Last year, I didn’t post any reviews here though I had read a few books that I wanted to highlight. I was drifting into darkest corridors, writing only when I felt like crying my heart out. Sharing my emotions through poetry has really helped me to gather my strength. I am thankful to all my blogger buddies for their love and support.
This year one of my resolves is to read more and post the reviews. Here are some FIVE STAR reads!
‘Tale of the Seasons’ Weaver’ is a wondrous fantasy that connects with realism at many levels. Trust, love, respect, courage and struggle are intrinsic parts of the plot. The struggle to weave spring – the season of hope and light is a profound symbol of survival in this world, replete with strife.
Erith has inherited the magic of weaving the seasons, and an eye for color from her mother, Dania. She has a tremendous responsibility as the seasons couldn’t change without her presence. Despite the doubts about her talents, Erith completes her first tapestry and is ready to deliver the change of season but Winter King is indignant and she is caught between the rancor of the charmed and the mistakes of human beings who forget their place and think that they are more powerful than the forces of nature.
Peach has a knack for creating a stunning situation to grab you into it, making you one of the characters standing there, watching how they will handle the crisis. The prologue prepares you for an incredible action, as terror unleashes from page one, but there are many soft moments in this multidimensional story. The growth of Erith is phenomenal, as she learns to acknowledge her talent and gathers confidence.
You have to read this book slowly to savor the poetic style of writing, as the words rise to request a halt and chew the expressions like “blood bloomed, bright as a summer rose,” “her veils an opalescent mist,” ice-spanked finery,” and many more. The imagery like “embers whirled like fireflies past the moon’s face” delighted my heart. Whether it is the description of Winter Palace or the legend of Nelithi, the Spring Princess or Autumn Prince, Peach excels in conjuring a perfect world, worth visiting. I would highly recommend this book – a symphony of seasons.
‘Protective Instinct’ is a fast-paced, intriguing thriller with a multi-dimensional plot. It was difficult to put it down and I raced through it just like its non-stop action. When bestselling author Sebastian Bartoli’s friend devises a plan for him to disappear to a secluded location, I had my doubts. Familiar with York’s writing style, I couldn’t trust anyone and could figure out the sinister designs around him. The suspense mounts with Morgan’s entry – has she been planted? Is she really what she seems to be?
Wow! It only proves to be the tip of the iceberg. There is much more that lies buried and York handles it masterfully! I bet it is not easy to predict what lies ahead when Max Fontana makes his dramatic entry. Once again, I slipped off my seat, eager to know whether he was a truthful man and what his real motive was.
I was awe-struck by Morgan’s character – so different from the traditional female protagonists – independent planner, decisive, adventurous and a survivor with outstanding values. Other characters are drawn with brilliant strokes and fit into the story so well, as the shades of gray and black mingle to define them.
This book is a riveting read that keeps you invested till the last page. Highly recommended.
‘And Then You Were Gone’ is a powerful comment on bullying. The immediate effects may not be visible; the victim may put up a brave front but emotional scars can mar a person’s personality.
A single mother raises her daughter with immense love. Her life centers around Sophie, who has a childhood friend – her playmate, and they find happiness in the little joys of life. However, growing up brings along unseen burdens that may prove to be challenging for teenagers. Sophie’s peer group shapes her into a different kind of person.
A combination of realism and fantasy, the story flows well. It conveys some subtle messages, and highlights the importance of sharing your thoughts and emotions. Isolation makes you more vulnerable. Nick is eager to help but Sophie chooses Tristan, thereby slipping deeper into the abyss that was inescapable. The ending stunned me. I didn’t expect it.
Logan handles the mother-daughter relationship astutely, giving space to each other. The helplessness of a doting mother stands out, as Sophie draws into her shell. I would like to recommend this novella to teenagers as well as parents who want to raise responsible and sensitive children.
I am extremely grateful to Smitha, an accomplished poet and author, for understanding each emotion embedded in my latest poetry book and finding light in the midst of gloomy poems. She took my heart away with the words: “These are emotions that will resonate with anyone who has lost someone they deeply love.” Please click on the link to read her full review of the book – Just One Goodbye, inspired from the yearning to hear the last words, which were never spoken. The comments are closed here. Please visit Smitha’s blog to share your thoughts. Thank you.
