RebeccasReads

The Golden Spark

“The floor rolled sharply and Meagan fell hard against a wall.  A tide of cold water sloshed over her feet.  All around in the darkness were piercing screams of horses and the thudding concussion of hooves.  The floor rolled the other way and Meagan felt herself sliding.  She leaned to stay against the wall, but there was nothing to hold.”  (p.3)

So begins “The Golden Spark,” John Royce’s second book in “The Legend of the Great Horse” trilogy.  Don’t worry if you haven’t read the first book in the series, “Eclipsed by Shadow” as the author provides a special note to those who haven’t in the beginning of the book.  He gives a brief summary and then reprints the last chapter of the first book so that those who are unfamiliar with the tale can get caught up.  I found this to be a nice touch.

Another helpful addition is the seven page glossary at the end of the novel.  Being that the story is set in time periods long ago there are many unfamiliar terms used throughout the book.  The glossary is extremely helpful in deciphering the meaning of these words that are not used often today.

“The Golden Spark” is a tale that will appeal to young readers of fantasy and particularly readers interested in horsemanship.  The story is magical and enchanting and the writing moves along at a nice pace as we follow Meagan on her journey through history.  I think that it could easily be turned into a movie.  I look forward to the continuation of Meagan’s story in Book 3.

The Golden Spark
John Royce
Micron Press (2011)
ISBN 9780972412162
Reviewed by Kam Aures for RebeccasReads (11/11)

The Night Eternal

Having already become one of the top director’s in the world with his dark visionary masterpieces such as: “Pan’s Labyrinth”, “The Orphanage” and “Hellboy”, auteur Director Guillermo Del Toro boldly enters the world of horror/thriller fiction.  To make matters even more difficult, he has chosen to enter the currently overexposed genre of vampire fiction.  With assistance from crime/thriller writer, Chuck Hogan, the pair have penned a new vampire trilogy that started with the first two releases "The Strain" and "The Fall" and now finishes with "The Night Eternal."

The initial problem, and the same that is found with any trilogy, is the ultimate let down that is felt when the third novel or film does not measure up to its’ predecessors. This is especially challenging when the first two installments in the trilogy are top notch.  That being said,  "The Night Eternal" is a decent read and does indeed tie up all the loose ends and pose a finale to the saga.  Unfortunately, it does not have the break-neck pace or interesting confrontations that filled the pages of the first two novels.

We are once again drawn into the battle of a small group of rebellious humans who are attempting one final run at bringing down the leader of the vampire plague; the nefarious one known simply at the Master.  The leader of the human rebels is Dr. Eph Goodweather, former head of the Center for Disease Control and one of the first people on earth to uncover the vampire epidemic.  He has special motivation as the Master has captured his thirteen-year-old son, Zack, and attempted to turn him against his father and the remaining humans (much in the same fashion as he did to Eph’s ex-wife and Zack’s mother in the prior novel).

The challenge that the human ‘freedom fighters’ face is all but insurmountable in scope.  There is only night left on the earth as nuclear winter blankets the land with sun filtering through the poisoned air for a mere two hours each day  making the propagation of the vampire species that much easier.  However, Eph and company have a secret weapon on their side.  They have teamed up with a half-breed offspring of the Master, known to them as Mr. Quinlan, and he knows the secret to stopping the Master for good.

This will involve the possession of an ancient text and artifacts that the entire group must risk their lives to find --- if it even exists.  Who among them will be willing to make the ultimate sacrifice to save their race and do they even stand a chance against such mighty odds?  The vampire clan, known as the strigoi, is fearless and the proposal of turning the tide against them and the darkness they have instilled across the planet is what keeps the pages of "The Night Eternal" turning until the final climatic battle..

The Night Eternal
Guillermo Del Toro and Chuck Hogan
William Morrow (2011)
ISBN 9780061558269
Reviewed by Ray Palen for RebeccasReads (11/11)

The Battle for Tomorrow: A Fable

Dr. Stuart Jeanne Bramhall’s “The Battle for Tomorrow:  A Fable” opens with teenager Ange desperately hoping for a miracle, but knowing that she was once again pregnant.  She makes plans for an abortion, her second one.  She plans to go in to the clinic the next morning and awakens early that day.  Before she leaves she goes about her duties taking care of her invalid mother, Diane.  Diane had suffered a stroke when Ange was 13.  The agency nurses assigned to her had proven to be unreliable for the most part.  Whenever a caregiver was not there to help her, the duty fell to Ange.

