The Time Sphere by A. E. Albert

In the Time Sphere we meet Billy who lives in a group home as a foster child.  Billy is a prickly kid who just does not seem to fit. Billy is a magnet for bullies and seems to be the kid that other kids like to pick on. He has no close friends. He has given up trying to have friends. It takes too much effort as he moves from one family to another, from one group home to another. There is a deep ball of anger at the world deep inside of him.  There is one bright light in Billy’s school; a girl named Jeanie who continues to be his friend even as he pushes her away. 

When we first meet Billy he seems like an unlikely character to save the future of the world by first going back to the past. As Billy travels in the past he begins a journey of self-discovery and change that prepares him to travel into the future and learn the truth about himself and his family.  

The Time Sphere is a very engaging book that is well written.  Readers meet some memorable characters who actually appear in our history books.  They also meet some very imaginative creatures and persons as they travel to the future. And in both the past and future they learn some valuable lessons on how to live in the present.  

I loved the last line of The Time Sphere, but of course I am not going to tell you what it is. You will need to read the book for yourself.

Aranya (Shapeshifter Dragons Book 1) by Marc Secchia

Aranya (Shapeshifter Dragons Book 1) was a very enjoyable read.  Aranya is the Princess of Immadia. As the story begins she is taken as a hostage by the Sylakians who have conquered most of the known world.  Right from the beginning you know that there is something special about this Princess. Aranya is not a sit in the castle and wait to be rescued by Prince Charming kind of Princess.  Aranya is a Princess more than willing to fight her own battles, but more than that she is willing to fight on behalf of the oppressed and those that the Sylakians plan to crush and destroy. When the Sylarkians attempt to execute Aranya all they do is provide the key that unlocks some of the mystery of who she really is.

The world building in this book is very good. The characters and creatures you meet along the way are great.  The plot is excellent. I loved some of the deeper themes like the importance of knowing who you really are and the value of living a life you can be proud of. I was also very taken by a dialogue around the scars that we carry and the value they can have in making us who we are.

One of my favorite things about this book was that it was complete in itself while laying some good groundwork for a sequel which I look forward to reading sometime in the future.   

http://www.amazon.com/Aranya-Shapeshifter-Dragons-Book-1-ebook/dp/B00KYQR4NG

Night by Elie Wiesel

The book Night by Elie Wiesel has been on my to-read list for a very long time. Elie Wiesel tells of a desperate struggle for survival and how far people will go to keep on living for another day.  Elie Wiesel writes from his own experience as a 15 year old boy who survives the brutality of a Nazi concentration camp.  What makes this story so powerful is that Elie does not just talk about what happened, but tells you how it felt to be there with such raw intensity that you stand appalled in the midst of the story. 

A theme throughout the book is relationships between fathers and sons. Elie enters the concentration camp with a grim determination to stay near his father on whom he feels his life depends.  Near the end of the book he struggles with a sense of wanting to distance himself from his father who has become a detriment to his own survival. In spite of these feelings he continues to fight for his father's life.  One very stark story that Elie shares  which is particularly gut wrenching is of an old man clutching a crust of bread to his chest. The man’s son comes and violently rips it away.  The old man says, “Don’t you remember me. I am your father.”  Others come and violently take the bread away from the son. Both father and son end up dead.   

A very haunting part of the story for me as a person of faith is the death of God.  When an angelic looking boy is hanged someone asks, “Where is God?”  Elie responds by saying, “Where is he? Here he is – he is hanging on the gallows.  What I think Elie means is that his faith in a God of love dies on the gallows with that boy.  This question resonates for me as a Christian. We all ask ourselves where God is in the face of suffering. I too would say that God was hanging on the gallows, but when I say that I would mean that God suffers with everyone who is a victim of the world’s brokenness.  I am reminded of a prayer, “Crucified savior, naked God, you hang disgraced and powerless.  Grieving, we dare to hope, as we wait at the cross with your mother and your friend.”   

There is an important question that arises when we read a book like this.  The question being what we would do to survive.  The history of the world suggests most of us would let go of our humanity in a bid for survival.  The studies done by Milgram on obedience suggest that there may not be as much separating us from the Nazi prison guards as we like to think.  We need to ponder this question.   There are some things worse than death.  Becoming a person you detest is one of those things.  

The Appeal

In The Appeal John Grisham tells a powerful story built around the election of a judge in Mississippi. Rich and powerful people with an agenda pour money into electing a judge who will give them the decisions they want.  A good part of the money comes from a man whose chemical company has dumped toxic waste and polluted a town's drinking waste. Many people in the community have cancer or have lost family members to cancer. A lower court gives the victims a huge settlement and the case is on its way to the Supreme Court.  The chemical company owner Carl Trudeau pours millions of dollars into the election of a new judge.

