Tag: mystery

Review: Death’s Flow by Victor Klayin

~ likelystory18 ~ 1 Comment

Synopsis:

Sometimes, you’re your own worst enemy…
Zaleck, a young albino farmer’s son from a little backwater town, wakes up not to the comfort of his home, but to the confines of a prison cart. His limbs bound, his voice stolen by a gag, panic mounts as he contemplates his fate, unaware of why he even became a target.
Yet, amidst despair, fate — or perhaps something more arcane — intervenes as he’s freed with the help of two other captives: Arneth and Vellis. Arneth, a scholar belonging to an obscure order of master manipulators, who wields knowledge as well as a sword, and who seems to manipulate fate itself. Vellis, a master markswoman whose prowess with the bow is matched only by the shadows of her past. Her ties to the nobility are as complex as the web of secrecy around her. An ex-soldier, she carries the weight of her skills and the burden of her past, her eyes always on the lookout for the next threat, her hand always steady.
Pursued relentlessly by their captors, in service of a dark priest from the powerful “Death Kingdom”, the trio must fight not only to survive, but also learn to trust and work together, uncovering the true reason for their capture.
Soon, they find they might even be able to hide from the slavers, but they can’t ever outrun the consequences of their actions.

Favorite Lines:

“Lying is so classless. It’s much more fun having the truth work for you.”

“Blame and responsibility are different things, Vel. Maybe I’m not to blame, but I can stop this, so I choose to make it my responsibility.”

My Opinion:

I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for my honest opinion.

This story follows Zaleck who is stolen away from his family’s farm when he is captured by slavers. He teams up with Arneth and Vellis as they try to uncover the mystery of why they were targeted in the first place and attempt to escape the very slavers that captured them.

I wasn’t quite sure what to expect when I decided to read this book but I can tell you that I was not disappointed in my decision. I found myself drawn in from page one with an excellent hook and was hardly able to put the book down until the last page because I needed answers!  Klayin did a great job at building an immersive world that made me feel like I was there right along with the characters; readers will even get a map at the start of the book to reference whenever they need. I also thought that the character development was very well executed. I really enjoyed reading about Zaleck, Arneth, and Vellis’ journeys not only in the outside world but also within themselves. I also just thought that the concept of flow was really interesting and how you can never do the same thing twice with it.

I don’t really have any complaints with this one. I thought the story was unique, the character writing was well done, and the pacing was just right. 

Summary:

This book has it all – adventure, suspense, mystery, magic, action, and fantasy. Klayin did a fantastic job of weaving these themes together into an addictive experience that will leave readers wanting more. I would recommend to anyone but especially those that have interests in one of the themes I mentioned previously. Happy reading!

Check out Death’s Flow here!

 

Monthly Features – April

~ likelystory18 ~ 2 Comments

The Woman Who Belonged to Stone by A.M. Burke

I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for my honest opinion.

Synopsis: In the lands of Iridium magic teeters on the edge of extinction, each crumbling rune marking a tragic loss. With chaos looming, the king takes one last drastic step: outlawing magic.

Rowan used it as a golden opportunity to secure her family’s prosperity. Claiming the power, her father denied her. But, like a flickering flame, her carefully constructed plans crumble when news of her husband’s oncoming return begins to spread. Suddenly, she finds herself facing a treacherous web of diminished loyalties and a deadly threat that sets sights on her life.

Meanwhile, Noctis Telum, shattered by the prohibition, has spent years painstakingly rebuilding his shattered existence. His magic, once his lifeblood, has been cruelly denied, scattering his loved ones across the realm. Yet, with the unexpected death of his oldest friend and the enigmatic return of Delilah, Noctis must accept it’s time to reclaim his purpose and confront the ghosts of his past.

In a realm teetering on the edge of darkness, where fates intertwine amidst a world deprived of enchantment, the stage is set for redemption, treachery, and unyielding determination. Explore the depths of mysticism and discover the key to unlocking the secrets that could save a fractured world.

Summary: Overall, I am excited to see where this series goes next! If you’re a fan of fantasy, adventure, action, mystery, and magic then this book could be for you.