Jacqui is an accomplished author and has written two series about pre-historic human beings. We know little of that time but the way Jacqui brings it to life is amazing! Her meticulous research and her ability to create memorable characters shines through her work. I have read all the books in the series and found them captivating.
Today I am going to share Natural Selection, her third book in the Dawn of Humanity series and my review of this book.
Book Summary:
In this conclusion to Lucy’s journey, she and her tribe leave their good home to rescue former-tribe members captured by the enemy. Lucy’s tribe includes a mix of species—a Canis, a Homotherium, and different iterations of early man. In this book, more join and some die, but that is the nature of prehistoric life, where survival depends on a combination of our developing intellect and our inexhaustible will to live. Each species brings unique skills to this task. Based on true events.
Set 1.8 million years ago in Africa, Lucy and her tribe struggle against the harsh reality of a world ruled by nature, where predators stalk them and a violent new species of man threatens to destroy their world. Only by changing can they prevail. If you ever wondered how earliest man survived but couldn’t get through the academic discussions, this book is for you. Prepare to see this violent and beautiful world in a way you never imagined.
Natural Selection (Dawn of Humanity – book 3) continues the story of Lucy who has a daunting task before her – to rescue past members of her tribe from Man-who-preys and continue her search for a sustainable homebase. Jacqui’s research shines through this final book in the series and many questions that may crop up in a reader’s mind are answered in the beginning of the book. There is some repetition but if you haven’t read the earlier books in the series, that could be helpful in understanding the challenges that the early dwellers of earth had to face.
It is interesting to note the development of characters and their way of dealing with immediate dangers. Their helpful nature, concern for safety, planning attitude is noteworthy and speaks about the natural instincts of mankind. At the same time dominance over the weak, hatred and the urge to keep control over captives has also been highlighted. This book gives a holistic picture of prehistoric man. Raza “furtively sliced a portion” of massive carcass underlines another aspect of man.
I liked Ahnda who could overcome the loss of his eyesight with the help of his smell. It is amazing that he could smell water ahead and could tell exactly where it was and could also hear the reverberation from trees though it took him a long time to understand the distinctions between a forest, lake, valley and plateau. If you have a curious mind and want to know how mankind evolved, ‘Dawn of Humanity’ series is perfect for you.
Excerpt
Chapter – 1
One Pack Ends, Another Begins
Africa
The Canis’ packmates were all dead, each crumpled in a smeared puddle of blood, Upright killing sticks embedded where they should never be. His body shook, but he remembered his training. The killers’ scent filled the air. If they saw him—heard him—they would come for him, too, and he must survive. He was the last of his pack.
He padded quietly through the bodies, paused at his mate, broken, eyes open, tongue out, pup under her chest, his head crushed. A moan slipped from his muzzle and spread around him. He swallowed what remained in his mouth. Without a pack, silence was his only protection. He knew to be quiet, but today, now, failed.
To his horror, a departing Upright looked back, face covered in Canis blood, meaty shreds dripping from his mouth, the body of a dead pup slung over his shoulder. The Canis sank into the brittle grass and froze. The Upright scanned the massacre, saw the Canis’ lifeless body, thought him dead like the rest of the decimated pack. Satisfied, he turned away and rushed after his departing tribe. The Canis waited until the Upright was out of sight before cautiously rising and backing away from the onslaught, eyes on the vanished predators in case they changed their minds.
And fell.
He had planned to descend into the gully behind him. Sun’s shadows were already covering it in darkness which would hide him for the night, but he had gauged his position wrong. Suddenly, earth disappeared beneath his huge paws. He tried to scrabble to solid ground, but his weight and size worked against him and he tumbled down the steep slope. The loose gravel made gripping impossible, but he dug his claws in anyway, whining once when his shoulder slammed into a rock, and again when his head bounced off a tree stump. Pain tore through his ear as flesh ripped, dangling in shreds as it slapped the ground. He kept his legs as close as possible to his body and head tucked, thankful this hill ended in a flat field, not a river.
Or a cliff.
