Blog Tour and Review: Destiny Rising

This is my stop during the blog tour for Destiny Rising by Siobhan Davis. This blog tour is organized by Lola's Blog Tours. The blog tour runs from 1 till 21 September, and you can view the complete tour schedule on the website of Lola’s Blog Tours.

Destiny Rising is the third book in the True Calling series. The two prior books are True Calling (True Calling #1) and Beyond Reach (True Calling #2). There are also two novellas: Lovestruck (True Calling #0.5) and Light of a Thousand Stars (True calling #2.5).

Mini Reviews: Kris Longknife: Defender and Murder Simply Brewed

Title: Kris Longknife: Defender Author: Mike Shepherd Genre: Science Fiction Page Count: 386 Rating: 4/5 ★★★★☆

Format: eBook Source: borrowed from library via Overdrive Completed: 21 July

Kris Longknife: Defender is book 11 in Mike Shepherd's military SF series. In the previous book, Kris returns from exile and convinces her great grandfather to send her on a mission to guard the planet with the bird-like inhabitants from the marauding aliens. There's an ulterior motive here: the hostile aliens refuse to communicate and blow their own ships up if they are damaged. They fired on the life pods ejected from the ships in Kris's fleet in their first encounter. It's imperative that the aliens don't backtrack the humans to their home planets. So, Kris and her new fleet are drawing a line in space and are determined to keep the aliens from taking any more inhabited planets.

In a single novel, Kris experiences a series of rapid promotions and leads another fleet into battle against the aliens. This time they are the defending fleet and can set up ambushes to give themselves a better chance of surviving an attack by the moon-sized mother ships and the hundreds of accompanying ships of an alien advance force.

I borrowed this book from the library through the Overdrive subscription. As I mentioned in this week's Stacking the Shelves, I was surprised that the library got a copy so quickly after I requested it. I read it in just a couple of days, requested that the library get a copy of the next in the series, and it has already arrived. I'm thoroughly enjoying the books in this series and am thrilled to find out that a new volume is scheduled for October and yet another for sometime in 2016.

 

Title: Murder Simply Brewed Author: Vanetta Chapman Genre: Cozy Mystery Page Count: 358 Rating: 3/5 ★★★☆☆

Format: eBook Source: purchased May 2015 Completed: 23 July

One of the first books I received from NetGalley was Murder Tightly Knit, the second book in Vanetta Chapman's Amish Village Mystery series. Then, I received and reviewed Murder Freshly Baked, the third book. Having enjoyed both of them, I knew that I wanted to go back and see how the series started, and when I saw that Murder Simply Brewed was on sale, I immediately hit the “BUY” button.

Amber Wright is the general manager of the Amish Village and Inn, a retail complex in the small town of Middlebury, Indiana. When Ethan Gray is found dead in the coffee boutique that he runs, the police call it a heart attack—“natural causes”—and that seems to be it. Except Amber is convinced that Ethan was murdered. And, there seems to be someone who has a grudge against Amber and the Amish Village. Several acts of vandalism have gotten everyone on edge. Are they related to Ethan's death or not?

This was an engaging read. I suspect that the series will end with only three volumes. I'd love to see yet another outing for Amber, Hannah, and all the characters at the Amish Village shops. But, if that's not to happen, there are quite a number of books by Ms. Chapman that I haven't yet read.

Review: Jack Staples and the Poet's Storm

Jack Staples and the Poet's Storm by Mark Batterson and Joel N. Clark,
Published June 2015 by David C. Cook
Source: eGalley ARC from NetGalley

Our world is more fantastical than we dare imagine…filled with both unbelievable beauty and horrific evil. Just ask Jack Staples and Alexia Dreager. They’re at the epicenter of the conflict that’s been raging since time before time began. Their birth and destiny have long been prophesied—but things aren’t going as planned.

In this epic conclusion to the Jack Staples trilogy, Jack and Alexia must make an impossible choice during their final battle against the Assassin—one that could alter time itself and the fate of the world.

Review: Murder Freshly Baked

Murder Freshly Baked by Vannetta Chapman
Published June 2015 by Zondervan
Source: eGalley ARC from NetGalley

Kindness is a virtue / Meanness is a sin / Better watch your bakery pies / For poison I've slipped in

The Amish Artisan Village in Middlebury, Indiana, has been decorated with every color of balloon and flower for the Race for a Cure. As manager of the Village, Amber Bowman is thrilled to see the turnout—and relieved to have something to distract her from the “Poison Poet”—an individual who has been sending notes containing bad poetry to warn of poisoned baked goods.

Then Ryan Duvall crosses the finish line of the race—and falls down dead, murdered in broad daylight. But who did it? And why? The police suspect Preston Johnston, but Amber refuses to believe her employee could do such a thing.

