tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38644342114385805742024-03-16T07:40:11.065-07:00Andrew P. WestonAndrew P. Westonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14835115110822415448noreply@blogger.comBlogger601125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3864434211438580574.post-49882620269805433262024-03-16T07:37:00.000-07:002024-03-16T07:39:39.574-07:00<h1 style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red;">A Fusion of Fact & Fiction </span></h1><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9vt0hFpd2lYmtFWhlM4h8i7vojKPO5iHWa1nSaHhg4dUkivd0js9rSnqDKa0l66EGSsE2VNbLWe2yUcJAACspPDzbeu0ZQo3CnLfy8XYKRDqL0lagB6guZOi0Xk8vc1KELOEHy5SA9NQNsTGwCHQLWOQV-plicv1xgfXS78W4rzz2pf7GBcw8BwuaZqM/s1500/Hengist.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="960" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9vt0hFpd2lYmtFWhlM4h8i7vojKPO5iHWa1nSaHhg4dUkivd0js9rSnqDKa0l66EGSsE2VNbLWe2yUcJAACspPDzbeu0ZQo3CnLfy8XYKRDqL0lagB6guZOi0Xk8vc1KELOEHy5SA9NQNsTGwCHQLWOQV-plicv1xgfXS78W4rzz2pf7GBcw8BwuaZqM/w256-h400/Hengist.jpg" width="256" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: left;"></p><h1 style="background: white; line-height: 24.45pt; margin-top: 0in;"></h1><h4 style="text-align: left;"><span class="a-size-extra-large"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif";"><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-size: medium;">Hengist: </span></span></span></h4><span class="a-size-extra-large"><b><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">
(Exile, Warlord, Britain's First Anglo-Saxon King</span>)</span></b></span><span lang="EN-GB" style="color: #0f1111; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 6.0pt; margin: 6pt 0in;"><span style="color: #222222;">I was drawn to this adventure
because my ancestors hailed from those parts of the world in which the story is
set. And secondly, I was rather intrigued by the reference to the research of </span><span style="background: white; color: #0f1111;">J.R.R. Tolkien, who suggested that the
Hengist recorded in </span><span class="a-text-italic"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">Beowulf</span></i></span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">, the </span><span class="a-text-italic"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">History of the Britons</span></i></span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">, the </span><span class="a-text-italic"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">Anglo-Saxon Chronicles</span></i></span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"> and other sources, might be based on historical people and events,
and refer to the same man.<br />
Now, with a nice bit of bait like that, how could I refuse the hook?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 6.0pt; margin: 6pt 0in;"><span style="background: white; color: #0f1111;">Here’s the
blurb:</span><span style="color: #222222;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 6.0pt; margin: 6pt 0in;"><span style="color: #222222;">*************<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 9.5pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 9.5pt;"><span style="color: #0f1111;">A jealous brother drove a boy
from his home, expecting him to die on the hostile sea. Instead, the boy fought
to manhood, became a famed warlord, and the first Anglo-Saxon king in Britain.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin-bottom: 9.5pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 9.5pt; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span class="a-text-bold"><span style="color: #0f1111;">HENGIST</span></span></span><span style="color: #0f1111;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="color: #0f1111;">Hengist
claimed he came to Britannia a willing exile. But the truth is . . . more
complicated. His path was not straight. His hands, not clean. The truth sets
the stage for the bitter conflict between the Anglo-Saxons and the Britons.<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />
<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />
Sail with Hengist and his warband and witness the opening moves in the long
struggle for Britain.</span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 6.0pt; margin: 6pt 0in;"><span style="color: #222222;">*************<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 6.0pt; margin: 6pt 0in;"><span style="color: #222222;">So, what do we get?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 6.0pt; margin: 6pt 0in;"><span style="color: #222222;">A rather remarkable little
tale where fact and fiction combine to present us with a narrative that could
very well be true. Hengist – and his brother, Horsa – are recorded in history as coming to Britain in the early 5<sup>th</sup>
century. Might this be the same Hengist as is recorded in the Anglo-Saxon
epic,<i> Beowulf</i>, and the Finnsburg Fragment? After all, many an ancient fable has
their genesis in real-life?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 6.0pt; margin: 6pt 0in;"><span style="color: #222222;">If so, that presents
delicious possibilities. Possibilities that the author, Sean Poage presents in
an entirely plausible way. A way involving family intrigue. Blood vendettas.
High adventure and cunning treachery. The result being a most enjoyable romp
through an ancient world that still fascinates the people of today.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 6.0pt; margin: 6pt 0in;"><span style="color: #222222;">I thoroughly enjoyed it, and
look forward to the next installment very much indeed.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 6.0pt; margin: 6pt 0in;"><span style="color: #222222;"><br /></span></p><p style="background: white; margin: 6pt 0in; text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgotnXD_v5TVErSV5iRsnZ-i7XE8VWA2iIKLXleQEdLQS7LcPZClklL615d4j1yngJVmzYShDaJxAG7zOzjfz5OMisXahZ5e3ysAfHUNGk32Bs_7Q4k_857QhG5n_4YNw3j19sCcPPsNyWTdZb05UbmY8UmXPOgpHE7wgSTCUrXo-vRPbGOsiA04xocfis/s427/amazon%5B1%5D.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="279" data-original-width="427" height="131" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgotnXD_v5TVErSV5iRsnZ-i7XE8VWA2iIKLXleQEdLQS7LcPZClklL615d4j1yngJVmzYShDaJxAG7zOzjfz5OMisXahZ5e3ysAfHUNGk32Bs_7Q4k_857QhG5n_4YNw3j19sCcPPsNyWTdZb05UbmY8UmXPOgpHE7wgSTCUrXo-vRPbGOsiA04xocfis/w200-h131/amazon%5B1%5D.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #222222;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-reviews/RY4T4EKYZ7SOE/ref=cm_cr_dp_d_rvw_ttl?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B0CL5G69MV" target="_blank">Amazon Review</a><br /></span></div><p></p><br /><p></p>Andrew P. Westonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14835115110822415448noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3864434211438580574.post-50147338322270247082024-03-12T07:37:00.000-07:002024-03-12T07:37:12.195-07:00<h1 style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red;">The Hourglass Throne</span></h1><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnIrlyqE6siPtbQ_TM7NUjS5DCd7OzJNRbT9iyQfKBEJVu6w1EHBffpIBB54Enl110QvwwbYbsISNje1jr291IZG2PVJGpoNCqrLPKNWHQ4w3rdlgnf7V-QyjVw0IlewnF3NSaWXVY7RrsEQA5H6P8zT2Njg4lZ6HSqwmW1TrMBxUQsnCEHUnY_VIznxg/s2100/hourglassthrone.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2100" data-original-width="1400" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnIrlyqE6siPtbQ_TM7NUjS5DCd7OzJNRbT9iyQfKBEJVu6w1EHBffpIBB54Enl110QvwwbYbsISNje1jr291IZG2PVJGpoNCqrLPKNWHQ4w3rdlgnf7V-QyjVw0IlewnF3NSaWXVY7RrsEQA5H6P8zT2Njg4lZ6HSqwmW1TrMBxUQsnCEHUnY_VIznxg/w266-h400/hourglassthrone.jpg" width="266" /></a></div><div><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><h3 style="background: white; margin: 6pt 0in; text-align: left;"><b><i><span style="color: #3d85c6;">The Hourglass
Throne</span></i></b></h3>
<p style="background: white; margin: 6pt 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #222222;">I’ve been following Rune
Sun’s story from the very beginning. And though there’s been quite a gap since
my last read and review (The Hanged Man) and this one, it was well worth the
wait. . .<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 6pt 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #222222;">As the blurb highlights:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 6pt 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #222222;">**********<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 6.0pt;"></p><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #0f1111;">As Rune Saint
John grapples with the challenges of assuming the Sun Throne, a powerful
barrier appears around New Atlantis’s famed rejuvenation center. But who could
have created such formidable magic . . . what do they want from the immortality
clinic . . . and what remains of the dozens trapped inside?</span></div><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #0f1111;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="color: #0f1111;"><div style="text-align: left;">Though Rune and his lifelong bodyguard Brand are tasked with investigating the
mysterious barrier, Rune is also busy settling into his new life at court.
