness that she carried around like a shield in her formative years? Not really. Especially when the foundation of her persona is a distinct lack of trust in anyone to the point she sacrifices her closest friends and confidants. This ruthlessness is anathema to the young adult we experienced in her early stages. Yes, people change as I have seen the lows attain great heights and the greats diminish in turn. What is burned into the psyche is that Eridani is good deep within and no amount of external justification can change that.  Hence the enigma.

Is Eridani palatable as a character? Sure. Is she believable? Meh. Did I enjoy reading about her exploits. Oh yeah. Could the supporting characters have been expanded upon. Definitely. Will I buy the next in the series? For sure.