Amber once again looks to her young Amish friend Hannah Troyer to help her find the killer—and to determine if it's the same person leaving the cryptic poems and pies. Can they help the police before the Poison Poet strikes again? Both Amber and Hannah will need to draw on their faith as they fight to preserve the peaceful community they've built at the Amish Artisan Village.

Review: The Firebird Mystery

The Firebird Mystery by Darrell Pitt
Published May 2015 by Text Publishing Company
Source: eGalley ARC from NetGalley

Jack Mason grew up as an acrobat in a circus. After the tragic death of his parents, he was sent to live within the gloomy Sunnyside Orphanage in London, a city of fog and snow, filled with airships, steamcars, and metrotowers stretching into space.

That's until he is taken under the wing of the brilliant and eccentric detective Ignatius Doyle. But when a girl named Scarlet Bell comes seeking Mr. Doyle's help, little does Jack know how dangerous life is about to become. Scarlet's father has been kidnapped, and the future of the world itself may be at stake. Is the evil hand of Professor M pulling the strings? Mr. Doyle and Jack know there is no time to lose.

Review: Beyond Reach

Beyond Reach by Siobhan Davis
Published 1 May 2015 by Siobhan Davis
Source: review copy supplied by the author

Back on Earth, Ariana is caught in a dangerous crossfire between clandestine rebel organization Clementia and the power-hungry government. Refusing to divulge the location of the secret information entrusted to her by her late father, she desperately tries to bargain for her Mom, Lily, and Cal’s rescue. She’s fighting a losing battle, and the clock is ticking.

Presented with evidence of her fiancé Cal’s apparent betrayal, she loyally defends him despite her concerns. With her emotions in turmoil, matters become even more complicated as she grows closer to her ex-boyfriend Zane.

When the stakes are raised, a succession of shocking revelations rocks her world, setting her on a path that will not only change her destiny but the fate of humanity.

Confronted by a memory so abhorrent comes a truth she would do anything to forget.

But some things just can’t be undone.

My Thoughts

Review: Blanche Cleans Up

Blanche Cleans Up by Barbara Neely
Published 5 May 2015 by Brash Books
Source: eGalley ARC from NetGalley

The third, ground-breaking mystery featuring African-American maid and amateur sleuth Blanche White by Agatha, Anthony, and Macavity Award winning Author Barbara Neely

Blanche White is working as a temporary cook and housekeeper for a right-wing, Massachusetts gubernatorial candidate Alistair Brindle when someone tries to blackmail him. It's an ugly mess that Brindle's political team is eager to sweep under the carpet and that Blanche can't resist cleaning up herself…especially after a young black man is killed who knew too much about Brindle's dirty laundry. Her investigation raises dark secrets involving sex, environmental contamination, and political corruption, difficult stains on the white, conservative Brindle family that someone is trying to remove with murder.

Review: Murder at Moot Point

Murder at Moot Point by Marlys Millhiser
Published 5 May 2015 by Open Road Media
Source: eGalley ARC from NetGalley

Hollywood agent Charlie Greene gets tangled up in a world of holistic intervention, out-of-body experiences, and murder in this thrilling paranormal mystery

Hollywood literary agent and single mother Charlie Greene heads out of town to fog-bound Moot Point, Oregon, to meet a client, reclusive New Age author Jack Monroe. But Charlie barely has time to sample a veggie meal and bond with Jack’s bronze Buddha statue before she runs into trouble: Local gossip Georgette Glick and her Schwinn bicycle have just been found under the wheels of Charlie’s Toyota—which makes Charlie the prime suspect in Georgette’s murder.

Luckily, Moot Point sheriff Bennett discovers that Glick was shot, not run over, so Charlie is in the clear. But there are still too many unanswered questions. Who delivered the fatal bullet to Glick’s head? And why was the seventy-eight-year-old riding her bike on a night with zero visibility in the first place? Alongside Sheriff Bennett, whose interest in Charlie seems decidedly more than professional, she resolves to find the murderer among the town’s eccentrics, who include the suspiciously nongrieving widower, a holistic veterinarian, the victim’s terrified neighbor, and a Byronic artist whose painting of a century-old local shipwreck matches the one in Charlie’s recent nightmares. With the killer still at large, Charlie may be tempting an out-of-body experience of her own in this quirky and suspenseful novel.

Review: True Calling

True Calling by Siobhan Davis
Published October 2014 by Siobhan Davis
Source: review copy supplied by the author

Planet Novo, nestled in space twelve hundred miles above the surface of the Earth, is the new home of 17-year-old Cadet Ariana Skyee. Confused by the government-sanctioned memory erase and distressed at her impending forced marriage and motherhood, Ariana's plans for the future are thrown into complete disarray.