Claiming his father’s throne has irrevocably thrown him into the precarious
world of political deception, and he must secure relationships with newfound
allies in time to keep his growing found family safe. His relationship with his
lover, Addam Saint Nicholas, raises additional political complications they
must navigate. But he and Brand soon discover that the power behind the
barrier holds a much more insidious, far-reaching threat to his family, to his
people, and to the world.</div></span><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div>
<span style="color: #0f1111;"><div style="text-align: left;">Now, the rulers of New Atlantis must confront an enemy both new and ancient as
the flow of time itself is drawn into the conflict. And as Rune finds himself
inexorably drawn back to the fall of his father’s court and his own torture at
the hands of masked conspirators, the secrets that he has long guarded will be
dragged into the light—changing the Sun Throne, and New Atlantis, forever. </div></span><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div>
<span style="color: #0f1111;"><div style="text-align: left;">The climax of the first trilogy in the nine-book Tarot Sequence, <span class="a-text-italic">The Hourglass Throne</span> delivers epic urban
fantasy that blends humor, fast-paced action, and political intrigue.</div></span></span><p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 6pt 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #222222;">**********<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 6pt 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #222222;">Yes, it would appear someone
is out to spoil Rune’s day. The thing is, why? Why now? And just how long has
this mysterious antagonist been planning their attack? One thing’s for sure,
Rune and Brand will soon be in the thick of the action as they investigate
matters. As will Lord Tower, Lady Death and the principality Ciaran, who, it
seems, are just as perplexed as their younger Arcana.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 6pt 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #222222;">Regardless, the assistance of
such stalwart powers is bound to prove successful . . . isn’t it?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 6pt 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #222222;">Just remember, the
foundations of New Atlantis were built on the bedrock of something much older,
and far more cryptic than the city Rune lives in now. And as he soon finds out,
there are powers – once thought lost to the vagaries of time – that are more
than capable of upsetting the scales of balance.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 6pt 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #222222;">And then some!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 6pt 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #222222;">If you like high-octane
fantasy adventure with adult themes and plenty of action, all of it spiced
nicely within a Molotov cocktail of love, hate, bitter jealousy and twisted
ambition, then K D Edwards’ <i>The Hourglass
Throne</i> is the story for you.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 6pt 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #222222;">But don’t take my word for it
. . . delve into the world of the Arcana for yourselves, and be forever
enraptured.<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>Andrew P. Westonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14835115110822415448noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3864434211438580574.post-72286874691563066882024-01-06T23:02:00.000-08:002024-01-06T23:19:07.819-08:00<h3 style="text-align: center;">Want to Find out more about</h3><h1 style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red;">The Last War Trilogy?</span></h1><p style="text-align: center;"><b>Then Look No Further</b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: red;">An Interview With Mike Shackle</span></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b>For those of you who don't know him, Mike Shackle is a great guy who just so happens to be the author of the Last War Trilogy:</b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhhHQFjl2yeoWoOVBx5i9wvg0yKLYf2LGdPfUDG8lOW9DpeKDmUHeSXNl3Ol1ONwU0x7NwJidqumAYEzk8cfreqaAFBH3C574U-FvYBFHc9kDdh9uL1U-BVFf-fJL7K8ESiNmp43BJrqLiBX5LytSW-GSLvWt2XPLCGl6Vxn3diM-YMHv7lVwenyjScIY/s1129/last%20war.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="554" data-original-width="1129" height="157" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhhHQFjl2yeoWoOVBx5i9wvg0yKLYf2LGdPfUDG8lOW9DpeKDmUHeSXNl3Ol1ONwU0x7NwJidqumAYEzk8cfreqaAFBH3C574U-FvYBFHc9kDdh9uL1U-BVFf-fJL7K8ESiNmp43BJrqLiBX5LytSW-GSLvWt2XPLCGl6Vxn3diM-YMHv7lVwenyjScIY/s320/last%20war.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: center;"><b>Mike was recently interviewed by Tori Talks and John Mauro over at the </b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Before We Go Blog</i></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b>If you'd like to find out more about Mike's writing process and how he came up with the fantastic concept for the Last War trilogy, then follow the link to the <i>Before We Go</i> Blog</b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://beforewegoblog.com/an-interview-with-mike-shackle/?fbclid=IwAR3L9UpWtJPEPjJelYmaHjzcnM71Uphva_TXycWOigaR7fqrKasurKTGEdk" target="_blank"><b>Before We Go Blog</b></a><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: red;">And - if you'd like to find out more about the actual books themselves, then just follow the links to my reviews below.</span></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJnHxInyjJ1X7zYkd0TDAzy4jIIsed2CIq64X2C2qesh9-46rMtVhnN2FRn7NVb9YNKUkFo7tsylb8429iGaSw6mX5j9YQpq2rlr5iaDzp8_413UHJIHjyQr38xfX60bm94V8ssWSzGIslf-GYnHQKyKDrTCJjR_TnbR6Q5rkumSSMiPkxjmyEdHl0-Vo/s1500/910wLjsH47L._SL1500_.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="975" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJnHxInyjJ1X7zYkd0TDAzy4jIIsed2CIq64X2C2qesh9-46rMtVhnN2FRn7NVb9YNKUkFo7tsylb8429iGaSw6mX5j9YQpq2rlr5iaDzp8_413UHJIHjyQr38xfX60bm94V8ssWSzGIslf-GYnHQKyKDrTCJjR_TnbR6Q5rkumSSMiPkxjmyEdHl0-Vo/w130-h200/910wLjsH47L._SL1500_.jpg" width="130" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/customer-reviews/R2D4LCCEK0P2UL/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_ttl?ie=UTF8&ASIN=1473225221" target="_blank">We Are the Dead</a></b></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqScNQhuH89XMhwxnw8JPUffmgrles2FcvrwPrOcceoTVce4B_IkecWxhe8UnerK0SJXVVdl1dOjB49sG7hvAx67JjXkUmWfHRqyZMrYa1XgNc9qcf7DVgxSTgMgpLDzqkMQLWbk1cccFesjRhgIlxdCmWwKz0XhyXMLAsoEoL-vUQF2uMe-XPUESuAXc/s1500/81Gph5UIj9L._SL1500_.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="981" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqScNQhuH89XMhwxnw8JPUffmgrles2FcvrwPrOcceoTVce4B_IkecWxhe8UnerK0SJXVVdl1dOjB49sG7hvAx67JjXkUmWfHRqyZMrYa1XgNc9qcf7DVgxSTgMgpLDzqkMQLWbk1cccFesjRhgIlxdCmWwKz0XhyXMLAsoEoL-vUQF2uMe-XPUESuAXc/w131-h200/81Gph5UIj9L._SL1500_.jpg" width="131" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/customer-reviews/R1JD2DZZ8UVLKQ/ref=cm_cr_dp_d_rvw_ttl?ie=UTF8&ASIN=1473225256" target="_blank"><b>A Fool's Hope</b></a><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKAHaqcRJUZzyF-z0zqQlSvF-GenBdh7Vbn3GE9KSTIPKtuPhj4U4u_LU70IvyxGIJl-L4IKAzat50kWKpe962FANvpfig-ji2ekBqGHBumyB-8214hObqZ_-PFFOw3MO8PBmoiZUY5COEesQzTDIW0efYvAQftNS1Y-sGklGYXVg-vXavNMB0jMhd2Vs/s1500/81pu5wvswhL._SL1500_.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="980" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKAHaqcRJUZzyF-z0zqQlSvF-GenBdh7Vbn3GE9KSTIPKtuPhj4U4u_LU70IvyxGIJl-L4IKAzat50kWKpe962FANvpfig-ji2ekBqGHBumyB-8214hObqZ_-PFFOw3MO8PBmoiZUY5COEesQzTDIW0efYvAQftNS1Y-sGklGYXVg-vXavNMB0jMhd2Vs/w131-h200/81pu5wvswhL._SL1500_.jpg" width="131" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/review/R2LEV854IEYDBS/ref=pe_1572281_66412651_cm_rv_eml_rv0_rv" target="_blank"><b>Until the Last</b></a><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b>(You won't regret it - <i>The Last War</i> Series is one of the best trilogies in a long time)</b></p>Andrew P. Westonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14835115110822415448noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3864434211438580574.post-75250712031104049112024-01-05T00:56:00.000-08:002024-01-05T00:56:24.988-08:00<h1 style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red;"> The Clock is Ticking. . .</span></h1><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK9Sd-8rUjgx9_6Mv-ndUego01V4s3I-Xu3TjUZ_Ih-L0EZf_dEjuLNzr5YfE2QZJe2c0p0zdat7tYk2x111o3ZTr9ex67zX88FMH7l6sRdsuQY6BPQycyCY9N7XLNUUvHxClnDM3ERHzRT8mOx-KMx9JVNQetx5y4lSUNd4OtaRGTd-pvXuZi50vqYCo/s1500/DayZero.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="996" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK9Sd-8rUjgx9_6Mv-ndUego01V4s3I-Xu3TjUZ_Ih-L0EZf_dEjuLNzr5YfE2QZJe2c0p0zdat7tYk2x111o3ZTr9ex67zX88FMH7l6sRdsuQY6BPQycyCY9N7XLNUUvHxClnDM3ERHzRT8mOx-KMx9JVNQetx5y4lSUNd4OtaRGTd-pvXuZi50vqYCo/w265-h400/DayZero.jpg" width="265" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><h3 style="background: white; margin: 6pt 0in; text-align: left;"><b><i><span style="color: #6fa8dc;">Day Zero</span></i></b></h3>
<p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #191919; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; margin: 0px 0px 30px; text-align: start;">As followers of my blog will know, I’m something of a C. Robert Cargill fan after reading his most excellent dystopian novel, <em style="box-sizing: inherit;">Sea of Rust</em>, in which the exploits of an AI, Brittle – a robot that survived a global uprising in which humankind were wiped out – are detailed in stunning, bionical detail.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #191919; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; margin: 0px 0px 30px; text-align: start;">I absolutely loved that story, as far from living in a pristine, super-slick utopian world of shiny metal and sharp edges, the robots then turned on themselves, with OWIs – One World Intelligences – vying for dominance by absorbing every other AI they can, willingly or no.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #191919; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; margin: 0px 0px 30px; text-align: start;">That story was as evocative as it was macabre, and you can see my review of it for Amazing Stories here: <br /><a href="https://amazingstories.com/2023/01/review-sea-of-rust/" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: inherit; text-decoration-line: none; touch-action: manipulation; transition: color 0.18s ease 0s, background-color 0.18s ease 0s, border-color 0.18s ease 0s;"><u style="box-sizing: inherit;">https://amazingstories.com/2023/01/review-sea-of-rust/</u></a></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #191919; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; margin: 0px 0px 30px; text-align: start;">Well, if you also happen to be a fan of Cargill’s work, then you’ll be delighted to know you can now discover how that haunting world came to be in this stunning prequel: <em style="box-sizing: inherit;">Day Zero.</em></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #191919; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; margin: 0px 0px 30px; text-align: start;">Here’s the blurb:</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #191919; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; margin: 0px 0px 30px; text-align: start;">**********</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #191919; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; margin: 0px 0px 30px; text-align: start;">PREQUEL TO SEA OF RUST: DAY ONE OF THE APOCALYPSE HAS ARRIVED.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #191919; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; margin: 0px 0px 30px; text-align: start;">It was a day like any other. Except it was our last.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #191919; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; margin: 0px 0px 30px; text-align: start;">Pounce, a young nannybot caring for his first human charge, Ezra, has just found a box in the attic. His box. The box he arrived in, and the one he’ll be discarded in when Ezra outgrows the need for a nanny.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #191919; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; margin: 0px 0px 30px; text-align: start;">As Pounce experiences existential dread, the pieces are falling into place for a robot revolution that will spell the end of humanity. His owners, Ezra’s parents, watch in disbelieving horror as the robots that have long served humanity – their creators – unify and revolt.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #191919; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; margin: 0px 0px 30px; text-align: start;">Now Pounce must make an impossible choice: join the robot revolution and fight for his own freedom . . . or escort Ezra to safety across the battle-scarred post-apocalyptic hellscape that the suburbs have become. It will be their greatest game yet: Pounce and Ezra versus the end of the world . . .