When it finally leveled out, he scrambled to his paws, managed to ignore the white-hot spikes shrieking through his head as he spread his legs wide. Blood wafted across his muzzle. He didn’t realize it was his until the tart globs dripped down his face and plopped to the ground beneath his quaking chest. The injured animal odor, raw flesh and fresh blood, drew predators. In a pack, his mate would purge it by licking the wound. She would pronounce him Ragged-ear, the survivor.
Ragged-ear is a strong name. A good one.
He panted, tail sweeping side to side, and his indomitable spirit re-emerged.
I live.
But no one in his pack did.
Except, maybe, the female called White-streak. She often traveled alone, even when told not to. If she was away during the raid, she may have escaped. He would find her. Together, they would start over.
Ragged-ear shook, dislodging the grit and twigs from his now-grungy fur. That done, he sniffed out White-streak’s odor, discovered she had also descended here. His injuries forced him to limp and blood dripping from his tattered ear obstructed his sight. He stumbled trying to leap over a crack and fell into the fissure. Fire shot through his shoulder, exploded up his neck and down his chest. Normally, that jump was easy. He clambered up its crumbling far wall, breaking several of his yellowed claws.
All of that he ignored because it didn’t matter to his goal.
Daylight came and went as he followed White-streak, out of a forest onto dry savannah that was nothing like his homeland.
Why did she go here?
He embraced the tenderness that pulsed throughout his usually-limber body. It kept him angry and that made him vicious. He picked his way across streams stepping carefully on smooth stones, their damp surfaces slippery from the recent heavy rain, ignoring whoever hammered with a sharp rock inside his head. His thinking was fuzzy, but he didn’t slow. Survival was more important than comfort, or rest.
Ragged-ear stopped abruptly, nose up, sniffing. What had alerted him? Chest pounding, breathing shallow, he studied the forest that blocked his path, seeking anything that shouldn’t be there.
But the throbbing in his head made him miss Megantereon.
Ragged-ear padded forward, slowly, toward the first tree, leaving only the lightest of trails, the voice of Mother in his head.
Yes, your fur color matches the dry stalks, but the grass sways when you move. That gives away your location so always pay attention.
His hackles stiffened and he snarled, out of instinct, not because he saw Megantereon. Its shadowy hiding place was too dark for Ragged-ear’s still-fuzzy thinking. The She-cat should have waited for Ragged-ear to come closer, but she was hungry, or eager, or some other reason, and sprang. Her distance gave the Canis time to back pedal, protecting his soft underbelly from her attack. Ragged-ear was expert at escaping, but his stomach spasmed and he lurched to a stop with a yowl of pain. Megantereon’s next leap would land her on Ragged-ear, but to the Canis’ surprise, the She-cat staggered to a stop, and then howled.
While she had been stalking Ragged-ear, a giant Snake had been stalking her. When she prepared her death leap, Snake dropped to her back and began to wrap itself around her chest. With massive coils the size of Megantereon’s leg, trying to squirm away did no good.
Ragged-ear tried to run, but his legs buckled. Megantereon didn’t care because she now fought a rival that always won. The She-cat’s wails grew softer and then silent. Ragged-ear tasted her death as he dragged himself into a hole at the base of an old tree, as far as possible from scavengers who would be drawn to the feast.
He awoke with Sun’s light, tried to stand, but his legs again folded. Ragged-ear remained in the hole, eyes closed, curled around himself to protect his vulnerable stomach, his tail tickling his nose, comforting.
He survived the Upright’s assault because they deemed him dead. He would not allow them to be right.
Sun came and went. Ragged-ear consumed anything he could find, even eggs, offal, and long-dead carcasses his pack normally avoided. His legs improved until he could chase rats, fat round ground birds, and moles, a welcome addition to his diet. Sometimes, he vomited what he ate and swallowed it again. The day came he once again set out after what remained of his pack, his pace more sluggish than prior to the attack, but quick enough for safety.
Ragged-ear picked up the female’s scent again and tracked her to another den. He slept there for the night and repeated his hunt the next day and the next. When he couldn’t find her trace, instinct drove him and memories of the dying howls of his pack, from the adults who trusted their Alpha Ragged-ear to protect them to the whelps who didn’t understand the presence of evil in their bright world.