As the traumatic events within her family life enfold, Ariana grows increasingly alarmed at the authorities apparent pre-occupation with her and feels progressively more isolated and alone.

Her growing feelings for fellow Cadet Cal Remus intensify as the recently announced pageant, 'The Calling', gets underway. Struggling to comprehend the continuous, inexplicable dreams of the mysterious Zane, discovering the past helps shape her future, with devastating personal consequences.

 

Review: Claimed

Claimed by Sarah Fine
Published March 2015 by 47 North
Source: eGalley ARC from NetGalley

In this urban fantasy, brilliant scientist Galena Margolis is determined to fulfill her destiny and develop the vaccine that could save millions. Yet when Galena’s test subjects meet with foul play, it’s clear that someone is still determined to stop her, and that Galena herself is a target. As the Ferry empire forges a plan to keep her safe, Declan Ferry, the politics-hating black sheep of the family, steps forward to protect her—but the emotional cost may be more than either of them is willing to pay.

As unknown enemies close in, it becomes terrifyingly clear that they threaten to destroy not only Galena’s lifesaving work but also the very fabric of fate. As Galena and Declan race to uncover the traitor, they also forge a special bond that could save both Galena and those she’s sworn to help. Torn apart by the past and hunted by those she trusted, can Galena find room amidst her fears for a passion that could make her stronger than ever? And even if she and Declan can find their way together, will it be enough to keep the future from coming apart at the seams?

My Thoughts

Sarah Fine has delivered a fantastic series in Servants of Fate. Claimed is the second book of at least three, with Fated scheduled for publication in September. Having read the first two books, I'd encourage Fine not to stop at three, but continue writing in this world.

Galena Margolis is a brilliant scientist whose research shows real promise to produce vaccines to deal with the rapidly mutating plague-like diseases running rampant in a world devastated by ecological disaster. The Ferrys (who transport the dead to the Afterlife) and Kere (who Mark those fated to die) are financially rewarded for their service to the Keepers, so any reduction in the death rate threatens their livelihood. Members of both groups are determined to prevent Galena from completing her research while the leadership is determined to support it.

Things get violent when Galena's research subjects and lab assistants are all killed and her lab is bombed. In order to protect her, the Ferry family devise a plan to Claim her—turning her into a Ferry through marriage. Declan was already falling for Galena and immediately steps up to be her husband. When Galena is charged with the murders and bombings, Declan breaks her out of jail and the two of them are attempting to avoid the police while finding out who's actually guilty and framing Galena.

When I requested copies of Marked and Claimed for review, I was basing my request on the book descriptions provided by the publisher. The one thing that the publisher didn't tell me was that the books contained explicit lovemaking scenes. And that's really all that prevents me from raving over both books. I did my best to skim over the detailed descriptions and get back to the main story. For those who enjoy or at least don't object to the erotic content, Servants of Fate may well be one of your favorite series.

★★★☆☆

Note that I received a free copy of Claimed from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

Review: Marked by Sarah Fine

Marked by Sarah Fine
Published January 2015 by 47 North
Source: eGalley ARC from NetGalley

In a broken landscape carved by environmental collapse, Boston paramedic Cacia Ferry risks life and limb on the front lines of a fragile and dangerous city. What most don’t know—including her sexy new partner, Eli Margolis—is that while Cacy works to save lives, she has another job ferrying the dead to the Afterlife. Once humans are “Marked” by Fate, the powerful Ferrys are called to escort the vulnerable souls to either eternal bliss or unending fire and pain.

Unaware of Cacy’s other life, Eli finds himself as mesmerized by his fierce and beautiful partner as he is mistrustful of the influential Ferry clan led by the Charon—who happens to be Cacy’s father. Cacy, in turn, can no longer deny her intense attraction to the mysterious ex-Ranger with a haunted past. But just as their relationship heats up, an apparent hit takes the Charon before his time. Shaken to the core, Cacy pursues the rogue element who has seized the reins of Fate, only to discover that Eli has a devastating secret of his own. Not knowing whom to trust, what will Cacy have to sacrifice to protect Eli—and to make sure humanity’s future is secure?

My Thoughts

Boston paramedic Cacia Ferry takes on dangerous assignments in a broken and flooded city. Her co-workers don’t know that she, along with members of her family, are responsible for ferrying those who have died to the Afterlife.

Cacy's new partner, Eli Margolis, is intensely attracted to Cacy, but distrustful of her rich and powerful family. When Cacy's father is suddenly Marked and killed—perhaps before his time—Cacy is faced with the possibility that someone is subverting Fate and making a power play to usurp the powers of the Ferrys. And, it appears that Eli's sister, Galena, is the focus of the power struggle. Galena's biomedical research offers hope of new vaccines against the plagues devastating the city, but fewer deaths mean less income to the Kere who Mark the doomed and the Ferrys who transport their souls to their final destination.