On the way to the clinic, Ange thinks back about how she met Reuben, the man who had gotten her pregnant.  She reminisces about Leavenworth Summer camp with its strong emphasis on social and political issues.  Reuben had been a counselor at this camp.  They had developed a relationship there which continued after she returned home to Seattle.

What follows in the book is Ange picking up and going to D.C. and becoming involved in many different political causes.  Bramhall’s book definitely is heavy on current political and social discussions.  While the book started out at a nice pace, I did find that there were some areas in the middle where my mind started to drift as the pace slowed, but they were thankfully only short areas.

Ange was quite an interesting main character and I enjoyed learning her viewpoint on the different issues at hand.  I also liked reading of her interactions with the various guests in the hostel and the other people she encountered throughout her time in D.C.  If you enjoy books regarding political activism, “The Battle for Tomorrow:  A Fable” would be a good one to pick up.  One thing I don’t recommend though is reading the back cover of the book.  I think that the synopsis on the back gives away too much of the plot as it reveals incidents that happen within the last 1/3 of the book.

The Battle for Tomorrow: A Fable
Dr. Stuart Jeanne Bramhall
Strategic Book Group (2011)
ISBN 9781612042190
Reviewed by Kam Aures for RebeccasReads (11/11)

The Pirates of Aden

“Suddenly, he heard footsteps and grunting above him and felt the blood return to his brain.  He kept his eyes up the hole.  A dark limp body was dropped through the hole just missing Sami.  He looked at the body, the dark fatigues and the dark skin.  It was Ali.  Sami held Ali’s body in his lap, wanting to comfort him but he immediately felt his soaked clothing.  Blood.  Oozing – no pouring- from somewhere in his chest.  The momentary relief Sami had felt was now replaced with fear and guilt.  Why had he agreed to bring Ali with him?  He was too young, too inexperienced.”  (p. 31)

This excerpt comes from the opening scenes of the book when Sami, his nephew Ali, and others are in the process of hijacking the Stebelsky, a cargo ship passing close to the coast of Puntland, Somalia.  This incident onboard the ship links the pirates and Dr. Paul Alban together as they seek treatment at his clinic.  Dr. Alban has a past, which while he has attempted to forget, may just be brought back out and threaten his future.

In “The Pirates of Aden,” Rasic has a fast moving, gripping work.  I was drawn into the story right away and while the subjects involved in the book were not ones that I usually choose to read about, I found that I enjoyed the novel.  I enjoyed the relationships among the characters and the plot twists and turns throughout the book.  This is Rasic’s first novel and overall for a debut novel he did a great job.  I look forward to watching his writing progress in future works.

The Pirates of Aden
Daniel Rasic
Wings Press, Inc (2011)
ISBN 9781613099926
Reviewed by Kam Aures for Rebecca’s Reads (10/11)

Wilderness Heart

Lyn Taylor spends her days guiding hunters through the Idaho wilderness and fighting against their predetermined notions of a woman guide. Nic Randall is no different, except he sparks her ire even more than usual. He questions her skills, and she questions her feelings. She’s been avoiding marrying her longtime fiancé because of his demands. Nic is sparking her desire, but she refuses to change for any man.

Nic is less than thrilled to have a woman guide, but he’s not on the trip to hunt. His family business is a lumber mill, and the hunting trip is a ruse to collect information about the area timber. When Lyn discovers his duplicity, she is determined to squelch her budding feelings.

Lyn ends the hunting tour early and tries to put her feelings aside, but Nic is not so easily deterred.  Her father senses her need for some downtime and takes over a few hunts. Lyn’s been running the business by herself since her Mom died and her father lost interest. When Nic shows up to spend more time with her, she ends up nursing him back to health after a freak accident. They grow closer, but still face obstacles. They can’t deny their passion, but will it be enough?

Set in the beautiful Idaho mountains, the setting becomes an integral part of the story. The author does a good job portraying Lyn’s struggle to define herself even as she’s falling in love. Anyone who appreciates a strong, independent woman will enjoy Lyn’s character. I was most intrigued by Lyn’s father, a man whose love for his daughter helps him heal from the loss of his wife. His guidance is essential to Lyn and Nic finding their way to each other. Fans of a happy ending will also enjoy the tale.

Unfortunately, "Wilderness Heart" needed a good editor. The grammar and punctuation mistakes were distracting and the writing was often long-winded. In addition, the main problem was flimsy. A good romance thrives off the characters overcoming differences, but Lyn’s cussing and smoking seemed overplayed and weak. The characters and setting deserved tighter writing and a more interesting conflict.

Wilderness Heart
Jacqueline Hopkins
CreateSpace (2011)
ISBN 9781460923917
Reviewed by Tia Bach for RebeccasReads (10/11)