Thoma, Chrystalla: Rex Rising (Elei’s Chronicles) (2011)

2013-06-08 humanitysdarkerside 2 Comments

Like so many others, I really like this cover. It is probably the eye that does it for me. I am a sucker for eyes.

Kabam is how Rex Rising begins. Elei is on the run and working to stay alive. Rex Rising keeps on going at that pace. We are thrown from one action scene to another never really able to catch our breaths. Chrystalla Thoma does it so well. She links the different episodes and never goes over the top. If you want action Rex Rising would be a good choice.

While a page turner Rex Rising is also about the effect parasites have on us and could have on us given certain circumstances. At the end of the novel Chrystalla Thoma links to books and studies dealing with the subject. I love what she has made of a topic that could have easily become boring. But Ms. Thoma did not let me withdraw. Perhaps one of the parasites jumped from the novel and “made me do it” as in read the novel almost without stop.

Another thing Chrystalla Thoma has conquered is the art of the flow. Words falling together like water in rapids is a beautiful thing to be part of. I love words when they are treated in such a manner.

The novel concentrated itself mainly on Elei and his adventures and not so much on the world he lives on. We get glimpses and an understanding of the political situation, but there is not room for an in-depth study of the landscape. But we certainly get an in-depth look at sweet Elei. He is such a loveable character. Hera is another character whose qualities become more and more apparent through Rex Rising. Like the author states on her website, she likes her female characters a bit gung-ho. So do I.

Anyways, this is one YA series I highly recommend.

File Size: 955 KB
Print Length: 322 pages
Page Numbers Source ISBN: 1475096852
Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
Publisher: Amazon.com (August 11, 2011)
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
Language: English
ASIN: B005GZPOQE

Adventure, Fantasy

Weber, David: Oath of Swords (War God) (1995)

2013-06-08 humanitysdarkerside Leave a comment

I have long been a fan of David Weber. By the time I discovered Oath of Swords I had already read most of his science fiction stuff. Weber has a varied writing background of which the War God series is his only venture into the world of fantasy – a good choice for him in my opinion.

Some of the violence in the novel was disturbing to me. This was the part that dealt with Sharna – one of the dark gods. Why this specific kind of violence is especially disturbing to me is difficult to understand. Maybe it has something to do with my religious upbringing? Because, in fact, the violent parts are not worse that a whole lot of other violence that I have read and not been especially bothered by. Just saying.

One reviewer wished Bazhell would have kept on fighting Tormak until the end. I kind of agree with that assessment. Bazhell is a stubborn old hradani and his fighting what the war-god wanted was fun. What the ending would have been like if he had resisted until the end is something only David Weber could know.

Oath of Swords is very much about being the outsider. Bahzell is a hradani hostage at the human court. He is extremely easy to spot – size and all. Like any outsider he is treated as less. But he does have friends at court and also support from some of the gods.

I enjoyed Oath of Swords a lot and have actually read it two or three times.

Epiphyte review
A Wicked Convergence of Circumstances
The Book Review
Wikipedia (do not go there if you want to keep the plot a surprise)

Mass Market Paperback: 512 pages
Publisher: Baen; later printing edition (January 1, 1995)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0671876422
ISBN-13: 978-0671876425

Fantasy, LGBTQ+/GRSM, Thriller, Young Adult

Wolfe, Anna: Bitten (The One Rises) (2013)

2013-06-07 humanitysdarkerside 4 Comments

Anna Wolfe understands the flow. I love it when authors drag me in and I am unable to let go. I finished Bitten and immediately bought Addicted. Upon finishing that I felt annoyed that Wolfe had no more to sell me. Authors should consider doing something about that. Needing to be patient is a bummer.

Callie is a fascinating character. In the prologue we get our first taste of her right after she has gotten her first and last taste of Owen. It is obvious that the girl is struggling with her demon-infection because killing Owen felt soooo much better than Callie wants it to.

Quite literally we are off to a killer start. While the first scene was violent, the rest is not about violence, far from it.

Imagine the relief and terror it must have inspired in Callie to discover that she was not the only demon-bitten person running around in the world. Here you are living life with parents and a brother you love and then – kaboom – you get bitten by a demonridden best friend, watch your brother have his head torn off by that same friend and end up killing that friend yourself. All in a day’s work. In Callie’s case it got her thrown into a psychiatric institution from which she ended up running away from.

Then some other crazies find her and claim they too are infected and somehow those crazies become her family – a slightly dysfunctional family, but Callie is used to dysfunction.

Silas is the one who is in charge. He has the most experience with the demon/witch world. Edie and Mark are his students. All of them have great respect for Callie’s powers but are prepared to kill her if she becomes a danger (their definition of danger). Callie is greatly relieved knowing that. Edie seems afraid of her and Mark cannot decide whether he lusts after Callie.

File Size: 355 KB
Print Length: 170 pages
Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
Language: English
ASIN: B00CH2X88A

Adventure, Fantasy, Romance

Litteral, Heather: Bite (2011)

2013-06-05 humanitysdarkerside 2 Comments

Bite seems to be the only novel Heather Litteral has written thus far. It was weird not having a copyright page. Does that mean that Heather Litteral does not have copyright? Perhaps this is a stupid question, but I felt it needed to be addressed – if nothing but for the sake of Litteral’s authorship.

I used to think that having “strange powers” would be cool. It didn’t really matter which, as long as I could be different. Reading fantasy and science fiction has completely changed my mind on that subject. In the case of Skye, she can read minds. I would imagine reading minds could be advantageous at times. If some person is out to get you, wouldn’t it be nice to have warning? But otherwise??? Not so much. Reading minds has saved Skye’s life, but it was the ability to read minds that got her into trouble in the first place. We all think things in our heads that we do not want people to hear. Some people want to hide more than others. When what you are trying to hide is betrayal, then it becomes all the more important to silence the one you fear is a threat.

Skye gets chased from the first page of Bite. She has to try to keep one step ahead of the assassins, but that isn’t an easy matter. Early on she gains the help of a guy she bites, Ryan. Biting him was not something she would normally do as her preferred prey is the scummier sort of citizen.

When Skye decides to stop running and stay in Louisiana where she has finally begun to build a life for herself, she finds herself happy to have Ryan’s assistance. Ryan, too, is glad that Skye is on his side. For some reason his own sister (turned vampire) was murdered and now the murderers are after him.

What happens when you stop running? Well, one thing is that you have to face whatever you are running from. Often people think they have to fight these battles alone, but like Skye sometimes we find that others want to help us. At times that help comes with a price, as in the case of Gabriel, but not always.

Heather Litteral has written a fun novel. There are some vampire cliches but those are difficult to get away from. Litteral has focused more on action and less on romance and that is what I prefer. For a first novel, Bite was excellent.