I came  to care about the characters more than I would normally  in a piece of fiction.  I was rooting for those impacted by the dumping of toxic waste to win their law suite.  I wanted the lawyers who had sacrificed so very much to be vindicated. The story felt very real to me.

I did not like the ending of this book, but then again I don't always like reality.  My preferred ending, the one where the little guy wins, rarely happens in the real world.

As a person of faith I appreciate that John Grisham treats people of faith with respect - he does not turn them into hypocrites as many writers seem too, but he does point out that with a few key phrases and promises they can be manipulated into supporting politicians who do more harm than good. Christians sometimes end up supporting politicians  whose leadership is diametrically opposed to the teachings of the Jesus who fed the hungry, healed the sick, and cared passionately about the poor because said politician seems to stand for "family values."

 Thank you John Grisham for having the courage to tell this story. It is not a story that will make all your readers and fans happy. I honor you for being brave.

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Flight of the Griffin by C.M. Gray

Flight of the Griffin by C.M. Gray is an exceptionally good book.  It is the sort of book that stands out from the crowd and makes me wish I could go beyond 5 stars in the rating system.  Flight of the Griffin compares favorably to series by two of my favorite authors: Terry Brooks (Sword of Shannara) and Stephen Lawhead (Warlords of Nin).  I give this book high praise in spite of the fact that I disagree with the basic premise; the premise that good and evil need to be kept in balance.  Who needs evil? The only purpose it serves is to bring the good into sharper focus.

There was so much to love in this book which begins with four orphans living on an abandoned boat restored to usefulness.  One of them is followed home by a cat after a night of thievery.  The cat turns out to be a shape shifting girl who often reveals the cat she becomes when she is in her human form.  One of the items bought home that night is a magical book which invites the boys to join a quest.  They are invited to stand with the Source in a battle against Chaos. They are called to be heroes who will save the world in its time of dire need.

This book was in no way a clone, but was imaginative and unique.  There was an attention to detail that brought the characters to life and made them very real. The world building was excellent.  I also appreciated that this book did not have the glaring grammatical errors that can get in the way of enjoying a good book.  

There was some lines in Flight of the Griffin worth taking away. “Sometimes it is more important to make a stand against evil, then to worry about beating it. That’s all that matters to the Source. It only matters that I give my best, the Source sees to all else.”  

C.M. Gray has found a place among my favorite authors of epic fantasy.  I will be reading his other titles as soon as time permits.  Flight of the Griffin was absolutely excellent.

Leandra's Enchanted Flute

Leandra’s Enchanted Flute is one of the most unique stories I have read for some time.  It is the kind of story that could be turned into an enchanting BBC special for older children or any young of heart lover of sweet fantasy.  Leandra and her flute are chosen to join a prince and some talking birds in a quest to heal a world that has been blighted.  Leandra is specially chosen to journey to Finian Jahndra because she has fought and won a battle with cancer on earth. Leandra has a spiritual connection with the world of Finian Jahndra that causes her to rejoice in its places of beauty and feel a deep sense of grief when the world is impacted by the canker that is blighting it.  

There was one place in the book where I wondered if I had skipped some pages.  The raven Eyepecker goes too quickly from being a suspected enemy to a friend.  I was left with the feeling that there was dialogue missing. 

However, all in all the book was very well written. Katy Huth Jones is a gifted writer.  I think this book would be widely acclaimed if it were not for the great many books being published at this moment in time.  

Andy Smithson, Blast of Dragon's Fury by L.R.W. Lee

Andy Smithson, Blast of Dragon's Fury is a book that has it all. Well almost all. There is a vengeful ghost, dragons, an ancient curse to break, a magic sword, a trip through space and time, as well as a hero's quest. There are some very fun and imaginative elements in this story which tickle the funny bone.

 

I found there was a little too much background and side information that did not add to the story.  That said, it was still a good story. I enjoyed reading about the quest to break the curse that plagues the land of Oomaldee and would recommend this book to others, particularly to MG readers.  I really liked how the story ended, but of course I am not going to tell you. You will need to read Blast of Dragons Fury for yourself.

Mudbound

Mudbound is an incredibly good book which deals with difficult subjects: racism, sexism and the struggle to put into words those things that scar us and leave us limping through life.

Two soldiers come back from the war. Ronsel, the black son of a sharecropper, comes home with a sense of pride in who he is and what he has accomplished.  This pride makes it hard for him to fit into the deeply racist Mississippi Delta. Jamie, the brother of the farm owner comes home deeply wounded by the things that he has seen and done during the war.  There is no one he can talk to so he tries to forget by drinking far too much.  Jamie and Ronsel develop something of a friendship. Their time as soldiers give some common understanding. Although Jamie still carries the prejudice he was born into. 