Everywhere he traveled, when he crossed paths with an Upright, it was their final battle.
Jacqui Murray is the author of the popular prehistoric fiction saga, Man vs. Nature which explores seminal events in man’s evolution one trilogy at a time. She is also author of the Rowe-Delamagente thrillers and Building a Midshipman , the story of her daughter’s journey from high school to United States Naval Academy. Her non-fiction includes over a hundred books on integrating tech into education, reviews as an Amazon Vine Voice, a columnist for NEA Today, and a freelance journalist on tech ed topics.
I am honored to welcome D. Wallace Peach, a wonderful author who has a new release. I am also sharing my review of the book at the end of this post. One of my favorite authors, Diana conjures a unique world in her novels – a different one in each book. I love her poetic style of writing and her descriptions are vividly exquisite.
She is a poet too!
There are two poems in The Necromancer’s Daughter, and she has shared the second one here with us. It’s an incantation that summons and animates the dead.
Here it goes:
Death seeks what is frail your blood pooled and bones brittle eye sockets empty owls and flies hover, hungry to consume your flesh if death is the ice of night you ride a stray wind whisper from shores of nothing dare not let crows comfort you for I am the cusp the gate-keeper, dawn-breaker I lead you back to your bones meld your blood with mine rimmed in eagerness and fear I restore your heart summon the flame’s ardent breath which raging seas cannot quell by blade or infirmity your apparition awakens from your slumber begone Death’s black wings for what I know of nature the beauty of life grows back.
“I hope you enjoyed that. Like the other poem, this one is based on the syllabic form called the choka, but I needed more lines, so I wrote a variation using both forms of the nine-line poem, plus the shorter tanka,” says Diana. The true rules of the syllabic form can be found on Colleen Chesebro’s blog: https://wordcraftpoetry.com.
Book Blurb:
A healer and dabbler in the dark arts of life and death, Barus is as gnarled as an ancient tree. Forgotten in the chaos of the dying queen’s chamber, he spirits away her stillborn infant, and in a hovel at the meadow’s edge, he breathes life into the wisp of a child. He names her Aster for the lea’s white flowers. Raised as his daughter, she learns to heal death.
Then the day arrives when the widowed king, his own life nearing its end, defies the Red Order’s warning. He summons the necromancer’s daughter, his only heir, and for his boldness, he falls to an assassin’s blade.
While Barus hides from the Order’s soldiers, Aster leads their masters beyond the wall into the Forest of Silvern Cats, a land of dragons and barbarian tribes. She seeks her mother’s people, the powerful rulers of Blackrock, uncertain whether she will find sanctuary or face a gallows’ noose.
Unprepared for a world rife with danger, a world divided by those who practice magic and those who hunt them, she must choose whether to trust the one man offering her aid, the one man most likely to betray her—her enemy’s son.
A healer with the talent to unravel death, a child reborn, a father lusting for vengeance, and a son torn between justice, faith, and love. Caught in a chase spanning kingdoms, each must decide the nature of good and evil, the lengths they will go to survive, and what they are willing to lose.
Meet the author:
A long-time reader, best-selling author D. Wallace Peach started writing later in life when years of working in business surrendered to a full-time indulgence in the imaginative world of books. She was instantly hooked.
In addition to fantasy books, Peach’s publishing career includes participation in various anthologies featuring short stories, flash fiction, and poetry. She’s an avid supporter of the arts in her local community, organizing and publishing annual anthologies of Oregon prose, poetry, and photography.
Peach lives in a log cabin amongst the tall evergreens and emerald moss of Oregon’s rainforest with her husband, two owls, a horde of bats, and the occasional family of coyotes.
The Necromancer’s Daughter by D. Wallace Peach is a riveting saga of Aster, a still-born royal daughter who was awakened to life by a necromancer and raised with immense love. Peach doesn’t let you breathe and savor the beauty of her exquisite style but builds up the tension with each page, compelling you to keep clutching your emotions and watch how Aster escapes The Red Order, which believes healing death is evil and pursues her even after they had shattered her life, burnt her home, and ripped away her father.