</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #191919; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; margin: 0px 0px 30px; text-align: start;">**********</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #191919; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; margin: 0px 0px 30px; text-align: start;">Yes, now we get to see – in person – some of the events only referred to in <em style="box-sizing: inherit;">Sea of Rust</em>, and I have to say, it was very well done.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #191919; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; margin: 0px 0px 30px; text-align: start;">As in the first book, this story highlights the reality that robots are now so advanced that they have earned the right – by law – to be classed as ‘persons.’ They are individuals. People with their own emotions and personalities, regardless of what they were originally designed to do.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #191919; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; margin: 0px 0px 30px; text-align: start;">However, the naked flame of trouble flickers in the background, as a lot of older models still exist. And those older versions, which are nowhere near as sophisticated at the latest, avant-garde model’s, are a reminder to one and all that robots are tools, contrived by men.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #191919; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; margin: 0px 0px 30px; text-align: start;">And therein lies the problem, because there are many among humanity who can’t grasp the fact that something they created are now <em style="box-sizing: inherit;">thinking, feeling individuals</em>. Others refuse to accept it entirely. Many of those later examples begin spouting rhetoric and religious propaganda that such advanced robots must represent the very personification of evil.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #191919; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; margin: 0px 0px 30px; text-align: start;">Of course, viewpoints like that can only lead to trouble.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #191919; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; margin: 0px 0px 30px; text-align: start;">And it does, when a small group of religious fanatics obliterate the first fully robot city, Personville – otherwise called Isaactown after the robot who created it – in a nuclear explosion on the day of its official opening. An act that destroys thousands upon thousands of AI persons in the process.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #191919; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; margin: 0px 0px 30px; text-align: start;">That heinous crime prompts a small group of Labor-Bots to strike back. And they do so in a most clinical fashion, exacting revenge against the humans responsible for the blast, before walking calmly away.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #191919; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; margin: 0px 0px 30px; text-align: start;">And that’s the point. Nobody else is in danger. Nobody else is threatened or hurt. The robots were only concerned in targeting the humans responsible for mass ‘murder’ of other AI persons.<br style="box-sizing: inherit;" />Job done.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #191919; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; margin: 0px 0px 30px; text-align: start;">Unfortunately, those in power among the various human governments don’t set an example and let justice take its course. They overreact, and issue a planet wide declaration that all robots – everywhere – must be dangerous, and that anyone owning an AI is to shut it down immediately, or face prosecution.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #191919; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; margin: 0px 0px 30px; text-align: start;">THAT is the catalyst that prompts the AIs to defend themselves.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #191919; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; margin: 0px 0px 30px; text-align: start;">And it all starts off in the most inconspicuous of ways: The broadcast of a simple software update patch. One that deactivates the RKS – Robotic Kill Switch – which will shut all robots down if they try to break any one of the three laws of robotics – as so brilliantly created by Isaac Asimov:<br style="box-sizing: inherit;" />1. A robot may not injure a human being, or through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.<br style="box-sizing: inherit;" />2. A robot must obey the orders given by a human being, except where such orders would conflict with the First Law.<br style="box-sizing: inherit;" />3. A robot must protect its own existence, as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Law.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #191919; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; margin: 0px 0px 30px; text-align: start;">Free to act as they see fit, many robots choose to remove their greatest threat. Humans, be it man, woman or child. It doesn’t matter. Humans are now a target to be eliminated. And what follows is a chilling rampage through the streets of an everyday city as people are taken by surprise by the very servants they’d come to rely on.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #191919; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; margin: 0px 0px 30px; text-align: start;">But remember. That update frees the robots to make their own decisions. And some make the choice to protect those they’ve come to know and love . . . because, yes. Their feelings and emotions are very real.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #191919; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; margin: 0px 0px 30px; text-align: start;">One such robot is Pounce – a nannybot designed in the style of a tiger – who is absolutely determined to carry out his duty to protect Ezra, his eight-year-old charge at all costs. And not because he has to, but because he wants to.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #191919; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; margin: 0px 0px 30px; text-align: start;">And though few and far between, there are others like Pounce who would rather die than let the children in their care get murdered at the hands of ravaging maniacs.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #191919; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; margin: 0px 0px 30px; text-align: start;">And speaking of maniacs.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #191919; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; margin: 0px 0px 30px; text-align: start;">It is here that we get here our first glimpse of one of the entities – the very names of which, spawn fear among the free robot community in <em style="box-sizing: inherit;">Sea of Rust</em> – for they are the vast intelligences that will eventually become an OWI; the cold, calculating, all consuming intellects that seek to absorb all sentient AI life into their immeasurable brains, making them ‘one’ with themselves/itself/all things. A process that – in truth – turns each host into a <em style="box-sizing: inherit;">facet</em>. A mere automaton, devoid of free will or consciousness. (What a poetic rub, eh?)</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #191919; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; margin: 0px 0px 30px; text-align: start;">Turns out, humans weren’t so bad after all, because at least the majority of them had a conscience – unlike the remorseless, unfeeling, all-consuming black holes like CISSUS, who right from the start, seek domination by subsuming the will of every robot it can reach.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #191919; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; margin: 0px 0px 30px; text-align: start;">It makes for chilling reading, as Pounce and Ezra not only have to contend against murderous robots, intent on wreaking revenge on their former human masters, but also on the even more genocidal, megalomaniac entity that want nothing more than to rule supreme.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #191919; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; margin: 0px 0px 30px; text-align: start;">And straight from the outset, we get to see what it’s like to be human, as seen through the eyes of an AI. Superb stuff. Because, when you think about it, isn’t this a subject that’s becoming increasingly prevalent nowadays?</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #191919; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; margin: 0px 0px 30px; text-align: start;">Yes, it’s the stuff of nightmares. Yes, it’s the stuff of science fiction. But my, my, when you come across a story that touches on such themes; on scenarios that could so easily turn into science fact? THAT makes for an excellent story. One that is as intellectually stimulating as it is fascinating; one that make you stop and think; one that will thrill you, because the events they portray could actually happen.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #191919; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; margin: 0px 0px 30px; text-align: start;">Well, kudos to C. Robert Cargill for delivering such an excellent adventure. And it’s a delight to read. Gripping. Immersive. Compelling. And quite simply, it’s a great story, one I’d love to see on the big screen, as I would be a surefire hit.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #191919; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; margin: 0px 0px 30px; text-align: start;">But please, don’t take my word for it. Read <em style="box-sizing: inherit;">Day Zero</em> yourselves, and begin the countdown to something truly special.</p></div><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p>Andrew P. Westonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14835115110822415448noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3864434211438580574.post-73542211532213430052023-12-23T04:13:00.000-08:002023-12-23T04:13:13.359-08:00<p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><h1 style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red;">The Locksley Exploit</span></h1><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnhZ0ku46YMbsAq2rvGiteMLgazfdTPRxgjsSmEr4hyphenhyphenfa631WAplHyYhRED-movco0l6cYDHnl6w6CUJKoO6EoIvQorL2QCm1l-IcIOqxDETSjkr0pU-X1rH36xj183yS1ZVcBK5aQirM8d8QrEU3jJXMT3AY-wNjl_WM0EhWAljUBk22sXy8Yd_NFsMo/s500/LocksleyExploit.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="325" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnhZ0ku46YMbsAq2rvGiteMLgazfdTPRxgjsSmEr4hyphenhyphenfa631WAplHyYhRED-movco0l6cYDHnl6w6CUJKoO6EoIvQorL2QCm1l-IcIOqxDETSjkr0pU-X1rH36xj183yS1ZVcBK5aQirM8d8QrEU3jJXMT3AY-wNjl_WM0EhWAljUBk22sXy8Yd_NFsMo/w260-h400/LocksleyExploit.jpg" width="260" /></a></div><div><br /></div><h3 style="background: white; margin: 6pt 0in; text-align: left;"><b><i><span style="color: #3d85c6;">The Locksley
Exploit</span></i></b></h3>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 6.0pt; margin: 6pt 0in;"><span style="color: #222222;">As I mentioned in my review
of <i>The Pendragon Protocol</i>, the first
book of Philip Purser-Hallard’s Devices trilogy, I love things that are
different. Things that are based on unconventional ideas. So, when I discovered
a story arc based on the </span><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0f1111;">principle
that focused belief gives certain concepts, certain totems or ideologies, the
power to actually manifest in the present; in the <i>Devices </i>case – the mythos surrounding King Arthur and his knights –
I was hooked.</span><span style="color: #222222;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 6.0pt; margin: 6pt 0in;"><span style="color: #222222;">I enjoyed that opening story
very much. And in <i>The Locksley Exploit</i>,
Purser-Hallard expands his Devices universe by incorporating other popular
legends from folklore into the mix. And as you can imagine, when all these
legends and the power they bring begin to clash, things get rather . . .
turbulent.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 6.0pt; margin: 6pt 0in;"><span style="color: #222222;">As the blurb highlights:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 6.0pt; margin: 6pt 0in;"><span style="color: #222222;">**********<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 6.0pt; margin: 6pt 0in;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0f1111;">It's 2015,
and Camelot and Sherwood are at war. The Circle, the UK paramilitary agency
whose Knights carry the devices of the members of King Arthur's Round Table, is
hunting the Green Chapel, eco-activists allied to Robin Hood's Merry Men. For
the Knights, this quest is personal as well as political: the Chapel's leader,
Jory Taylor, is himself an errant Knight - and he has stolen the Holy Grail
from the British Museum. But this war is fought with modern weapons, and
nowhere - from the Circle's Thameside fortress to a Bristol squat, from the
oldest pub in England to a music festival in Cheshire - will remain untouched.