See the full review here: The Woman Who Belonged to Stone
Purchase here

 

Dissonance: Volume II: Reckoning by Aaron Ryan

I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for my honest opinion.

Synopsis: Sergeant Cameron “Jet” Shipley lost everyone to the gorgons and has lost faith in the integrity of his own Command. But Cameron’s loss didn’t stop there. In a world rife with apocalyptic danger, it has become painfully apparent that humanity is still, even in the very throes of annihilation, at war with itself.

Finding himself a prisoner and eventual outlaw at the hands of those whom he once trusted most, Cameron must put his fate in the hands of his trusted confidants Lieutenant Allison Trudy, Private Liam “Fox” Mayfield, and Sergeant Joseph Bassett once more, endangering their very lives and freedom, as they and others come to his aid to join in the inevitable revolt against those in power who fail to see the truth: power corrupts, even on the very brink of extinction.

Shipley and his team must race against time to find compatriots who share their views, amassing support against the true foe. All the while, they must evade a merciless alien species that will not stop until the earth’s resources are drained dry, reducing it to a barren wasteland. In their quest for truth, they must remember one simple tenet as it pertains to the gorgons:

“One look, and it’s all over.”

Summary: Overall, if you like science fiction, aliens, the battle of good vs. evil, dystopian worlds, action, and adventure, then this book could be for you! 

See the full review here: Dissonance: Volume II: Reckoning
Purchase here

 

Monthly Features – March

~ likelystory18 ~ Leave a comment

Beguiled Persuasion by K. Reagan Zell

I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for my honest opinion.

Synopsis: Living her normal everyday life, Cait had everything a woman would ever want; a career, a wealthy boyfriend, and a doting father who was her world. Her life began to quickly unravel once she found out that her boyfriend was married and then her father died. With the dramatic events pushing her empathic sensitivities to the brink, she took one sleeping pill to help her find some relief from the emotional chaos. But it would be a prophetic pill that would forever change her already unraveling future plans. Setting off a chain of uncontrollable events of supernatural encounters with just one pill, Cait was involuntarily pulled between unimaginable parallel timeline journeys and all that she once knew…a destiny that she never imagined possible. But sometimes, one’s fate is already sealed.

Summary: Overall, if you like time travelling romances, the supernatural, and/or just romance period then this book could be for you! 

See the full review here: Beguiled Persuasion
Purchase here

 

Dissonance: Volume I: Reality by Aaron Ryan

I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for my honest opinion.

Synopsis: There are some rules you never forget. Above all else, whatever you do, you never look directly at a gorgon.
Now, plug your ears… because the war for humanity has begun.

Sergeant Cameron “Jet” Shipley was there when they first arrived in 2026. For 16 long years, he learned to hide. To never make a sound. Learning the most important rule of all about the gorgons: You just… don’t… look. The year is now 2042, and humanity is eking out an existence in the shadows. Shipley and his team are sent out on a recon mission with developments that may alter the trajectory of Earth’s fate… and his own. Joined by newcomers Bassett and Trudy, Cameron and his brother Rut will have to contend with a terrifying alien species that has annihilated eighty-five percent of mankind. Will his mission lead him on a slippery slope of discovery that demands accountability? Or will it plunge humanity, and everything in it, into further dissonance?

Summary: If you like science fiction that features dystopian worlds, aliens, action, adventure, thrills, and some romance then this book could be for you!

See the full review here: Dissonance: Volume I: Reality
Purchase here

Six Moons, Seven Gods by Robert A. Walker

I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for my honest opinion.

Synopsis: “One must be careful practicing deception. The easiest to deceive will always be one’s self.”

The skilled thieves of the Takers Guild plot to overthrow the kingdoms of Baelon, but when their plans are thwarted by a prescient woman and her brooding daughter, they must turn to the League of Assassins for assistance. Meanwhile, retired royal guard Rolft Aerns returns to the palace of King Axil with an old score to settle. When they all cross paths–and swords–in the dark shadows of Fostead’s south end, nothing is as it seems and the murder count rises quickly.
The long fingers of the Guild reach everywhere, and one overly ambitious thief is all it takes to spark a chain of events that will haunt the world of Baelon for many years to come.