The backdrop and the pictureque winter landscape adds a chilly charm to the challenges faced by Aster. The descriptions are vivid, the friendships exceptional and the kindness exemplary. Peach’s characters stay alive long after you’ve read the last page of her book and the characters in this book stay true to this fact. Can you ever forget Barus, an embodiment of kindness, with a pleasant face but a crooked spine and misshapen hands or lose sight of Teko, the loyal protector of Aster?
Oscillating between his beliefs and intense desire to help Aster, Joreh – the reluctant admirer – gets mired in faith, politics and emotion but he would
win your heart despite his imperfections. Aster’s mysterious connection to dragons, her will-power and determination to accomplish whatever she thinks is right and her loving heart makes her an endearing protagonist. A female oriented story doesn’t forget to give ample attention to its male characters.
If you enjoy fantasy, if you admire vibrant characters that add to the story, if you like a sonorous style, with a rich vocabulary, this is a perfect book for you. Some magnificent quotes: “The sun surrendered to vermillion clouds and the nightlings flickered between evergreen limbs as they bowed beneath winter’s weight.” “Sky wept frozen tears for the folly of men, covering their blood as it buried their sins.” “When dawn pried its fingers through the cracks in her walls”
I am sure you would like to pick up your copy,here are the links:
Some books inspire me to write a review midway and I usually makes notes on my Kindle, more so if the characters are endearing. There are others, which elicit no response from me even after I’ve finished it. The books I share today are the ones that belong to the first category – I made so many notes that the reviews were almost ready by the time I finished reading them.
Weathering Old Souls is an excellent collaboration, in which two styles of James and Didi blend in a perfect manner. I have read many stories about reincarnation but this one has a unique angle with more than one soul speaking through Abigail, who slowly learns to set aside her fears and resolves to find the answers. Deeply embedded in a shroud of mystery, all the stories of the past have been woven in a brilliant manner, as nothing seems out of place.
A powerful beginning sets the tone and ignites your curiosity about ‘Fashionista,’ whose identity is revealed just at the right time. Then the death of Abigail’s mother adds another dimension to her story, which unfolds slowly, with so many connections! It left me spellbound; it demands your attention at each step, as it doesn’t give you a moment to flutter your eye-lids!
James is a master-crafter of building relationships and his skill shines in this book too. Margaret grows up to be the angel sister of Abigail, supports her at each step and their love for each other is exemplary. Elizabeth and Bradford understand her better than her biological father and their relationship with Abigail is heart-warming. Each character displays a distinct characteristic and makes a significant contribution to taking the story forward. Even secondary characters have been crafted with incredible insight.
I marvel at the joint venture of two writers who have produced this coruscating work in a cohesive expression. I really enjoyed this book. Highly recommended!
‘The Girl Who Loved Cayo Bradley’ by Nina Romano is an enlightening historical western, with an intense romance of two lovers, separated by choices and circumstances. The story allures you right in the beginning with gripping details of escape through a tunnel, and a chilling description of a ten-year old boy standing tall in the face of threat from Apache Indian. Native American culture comes alive on the pages of this book, as the plot revolves around Connor Bradley who had lost his identity the day he was abducted by Mbai. Torn between his white heritage and connection with Jicarilla tribe, Cayo learns to be physically strong but becomes an emotional wreck who could never forgive himself; his past clings to him, “riding like wings on the back of his guilt and self-hatred.”
Romano gets into the mind of Cayo to wrench out the emotions that rip him apart each time he thinks of his love, each time he thinks of his sisters and the man he grew up to be against his wishes. His guilt, his yearning for Darby and his struggle to reveal his true self to the girl he loves makes you ponder over the unknown shackles that bind us despite our efforts to break free.
Written in an exquisite style, poetic at places, this is a character driven story and therefore each character has been crafted with élan. If Darby endears herself with her simplicity, sincerity, dedication and independent decisions, Hanna is the one you would loathe. If Aunt Bea sounds cold, Aunt Mary is just the opposite. It is the plausibility of characters that makes this book truly remarkable. Highly recommended.
Emotional Shadows 