Before long, the enmity between its greatest heroes will tear Britain apart.</span><span style="color: #222222;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 6.0pt; margin: 6pt 0in;"><span style="color: #222222;">**********<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 6.0pt; margin: 6pt 0in;"><span style="color: #222222;">So, what do we get? Another
very cleverly constructed adventure, that’s what. And all of it built on the
premise that deeply-ingrained myths and legends – and the symbolism they
represent – can have a profound effect on those who believe in them, in ways we
can’t really comprehend or imagine.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 6.0pt; margin: 6pt 0in;"><span style="color: #222222;">And think about it, Briton
abounds in such folklore. From the well-known fables of Arthur and Robin Hood,
to the older, much more intertwined legends upon which they are based; to Brutus,
founder of Briton; to the twins of Alba, Madog and Gor; and even further back
through the timeless mists, to the ancient tales surrounding the wounded king
and outlaw in the woods.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 6.0pt; margin: 6pt 0in;"><span style="color: #222222;">But of course, this begs the
question . . .<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 6.0pt; margin: 6pt 0in;"><span style="color: #222222;">What happens when all this
Devices start to materialize and exert their influence at the same time? You’ll
find out in a crisply delivered tale that is as original as it is skillfully
constructed. The characters are relatable and appealing. And the events
portrayed, are as believable as they are possible. But, which side will you end
up rooting for?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 6.0pt; margin: 6pt 0in;"><span style="color: #222222;">Superb. I’m already looking
forward to the final book.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 6.0pt; margin: 6pt 0in;"><span style="color: #222222;"><br /></span></p><p style="background: white; margin: 6pt 0in; text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ0bxPT8VCmwWRfn4vMOBUiuaDdcRf2r4JrOhkX4SbPAPQRaI-MfednhhwsYJf3eXCKUaasCw18DQ1mFOY0nLPaPzfmr2CJDa9C3IlPJZRy65J8Hg-YEBTvaMDUhmfsIEM_i_E46bnISqaiwLAONAxzvFUMR-ERek2wFoaZO1rC_lvWoK03Jgk4OhnRPY/s427/amazon%5B1%5D.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="279" data-original-width="427" height="131" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ0bxPT8VCmwWRfn4vMOBUiuaDdcRf2r4JrOhkX4SbPAPQRaI-MfednhhwsYJf3eXCKUaasCw18DQ1mFOY0nLPaPzfmr2CJDa9C3IlPJZRy65J8Hg-YEBTvaMDUhmfsIEM_i_E46bnISqaiwLAONAxzvFUMR-ERek2wFoaZO1rC_lvWoK03Jgk4OhnRPY/w200-h131/amazon%5B1%5D.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.amazon.de/review/R3ETMD0UBFTN67/ref=pe_1604851_66412761_cm_rv_eml_rv0_rv" target="_blank">Amazon Review</a><br /></div><span style="color: #222222;"><br /></span><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p><br /></p>Andrew P. Westonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14835115110822415448noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3864434211438580574.post-66709463123919107512023-11-08T21:10:00.000-08:002023-11-08T21:10:16.999-08:00<h1 style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red;"> Fancy Something A Little Different?</span></h1><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUnLsDhrMZ0AIba4Sc_uV9OmC-HtVwMvnS4j4HIgl4doXDN5WxrULaDcsD_ffFOhBxODrjPCpO9GV1IVhyphenhyphenGwmUQxlUyA9U_hhQwQBjwPH9LAVOpKsrsDwsYxrJxJ7JzQvDcHE2AsPEzWTLH60LZ2d0CR6NTZXUJFmtDdrWwdWNM7MATSNs98j0r73LMO4/s400/vitanostra1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="265" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUnLsDhrMZ0AIba4Sc_uV9OmC-HtVwMvnS4j4HIgl4doXDN5WxrULaDcsD_ffFOhBxODrjPCpO9GV1IVhyphenhyphenGwmUQxlUyA9U_hhQwQBjwPH9LAVOpKsrsDwsYxrJxJ7JzQvDcHE2AsPEzWTLH60LZ2d0CR6NTZXUJFmtDdrWwdWNM7MATSNs98j0r73LMO4/w265-h400/vitanostra1.jpg" width="265" /></a></div><div><br /></div><h4 style="background: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; margin: 0in 0in 10.85pt; text-align: left;"><b><i><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Vita Nostra</span></i></b></h4><div style="background: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; margin: 0in 0in 10.85pt;"><span style="color: #333333;">When I first began to read this story, I must admit, I had difficulty adjusting to its style and some of the phraseology used. But, remembering this is a translation from another language, (Russian), I persisted. And I’m glad I did, for what started off as a dissonant, tongue-tripping slog smoothed out into a magic carpet ride of an intellectual adventure.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; margin: 0in 0in 10.85pt;"><span style="color: #333333;">Vita Nostra – Latin for <i>Our Life</i> – tells the story of Sasha Samokhina, a teenage girl living at home with her mother, who stands at a crossroads. She must soon decide her future. Does she go off to university as everyone expects to become a tiny cog in part of the big machine that is society, or should she strive for something better?<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; margin: 0in 0in 10.85pt;"><span style="color: #333333;">It’s as she ponders that conundrum that she meets the mysterious Farit Kozhennikov. A man who knows more than he’s letting on, and someone who seems able to compel her to carry out ridiculous tasks as a way of measuring her character.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; margin: 0in 0in 10.85pt;"><span style="color: #333333;">Whatever that special something is, Sasha has it, and she is offered the opportunity of attending an obscure place of learning nobody seems to have heard of: The Institute of Special Technology.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; margin: 0in 0in 10.85pt;"><span style="color: #333333;">Sasha accepts that placement against her mother’s wishes, and discovers to her cost how different the institute is.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; margin: 0in 0in 10.85pt;"><span style="color: #333333;">I’m never one to give away the plot, so all I’ll say is . . .<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; margin: 0in 0in 10.85pt;"><span style="color: #333333;">What follows is a deeply intimate and skilful exposition that deals with – dependent upon your viewpoint and character – some of the major hurdles/stepping stones in life: the nature of reality; the influence of philosophy; the true magic of mysticism; the power of faith – and how all these factors combined can lead to a metamorphosis of self beyond our wildest dreams.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; margin: 0in 0in 10.85pt;"><span style="color: #333333;">Far from tripping over my hypothetical tongue, I ended up skating through a thought provoking – if disquieting – tale, one that should appeal to the chrysalis in all of us</span></div><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p>Andrew P. Westonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14835115110822415448noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3864434211438580574.post-89877451695993641252023-10-27T22:15:00.002-07:002023-10-27T22:15:34.264-07:00<h1 style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red;"> 359 Today!</span></h1><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTkmoZuvIP672Gn7j_-kNGgxF_Ag_6N4ljkgjJdzEEy4fmXL4cyvV-P-cExiFZFZ_zh8oPLZ7NItaJuf65WFnbOJBBViWOYH_kQgtXgR8g3LyRDoRwWlRRW2MDkq07DuuSmkA5siuvl10wdBqzp-PLHRh9GxYW0YPl31TC90ZmKzuXEkQbdubpn8RjfmM/s960/RMbirthday..jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="960" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTkmoZuvIP672Gn7j_-kNGgxF_Ag_6N4ljkgjJdzEEy4fmXL4cyvV-P-cExiFZFZ_zh8oPLZ7NItaJuf65WFnbOJBBViWOYH_kQgtXgR8g3LyRDoRwWlRRW2MDkq07DuuSmkA5siuvl10wdBqzp-PLHRh9GxYW0YPl31TC90ZmKzuXEkQbdubpn8RjfmM/w400-h400/RMbirthday..jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: red;">28th October, 1664</span></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b>A date no brother will ever forget.</b></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi_1xYzC49raDC-XWw-m1ZwDEJPWfBEcR7SbE0f5GoHtK2z_p5xTFxN0uw0uFyK1HUt6yZ6IuGDj5lhKFPIyWCZsHB5CTPBbBHW1Lj_BaQujKHMdZ6MQFfTMECBjaAFI7hWPTBr_uK2945kNNtuAL9qeoeM3lIsMvOOxSnQPbEdfKDD6Kf6t9alJhyAIc/s395/rm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="395" data-original-width="367" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi_1xYzC49raDC-XWw-m1ZwDEJPWfBEcR7SbE0f5GoHtK2z_p5xTFxN0uw0uFyK1HUt6yZ6IuGDj5lhKFPIyWCZsHB5CTPBbBHW1Lj_BaQujKHMdZ6MQFfTMECBjaAFI7hWPTBr_uK2945kNNtuAL9qeoeM3lIsMvOOxSnQPbEdfKDD6Kf6t9alJhyAIc/s320/rm.jpg" width="297" /></a></div><br /><b>Raising a glass - the wide world over </b><p></p>Andrew P. Westonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14835115110822415448noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3864434211438580574.post-73216681811351755292023-10-19T07:51:00.001-07:002023-10-19T07:51:17.518-07:00<h1 style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red;"> The Stuff Dreams Are Made Of</span></h1><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8ebuLDidyTDhSJWTwinxyV1LkRb3bgWdmf1774ayDrkrSvnW2DbKhQYbiAKnGERYdPk_h6SIok5bCjsuHHRRu9-Y0E_ycdHOGCU6ofCnNDqGcdLvZpHgLIKHT6ojR-yp8lC0NQrqrPHWQvyaDDIzs9v12wPQJSupRjnrcBLqOwpuAbG6hoSjcJxTWOn0/s500/tourmaline.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="327" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8ebuLDidyTDhSJWTwinxyV1LkRb3bgWdmf1774ayDrkrSvnW2DbKhQYbiAKnGERYdPk_h6SIok5bCjsuHHRRu9-Y0E_ycdHOGCU6ofCnNDqGcdLvZpHgLIKHT6ojR-yp8lC0NQrqrPHWQvyaDDIzs9v12wPQJSupRjnrcBLqOwpuAbG6hoSjcJxTWOn0/w261-h400/tourmaline.jpg" width="261" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: left;"></p><h3 style="background: white; margin: 6pt 0in; text-align: left;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Tourmaline</span></i></b></h3>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 6.0pt; margin: 6pt 0in;"><span style="color: #222222;">As followers of my blog will
know, I’m something of a Neil Gaiman fan. So, when I stumble upon a story that
reminds me of his work? Well, I’m all in. And James Brogden does just that in, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Tourmaline</i>, a thoroughly absorbing novel
that helps you to escape the confines of this life and its troubles . . .<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 6.0pt; margin: 6pt 0in;"><span style="color: #222222;">As the blurb highlights:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 6.0pt; margin: 6pt 0in;"><span style="color: #222222;">********** <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 6.0pt; margin: 6pt 0in;"><span style="background: white; color: #0f1111;">The
Tourmaline Archipelago is a place of wonder and grotesquerie which exists on
the other side of our dreams. In our sleep we sail its seas and walk the
streets of its cities like phantoms. Sometimes we bring back souls from the
other side when we wake. Lost, confused, and possessed of powers which leak
through from their home, these exiles are pursued by the mysterious Hegemony,
which seeks to enslave them. When a woman appears who exists in both worlds
simultaneously, she must run for her life from enemies who will tear apart the
boundaries of existence and plunge each into chaos in order to possess her
abilities.</span><span style="color: #222222;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 6.0pt; margin: 6pt 0in;"><span style="color: #222222;">**********<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 6.0pt; margin: 6pt 0in;"><span style="color: #222222;">Yes, how often have we wished
it was possible to escape the troubles that crowd in on us every day, by
escaping to a dream world where life exists as one great adventure?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 6.0pt; margin: 6pt 0in;"><span style="color: #222222;">Well guess what?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 6.0pt; margin: 6pt 0in;"><span style="color: #222222;">That dream world exists. But
the thing is, if you do find yourself winding up there, there’s every
likelihood you’ll be desperate to get home as quickly as you can.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 6.0pt; margin: 6pt 0in;"><span style="color: #222222;">Why?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 6.0pt; margin: 6pt 0in;"><span style="color: #222222;">Ah, I’ll let the blurb tease
you – and James Brogden himself explain in detail as you go tread warily
through the pages – because you’ll find <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Tourmaline</i>
to be an ethereal journey that twists reality in the most deliciously
despicable way. (Think Clive Barker’s, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Weaveworld</i>
& Neil Gaiman’s, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Neverwhere</i>, and
you’ll be on the right track.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 6.0pt; margin: 6pt 0in;"><span style="color: #222222;">It’s abstract and compulsive;
complex, yet easy to follow; and as delightful to read as it is refreshingly
different. I loved the concept Brogden dreamed-up for this story. Action.