Six Moons, Seven Gods is book one in The Legends of Baelon.

Summary: If you like fantasy, action, adventure, and political intrigue then this book could be for you.

See the full review here: Six Moons, Seven Gods
Purchase here

A Chef on Ice by Sebastien JM Kuhn

I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for my honest opinion.

Synopsis: Join a talented chef as he embarks on a life-changing journey to Antarctica. From grueling recruitment to months-long expeditions, experience the challenges and triumphs of living and working in one of the most remote places on Earth. With breathtaking landscapes, unexpected connections, and a newfound sense of purpose, this is a story you won’t want to miss. Get ready to be captivated by the adventure, resilience, and inspiration of this unforgettable tale.

Summary: Overall, if you like travel, food, reading about cold regions, and especially if you want to know what daily life at a base camp in Antarctica is like, then this book could be for you. 

See the full review here: A Chef on Ice
Purchase here

Freaks by Tam A. Athot

I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for my honest opinion.

Synopsis: “Syranda and magic are an interconnected tree with the same root, with many branches, and beautiful fruits in many shapes and colours.”

 Syranda is a hidden country whose peaceful, democratic system drifting almost unnoticed into dictatorship. An integral part of the people of Syranda are individuals with special skills who have been a great asset to the country’s prosperous development throughout history. But in the last decade something has changed, and democracy has slowly eroded, slipping into dictatorship, led by Angelus, the Minister of Defence. The main pillar of the dictatorship’s construction was the production of an enemy image. Anyone with ability began to be excluded and eventually persecuted.

 Angelus’ daughter Vitu was also born with a special gift, which her father tried to hide from the world. When Vitu became a teenager, she had to face the fact that her father was more concerned with serving the regime and his own ambition than her life, and she too was forced to flee. In her search for a way out, she learned a lot about her abilities, her fellow human beings and herself.

 “Many people think that dictatorship will come suddenly, spectacularly, with a great blare of trumpets and horns, and that everyone will notice it, that one sacred moment when the trumpets blare and the drums beat, and a loudspeaker shouts, “Attention, attention, the dictatorship has arrived, the dictatorship is here, everyone should lock themselves in their houses, because the oppression has arrived, from now on it’s what I, the dictator with the big hat and the red nose, dictate.”

 “The prey within us dies tonight and at dawn the predator will awake along with the sun!”

Summary: I thought this was an interesting idea and Athot brought a vision to life in a creative way. If you like supernatural/fantasy themed books with touches of politics and psychology, then this book could be for you.

See the full review here: Freaks
Purchase here

The Festival of Hungry Ghosts by Stephen Frame

I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for my honest opinion.

Synopsis: He was a big bad wolf, and he left Fairyland in 1929 to go work as a private detective in Los Angeles. He’s got a new case he doesn’t want; finding the kidnapped son of a local crime lord. He’s got a new partner he doesn’t trust; a chaotic female gangster who likes dames, booze, and bullets. Those are just the start of his problems. There are monsters in his way. And not all of them are human.

Summary: Overall, I was pleasantly surprised with this book. Don’t be thrown off or misled by the cover, if you like a twist on classic fairy tales, action, adventure, and/or cop dramas (or in this case private detective dramas), then this book could be for you!

See the full review here: The Festival of Hungry Ghosts
Purchase here

 

Review: The Festival of Hungry Ghosts by Stephen Frame

~ likelystory18 ~ 2 Comments

Synopsis:

He was a big bad wolf, and he left Fairyland in 1929 to go work as a private detective in Los Angeles. He’s got a new case he doesn’t want; finding the kidnapped son of a local crime lord. He’s got a new partner he doesn’t trust; a chaotic female gangster who likes dames, booze, and bullets. Those are just the start of his problems. There are monsters in his way. And not all of them are human.

Favorite Lines:

“The love of my family sustains me.”

“She enjoys life too much to be worrying about heaven.”

My Opinion:

I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for my honest opinion.

