Tag: reviews

Review: The Heaviness of Knowing (The Conscious Dreamer Series #1)

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The Heaviness of Knowing (The Conscious Dreamer Series Book #1)

by Sharolyn G Brown

You can’t unknow the truth.

Roxal has spent her life using her Dream Traveler ability in service to Trebor’s gods, The Keepers. Even after she learns they aren’t all powerful like she was taught, she dutifully continues to manipulate an Earth woman named Lauren to do their bidding. Roxal’s content pretending to be a loyal follower, until her mate’s activities with a rebel faction put both of their lives in jeopardy.

Meanwhile on Earth, Lauren is struggling to find balance at work and at home. To make matters worse, she develops an acute case of insomnia which disrupts her life. While trying to cure her condition, Lauren discovers that not only do aliens exist, but that she’s been in contact with one for most of her life. And that’s just for starters.

Now Lauren’s world is turned upside down. And Roxal has to figure out if she can harness the survival instincts which before told her to hide and use it to now fight for her survival.

Purchase Link: Amazon.com

The Heaviness of Knowing on Goodreads

Review

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

Rating: 5 stars

The Heaviness of Knowing is the first novel in The Conscious Dreamer Series which centres around two main characters. The first, Roxal, is an alien from the planet Trebor who has spent her entire life serving Trebor’s Gods, the Keepers. Roxal is a traveller which means that her task is to connect with a human from Earth and assist her in creating technology that will aid Earth’s development and prevent it befalling the same fate as Trebor. However, Roxal soon learns that everything that she has been brought up to believe is a lie and with her mate, Edo and other resistors, they defy the Keepers and are branded as traitors.

Roxal’s human connection is a girl called Lauren who is under pressure from her Boss to finish the microchip that Roxal has been helping her with in her dreams. Due to their connection, Lauren develops life-threatening insomnia and when seeking help she learns the truth about the company she is working for, her childhood ‘imaginary’ friend Roxy and Trebor’s true intensions towards Earth.

The Heaviness of Knowing is a fantastic science fiction novel. The world-building is excellent, as are the main characters and I struggle to pick a favourite between the two of them. I had wondered if the switching between the two of them might be distracting but it’s certainly not the case at all as the changing perspectives are crucial to the story development and I really enjoyed getting to know the both of them better. There is just the right balance of action and the pace is steady, making this a real page turning. I was disappointed when it end and am really looking forward to reading book 2!

Review: The Least (Zombie Ocean #3)

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The Least (Zombie Ocean #3) by Michael John Grist

The zombie apocalypse like you’ve never seen it before.

When the zombie ocean crushes humanity, ex-Olympic athlete Robert ‘Cerulean’ doesn’t stand a chance.
His spine is broken. His mind is broken. He lives in his mother’s basement playing video games all day and all night.
He will save the world.

‘Born on the 4th of July’ meets the zombie apocalypse, packed with gore, twists and a whole lotta love.

A standalone novel that also continues and expands the story begun in The Last and The Lost, Books 1 and 2 of the Zombie Ocean. Burning questions from The Lost will be answered, like:

– Who took Cerulean?
– Where are they going?
– Why?

Purchase Link: amazon.com

The Least on Goodreads

Review

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

Rating: 4 stars

The Least is the third novel in Michael John Grist’s Zombie Ocean series and tells Robert ‘Cerulean’s’ story; his life before the zombie apocalypse, the aftermath and his journey to find Amo and the other survivors.

After a diving accident leaves him in a wheelchair, Robert has all but given up on life until he meets Amo. Together they help each other heal their mental and physical scars in a virtual world until the zombie apocalypse wipes out most of humanity.  When Robert realises the true nature of the zombie ocean, he starts a journey across America to find Amo and other survivors.

I really enjoyed reading Robert’s story. It fits in well with the zombie ocean universe and provides much anticipated details about Robert’s life before the apocalypse. It also adds a lot to the over-arching story and Robert’s relationships with the other characters, in particular Anna and Amo and I can’t wait to read the next instalment of the series.

Review: The Lost

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The Lost (Zombie Ocean #2) by Michael John Grist

7 billion zombies. 1 little girl.

When the zombie apocalypse claims America, only 1 in 10 million survive.
Anna is one of them. She’s 5 years old. She likes banana milkshakes and Alice in Wonderland. She’s alone in a world full of danger that she cannot understand.

Will she survive?

‘Alice in Wonderland’ meets the zombie apocalypse like you’ve never seen it before, packed with gore, twists and the delightfully surreal.

Purchase Link: Amazon.com

The Lost on Goodreads

Review

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

Rating: 5 stars

The Lost is Book Two of Michael John Grist’s Zombie Ocean series and takes the bold step of telling the apocalypse through the eyes of a child.

Anna is only five years old when the apocalypse strikes. Left alone when her father is infected, she follows the cairns that Amo has left in search of him and the other survivors, whilst also determined that one day she will be reunited with her father.