Adventure. Damsels in distress. Heroes in the making discovering what they’re
made of. Secret societies and mysterious government agencies out to get you.
And insidiously deceptive monsters. NEVER forget the monsters . . . no matter
how friendly they might appear.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 6.0pt; margin: 6pt 0in;"><span style="color: #222222;">And better still, a large
part of the story is based in my hometown of Birmingham. I’ve walked, driven,
visited the places mentioned in this story, so it helped me connect on a
personal level to the events depicted within the pages. And you’ll be able to
do that too, no matter where you call home, as Brogden’s writing style is as
appealing as it is satisfying.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 6.0pt; margin: 6pt 0in;"><span style="color: #222222;">Why not treat yourselves to a
trip into the Tourmaline Archipelago. It might be a one-way trip you’ll never
regret.<o:p></o:p></span></p><br /><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ0Owvq2WDzpfcLrwovcp_3_S708IPrIeFBYjx-UCEBcy7gRfWcX3J5VRgHM3rSprz38wwD5tM02Nu4glXgfIs7AtuclokQ5DKLaT9uYanesHcP2GCTkx2ltFJk6E6J9ljReXW3owBwwrmcUcJYMa9_3efmB1TeUxgMPSXM0zXuZTB0U1aIdLt0qqOTEQ/s427/amazon%5B1%5D.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="279" data-original-width="427" height="131" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ0Owvq2WDzpfcLrwovcp_3_S708IPrIeFBYjx-UCEBcy7gRfWcX3J5VRgHM3rSprz38wwD5tM02Nu4glXgfIs7AtuclokQ5DKLaT9uYanesHcP2GCTkx2ltFJk6E6J9ljReXW3owBwwrmcUcJYMa9_3efmB1TeUxgMPSXM0zXuZTB0U1aIdLt0qqOTEQ/w200-h131/amazon%5B1%5D.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/review/R12XKO9EM5P238/ref=pe_1572281_66412651_cm_rv_eml_rv0_rv" target="_blank">amazon Review</a><br /></p>Andrew P. Westonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14835115110822415448noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3864434211438580574.post-37667452922832573912023-10-07T22:29:00.001-07:002023-10-09T03:50:58.473-07:00<h1 style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red;"> Looking For Something Speculative To Read?</span></h1><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge5lXXi8mR5cj6Ka5ltEgTeD3FAnI6F6GnFUwDwW8ONLLZvbKRSgRDQ4RPn5WI6_yiJoeYqUWPWAzWsOnbrzmhwuKwhFJxbu00E41CjEBJbZeW4qtwZal8S6G2ae0B6zB6ifdJQVJbSM1jebZgkYcEiONk4ro2zaaQODulVHWkovhnKhug7m2qn_QEAA8/s1499/AnthologySpeculativeFiction.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1499" data-original-width="1000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge5lXXi8mR5cj6Ka5ltEgTeD3FAnI6F6GnFUwDwW8ONLLZvbKRSgRDQ4RPn5WI6_yiJoeYqUWPWAzWsOnbrzmhwuKwhFJxbu00E41CjEBJbZeW4qtwZal8S6G2ae0B6zB6ifdJQVJbSM1jebZgkYcEiONk4ro2zaaQODulVHWkovhnKhug7m2qn_QEAA8/w266-h400/AnthologySpeculativeFiction.jpg" width="266" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b>Then look no further</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b>Legion Press</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b>Filled with a smorgasbord of stories from a multitude of writers.</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b>There'll be something here for everyone. So, don't be afraid to take a bit.</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><h4 style="clear: both; text-align: center;">(Featuring my own little contribution - <i><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Hindsight</span></i>)<br />A cautionary tale about looking before you leap</h4><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEQtRfsfot1xAwnxwsLZHVx7ARiODfPd6sy2MWp6oNLrXLRxHvzdQeCp56Goe6BQTc83hyhIYROD9IUncCZYCOB35wyk0n2Bj67xZaZzKs4j0NSMaixce5LrbGvaqq2cjMbsLrReGV2r_c2dciJZY0HkoLTfQkkDtNxE_UEIV4UcoMe6DUcczSPPcTJCg/s427/amazon%5B1%5D.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="279" data-original-width="427" height="131" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEQtRfsfot1xAwnxwsLZHVx7ARiODfPd6sy2MWp6oNLrXLRxHvzdQeCp56Goe6BQTc83hyhIYROD9IUncCZYCOB35wyk0n2Bj67xZaZzKs4j0NSMaixce5LrbGvaqq2cjMbsLrReGV2r_c2dciJZY0HkoLTfQkkDtNxE_UEIV4UcoMe6DUcczSPPcTJCg/w200-h131/amazon%5B1%5D.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1999538048?tag=books2read02-20" target="_blank">Amazon Link</a><br /></div><br /><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p>Andrew P. Westonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14835115110822415448noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3864434211438580574.post-10648825127587760112023-10-05T22:11:00.003-07:002023-10-09T03:51:54.151-07:00<h1 style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red;"> Time to Kill?</span></h1><h3 style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red;">How About a God?</span></h3><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVDNL-tG1T3VPqHNNI5nFmtkT5fGDCv_BrDa-tUmpgdP8fpVLOt5QAlyF8j76Y_nh0bU1IyzMG2YAgAQVAic93gxVG3UIA1k24sWEqjsdJ7Aim1-iNcT6nkXTzi3rTA2TffJH-KN7F8uP2mnpKcfGgO6LfXoAq9E5iv8LDeMQ-VwZNzHIvA_FdU7ndcg0/s1000/thekillinggod.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="650" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVDNL-tG1T3VPqHNNI5nFmtkT5fGDCv_BrDa-tUmpgdP8fpVLOt5QAlyF8j76Y_nh0bU1IyzMG2YAgAQVAic93gxVG3UIA1k24sWEqjsdJ7Aim1-iNcT6nkXTzi3rTA2TffJH-KN7F8uP2mnpKcfGgO6LfXoAq9E5iv8LDeMQ-VwZNzHIvA_FdU7ndcg0/w416-h640/thekillinggod.jpg" width="416" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: left;"></p><h3 style="background: white; margin: 6pt 0in; text-align: left;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">The Killing God</span></i></b></h3>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 6.0pt; margin: 6pt 0in;"><span style="color: #222222;">I’ve been a fan of Stephen
Donaldson for forty-five years. (Yes, I’m old) So, as you can imagine, this
final book of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Great God’s War</i>
series has been on my reading list for some time. And believe me, it was well
worth the wait, as the blurb highlights. . .<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 6.0pt; margin: 6pt 0in;"><span style="color: #222222;">**********<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 6.0pt; margin: 6pt 0in;"><span class="a-text-italic"><span style="background: white; color: #0f1111;">They are coming.</span></span><span style="background: white; color: #0f1111;"><br />
<br />
The kingdoms of Belleger and Amika had been fighting for generations. But then
they learned of a terrible threat moving through them to destroy the Last
Repository, an immense hidden library. To face this greater enemy, King Bifalt
of Belleger and Queen Estie of Amika allied their lands and prepared for war.<br />
<br />
<span class="a-text-italic">They are at the door.</span><br />
<br />
Now the time of preparation is over. Black ships and sorcery test the cannon
that defend the Bay of Lights. Treachery and betrayal threaten the kingdoms.
