A Mighty Rolling Thunder by Kerry Alan Denney

The end of the world is just the beginning of the terror…

Spring, 2024: Two spirit hordes break through from another dimension, and make half the world’s population vanish. The spirits possess the survivors, dividing them into two groups: those who fight to retain their humanity, and marauders who destroy everything in their paths.

Artist Livi DeSilva is fleeing from possessed killers when she meets Conor McLain, a man suffering from amnesia. Outnumbered and outgunned, Livi and Conor team up and fight off homicidal lunatics and ruthless gangs, only to end up cornered by their deadliest foe: billionaire Victor van Danz, a psychopath who commands the new world’s dark forces. Victor craves immortality, and kidnaps Livi. He believes that when he kills Livi in front of her collection of canvases and absorbs her life energy, he will transform into a god.

With only Conor, two amazing dogs, and a band of plucky children to aid her, Livi must harness the power of the spirits inside her and use it to defeat Victor — or die in the clutches of a madman.

Purchase Link: Amazon.com

Goodreads: A Mighty Rolling Thunder by Kerry Alan Denney

Review

Rating: 4 stars

*I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review*

When a mysterious event causes half of the world’s population to vanish and others to become violent due to delusions, artist Livi DeSilva goes on the run with her dog Beauty. Suddenly gifted with the ability to communicate with each other, Livi and Beauty meet Connor and his dog T-Rex as well as a group of orphaned children. Then Livi finds herself the target of power-crazed billionaire Victor van Danz who believes that Livi is the key him achieving immortality.

I really enjoyed reading A Mighty Rolling Thunder. It’s a very well-written novel with immensely likeable main characters and supporting cast. I loved how Livi and Connor could communicate with their dogs. I would love to be able to have that ability with my cat! And that they could deepened the already close bond between them. The villain Victor van Danz was chilling to read. The conclusions that he had come to that were feeding his own power trip and ego were clearly the thoughts of a mad man, but he found them completely logical and acted on them without a thought or care for the consequences.

The mystery behind the disappearances of the population was never fully explained but that added to the read as you were left to make up your own minds. I really like reads like that, which allow you to draw your own conclusions.
I definitely recommend this novel as once you pick up A Mighty Rolling Thunder you won’t want to put it down.

Rune of the Apprentice (The Rune Chronicles #1)
by Jamison Stone

In a world where magic, technology, and nature have merged, the few who can control Runes hold dominance over all of creation. All believe that Aleksi, a sixteen-year-old orphan, was blessed to be born with a Rune embedded in his palm, but that’s only because they don’t know the truth―Aleksi’s Rune is so powerful it’s killing him.

Asura, a brutal emperor who uses Runes to conquer entire continents, will stop at nothing to kill Aleksi and claim the boy’s power for his own. With Aleksi’s Rune burning its way through his body and assassins hunting his every step, his survival depends on discerning ally from enemy and learning to tame the competing forces of light and dark within.

With the burden of his rune haunting his days and the prophetic whispers of a young captive priestess illuminating his nights, Aleksi will be able to unravel the mysteries of his past, rescue the girl in his dreams, and challenge the most powerful warlord the world has ever known only if the one thing keeping him alive―his Rune―does not kill him first.

Purchase Link: Amazon.com

Rune of the Apprentice on Goodreads

Review

Rating: 4 stars

*I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review*

I really enjoyed reading Rune of the Apprentice which is the first novel in The Rune Chronicles series. The story follows young apprentice Aleksi who was born with a rune on his palm; a rune that will grant him with a vast power, if it doesn’t end up killing him first.

The world building in Rune of the Apprentice is excellent. The author has gone to a lot of trouble and taken much time to craft his universe and all the characters within it. Page by page you are immediately drawn into the world of Terra. Aleksi’s development as a character was subtle and natural as the novel progressed. I liked the supporting cast a lot and the friendships that were forged between the characters. The action scenes flow well and keep you on the edge of your seat.

To sum up, Rune of the Apprentice is a wonderfully descriptive and well-crafted read with many carefully thought-out and developed characters. The plot itself is very engaging and a natural page-turner. I look forward to reading the second novel in the series.

Concurrence by Marc Rokoff

Phillip has dedicated his life to achieving cross-time communication through the NOLTEX assembler. He only breaks away from his work once daily to visit Justin, his comatose boyfriend, in the local hospital. When a sudden breakthrough allows Phillip to talk with himself three months in the future, there’s plenty of reason to celebrate the success. He has single-handedly invented one of humanity’s greatest scientific achievements.

The celebration soon gives way to confusion when Phillip begins receiving strange messages from himself much further in the future. Adding to the intrigue is a curiously timed spatial anomaly that appears to be approaching Earth from a distant point in deep space. Is the timing of these two first-of-their-kind scientific events a coincidence? Or is there a connection between Phillip’s communications with the future and the approaching anomaly? When a shocking global event upends Phillip’s attempts to investigate, he suddenly finds himself alone to resolve the biggest crisis humanity has ever faced.

An exciting piece of science fiction literature, Concurrence is an engaging, quick read that’s fun yet thought-provoking. This mind-bending scifi book offers up a satisfying time travel adventure for genre fans and newbies alike.

Purchase Link: Amazon.com

Concurrence on Goodreads

Review

*I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review *

Rating: 4 stars

Phillip is a scientist who has dedicated his life to his work. His boyfriend Justin now lies in hospital in a coma and Phillip is convinced that his sudden breakthrough will help him to change the past and save Justin. His breakthrough allows him to communicate with his future self at various points in time, but then Phillip realises that there is much more to it than that. And when a global catastrophe occurs, Phillip realises that he is humanities only hope.

Concurrence is an engaging novella. Phillip is a well-rounded character, with imperfections that are relatable and sympathetic.  His closure and the end of the novella is bitter-sweet but filled with hope for the future. The author successfully blends science fiction and dystopia to create a very thrilling and enjoyable read.