I must admit when I started reading I was sceptical about how this novel was going to work with such a young protagonist and I am pleased to say I was blown away by this excellent read. Grist cleverly likened a lot of Anna’s experiences to the character Alice from Alice in Wonderland and the innocence of her young years was captured perfectly. Anna is a very determined and headstrong heroine, traits that were clear when she was a child and leading to her teenage years. This and her enduring love and wish to be reunited with her father makes her a very well-developed and likeable lead.

On her journey Anna discovers more about the zombies which adds to the overall series and she comes together with many of the other characters and forges her own relationships with them.

This is a fantastic read and I can’t wait to read the third book in the series.

Review: A Stalled Ox

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A Stalled Ox by Dean Moses

An isolated religious cult has reportedly been consuming meat while the rest of the planet has been forced to live a life without it. Presuming this sect has resorted to cannibalism, two agents from an organization known simply as The Agency are dispatched to investigate. Will they find evidence of humans eating one another? Or is something even stranger taking place?

“In the tradition of Serling and Bradbury, A Stalled Ox is a gruesome, yet beautiful story that wraps a complex morality tale in an engaging and fast-paced horror story with a touch of espionage. Crafting a world where no one is truly innocent, Moses invites the reader to follow Agent Howard Harrington as he discovers what true evil is.”

Purchase Link: Amazon.com

A Stalled Ox on Goodreads

Review

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

Rating: 4 stars

A Stalled Ox is a short novella set in the future where a disease known as Farmers Folly has killed off all livestock, forcing humans to become vegetarians. However, the Government hears word of a secluded cult eating meat and, concerned that they are resorting to cannibalisation, it sends two agents from The Agency to investigate.

I enjoyed reading this short, futuristic story. It touches on quite a few different elements; human nature, religion and the impact that genetic modifications can have on species. There are some quite graphic descriptions in places so it’s not a story for the squeamish! I do feel that perhaps it would have benefited from being slightly longer to develop the main characters more but overall it’s a great read.

Review: The Last

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The Last (Zombie Ocean #1) by Michael John Grist

When the zombie apocalypse hits America, not a soul is left alive.
Except Amo. He’s a comic book artist. He’s a video game world builder. He’s just a regular guy living in New York city, with only his wits, creativity and basic decency to guide him.
He’s alone against 7 billion zombies.
Will he survive?

‘Robinson Crusoe’ meets the zombie apocalypse like you’ve never seen it before, packed with adventure, gore and a mind-blowing twist.

Purchase Link: Amazon.com

The Last on Goodreads

Review

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

Rating: 4 stars

Amo builds video games and is a comic book artist who lives in New York City. When he wakes up one morning he finds himself alone in a post-apocalyptic world where all other humans have become zombies. Alone Amo fights for survival whilst searching for anyone else who might have been spared.

The Last is a bold and original zombie apocalypse thriller which is told almost completely from one person’s point of view.  Amo is a very likeable and well-developed protagonist with a wicked sense of humour, which is great for comic relief in his dark and gory journey through zombie-ravaged New York. The writing flows well and there is plenty of action as well as time taken to develop this unusual take on zombies and their origins. I felt there was a couple of moments of lag where perhaps the pace could have picked up a little, but overall I really enjoyed reading The Last and am looking forward to reading book 2 in this unique series.

Review: Furnace

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Furnace by Joseph Williams

On a routine escort mission to a human colony, Lieutenant Michael Chalmers is pulled out of hyper-sleep a month early. The RSA Rockne Hummel is well off course and—as the ship’s navigator—it’s up to him to figure out why. It’s supposed to be a simple fix, but when he attempts to identify their position in the known universe, nothing registers on his scans. Nothing at all. The vessel has catapulted beyond the reach of starlight by at least a hundred trillion light-years. Then a planetary-mass object materializes behind them. It’s burning brightly even without a star to heat it. Hundreds of damaged ships are locked in its orbit, but before the scanners go offline, the crew discovers there are no life-signs aboard any of them. As system failures sweep through the Hummel, neither Chalmers nor the pilot can prevent the vessel from crashing into the surface near a mysterious ancient city. And that’s where the real nightmare begins.

Purchase Link: Amazon.com

Furnace of Goodreads

Review

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

Rating: 4 stars

When the ship RSA Rockne Hummel goes dramatically off-course, navigator Lieutenant Michael Chalmers is woken early from hyper-sleep to figure out why. Lost at the edge of space, they crash into the planet Furnace. And that’s where the horrors truly begin.

Furnace is told completely from Chalmers’ perspective as he fights for survival on a planet inhabited by demons. Whilst stranded on the planet’s surface the ship’s captain orders that Chalmers accompanies other crew members on a reconnaissance mission which goes terribly wrong. Knowing that there is no hope of rescue, Chalmers’ only chance of survival is to travel through an ancient demon city to reach his ship before it departs.

Furnace is a blend of science fiction, horror and a fast-paced thriller that never falters and keeps the reader gripped from the first page to the last. The main character is well-developed and his internal dialogue brings some dark humour to the situations that he finds himself in. I really enjoyed reading Furnace. The concept is very clever and unique, and the author successfully manages to bring together three genres in one great read.

