Book Review: Arise (Henchmen, #2) by Eric Lahti

Synopsis: Steven was having a pretty good time for a guy who helped release a captured god. He had a nice place in Colorado, a pretty girl sent him a picture of herself in a bikini, and he had neighbors that left him alone. Everything was looking pretty good until he woke up to find two people in his house that were planning on killing him; one was old coworker and the other was an old boss. 

It seems that releasing the God of Dreams was caused some ripples in places best left alone and Eve's atonement was to kill Steven for his part in the transgression. Wilford wanted to kill Steven because that's just how Wilford is. They all soon find themselves trapped between a runaway God of Dreams bent on expanding his domain and the personification of Fear. If one doesn't get them, the other will. 

The only solution is to get the gang back together again and find something that can stop at least one, but preferably both, gods before the world comes crashing down around them. They've got more help this time, though; Wilford is tentatively on their side and a mysterious Native American gentleman has offered some assistance, but just how trustworthy the new allies are remains to be seen. 

There's also one more wrinkle for Steven to sort out: The God of Dreams wants his girl. 

From a shootout in Tijuana to a strange base in Dulce, New Mexico, Steven has his hands full just trying to stay ahead of the god that wants him dead, the girl he's finding himself more and more smitten with, and new allies that may or may not be up to any good. 

Some days it's hard to be one of the henchmen. 

Review: Henchmen was an utter delight to read, so it's perhaps no surprise that I would like the second in the series, called Arise. I'll admit that Eric Lahti's writing style took me a little while to get into. But for anyone who thinks this will be a hard read, I offer you Steve Buschemi's take on this:-

The MC, Steven, narrates both tales, and the first person narrative totally works. It's interesting to see in book one how he becomes of the Henchmen, and yet if you're expecting more of the same in Arise, yes you do get that, but so much more too.

There's greater character development in this second story, with the delectable Jessica taking more of a central role. She was introduced to readers in a rather unique way in book one, and her role is so much more satisfying here. Every time Jessica is on the page, expect fireworks. You'll get 'em.

One of the most beautiful things about Eric Lahti's series is how he places you in New Mexico, or over the border in Tijuana. The places are described so well, you can feel the sand dust crunch under your tyres. Just make sure you're driving a Lamborghini, otherwise you might not fit into this story.

Arise does not end the series, but answers a lot of questions that remained with me after completing book one. You'll want to know who and what Eve is, and it's a satisfying answer, believe me. 

I love the idea of a Valkyrie hanging out with these guys, but she doesn't talk like Helmsworth in Thor (no criticism of him, he plays the role well) - Eve talks like the other Henchmen, and it works.

Honestly, even when the Dreamer sequence kicks in, which admittedly takes the story on a different and unexpected route, it is not that distracting. In fact, I think it was a courageous choice by the author.

Both books are fun filled capers, with realistic martial arts action (YESSSS!!!) and snappy dialogue. I make no pretences here - this is a story that Quentin Tarantino needs to get his mitts on. He would do this justice on the big screen.

Honestly, Henchmen and Arise are two of the most enjoyable books I have read in a while. Often I like thrillers with dark twists, crazy characters and so on. That's not to say this series is light on that - it's got it. But it told with a great style and swagger that simply makes you love the story.

Great lines I liked:-

"Normally, I'm petrified of spiders, but I'm more scared of dying alone and forgotten."

"In fact, ju jitsu was developed by samurai who realised punching a guy in armour would just hurt your head, but throwing a guy in armour would knock the wind right out of him."

Yep. I'm 5'9" and weigh 160 pounds. If a 220 pound guy wants to hurt me, I smash his shins, destroy his leg ligaments, puncture his windpipe with my fingers, and stab his eyes out too. That'll teach him to jump the queue when I'm next in line....

I should also mention the presentation of the book. It's beautifully formatted, with the chapter headings supported by cool imagery. It links back to the author's blog too, which uses similar imagery.

Plot wise, the story is the star, and if Henchmen was an introduction to Steven, Arise could  be called Jessica Rising...because of all of them, I enjoyed her character arc the most.

Get this, and the first in the series today.

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Book Review: Salby Damned by Ian D Moore

Synopsis: A small rural town in a ruthless fight between The Shale Gas Fracking Corporation and The Residents Association sees the multi billion pound energy company drilling beneath the town with catastrophic results. A freelance reporter teams up with a mysterious council leader in a fight to save humanity against one of science's most fearsome and deadly creations. They must race to find a cure whilst battling against hordes of flesh eating zombies intent on one thing and one thing only...........KILLING! 