I have to say that I enjoyed everything about Marked except the explicit lovemaking scenes. The plot is captivating and the characters are appealing. But I'm just not fond of such steamy scenes. I think the book could be just as good (if not better) if it was toned down a bit.

★★★☆☆

Note that I received a free copy of Marked from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

Review: The Park Service

The Park Service by Ryan Winfield
Published October 2012 by Birch Paper Press
Source: Purchased from Amazon.com

What if the plan to save Earth includes the extinction of humankind?

Sometimes the best intentions ultimately lead to evil ends. That's what fifteen-year-old Aubrey VanHouten learns when he stumbles onto a post-apocalyptic paradise where the few remaining humans live on the run from deadly drones controlled by a mysterious Park Service. Beautifully written with challenging moral dilemmas and heart-melting friendships, The Park Service trilogy is an epic coming-of-age-story that will inspire and delight readers young and old.

My Thoughts

Over and over again, I kept seeing posts on Facebook about a new and outstanding trilogy. When I saw that the first book was on sale for 99 cents, I decided to give it a try. I'm rather glad that I did.

The Park Service offers an interesting look at a dystopian future. Fifteen-year-old Aubrey VanHouten is living in an underground bunker—the home of mankind after a devastating war made the surface of the earth uninhabitable. Or so everyone thinks. When Aubrey accidentally discovers that the surface is actually a pristine paradise, he is surprised to learn that there is a ruling power determined to keep people from bespoiling the planet again, treating the entire planet as a park to be preserved.

As mentioned in the online ads, this is the first book in a trilogy and after reading it, I would very much enjoy reading the rest of the series. Since all of the books in the trilogy are available through the Kindle Lending Library to Amazon Prime members, I might just borrow them rather than purchasing. A solid three stars—I enjoyed the book.

★★★☆☆

Review: Shades of Earth

Shades of Earth by Beth Revis
Published January 2013 by publisher
Source: eBook gift from Lemonitsa

Amy and Elder have finally left the oppressive walls of the spaceship Godspeed behind. They're ready to start life afresh—to build a home—on Centauri-Earth, the planet that Amy has traveled 25 trillion miles across the universe to experience.

But this new Earth isn't the paradise Amy had been hoping for. There are giant pterodactyl-like birds, purple flowers with mind-numbing toxins, and mysterious, unexplained ruins that hold more secrets than their stone walls first let on. The biggest secret of all? Godspeed's former passengers aren't alone on this planet. And if they're going to stay, they'll have to fight.

Amy and Elder must race to discover who—or what—else is out there if they are to have any hope of saving their struggling colony and building a future together. They will have to look inward to the very core of what makes them human on this, their most harrowing journey yet. Because if the colony collapses? Then everything they have sacrificed—friends, family, life on Earth—will have been for nothing.

My Thoughts

Shades of Earth is the concluding chapter of the Across the Universe trilogy by Beth Revis. In the first two books, we meet the two protagonists: Elder, the young leader of the approximately 2,000 ship-born residents of the spaceship Godspeed, and Amy, a teen who was cryogenically frozen to travel in the spaceship. The frozen passengers are military and scientific specialists who expect to be revived 300 years into their future when Godspeed reaches its destination, an earth-like planet circling the star Centauri.

Amy was violently awakened when someone tried to murder her along with all the other frozen passengers. At first she's told that the ship won't arrive at Centauri-Earth for another 100 years, but later learns that the ship has been in orbit around the planet for many, many years. The spaceship is aging and conditions are deterioration, but with the planet inhabited by monsters, the decision had been made to stay aboard the ship rather than attempt a landing. Finally, at the end of book two, Elder and Amy lead majority of the ship-born down to the planet, carrying the frozen with them.

Shades of Earth begins immediately after the events of A Million Suns, with the landing of a shuttle from Godspeed and the beginnings of a colony. Elder revives the frozen, which looks like it might be a mistake when they immediately arm themselves and start issuing orders to everyone else. Amy's father is the senior military official and while she is thrilled to have her parents back, he's not willing to listen to her or Elder—leading to major problems between the ship-born and the frozen. Yes, as the previous book told us, there are monsters on the planet. Everyone needs to work together to survive, but cooperation is jeopardized by the attitudes of the formerly frozen group. To say more would totally spoil the book.

After eagerly anticipating the release of this book, I finished it with mixed feelings. I enjoyed the story for the most part, but I was disappointed with the direction that Revis chose to take the story of the landing on Centauri-Earth. I felt that her treatment of the conflict between the frozen and the ship-born was too predictable. Three stars.