Review: The Express

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The Express by R.K Howard

Are you ready for one hell of a bumpy ride?

A man’s daily commute becomes a hellish nightmare in this harrowing account of a bus crash that transforms a fateful ending into a painful beginning.

Based on an age-old premise with a fresh narrative that visits the undesirable side of life after death.

Purchase Link: Amazon.com

The Express on Goodreads

Review

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

Rating: 5 stars

There is an art to the short story and R.K Howard’s tale of an ordinary man’s every day commute turning into his last has successfully mastered this. Many authors try to pack too much into a small word count and either the flow of the story or the characterisation suffers as a result. This certainly isn’t the case here.

The Express is a quick read that breathes fresh life into the ‘what happens when we die’ question that all of us ask ourselves at some point in our lives. The protagonist discovers the truth when the bus that he is travelling on is involved in a fatal collision.

There is no getting away from the dark subject matter, but R.K Howard has successfully blended sarcastic humour to add some degree of relief. And nicknaming regular fellow commuters is something that we all do in real life!

A fantastic, quick read!

Review: Vacui Magia: Stories

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Vacui Magia: Stories by L.S. Johnson

L.S. Johnson delivers a provocative and original short story collection that ingeniously blends myth and nightmare. Whether it concerns the efforts of an infertile witch to construct a golem-baby, or a daughter’s quest to understand a father’s guilt and a mother’s supernatural infidelities, or a woman’s violent association with a group of possibly imaginary but nonetheless dangerous little men, each story in this remarkable collection demonstrates the limitless capacity of intelligent speculative fiction to enthrall, inspire, and amaze.

Purchase Link: Amazon.com

Vacui Magia: Stories on Goodreads

Review

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

Rating: 5 stars

Vacui Magia: Stories is a collection of magical and supernatural themed short stories.

Each tale is very different and all are extremely well-written. The atmosphere of the tales is dark, with plenty of suspense, twists and turns. The characters are written in a way that you are on occasion doubting that what they are exposed to is real and feeling their inner conflict as they experience similar uncertainties. Each story is well-paced and quickly draws the reader in. Some of the endings are a little ambiguous and leaves it up to the reader to draw their own conclusions, which adds to the magic of the tale.

Vacui Magia: Stories is a highly-recommended read for all fans of dark magic and supernatural.

Review: Leave It All

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Leave It All (Saint Lakes #1) by April Kelley

Lucas just wanted to be a normal human being, but normal is highly over-rated.

Lucas Speck had been just some guy who worked at an office supply store and house-sat for his snowbird parents. He was nobody special. Or that’s what he thought before the headaches start and weird things start to happen to him. When people start chasing him his whole life gets turned upside down.

Bennett Somerset is a dragon shifter, who likes his quiet life in his quiet town. He isn’t looking for complications. He already has a family that defines the words, weird and crazy, to perfection. Good thing they live in a small town where nothing ever happens. That is until he smells the most delicious thing in the world and realizes it’s his mate. His little witch of a mate just made things way more complicated.

Purchase Link: www.amazon.com

Leave It All on Goodreads

Review

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

Rating: 2.5 stars

I really liked the premise to this novel.  The main character Lucas thinks of himself as a normal guy until he starts to experience severe headaches. Before he knows what is happening he finds himself on the run and struggling to come to terms with powers that he didn’t ask for and can’t quite explain. Whilst on the run Lucas meets shape shifter Bennett who he soon discovers is his mate. Bennett is determined to do whatever it takes to protect Lucas from the vampires who are hunting him.

Leave It All is a good story with plenty of action and romance. However, I do feel that the pacing and lack of development did let it down. Things seemed to happen almost too fast and I felt that perhaps more time should have been taken to set the scene and develop the characters more. The dialogue was quite poor in places and I felt myself cringing, especially during conversations between Lucas and Bennett. It could have been much better and I felt that it made the characters seem very immature. Taking these points into consideration I can really only give Leave It All 2.5 stars. That being said I would read the next book in the series.

Review: The Story of Lucius Cane: Book One

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The Story of Lucius Cane: Book One by Vanya Ferreira 

London, 1794. Lucius Cane, a peculiar sort of vampire, comes upon an opponent the likes of which he has never seen before – a brute with remarkable abilities. But not all is as it seems as their encounter unfolds in a manner that neither of them expected.

Purchase Link: www.amazon.com

The Story of Lucius Cane: Book One on Goodreads

Review

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

Rating: 3 stars

Lucius Cane is a vampire living in late 1700s London. Book One introduces the reader to the title character as well as antagonist Jack ‘The Hound’ who is trying to kill him.

This is a short, but enjoyable read. Lucius is an intriguing character with a certain amount of empathy for humans. I do prefer vampire novels where the supernatural beings are given a more human side, but still connected to their vampire natures too and this certainly is the case here. Lucius’s vampire side comes across as an inner voice inside of him, which he tries to dismiss, most of the time successfully.

There is a good use of description within the novel and the fast pacing swiftly concludes with the inevitable showdown. This ends on a cliff-hanger and I’m looking forward to reading what happens next!