A gripping tale of intrigue, thriller and suspense combined with bribery, corruption and money beyond imagination culminating in a twist to an end you won't see coming. For anyone loving zombie horror stories but who needs a little bit more of a story than just how many ways to kill the undead, this is for you, the plots, twists, romances and storyline will keep you reading to find out what happens next as well as giving your mind a good work out, culminating in a final chapter that will leave you wanting more. 

There are graphic scenes of violence included in this book and some mildly explicit love scenes though mostly by implication rather than description so suitable for ages 12yrs and upwards. This book should take you from your surroundings and place you behind the rifle scope or in the meeting rooms or even flying high over the country in a helicopter............I hope, as the author, that it does just that.

Review: Ah, zombies. More zombies, and then, more zombies. It's been done before, hasn't it? So many times in fact, it's hard to come up with a new and refreshing take on it. I admit to not reading too many zombie novels, but This Is Not A Test by Courtney Summers and Jordan's Brains by J Cornel Michel are definitely two of the better tales in the genre.

So on picking up Salby Damned, I thought 'beat that!'

The synopsis gives us a detailed breakdown of what is to come, but where the story scores highly is the fracking subplot, which runs parallel to the zombie breakouts and a romantic storyline too. You would be forgiven for thinking there is too much going on, but the author Ian D Moore structures the tale so well, I could imagine it being an afternoon story on Radio 4.

Aside from the fracking plot line, the story runs a reasonably familiar course, and this is fine, because the author takes us on one rather graphic fun ride after another. You won't forget how certain scenes are described. I think I have a quite strong stomach, but even I was thinking 'Ugh! Gross!' on many occasions.

Of course, this is the kind of reaction the author wants, much like a comedian wants us to laugh at his jokes, or a horror movie to deliver on a scary premise.

Salby Damned is elevated above many zombie tales because it sits itself in the adult section of the genre. There's no rooms full of post-pubescent kids, wondering whether to have sex just before the deadheads get them.

It's a much more intelligent book than that - and sits well within the thriller genre too. 

Nathan, our hero, plays out his role with aplomb. His beau - Evie, is a little more complex, which is great because I don't want all the characters to be facsimiles of each other. Nate is pure Action Man, and he doesn't show any fear. I would have liked more flaws in him, but if that is how he is written, that's okay. The interaction with Evie works as a subplot, never distracting from the overall storyline.

I was torn between a four and five star rating on Amazon for this book. In the end, I think 4.5 is the rating I would give Salby Damned. It works on pretty much every level, just I wanted to care for the characters more, and in this, I felt a little disconnected. But I would believe a re-read would engage me more with them.

Why this book gets a five on Amazon is simply this - the twist is brilliant and will have you pulling your hair out. It's not so obvious that a twist is coming either, and I really like that.

Pick up Salby Damned. I rather think you'll like it too.

Buy on Amazon

Book review: Discover new Authors & Great Reads by Peg Glover

Synopsis: Discover New Authors & Great Reads is a collection of thirty-five thoughtful and honest reviews intended for discerning bibliophiles, avid readers, and book club members who are seeking top-notch reading suggestions. 

Also contained within this reference is a list of over a hundred book recommendations for the voracious reader. As a bonus, this edition includes topics such as why it ís important for book lovers to leave a review for a novel they've enjoyed, along with a section on finding amazing indie authors to read.

If you're a bibliophile searching for your next great read, then this is the book for you!

Review: Wow. If this book hadn't already been written, surely someone would have had to take this rather mammoth task on? In this sense, I have to congratulate Peg Glover.

It's important to say that whilst this does indeed sing the praises and hard work of many indie authors, at no time does the author suggest that the traditionally published authors we love should be abandoned. Readers should be encouraged to broaden their horizons, it is gently suggested.

There are many authors mentioned in this book who I have never heard of. The addition of reviews of the books are fair and never flowery.

For the budget price, readers are getting a hell of a lot of information here. It's a beautifully presented book that is easy to read, scan through, read back, and absorb.

However, not being a fictional tale or precisely non-fiction work makes it hard to categorise and rate. At first, I was looking at a 4 star rating because I believe - perhaps unfairly, that the book could have been even better with an expanded edition. At the same time, I would have contradicted myself on the earlier point.

To summarise, there is so much in here, you will have more than enough to read once you've been through it.

The author shows her love for books, indie and traditional, that it's hard not to praise the book for that.