When I received the request for this book, I thought it sounded really intriguing. A spin off of a classic fairy tale featuring the big bad wolf as a private detective; what’s not to love? This story follows the big bad wolf – or BB – as a private detective in LA and he isn’t as big or bad as the fairy tales make him seem; at least not to those on his good side. From the first paragraph, I knew this was going to be a good read. I felt pulled in by the conversational flow of the writing and was hooked before I knew it.

I thought the premise of this story was really interesting, I enjoyed the plot as well as the creative characters that were brought to life on the page. Frame did a great job at combining culture, fairytales, and a variety of themes in an entertaining tale that had me chuckling throughout.

Summary:

Overall, I was pleasantly surprised with this book. Don’t be thrown off or misled by the cover, if you like a twist on classic fairy tales, action, adventure, and/or cop dramas (or in this case private detective dramas), then this book could be for you! Happy reading!

The Festival of Hungry Ghosts

 

Review: Freaks by Tam H. Athot

~ likelystory18 ~ 2 Comments

Synopsis:

“Syranda and magic are an interconnected tree with the same root, with many branches, and beautiful fruits in many shapes and colours.”

 Syranda is a hidden country whose peaceful, democratic system drifting almost unnoticed into dictatorship. An integral part of the people of Syranda are individuals with special skills who have been a great asset to the country’s prosperous development throughout history. But in the last decade something has changed, and democracy has slowly eroded, slipping into dictatorship, led by Angelus, the Minister of Defence. The main pillar of the dictatorship’s construction was the production of an enemy image. Anyone with ability began to be excluded and eventually persecuted.

 Angelus’ daughter Vitu was also born with a special gift, which her father tried to hide from the world. When Vitu became a teenager, she had to face the fact that her father was more concerned with serving the regime and his own ambition than her life, and she too was forced to flee. In her search for a way out, she learned a lot about her abilities, her fellow human beings and herself.

 “Many people think that dictatorship will come suddenly, spectacularly, with a great blare of trumpets and horns, and that everyone will notice it, that one sacred moment when the trumpets blare and the drums beat, and a loudspeaker shouts, “Attention, attention, the dictatorship has arrived, the dictatorship is here, everyone should lock themselves in their houses, because the oppression has arrived, from now on it’s what I, the dictator with the big hat and the red nose, dictate.”

 “The prey within us dies tonight and at dawn the predator will awake along with the sun!”

Favorite Lines:

“The world you live in is more complex and complicated than you think…”

“At that moment, two old, kind-hearted people fell in love again, more than they had many decades before when they first met.”

My Opinion:

I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for my honest opinion.

First, I want to give kudos to Athot. Athot is Hungarian so this book has been translated to English and that in itself is impressive. There were some choppy parts due to the translation but I don’t think it distracted from the overall story. The story follows a teenage girl who has superpowers in a world where those with abilities are persecuted. I thought this was a very unique world and a breath of fresh air from some of the other books that I have read. 

There are some political metaphors throughout this series as Athot uses this book as an outlet and to make a statement on the status of our planet and the direction we seem to be navigating towards so be on the look out for some hidden messages/parallels throughout the series. In addition to those undercurrents, there are also several questions raised including whether evil can be hereditary, how dictatorships come to power, and how people get caught up on the wrong side of things.

Summary:

Overall, I thought this was an interesting idea and Athot brought a vision to life in a creative way. If you like supernatural/fantasy themed books with touches of politics and psychology, then this book could be for you. Happy reading!

Freaks

 

Review: The Happy Ending by Mandy Zundel

~ likelystory18 ~ Leave a comment

Synopsis:

The land of Anvara is a land where fairy tales are real. Because of a powerful spell on the land called the Happy Ending, the same tales are lived over and over again, with a few new additions from time to time. Each of these tales always ends the same way–happily.

Cinderella, Jack and the Beanstalk, and Sleeping Beauty have begun again, along with a new tale for the land: The Twelve Dancing Princesses. Their courses are set with their endings as sure as their beginnings. Until the Happy Ending breaks.

Confused and frightened, the citizens of Anvara must adjust to a new reality, one where things can go horribly wrong, the familiar tales are not following their usual patterns, and there is no certainty of a happy ending for anyone.