★★★☆☆

Review: Jack Staples

Jack Staples and the Ring of Time by Mark Batterson & Joel N. Clark
Published September 2014 by David C. Cook
Source: eGalley ARC from NetGalley

Eleven-year-old Jack's ordinary life is upended when mysterious creatures attack his hometown and he is whisked into a fantastical adventure filled with danger at every turn.

Jack learns that most live in a shadow of the world, their vision blinded by invisible scales that have covered human eyes since the beginning of time. But the Awakened experience the world as it truly is, where war rages between good and evil—and Jack is at the heart of it. The Awakened are searching for The Child of Prophesy who will both save the world and destroy it. When Jack joins in their epic battle he must learn to trust his friends and face his fears if he is to make his life count.

Jack Staples and the City of Shadows by Mark Batterson & Joel N. Clark
Published January 2015 by David C. Cook
Source: eGalley ARC from NetGalley

The Assassin is closing in. Just as Jack and his friend Alexia discover what it means to be the Chosen Ones, they each face the test of a lifetime. For Jack it is a question of trust; for Alexia, of loyalty. Everything rests on their making the right choices, and on the completion of their missions. The Assassin is determined they will fail, and that they will either join him or be destroyed. It will take all the Author’s forces, the special gifts they each have, and the help of their friends Arthur and Mrs. Dumphrey to overcome. But when the enemy makes a key move, and an important quest proves difficult, the prophecy that they will both destroy and save the world seems further from coming true than ever before.

My Thoughts

I found Jack Staples and the Ring of Time and Jack Staples and the City of Shadows on the Read Now list at NetGalley and it looked like an interesting YA fantasy. I quickly read through the first book in a single day as we were driving from the Dallas area to Las Vegas. What a lovely fantasy for teens!

Jack Staples has been leading an ordinary life when he is thrown into extraordinary circumstances. As mysterious creatures attack his village, Jack discovers that he is no ordinary boy. Most people can only see a shadow of the world, their vision blinded by invisible scales that cover their eyes. While some people (the Awakened) have had the scales fall away, Jack was born without scales—able to see reality all of his life. In fact, Jack is the “Child of Prophecy” who is destined to battle the Assassin and save the world. Or he is destined to join forces with the Assassin and destroy the world. The Prophecy isn't clear.

But wait! There's another “Child of Prophecy”—Alexia was also born without scales. Together they must fight against the Assassin, with help from Jack's friends and more of the Awakened.

These two books delivered a fun story filled with interesting characters and non-stop adventure. Neither book contains a real conclusion. A battle is over, but you know you need to read the next book to see what happens next. Fortunately, the last book in the trilogy is due out in June. I hope to read it soon so as to have a sense of completion. And besides—if it's anything like the first two books, it will be an outstanding story to conclude the epic struggle between good and evil.

★★★☆☆

Note that I received free copies of Jack Staples and the Ring of Time and Jack Staples and City of Shadows from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

Review: Blanche White Mysteries

Blanche on the Lam by Barbara Neely
Published Sep 2014 by Brash Books
Source: eARC from NetGalley

Barbara Neely’s Smart, Sassy and Groundbreaking Crime Novel
WINNER OF THE AGATHA, ANTHONY & MACAVITY AWARDS

Blanche White is a plump, feisty, middle-aged African-American housekeeper working for the genteel rich in North Carolina. But when an employer stiffs her, and her checks bounce, she goes on the lam, hiding out as a maid for a wealthy family at their summer home. That plan goes awry when there’s a murder and Blanche becomes the prime suspect. So she’s forced to use her savvy, her sharp wit, and her old-girl network of domestic workers to discover the truth and save her own skin. Along the way, she lays bare the quirks of southern society with humor, irony, and a biting commentary that makes her one of the most memorable and original characters ever to appear in mystery fiction.

Blanche Among the Talented Tenth by Barbara Neely
Published Feb 2015 by Brash Books
Source: eARC from NetGalley

When Blanche White moved north to Boston, she believed it would be a better place to raise her kids, especially after she got them into an elite private school. But now her children are becoming elitist and judgmental, acquiring more attitude than education. So when she and her kids are invited to Amber Cove, an exclusive resort in Maine for wealthy blacks, Blanche jumps at the chance to see how the other half lives and maybe stop her kids turning into people she doesn’t want to know. When one of the guests kills himself, and another is electrocuted in her bathtub, Blanche becomes an accidental detective once again, using her sharp wit and keen social insight to peel back some disturbing color and class distinctions within the black community that may have driven someone to murder.

My Thoughts

Originally published in 1992, Blanche on the Lam won the Macavity Award for Best First Mystery Novel (1993), Anthony Award for Best First Novel (1993), and Agatha Award for Best First Novel (1992) for author Barbara Neely. It tells a story from the perspective of a black domestic worker in the deep south. When Blanche gets in trouble with the law over a bounced check, she's happy that a new job as a housekeeper takes her out of town when her employers relocate to their coastal get-away.