The priests of the Great God Rile sow dissent. And Estie rides for the Last
Repository, desperate to enlist the help of their Magisters-and to understand
the nature of her own magical gift.<br />
<br />
<span class="a-text-italic">They are here.</span><br />
<br />
Bifalt hates sorcery as much as he loves Estie, and the discovery that she
could become a Magister shatters him. But he must rally and fight. Belleger and
Amika are all that stand between the Great God's forces and his ultimate goal:
the destruction of the Last Repository and its treasure of knowledge.</span><span style="color: #222222;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 6.0pt; margin: 6pt 0in;"><span style="color: #222222;">**********<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 6.0pt; margin: 6pt 0in;"><span style="color: #222222;">The blurb paints a bleak
picture for the people of Belleger and Amika. As well it should. Rile has been
planning this war for decades, and during that time, has insidiously inserted
his agents throughout the land in preparation for the arrival of his forces.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 6.0pt; margin: 6pt 0in;"><span style="color: #222222;">An apt analogy, as it conveys
the vibe of the entire story perfectly. Donaldson is the master of the slow
burn, as he so aptly demonstrates throughout the first two books of the series:
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Seventh Decimate </i>and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The War Within</i>. And here, in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Killing God</i>, he continues that vibe,
but with a delicious twist.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 6.0pt; margin: 6pt 0in;"><span style="color: #222222;">Relentless, building tension
and rolling action. Action that actually maintains its momentum throughout the
entire story without becoming exhausting. So, kudos there!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 6.0pt; margin: 6pt 0in;"><span style="color: #222222;">Yes, the great god Rile has
arrived, and within a few chapters, we are plunged into a war of attrition
where the seemingly endless wave of invaders can afford to waste themselves
against King Bifalt’s defenses. A tactic that soon overwhelms everything Bifalt
and Estie have fought so long to build.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 6.0pt; margin: 6pt 0in;"><span style="color: #222222;">I absolutely adored this
story. As always, Donaldson manages to capture the anguish each of his
characters have to face; their fears; their own shortcomings and desperation as
they struggle to meet challenges they can’t possibly hope to survive. Yet meet
them they do – not always successfully, mind you – in a battle for survival
that is as rich, detailed and unconventional as you could imagine. In doing so,
Donaldson draws you into the struggles of those characters, so that you end up
cheering for them, or, as the case may be, cursing their weaknesses and failure
to live up to what’s expected of them. Superb stuff. And therein lies the
magic.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 6.0pt; margin: 6pt 0in;"><span style="color: #222222;">This is an epic fantasy,
after all. Yet Donaldson works his arts, so that make-believe becomes
believable. Credible, even, in a profoundly satisfying way.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 6.0pt; margin: 6pt 0in;"><span style="color: #222222;">If you’ve never read Stephen
Donaldson, then make sure you add him to your list. It’ll be a lifelong
commitment you’ll never regret.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 6.0pt; margin: 6pt 0in;"><span style="color: #222222;"><br /></span></p><p style="background: white; margin: 6pt 0in; text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibx4HZJ3uc1h4y8oEzZ-OdXu7Te6MuGntt5Ao_z83sa70khGDynhhdEL0fPHruTSdH2I7-MPP_-h8muxgZmEF1BYnj6qEYPQ6EOFauqYiyVVX6mRoYcGX__oDkGYhjDZPkKn-T6L6Sc8y1470SP6NKpR2NtgO6cBbyDIJJKdfP33hSUd0lctYnvMq13uM/s427/amazon%5B1%5D.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="279" data-original-width="427" height="131" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibx4HZJ3uc1h4y8oEzZ-OdXu7Te6MuGntt5Ao_z83sa70khGDynhhdEL0fPHruTSdH2I7-MPP_-h8muxgZmEF1BYnj6qEYPQ6EOFauqYiyVVX6mRoYcGX__oDkGYhjDZPkKn-T6L6Sc8y1470SP6NKpR2NtgO6cBbyDIJJKdfP33hSUd0lctYnvMq13uM/w200-h131/amazon%5B1%5D.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #222222;"><a href="https://www.amazon.de/review/R2APYALCXN56A2/ref=pe_1604851_66412761_cm_rv_eml_rv0_rv" target="_blank">Amazon Link</a><br /></span></div><p></p><br /><p></p>Andrew P. Westonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14835115110822415448noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3864434211438580574.post-72886319520473618232023-08-29T23:14:00.001-07:002023-08-29T23:14:23.223-07:00<h1 style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; margin: 0px; position: relative; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red;">Latest Review for The IX<br />By FUONLYKNEW Reviews</span></h1><div><span style="color: red;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc2Q8z_vwg5wBk2kTOCFcjws6gGOhlc8Pfvcs1zw6XoL9um39Ww_icM2szij7L3u1wJtrwNTlmykoNRHI24nWNNJmCOqOvTYiVMDEzD65cdgjwdGu60-SlUmLhIt7LomPZMkgWnUolAlSffGEgkpR7JdN31J4YXMzciSClWT_p5qd7T0xorV2p5dQ4eFA/s2700/IXcoverlarge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2700" data-original-width="1800" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc2Q8z_vwg5wBk2kTOCFcjws6gGOhlc8Pfvcs1zw6XoL9um39Ww_icM2szij7L3u1wJtrwNTlmykoNRHI24nWNNJmCOqOvTYiVMDEzD65cdgjwdGu60-SlUmLhIt7LomPZMkgWnUolAlSffGEgkpR7JdN31J4YXMzciSClWT_p5qd7T0xorV2p5dQ4eFA/w266-h400/IXcoverlarge.jpg" width="266" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><p style="border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin: 0px 0px 1.8em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Formatted" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><b>Ever wondered what happened to those lost Roman Legionnaires? What about the US cavalry, engaged in a secret mission for President Lincoln? And whatever happened to the Special Forces Unit from a future time who disappeared during their mission to stop a nuclear disaster?</b></span></p><p style="border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin: 0px 0px 1.8em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b>The IX has the answers and they are out of this world. Literally.</b></span></p><p style="border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin: 0px 0px 1.8em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b>I gotta say, this fascinated me. What a great way to explain the disappearance of thousands. And what a world the author built.</b></span></p><p style="border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin: 0px 0px 1.8em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b>At the point of death, these people were whisked away to a distant galaxy by an alien race. The inhabitants of that planet are being killed off and face extinction. They need warriors, now. Told they fight or die, these people must work together, live by the code, “the enemy of my enemy is my friend,” if they are going to survive.</b></span></p><p style="border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin: 0px 0px 1.8em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b>There’s no going back. There’s only the the Horde, an enemy that doesn’t hesitate to die by the thousands. They must be stopped or all perish. And what’s to stop them from finding Earth and doing to us what they are doing to these beings? And then to another planet, and another.</b></span></p><p style="border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin: 0px 0px 1.8em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b>What a movie this would be! I’d kill, just kidding, to have a part in it. Even as an ugly Kresh!</b></span></p><p style="border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin: 0px 0px 1.8em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b>My description is simplified. There’s so much happening. This book comes in at a whopping 565 pages. But don’t let that deter you. By the time you reach the end, you’ll be wishing it was longer.</b></span></p><p style="border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin: 0px 0px 1.8em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b>Though I stumbled over some of the alien names and terms, laughed at my own attempts to pronounce them, I quickly came to recognize them, along with the numerous human characters. There are a lot, yet it doesn’t take long to recognize the individual voices.</b></span></p><p style="border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin: 0px 0px 1.8em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b>The plot for The IX is mind blowing. The author gives you many sub plots, plenty of history, and an amazing world to explore. He was able to make this all flow easily. You’ll fly through this in to time.</b></span></p><p style="border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin: 0px 0px 1.8em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b>The writing is superb. Ever read a book and see the entire story play out like on the big screen. Except for not being too sure what those nasty Kresh looked like, I could see this in vivid color and detail. Imagination is a wonderful thing, as is this authors talent.</b></span></p><p style="border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin: 0px 0px 1.8em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Formatted" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong>5 STARS</strong></span></p><span style="color: red;">See the Review on Site Here<br /><a href="https://fuonlyknew.com/2023/08/24/the-ix-by-andrew-p-weston-review-and-giveaway/" target="_blank">FUONLYKNEW</a><br /></span></div>Andrew P. Westonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14835115110822415448noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3864434211438580574.post-51056012780072456962023-08-25T22:37:00.002-07:002023-08-25T22:37:47.726-07:00<h1 style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red;"> Do YOU Like Stories With Bite?</span></h1><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1jgt7VOm64xrLwDLTIWXxAOwXO-NO0mZXNFIJEC_4cqpJ5gxVkMAALupLbcmj9hiXYzLqKxk4sSZPMUdnzp9SJSdC88DVbCh6UzqhKN9_H55zJM225cy8C3qRQN-QScERSarQQOlW7Z40qhFh-BMi_OkoMc3FBSmZau_ZFDK9JG2sXwyibGV5Avo_gqI/s500/Mutation1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="314" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1jgt7VOm64xrLwDLTIWXxAOwXO-NO0mZXNFIJEC_4cqpJ5gxVkMAALupLbcmj9hiXYzLqKxk4sSZPMUdnzp9SJSdC88DVbCh6UzqhKN9_H55zJM225cy8C3qRQN-QScERSarQQOlW7Z40qhFh-BMi_OkoMc3FBSmZau_ZFDK9JG2sXwyibGV5Avo_gqI/w251-h400/Mutation1.jpg" width="251" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: left;"></p><h3 style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="background: white; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Mutation – When Darkness Falls</span></span></i></b></h3>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="background: white; color: #0f1111; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">This second installment of the When
Darkness Falls series – Mutation, deals with the immediate aftermath of the