But this is not all. The breaking of the Happy Ending has uncovered a secret that has been waiting to be revealed for thousands of years. And all of this time, Darkness has been waiting for its chance to strike.

Favorite Lines:

“But being cheerful and carefree was not easy.”

“Sighing in frustration, Darya pushed her thoughts away from all of the what ifs and should haves. This kind of thinking would not do any of them any good.”

My Opinion:

I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for my honest opinion.

When Zundel requested a review for this book, I thought it sounded cute and had similar enough to Once Upon a Time that I knew I had to read it. This story follows four fairy tales in a land that always has happy endings…until it doesn’t. Readers follow along as characters in the fairy tales realize that what they thought were blessings for happy endings were actually a curse and the happy endings they thought they were getting were actually weakening them. They have to put aside their differences and work together if they want any chance at real happiness while also learning what real happiness even is.

I thought the characters were well written and the plot had me seriously invested. This book has a lot of themes and lessons that I think can be enjoyed by any age group but I could especially see it being enjoyed by young adults. As I mentioned previously, this gave me Once Upon a Time vibes so if you are a fan of the show, I am sure you will enjoy this.

Summary:

Overall, I thought this was a really creative idea and Zundel did a great job at executing it. If you like fantasy and fairytales retellings with a twist, then this book could be for you. Happy reading!

The Happy Ending

 

Review: Awaken the Dawn by Ellis K. Popa

~ likelystory18 ~ Leave a comment

Synopsis:

A cryptic puzzle. A family secret. A deadly betrayal. When her dad dies during a business trip to Romania, Kat Barrett blames herself for their failed relationship. She’s racked with guilt, haunted by strange dreams about the crash that killed him, and she’d do anything to have him back. Then a package arrives. It’s from her dad and contains a list of clues — one of his classic scavenger hunts. Desperate for answers, she follows the clues to Bucharest and meets Maksim, a local with a dark past who offers to help. Kat doesn’t trust him, but when she hits a dead end, she’s left with no other choice. As they work together, decoding the clues and trying (unsuccessfully) not to fall for each other, the scavenger hunt reveals a deadly secret the dreams have been pointing to, something Maksim’s old crime ring has been hiding all along, and Kat has walked into their trap. Can she beat them to the final clue — and solve it — before she suffers the same fate as her dad?

Favorite Lines:

“I love how the forest is shadowy but the flowers are glowing. Like they’ve found their own magical life amid the death and decay.”

“Friendship is the hand that wipes your tears when life hurts.”

My Opinion:

I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for my honest opinion.

This story follows Kat Barrett after she receives a package that seems to come from her dad beyond the grave that sends her on a journey from the US to Romania to solve cryptic clues on a scavenger hunt for answers.

This is Popa’s debut novel but you would think Popa has been writing for years. It was very well written in its creativity, descriptions, and overall writing style. Full of puzzles, mystery, red herrings, romance, suspense, and adventure, this book has it all! There were also hints of supernatural notes that I hope Popa explores further in the future – anyone who knows me knows that I am a sucker for the supernatural.

If I had to complain about one thing, it would be that the beginning was a tad bit slow for my taste. But I promise you that if you stick with it, you won’t be disappointed and you’ll find yourself sucked into a world of mystery and suspense! I found myself unable to put the book down!

Summary:

Overall,  I thought this was an amazing debut novel and I cannot wait to see where Popa takes us next. If you like fiction, mystery, puzzles, suspense, and romance then this book could be for you. Happy reading!

Awaken the Dawn

 

Review: The Surfacing by Terrance Coffey

~ likelystory18 ~ Leave a comment

Synopsis:

Body snatchers.
Mind control.
An alien invasion almost too clever to be caught.
Read the most chilling sci-fi first contact story in years…

A seemingly normal six-year-old named Kaden is concealing a profound mystery. He possesses an uncanny wisdom beyond his tender age, navigating the world independently, and wielding an eerie influence over those around him, even his parents. Yet Kaden is not alone in his inexplicable nature. In the quiet town of Lynch, Kentucky, peculiar occurrences spiral out of control. Mysterious chasms materialize from thin air, individuals of all ages vanish without a trace, and the populace succumbs to an eerie force, enveloped by an otherworldly blue haze.
Amidst the chaos stands Clay Krutcher, a disenchanted coal miner unwittingly holding the key to unraveling these anomalies. Little does he know, the fate of humanity rests squarely on his shoulders. Can Clay defy his destiny, confront the inhuman force lurking beneath the surface, and save our world from impending annihilation? The countdown to The Surfacing has begun, and time is running out.