Blanche quickly realizes that something strange is going on within the family. The husband and wife are totally creepy and their ward, a young nephew with a developmental disorder is the only "normal" one. Blanche carefully watches what's going on and catches tidbits of some interesting conversations. While Blanche isn't sure what the whole story is, she's working very hard to keep a low profile. When a murder occurs, it's obvious that Blanche is going to be the prime suspect.

In Blanche Among the Talented Tenth, Blanche has moved to Boston from North Carolina. School friends of her kids have invited them to spend the summer at a coastal resort in Maine. Blanche joins them there for a couple of weeks, freeing the hosts to take a short “couples” vacation. The resort is a popular location for the rich and elite in the African American community. At the core are the Insiders whose families founded the resort and who own their cabins on the property. Outsiders are transient visitors who stay in the Amber Cove Inn. In addition to this divide, Blanche is confronted with the deep prejudice held by the light-skinned against those with very dark skins.

Just before Blanche arrives, one of the Insiders is killed when her radio falls into her bathtub. The victim was detested by everyone except her husband, and there's a possibility that she was murdered. Blanche joins forces with Mattie to find out exactly what happened and why.

I found both of these books to be pleasant cozy mysteries. But they were more than that. With recent events drawing attention to issues of race in America, I was continually asked to think about my attitudes toward not only those of color, but those who perform essential but menial work. And in the second book, the reader is exposed to a form of racism which exists WITHIN the African American community. I'm awarding 3 stars to each of these books.

★★★☆☆

Note that I received a free copy of Blanche on the Lam and Blanche Among the Talented Tenth from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

Review: Unbreakable

Unbreakable by W. C. Bauers
Published 13 January 2015 by Tor Boks
Source: eARC from NetGalley

The colonists of the planet Montana are accustomed to being ignored. Situated in the buffer zone between two rival human empires, their world is a backwater: remote, provincial, independently minded. Even as a provisional member of the Republic of Aligned Worlds, Montana merits little consideration—until it becomes the flashpoint in an impending interstellar war.

When pirate raids threaten to destabilize the region, the RAW deploys its mechanized armored infantry to deal with the situation. Leading the assault is Marine Corps Lieutenant and Montanan expatriate Promise Paen of Victor Company. Years earlier, Promise was driven to join the Marines after her father was killed by such a raid. Payback is sweet, but it comes at a tremendous and devastating cost. And Promise is in no way happy to be back on her birthworld, not even when she is hailed as a hero by the planet's populace, including its colorful president. Making matters even worse: Promise is persistently haunted by the voice of her dead mother.

Meanwhile, the RAW's most bitter rival, the Lusitanian Empire, has been watching events unfold in the Montana system with interest. Their forces have been awaiting the right moment to gain a beachhead in Republic territory, and with Promise's Marines decimated, they believe the time to strike is now.

Unbreakable by W.C. Bauers is character driven, military science in the tradition of John Scalzi’s Old Man’s War.

My Review

Promise Paen is growing up on Montana—a quiet planet located in a strategic buffer zone between the Republic of Allied Worlds (RAW) and the Lusitanian Empire (Lusies). Although Montana is a provisional member of the Republic, it has mostly been ignored by both of the major powers. This neglect has resulted in raids by pirates who murder and steal with impunity as Montana has almost no space presence at all.

When her widowed father is murdered and their farmhouse burned to the ground, Promise decides to enlist in the RAW Marines. Thus begins an illustrious career as Promise rises through the ranks to her first leadership role taking a small task force to Montana on a public relations mission. She's expected to simply show off the Marines and make nice with the government and citizens, but a pirate raid and an invasion by the Lusies forces Promise and her Marines to become defenders, holding the fort and hoping that reinforcements are sent from the nearest RAW garrison.

My Thoughts

Unbreakable bears a lot of similarities to other military SF series, especially those with strong female leads. One particular, the political détente between RAW and the Lusies had a feel much like that between Manticore and the Solarian League in David Weber's Honor Harrington series.

'Twas a grand book with skirmish after skirmish, escalating to a grand conflict. The fly in the ointment is that the author simply tried too hard. The reader is inundated with too much information on military jargon, organization, and weapons. The story could stand some tightening up. The author has promised that this is the first of the series and I am looking forward to reading the next installment.

★★★☆☆

Note that I received a free copy of Unbreakable from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

Review: The Root of All Evil

The Root of All Evil by Ellery Adams and Elizabeth Lockard
Published date by Beyond the Page Publishing
Source: eARC from NetGalley

Cooper Lee has never been happier. She has terrific friends at Bible study, a great boyfriend in Nathan, and best of all, a new niece or nephew on the way. But storm clouds are gathering when a string of church robberies comes to Hope Street and an art teacher is found dead in what appears to be a robbery gone wrong. With Halloween approaching, Cooper’s beginning to think there are far more tricks than treats coming her way.