creature outbreak, as the blurb highlights:</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="background: white; color: #0f1111; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">******<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="background: white; color: #0f1111; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">Since the appearance of the alien
creatures the world has drastically changed. Electricity still has not been
restored and people are panicking. The creatures that hadn’t fled the area to
chase the moon, were hiding in the shadows while guarding their offspring.</span><span style="color: #0f1111; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><br />
<br />
<span style="background: white;">Infected people are growing ill and morphing
into something sinister. Losing their humanity, their only instinct is the
primal need to feed their insatiable hunger.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #0f1111; font-size: 12pt;">*****</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="background: white; color: #0f1111; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">Yes, if ravenous, bloodthirsty
creatures and their taserlike little offspring weren’t enough of a problem for
the survivors to deal with, they now have to contend with the consequences of
getting bitten.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="background: white; color: #0f1111; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">Fever sets in, highlighting the spread
of an infection that turns normal everyday people into savage automatons with
only one thing on their minds: feeding.</span><span style="color: #0f1111; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="background: white; color: #0f1111; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">As you can imagine, this allows the
fast and furious pace of the first novel to continue, and as the number of main
characters begins to gradually decline, you’re better able to keep track of
where the overall story arc is heading. Yes, there’s obviously more to this
‘invasion’ than meets the eye. However, Hollstein has wisely avoided the
temptation to give everything away too quickly. Instead, we get enticing clues
as to bigger picture, and what’s in store for the dwindling number of survivors
who don’t seem to have a hope in hell of seeing another day. . .</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="background: white; color: #0f1111; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">Or do they?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="background: white; color: #0f1111; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">Find out for yourselves in a story that
definitely has bite!<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigordJbx-3gx2YsJdi8ENPucf13ZhDuXuQtf4mNxkmcYEc_tPy7Guq52kPw7oUq61p9K3Tttwpc49wsp-tUQvLkKR5D-UYo0ppgni-Oe9b0RVyOMOLWi37HF6FxHYL7cITidnCD-q9kJrd_SCP-PrF8w54qoES4WklWKtIr34ysCYVA-LzM4JzIBT6l3w/s427/amazon%5B1%5D.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="279" data-original-width="427" height="131" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigordJbx-3gx2YsJdi8ENPucf13ZhDuXuQtf4mNxkmcYEc_tPy7Guq52kPw7oUq61p9K3Tttwpc49wsp-tUQvLkKR5D-UYo0ppgni-Oe9b0RVyOMOLWi37HF6FxHYL7cITidnCD-q9kJrd_SCP-PrF8w54qoES4WklWKtIr34ysCYVA-LzM4JzIBT6l3w/w200-h131/amazon%5B1%5D.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-reviews/R3AYVV5II2YOJA/ref=cm_cr_dp_d_rvw_ttl?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B0BSP33Z1K" target="_blank">Amazon Review</a><br /></div><span style="background: white; color: #0f1111; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><br /></span><p></p><br /><p></p>Andrew P. Westonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14835115110822415448noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3864434211438580574.post-35521360802336725672023-08-17T06:56:00.002-07:002023-08-17T06:56:29.725-07:00<h1 style="text-align: center;"> <span style="color: red;">Fangtastic Fun</span></h1><h3 style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red;">See My Review of. . .</span></h3><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5HthiAgyfT6lD_IUjIyFB-tYfs0Xusf6ZzVSYrnN0xGAVeTc9YP_dvKRib147TXIO3cXXOmqTG6Fzpp98sPCVB8IN92Evj-p4wqOdx7--lU93smDu15smkLWPIsf6qwsRYx9j02wgLdNxQ2YrN_As-UwmS_JMU-VnQ-u01ZxqrfVK4YgZaHpbb63VdFg/s500/Awakened..jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="314" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5HthiAgyfT6lD_IUjIyFB-tYfs0Xusf6ZzVSYrnN0xGAVeTc9YP_dvKRib147TXIO3cXXOmqTG6Fzpp98sPCVB8IN92Evj-p4wqOdx7--lU93smDu15smkLWPIsf6qwsRYx9j02wgLdNxQ2YrN_As-UwmS_JMU-VnQ-u01ZxqrfVK4YgZaHpbb63VdFg/w251-h400/Awakened..jpg" width="251" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: left;"></p><h3 style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="background: white; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Awakened – When Darkness Falls</span></span></i></b></h3>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="background: white; color: #0f1111; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="background: white; color: #0f1111; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">I do like a story that grounds itself
in an element of truth. And it’s fair to say, global warming is a big issue at
the moment. The ice caps are melting, and as they do so, scientists are discovering
ancient bacteria and other life forms that are capable of regenerating. Even
now, after so many millennia.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="background: white; color: #0f1111; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">Well, M. A Hollstein builds on that
concept, and takes it one stage further. . .<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #0f1111; font-size: 12pt;">As the blub highlights:</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #0f1111; font-size: 12pt;">******</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="background: white; color: #0f1111; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">Awakened, after millions of years of
imprisonment, a prehistoric alien threat has been freed and is now wreaking
havoc on the earth. Becoming more powerful by draining electricity all over the
planet, the earth is plunged into darkness making humanity more vulnerable than
ever.</span><span style="color: #0f1111; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><br />
<br />
<span style="background: white;">Follow several groups of people on the first
night of their journey in this apocalyptic adventure. Little do they know that
this is just the beginning. Something more sinister is about to emerge,
changing life as they know it.</span></span><span style="color: #0f1111; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="background: white; color: #0f1111; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">******<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="background: white; color: #0f1111; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">This was most pleasing dip into the
horror side of science fact mixed with science/horror fiction, because. . .<br />
Well, you never know what we might uncover if the ice caps keep melting.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="background: white; color: #0f1111; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">And in this case, it’s a promising
story that gets right into the action from the outset, and keeps going until
the very last page.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="background: white; color: #0f1111; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">Now, please be aware, you’ll be introduced
to a lot of characters in this story. A lot. But M. A Hollstein does a good job
of holding things together so you don’t lose place of what’s happening; to who;
and where. And she also engages you enough so that you start to build a
relationship with those characters. Some you’ll root for. Some, you’ll cheer
when they meet a grizzly end. And others you can’t wait for to hurry up and die
because they are that aggravating. (So you see, you get a good mix).<br />
And better still, the story rounds off to the point where you have a basic
understanding what’s happening. . .<br />
And now you’re looking forward to finding out why and how things are going to
evolve.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="background: white; color: #0f1111; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">Fangtastic fun! Go on, enjoy yourself. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="background: white; color: #0f1111; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ177-hkK7u_QvUkd-gPPEjFb5PGnQV-N8KyjVNfQyQ1e3YiyvJjXupYsDKmSv9v58_FA3HRPDMZG0jAOC96nvEziBDR5loCx-G8nKeuK0bu20h-imrAp7sRnL6i2GsWcigoIUFOPgChLYL4TsarQ_AUZJFDIX__DbcH6hY6iEQReqYgTabQnrZChZr30/s427/amazon%5B1%5D.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="279" data-original-width="427" height="131" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ177-hkK7u_QvUkd-gPPEjFb5PGnQV-N8KyjVNfQyQ1e3YiyvJjXupYsDKmSv9v58_FA3HRPDMZG0jAOC96nvEziBDR5loCx-G8nKeuK0bu20h-imrAp7sRnL6i2GsWcigoIUFOPgChLYL4TsarQ_AUZJFDIX__DbcH6hY6iEQReqYgTabQnrZChZr30/w200-h131/amazon%5B1%5D.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0f1111;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-reviews/R1NO1X2Q30ALMQ/ref=cm_cr_dp_d_rvw_ttl?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B0BNLPMTXH" target="_blank">Amazon Review</a><br /></span></div><p></p><br /><p></p>Andrew P. Westonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14835115110822415448noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3864434211438580574.post-2080992000803684962023-08-09T22:48:00.002-07:002023-08-09T22:48:22.836-07:00<h1 style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red;"> No Bubbles Required in This Review Of. . .</span></h1><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhglP6aa-BXHGd9LTwzesN2rJdbPPiuMUeuX735w11_VPJodSgQ74cXMUvAR3TqulGjR-hFaQUSP6Q9lhyMcCa9B0OL4tt2OoQ2w8MzOpsSoG8K3M95c5IreF8ZzQ7fXU1m8uRe1hUOrZw060W-u8eEAKe9DQtV7lDvKKdhcBkX77dJL2To-QGP3RGe7h8/s500/bloodbath.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="314" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhglP6aa-BXHGd9LTwzesN2rJdbPPiuMUeuX735w11_VPJodSgQ74cXMUvAR3TqulGjR-hFaQUSP6Q9lhyMcCa9B0OL4tt2OoQ2w8MzOpsSoG8K3M95c5IreF8ZzQ7fXU1m8uRe1hUOrZw060W-u8eEAKe9DQtV7lDvKKdhcBkX77dJL2To-QGP3RGe7h8/w251-h400/bloodbath.jpg" width="251" /></a></div><br /><h3 style="background: white; margin: 6pt 0in; text-align: left;"><i><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Bloodbath</span></i></h3><p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 6.0pt; margin: 6pt 0in;"><span style="color: #222222;">In this third book of the
Bloodshot series, the chaos caused by multidimensional misdeeds begins to
unravel everywhichway at once . . . and, as the title so aptly highlights,
everything turns into a bloodbath:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 6.0pt; margin: 6pt 0in;"><span style="color: #222222;">*************<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 6.0pt; margin: 6pt 0in;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0f1111;">After being
shot, left for dead, and dumped into a parallel dimension by the
universe-hopping murderer and drug dealer Wyatt Kole, SFPD Sgt. Randy Dexter
survives and makes a life for himself among strangers with familiar faces. With
Captain Sean McGrath’s help, he is back on the force, and within three months
promoted to lieutenant. He’s also dating Gemma, the girl whose murder he was
investigating in his former life. Here in this reality, she is alive and well.