There is a bit of a prodigal son theme in this story in that the older brother is responsible and tries to do what is right – although he is blind to the racism and the sexism that are a part of the fabric of his life. Jamie on the other hand seems to throw away all that he has. In real life we often see this when people live with a lot of self-hatred and don’t feel worthy of good things. Which brings me to another point: The characters in this story were believable and took on flesh.  The father in this story does not represent love, but is a vicious mean spirited man who cuts down his son, makes his daughter-in-laws life miserable and instigates the  conflict that is at the heart of this story. 

I highly recommend this first book by Hillary Jordan. It is worthy of the prizes it has won.  

Nocturne, Opus 1, Sea Foam

Nocturne, Opus 1, Sea Form led me to ask the more scientifically knowable folks of my acquaintance whether the things Dr. Norene Moskalski wrote about were possible. Unfortunately they are. This book is well researched and comes from a writer with a strong science background. Dr. Molkalski has a good understanding of the environmental issues that are facing our planet.  She tells the story of a mentally ill eco-terrorist who genetically modifies bacteria. The bacteria is lethal to humans.

Nocturne starts out exceptionally well.  The writing style is well suited to the thriller genre.  As I began to read I found it hard to put down.  The last half of the book was not as intensely gripping as the first part, but it was still very good. One of the things that did not work for me was the number of people who were related to one another either as front line workers or victims.  On the whole this was a well written book that I have no reservations recommending to other readers. 

This book is very timely. As I write this review beaches in Vancouver, BC are closed for swimming because of E-coli.  This book puts a spot light on the important issues of water safety.  It shames me when I think of how British Columbia's capital city, Victoria, dumps its raw sewage straight into the ocean. 

You may want to take a look at Dr. Norene Moskalski's blog. There is a page on the environment. 
http://www.norenemoskalski.com/

Amish Bloodsuckers

Amish Bloodsuckers by Barbara E. Brink

When Amish Bloodsuckers first came up on my Twitter feed I laughed and said to myself, “Now there is a book I am not interested in reading.” Normally, I would rather read about dragons than vampires and the whole idea of Amish vampires was a big stretch.  However, Barbara Brink is a very gifted tweeter and she drew me in as she promoted “Chosen” in 140 characters or less.  

This book reminded me of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer television series in that it involved a teenage girl slaying vampires with the help of her friends.  There was also a little romance for those romantically inclined.   

The first book lays the groundwork for the second and third.  The story starts off with Jael as a misfit in a regular high school located in Sunburn, Nevada.  She discovers just before her sixteenth birthday that she is the chosen one. Her father, mother and an uncle are aware of this and have been training Jael to fight vampires from a very early age. Jael’s parents are from the Amish community of Loon Lake, Minnesota where vampires have taken over the leadership.   I don’t want to reveal any more of the plot, but have no doubt this is a unique and engaging read. 

I liked the writing style.  I liked the characters. The story was action packed. There was enough detail to paint a picture, but not so much that the story bogged down in it. One thing I appreciated was the respectful way Barbara  Brink treated people who live and express their faith in a way far from mainstream.  Important life lessons were shared without being clunky and getting in the way of telling a good story.  

The only real complaint I have is that the author’s writing is so captivating that it was impossible to stop at one book.  Housework and other non-essential work waited until I finished all three books.   I am going to make sure there is nothing super important on my calendar before I start another book by Barbara  Brink. 

The Gypsy Pearl

The Gypsy Pearl by Lia London

The Gypsy Pearl was a very enjoyable read.  It was quick moving and action packed.  Lia  London quickly drew me in with this tale of a 14 year old girl who lives on a space station. 

Caz is bored and longs to visit the surface of the three worlds that the space station visits in its cycle. She constantly gets into trouble in her search for something more.  Cas is accused of having no respect for authority, trespassing in areas where she doesn’t belong, and being disruptive in school.  Fights with other students result in injury to two of them.  When the second student is injured Cas is sent to a reformatory on the surface.  Cas begins a journey that will help her find what she is truly looking for; a life with meaning and purpose.   

Cas is chosen to receive special gifts by a strange creature who is the travelling companion to gypsies.  The Fanep’s people have been subjected to oppression and taken into captivity.  The Fanep gives Cas gifts so that she can help the creature rescue his people.

Cas appealed to me as the teen who never quite fit the life other expected her to live. She appealed to me as someone who was determined to be her own person.  I appreciated her growth as a person to become someone who was able to care more than just herself. 

This book is a great read for younger teens, but it is also a book that people of all ages will enjoy. From beginning to end it is a captivating story.  I look forward to reading the sequel.