No sooner do she and her friends step in to help the police unearth a killer than they discover a con artist among their flock. Lost in a morass of confusing clues—and even more confusing signals from Nathan—Cooper’s not sure which way to turn. With the stakes so high, she sends up a prayer for some divine guidance, because Cooper knows that sometimes it takes the help of a higher power to bring down the lowest form of evildoer.

My Thoughts

Someone is breaking into churches in Richmond and stealing AV equipment and money. Cooper Lee and the members of her Bible study group are hoping that Hope Street Church doesn't become one of the victims. But something worse happens—one of the teachers at Hope Street Christian Academy is found murdered in the pastor's study.

With their usual enthusiasm, Cooper and friends jump in to interview the teacher's friends and even fellow teachers, hoping to help the police determine who killed the art teacher. Other things are happening in Cooper's life as well. Her sister has been confined to bed rest for the last two months of her pregnancy and needs cheering up. Nathan, her boyfriend, seems perfectly content with the casual dating that has been going on for a year, while Cooper is looking for a permanent relationship and marriage. A new member of the Bible study group turns out to be a con artist and Cooper is torn whether to expose her to the others or not. And, to top it all off, some equipment and supplies have been stolen from her work and she has to find out if the thief is one of her employees.

I was particularly interested in this book when I saw that it was an addition to a series that I read a while ago. I read all three books of Jennifer Stanley's Hope Street Church mysteries in November and December 2010. I posted this observation in an online forum:

I'm currently reading the 3rd book in Jennifer Stanley's Hope Street Church Mysteries, The Way of the Guilty. I almost quit in the middle of #1—it was awkwardly written with stilted dialog. But the plot was good and the author was developing the characters well enough, so I stayed with it. #2 was much better and I'm just flying along in #3. (I've read 170 pages since I started it at lunchtime yesterday!)

I don't know much about the publishing industry. It's a shame that the author wasn't sent back to "fix" the first book after she landed the contract for all three. She's obviously improved and future books—in this series or not—are likely to be extremely well written. But the first one here can ruin the entire series for an unsuspecting reader.

Well, it looks like the author received similar feedback from others. She has released the first three books with new titles (and under the author name of Ellery Adams rather than Jennnifer Stanley) and updated and improved the text. And now there's this new volume in the series. I hope there will be more.

★★★☆☆

Note that I received a free copy of The Root of All Evil from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

Review: The Here and Now

The Here and Now by Ann Brashares
Published 1 January 2015
by Hachette Children's Books
Source: NetGalley

Follow the rules. Remember what happened. Never fall in love.

This is the story of seventeen-year-old Prenna James, who immigrated to New York when she was twelve. Except Prenna didn’t come from a different country. She came from a different time—a future where a mosquito-borne illness has mutated into a pandemic, killing millions and leaving the world in ruins.

Prenna and the others who escaped to the present day must follow a strict set of rules: never reveal where they’re from, never interfere with history, and never, ever be intimate with anyone outside their community. Prenna does as she's told, believing she can help prevent the plague that will one day ravage the earth.

But everything changes when Prenna falls for Ethan Jarves.

My Thoughts

Ann Brashares, well known for her Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series, turns her considerable talent to science fiction with a premise that is timely and entirely believable. Prenna is a young teen immigrant to the US, living in a reclusive community of fellow immigrants. What sets these people apart is not the fact that they come from another country or culture, but that they come from the future. Living in the 2090s, they had been faced with environmental collapse and deadly mosquito-borne plagues, so they escape into their past arriving in our present.

Although the trip through time had been organized to permit them to avert the catastrophic ecological failure, Prenna sees her leaders are simply hiding away. They've adopted tight controls on their entire community, forbidding any but the most casual contact between their members and the “Time Natives”.

Teens from the future are not immune to rebellious behavior and Prenna finds herself drawn to her classmate Ethan. Obviously a forbidden relationship, but one she feels compelled to pursue. When a homeless man reveals that he is also from the future, he tells Prenna that a murder in May 2014 is what sets in motion the sequence of events that results in the plagues of her own time. If the leaders of her community won't do anything to save the future, then she determines to do it herself.

When I accepted a review copy of The Here and Now, I saw that its publication was scheduled for the first of January, 2015. However it was actually published April 8, 2014, in the US by Delacorte . The January publication date is for the UK release by Hachette Children's Books. So, I can tell my friends in the US to go ahead and get a copy of this book—it's really good and they will enjoy it. For my UK friends, just hang in there. It will be available soon.