Also, it's nice how indies are recognised in the book, their part in the book world explained - and fairly too. There's no bluster here. Indie authors aim to be just as good - if not better, than their traditional counterparts. The road for them to be heard is often harder too.

So this book has to get five stars, in the end, because as a reader, it provides all I want.

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Book Review: Smoke & Mirrors by Tom Benson

Smoke & Mirrors is the second book I have read by this author, the first being another collection of tales, Coming Around. With this collection, author Tom Benson has excelled himself once again, but arguably this book is better than his first read in my view.

Here's why: Each story, twelve in all, are completely different. One never knows what is going to be in the next story. And you will be recovering from the events of the previous story, as each tale ends with a twist.

Although the books can be read out of sequence, I read them in order, and given the high quality on offer here, I was in no mood to rush through the book. I wanted to savour each one.

That's not to say every story is killer, but there are some absolutely wondrous tales here that make me think Tom Benson is going to be a very well known author one day. 

Here are my favourites:

• Down to Earth
• Photographic Memory
• Mary had a little gun....
• Smoke & Mirrors
• A Killer in the Mist

But the above are just my personal preference. Down to Earth was so good, I read it, read it again - read it THREE times before still wondering how the author came up with such an amazing tale. This stood head and shoulders above the others for me, but here's the key thing - the whole collection is of a very high standard, and there is no filler here. If each were to be expanded into a novella or in some cases, a full length novel, it could totally work.

That's the power of the author. The stories are the star, because you can't really get to know the characters. There isn't that much time. But that is okay, because the character depth is not that important here. It is the quality of the story, and each will have something to offer everyone.

In this sense, the collection defies true classification. But I expect anyone would enjoy Smoke & Mirrors.

I would like to make reference to the formatting of the book. This is a simply beautifully looking product and looks superb on my iPad mini. So extra points to the author for delivering not only a high quality collection of stories, but also a first class product that readers can enjoy.

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Book Review: The Bones of the Earth (The Bones of the Earth, #1) by Scott Hale

Synopsis: Is it wrong to kill a human … when you’re not human yourself? It’s been two hundred years since the Trauma, a catastrophic event of a now forgotten origin, wreaked havoc upon the Earth, reducing the human population from billions to thousands, and leaving the survivors as prey to humanoid hunters. 

Vrana of the Raven is one of these hunters. Her tribe has made killing humans, now known as the Corrupted, its purpose—to “keep the balance”—to ensure that the Corrupted do not rise to power and lay the Earth to ruin once more. But, one night, in the great northern city-state of Geharra, over ten thousand Corrupted disappear. And if so many can disappear so quickly, what’s to stop it from happening again elsewhere, or to Vrana’s own? Geharra, however, is not the only place to suffer from strange happenings. 

In Caldera, Vrana sleeps fitfully, dreaming of a Void and the Witch trapped within. When she is called upon to travel with Serra, Lucan, and Deimos to the abandoned city, she accepts, but only to get away from Caldera, because the Witch that haunts her nightmares has begun to haunt her days. 

Review: The Bones of the Earth is an extremely intriguing work of horror sci-fi fantasy. Whilst that might seem like a jumble of genres and hard to get working into a single book, author Scott Hale has pulled this off admirably. These days, authors need more than a good story to stand out, so the presentation is important. The book's cover is quite a work of art. It is unusual, makes you want to know more. Is the main character a force for good, or for bad?

 In Vrana, we have a plucky and strong heroine who is thrown into action almost from page one. Her motivations are not too clear to me at first, but as I read more of the book, Vrana's story became more easy to understand, compelling me to read the rest of the book. Scott Hale describes the world he has created beautifully. He does so with great command of English, and the writing is poetic in many aspects, for me, this was the star of the book.

 I read a book in late 2013 that had a similar MC, but this one was male, and seemed a little one dimensional to me. That said I enjoyed how the character killed so many and with ease. Vrana, thankfully, is a more complex character. Her kills always mean something, always having consequences, and I wondered would the hunter become the hunted?

There is a dreamlike quality to the writing that I can only imagine will improve as the author grows in stature. I would recommend this to people who enjoy different genres - there's a great mix of horror, fantasy, sci-fi, adventure in this book, and it works. 

 I love the description of Vrana herself, and the cover art reinforces my view on that. The tribal aspect of the book is interesting too, and will have readers hooked. I would just suggest that readers go beyond the 10% or so that Amazon allow on their preview - this book needs the reader's attention. Once you get into it, you won't leave it down.

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