Favorite Lines:

“It’s already hard enough out here, honey. This world is cruel and vindictive. People treat you a certain way not because of who you are but because of how you look and who you’re with. Why make your life even harder than it has to be?”

“You always smell like a dog. Stop blamin’ it on the rain.”

My Opinion:

I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for my honest opinion.

I grew up watching sci-fi movies with my dad so naturally I’m a fan of the genre and this book sounded right up my alley. Following multiple storylines, this book takes readers on a creepy ride as humans themselves not alone on Earth. Strange things start to happen in the small town of Lynch, Kentucky. People are going missing, voids are appearing in the air, and the citizens of Lynch are being terrorized by an unknown force. Clay Krutcher finds himself in the mix of it as he tries to get to the bottom of the mystery plaguing the town. In a parallel storyline, we also follow along Lily and Frank Astin as they deal with the mysterious disappearance of their autistic child, Jeremy. These stories become intertwined with a disturbingly unusual six year old named Kaden who is in the center of it all.

This book reminded me of Stephenie Meyer’s The Host – I guess only in the body snatcher context – which I always thought needed to be more than one book due to the world and content potential she introduced in that book. I am happy to report that I felt like this book had the perfect amount of information and the pacing felt just right. I didn’t feel rushed but I also didn’t feel bored.

I found this book to be incredibly addictive! Needing to know what happens next, I was turning page after page to see where Coffey was going to take us. Coffey does a great job at both world building and character writing. I often felt like I was right there in the room with the characters throughout the story and I especially loved the plot twist! I think this book would make a fantastic TV show or movie and can’t wait to see it on the big screen!

Summary:

Overall, if you like sci-fi, action, mystery, suspense, and thrillers, then this book could be for you. Happy reading!

The Surfacing

 

Review: Early Adopter by Drew Harrison

~ likelystory18 ~ 4 Comments

Synopsis:

The Price of Tomorrow, Paid Today

“Early Adopter” is a collection of short stories from the edge of human progress. Eight stories hold dark mirrors to our own world… experience thought-provoking sci-fi, technologic tragedy, and pulse-pounding thrillers.

To Run Again: Dr. Laura Brandie is ready to change the world.
She’s the lead researcher behind the KSE, a revolutionary cure for paralysis and neurodegenerative conditions. And now, by good fortune, she’s found the perfect candidate for her first human trial: a man who suffers from locked-in syndrome.
Brett Harmon’s paralysis is total: he can’t move his arms, legs, torso, neck, or face. To the outside world, he’s little more than a statue that breathes… but Dr. Brandie’s KSE might be the miracle that allows Brett to run again.

Homonoia: The world faces an unprecedented alignment of catastrophes and failing systems, far too intricate and interconnected for any human to solve. Frank Burman joins with seven other volunteers for Project Homonoia–a radical, last-ditch effort to postpone the apocalypse. Separate minds link to form one multidisciplinary consciousness, the world’s first human superorganism… a hive mind. But with the world’s health rapidly failing, can Project Homonoia work out its kinks in time to make a difference?

Early Adopter: A loner enters into a relationship with a new type of partner: an AI agent, programmed to be the “perfect companion.” Sure, it’s all self-deception and a game of pretend, as she’s not actually real… but where simulated consciousness is concerned, maybe the lines between real and real enough can get blurry.

And many more!

Favorite Lines:

“A notification on the bottom corner of your screen shows Larry sent you a link. ‘It’s a list of psychological clinics in your area,’ Larry explains. ‘You should check into the nearest one and explain to the labcoats there that you just did the most braindead thing a man’s ever done, intentionally uglifying your partner.'” 