★★★☆☆

Note that I received a free copy of The Here and Now from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

Review: Bertie's Guide to Life and Mothers

Bertie's Guide to Life and Mothers by Alexander McCall Smith
Published February 9, 2014 by Random House, LLC
Audio recording by Isis Publishing Ltd. UK
Source: purchased in September 2014

Alexander McCall Smith's wildly popular 44 Scotland Street series chronicles life in a corner of Edinburgh brimming with wit and humor.

It's not that poor Bertie Pollock is wishing his life away, but having anticipated his 7th birthday for so long he's now longing to be 18. But there's a lot of living to do and Bertie isn't alone amongst the residents of Scotland Street in trying to do just that - with mixed fortunes.

Newlywed painter and sometime somnambulist Angus Lordie might be sleepwalking his way into trouble with Animal Welfare when he lets his dog Cyril drink a bit too much lager at the local bar. The longsuffering Bertie, on the cusp of his seventh birthday party, has taken to dreaming about his eighteenth, a time when he will be able to avoid the indignity of unwanted girl attendees and the looming threat of a gender-neutral doll from his domineering mother Irene. Matthew and Elspeth struggle to care for their triplets, contending with Danish au pairs and dubious dukes to boot, while the narcissistic Bruce faces his greatest challenge yet in the form of an over-eager waxologist. As ever, when Alexander McCall Smith visits 44 Scotland Street, fun is sure to follow.

My Thoughts

Although it was published in 2013 in the UK, Bertie's Guide to Life and Mothers has not yet been released in the US. But I didn't let that stop me. I waited until the audio edition became available in August 2014, then I ordered the CDs from England. I simply wasn't willing to wait any longer.

In this newest addition to McCall Smith's 44 Scotland Street series, Bertie's seventh birthday is finally here. But to his horror, his mother has totally spoiled it by giving him a gender-neutral “play figure”—which everyone except Irene recognizes as a doll—setting Bertie up for the to-be-expected torment by Olive. The rest of the cast is present: Matthew and Elspeth are barely coping with their triplets (and the au pair); Angus and Dominica are settling into domesticity; Bruce visits a waxologist; and we are introduced to a fascinating new character, Sister Maria-Fiore dei Fiori di Montagna.

David Rintoul's excellent reading of Bertie's Guide to Life and Mothers brought all the characters to life. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and while it's not the very best in the series, it holds its own. And, since it ended with at least one thread dangling, I'm confident there'll be yet another episode in a year or so.

★★★☆☆

Review: Tagged for Death

Tagged for Death by Sherry Harris
Published December 2, 2014 by Kensington
Source: NetGalley

Starting your life over at age thirty-eight isn't easy, but that's what Sarah Winston finds herself facing when her husband CJ runs off with a 19-year-old temptress named Tiffany. Sarah's self-prescribed therapy happily involves hitting all the garage and tag sales in and around her small town of Ellington, Massachusetts. If only she could turn her love for bargain hunting into a full-time career.

One man's junk is another man's treasure

But after returning from a particularly successful day searching for yard sale treasures, Sarah finds a grisly surprise in one of her bags: a freshly bloodied shirt…that undoubtedly belongs to her ex, CJ, who now happens to be Ellington's chief of police. If that's not bad enough, it seems Tiffany has gone missing. Now it's up to Sarah to prove that her cold-hearted ex is not a cold-blooded killer…

But finding that treasure can be murder.

My Thoughts

My first thought to object to the official description—Sarah's husband doesn't run off with a 19-year-old, he has a one night stand. But that's enough to set the plot in motion.

Divorced from her philandering husband, Sarah is on her own for the first time in her life. In addition to living alone, she's no longer living on a military base with its built-in social life for the wives of officers. Fortunately, she's able to continue volunteering at the on-base thrift shop.

Sarah loves thrift shops and garage sales. After introducing her friend Carol to garage sales and driving her around to several of them on a Saturday morning, Carol asks her to organize a sale to clear out her overstuffed garage. Then a visitor to Carol's garage sale offers to pay Sarah to help her, and a new business is born.

But, while Sarah is running garage sales and volunteering at the thrift shop, there's something more serious she needs to do—prove that her ex-husband isn't a murderer. Turns out that the young woman CJ had an affair with has gone missing. A couple of weeks later, the unidentifiable body of a young woman is found behind the thrift shop and CJ's ID badge is nearby. Everyone assumes it's the missing Tiffany. Sarah pursues clue after clue, crossing paths with the local police and military investigators in her quest to prove CJ's innocence.

I enjoyed Tagged for Death by Sherry Harris. It's the first of a cozy series and I look forward to reading the sequels as they become available.

★★★☆☆

Note that I received a free copy of The Glass Magician from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.