“…sidestepping outside your own normal head is the best way to acquaint yourself with the lens you see reality through.”

My Opinion:

I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for my honest opinion.

When Harrison requested a review for this book, it was described to me as a collection of short stories with an overall tone similar to Black Mirror. As a fan of Black Mirror, I knew I needed to check it out and I was not disappointed. I am a sucker for a good science fiction with a twist type of story and this collection was a creative collection that touched on a variety of thought provoking topics that hit a bit too close to home and were chilling in how close we are from that type of reality.

This was overall a very well written collection of stories. Harrison does a really good job at world building and I found myself constantly at the edge of my seat torn between wanting to close the book and not being able to turn the page fast enough because of all the suspense and twists and turns.

My two favorite stories in this collection were To Run Again and the name sake of the collection, Early Adopter. To Run Again centers around the story of a researcher who proposes a cutting edge treatment for neurodegenerative conditions. As the first short in the collection, this one really set the tone for how the rest of the series would go. The ending left me thoroughly creeped out but still wanting more. Early Adopter reminded me of the movie Her where the main character has a romantic partner that is programmed to be a romantic companion. This story had me pondering ethics that I haven’t had to really think about before and I found it to be very thought provoking and even a bit sad.

Summary:

Overall, I really enjoyed this collection. Harrison did a fantastic job at shining light on too-close-for-comfort alternate realities that left me thoroughly disturbed in the best way possible. If you’re a fan of fiction, thrillers, suspense, sci-fi, and mirrored realities similar to Black Mirror, then this book could be for you. Happy reading!

Early Adopter

 

Review: Nameless Vs. The Army of the Dead by Brett Comeau

~ likelystory18 ~ Leave a comment

Synopsis:

One, Two they’re coming for you.
Three Four, Lock your door.
Five Six, Darkling Tricks
Seven Eight will seal your fate,
Nine Ten they will kill again

The 1800’s city of Geneva is plagued by Darklings, cloaked figures who kidnap and murder its impoverished residents during the night.
While the rich hide safely behind their high stone walls the poor are forced to patrol their own borders to ward off the evil foes.

When a nameless, deformed indentured servant comes of age he is forced into the night to protect the city,
he becomes an unlikely hero that saves the mayor’s daughter from a Darkling attack.
But the nameless boy realizes there is more to the Darklings than the city’s residents have been told.
Joined by the mayor’s daughter and his only friend another local boy, he investigates the cause of the attacks.
What they uncover is far blacker than the cloaks of the Darklings…

Favorite Lines:

“It was the first time she smiled at him, and Lo felt an unexplainable sense of euphoria. There was nothing extraordinary about the girl, but he felt like everything would be okay at that moment.

“It’s nothing. Nervous laughter. I always laugh when I’m about to be hung.”

My Opinion:

I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for my honest opinion.

This book follows a nameless boy who starts his story working away on a farm for his master and mistress before he realizes his purpose and is bestowed a name of his own by the friends he makes along the way. The strongest theme throughout this book is that of friendship and I think Comeau did an excellent job strengthening those bonds throughout the story. I would classify this as a coming of age story with notes of friendship, horror, fantasy, action, adventure, romance, and mystery all wrapped up in a young adult novel.

I did notice that all the women seemed to have red hair which may have just been a coincidence. Paragraphs also had a lot of the same starters such as “The boy” and “The madman” which I think caused a bit of repetitiveness when read that could have flowed more smoothly had the paragraphs been started differently at points.

I loved the cliffhanger that the ending left us on and will be interested to see where the author takes us next. It also made me wonder if there were Easter eggs that I missed that hinted at the cliffhanger had I known to look for them sooner. My question is: is the doctor the same one mentioned in the prelude 50 years prior? If so, how?

Summary:

Overall, this was a cute, coming of age story that I would compare to Harry Potter but with undead monsters and alchemy madmen instead of wands and magic (at least for now). If you like fantasy, horror, action, adventure, mystery, and young adult books then this book could be for you. Happy reading!

Nameless vs. the Army of the Dead