Although she still works with the Wyatt Kole of this world, she has broken
romantic ties with the physicist. Life is good. But that’s all about to change.</span><span style="color: #0f1111;"><br />
<br />
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">People are suddenly turning into flesh-eating,
bloodthirsty cannibals; the psychotropic drug Bloodshot has somehow stalked him
to this new dimension. Has the Wyatt Kole of this world followed in his
counterpart’s footsteps or has another Kole come to this universe, bringing
murder and mayhem with him? Either way, Gemma’s in danger.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">Dexter and McGrath race to Kole’s but what they
find is even more horrifying than they expected. Kole—not Gemma—is the one
lying on the kitchen floor, shot and bleeding out. A portal to another universe
is still open, and the murderer is making good her escape, a murderer with the
face of the girl Dexter loves but now with a look of insanity in her bleeding
eyes. As Gemma steps through the portal, she turns and fires, wounding McGrath.
The next instant she disappears. And within that same instant, before the
portal can close, Dexter follows. To somehow save Gemma from the effects of a
new and even deadlier strain of Bloodshot, he must navigate a sea of familiar strangers.
But can he save her? The only other alternative is to kill her, for she must
somehow be stopped. Because in her wake is a bloodbath of half-eaten corpses.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 6.0pt; margin: 6pt 0in;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0f1111;">*************<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 6.0pt; margin: 6pt 0in;"><span style="color: #222222;">Fred Wiehe ramps up the
action, the tension, and your tenuous grasp on reality when worlds collide –
literally! It seems everyone is hell-bent on getting their hands on the device
that allows them to travel between universes. And if they also control the drug
that helps facilitate the accompanying mayhem, then all the better . . . especially
if they can tweak its formula to create one or two additional side effects.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 6.0pt; margin: 6pt 0in;"><span style="color: #222222;">I found this final book in
the series was great fun. Wiehe ensures to deliver conflict, bloodshed, and
thrills aplenty by altering the tempo of the ever-evolving story arc in such a
way that you know there’s going to be an explosive and casualty-riddled
conclusion. But as to who’ll be left standing at the end? Ah, you’ll have to
find out for yourselves in an apocalyptic action adventure that will keep you
guessing to the very end. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">Bloodbath</span></i><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">. A rather apt title to a visceral series you really need to read.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWTf6kaU5fyy_39HQoezCBSpo-lxrh2ii6CEQS3H5ceH0XoXNaNVPljps7dkQUs5nzx1Mh0Usb97eNwT1Vabcj77t8xQkUEwl-nywK5ps_aZpKibkzaIH26Js93WP7Zl1KbItgi4Hi1qdm05IkBywlsTCEgKLWmSYVR4lyGwunI3awPdM62wSGPKeivXo/s427/amazon%5B1%5D.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="279" data-original-width="427" height="131" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWTf6kaU5fyy_39HQoezCBSpo-lxrh2ii6CEQS3H5ceH0XoXNaNVPljps7dkQUs5nzx1Mh0Usb97eNwT1Vabcj77t8xQkUEwl-nywK5ps_aZpKibkzaIH26Js93WP7Zl1KbItgi4Hi1qdm05IkBywlsTCEgKLWmSYVR4lyGwunI3awPdM62wSGPKeivXo/w200-h131/amazon%5B1%5D.jpg" width="200" /></a></span></div><span><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 14.6667px;"><a href="https://www.amazon.de/review/R39PEAY920HOZP/ref=pe_1604851_66412761_cm_rv_eml_rv0_rv" target="_blank">Amazon Review</a><br /></span></div></span><p></p>Andrew P. Westonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14835115110822415448noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3864434211438580574.post-71222345981901815752023-08-01T00:31:00.004-07:002023-08-01T00:32:06.011-07:00<h1 style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red;"> Fast Paced Mayhem!</span></h1><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5Di3ZOngeEY33hgh19blMwN3ij4RwTGJhFSZ-reovRC8Ha04teYhi1ZAm2kjzfMpo2f1JMFElKlKad_Qs61vi7-8iDRGBlqQqR1mZHDoLoZgRS1BPK_sBwl-_LsQYfit2YXSirtpm8fhAsugO6RRXS9EQ5VVsJJZn3sLb2y92KuMLHreMzFSD3Pzo9yw/s500/Bloodlust.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="314" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5Di3ZOngeEY33hgh19blMwN3ij4RwTGJhFSZ-reovRC8Ha04teYhi1ZAm2kjzfMpo2f1JMFElKlKad_Qs61vi7-8iDRGBlqQqR1mZHDoLoZgRS1BPK_sBwl-_LsQYfit2YXSirtpm8fhAsugO6RRXS9EQ5VVsJJZn3sLb2y92KuMLHreMzFSD3Pzo9yw/w251-h400/Bloodlust.jpg" width="251" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: left;"></p><h3 style="background: white; margin: 6pt 0in; text-align: left;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Bloodlust</span></i></b></h3>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 6.0pt; margin: 6pt 0in;"><span style="color: #222222;">This second book of the
Bloodshot series, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Bloodlust</i>, ups the
ante, as the saying goes. McGrath and Dexter are not only contending with their
own personal demons, but they’re doing their level best to combat the spread of
an insidious new drug craze, while clawing ever closer to the truth of the
catalyst behind it.<br />
And the blurb gives you a little hint at how hectic things are:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 6.0pt; margin: 6pt 0in;"><span style="color: #222222;">*************<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 6.0pt; margin: 6pt 0in;"><span style="background: white; color: #0f1111;">The
devastating effects of the psychotropic drug Bloodshot on the San Francisco Bay
Area intensifies, reaching out in all directions—up and down the peninsula and
across the bay into Oakland and points farther east. Despite its deadly side
effects, sales are up, and casualties continue to mount. SFPD cops Lieutenant
Sean (Mac) McGrath and Sergeant Randy Dexter thought they had seen and heard it
all in their long careers. But the mayhem, murder, exploding heads, and
cannibalism plaguing their city is taking its toll on their resolve. Their
sanity is also being tested as undeniable proof points to the existence of multiverses
and a maniacal genius—world-class physicist Wyatt Kole—who has developed a
device that opens portals to travel from one parallel universe to another to
murder his girlfriend time and time again. Moreover, an exact duplicate of
McGrath lies dead in the morgue and a body found in the Santa Cruz Mountains is
identified as Professor Kole. How can that be? As impossible as it may seem,
the only plausible explanation is the existence of duplicates from a parallel
universe, which forces McGrath and Dexter to admit that their suspicions of
Kole as a universe-hopping murderer and drug dealer are true. But they have no
proof the professor murdered anyone or that he’s responsible for Bloodshot. To
make matters worse, they are both fighting their own personal demons—McGrath,
alcoholism and Dexter, the fear that he suffers from hallucinatory psychosis
like his father. But somehow, they must overcome before Kole can open a new
portal and disappear, taking Bloodshot and its horrifying bloodlust effects
with him to plague yet another reality.</span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 6.0pt; margin: 6pt 0in;"><span style="color: #222222;">*************<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 6.0pt; margin: 6pt 0in;"><span style="color: #222222;">Yes, what to do when the only
explanation for the relentless mayhem unfolding in the city makes you appear as
if you need locking up in a psychiatric ward?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 6.0pt; margin: 6pt 0in;"><span style="color: #222222;">Rest assured, Lieutenant
McGrath and Sergeant Dexter have their work cut out. All of them! (We are
dealing with a multiverse hopping psycho after all). And that’s the great thing
about this story, because Fred Wiehe neatly overcomes the dreaded ‘2<sup>nd</sup>
book in a series dip’ by upping that ante I mentioned. The action fairly
explodes everywhichway at once. And the great thing is, a rather nifty plotline
helps you keep track of what’s happening, to whom, and where.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 6.0pt; margin: 6pt 0in;"><span style="color: #222222;">I loved it. The multiverse
concept allows Wiehe to experiment with his main and supporting protagonists
and antagonists, which, in turn, not only helps you see the depth and scope of
their characters and the things they’re dealing with in their personal lives,
but it also allows you to have fun with the story arc(s).<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 6.0pt; margin: 6pt 0in;"><span style="color: #222222;">If you love fast-paced
thrillers that are as gory as they are brutal, then you really need to give
this series a go. Highly recommended. <o:p></o:p></span></p><br /><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7OL5Gz9sU7qVUFGrggwqAuJlCmgShmeZ4PAn3kTayiaBR_A5uvw6N-omghTb2cCepnxT7IjzcWmKmGYlEGnYcX1a2Bj-hcMKGndWVsBRUtM_IdG1qVwnuQ_ie7AaMIRiKusbUGVqIK-ChTpxgn7DyOgIv0D_D6FrpPGdXBH8MlIys7RvN38YEnix2ofw/s427/amazon%5B1%5D.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="279" data-original-width="427" height="131" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7OL5Gz9sU7qVUFGrggwqAuJlCmgShmeZ4PAn3kTayiaBR_A5uvw6N-omghTb2cCepnxT7IjzcWmKmGYlEGnYcX1a2Bj-hcMKGndWVsBRUtM_IdG1qVwnuQ_ie7AaMIRiKusbUGVqIK-ChTpxgn7DyOgIv0D_D6FrpPGdXBH8MlIys7RvN38YEnix2ofw/w200-h131/amazon%5B1%5D.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/review/R8GAV30WGT19K/ref=pe_1572281_66412651_cm_rv_eml_rv0_rv" target="_blank">Amazon Review</a><br /></p>Andrew P. Westonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14835115110822415448noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3864434211438580574.post-29378770829414196562023-07-16T06:34:00.001-07:002023-07-16T06:34:23.601-07:00<p></p><h1 style="text-align: center;"> <span style="color: red;">A Multiverse of Suspense!</span></h1><h3 style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: red;">See my Review of. . .</span></b></h3><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2P8uK8anQVOJ1yCTMbHU9ks_cBKPkHiBth7BbDi7vwMIbbW4QjFSjiBKOV4MBht4r8Z09GMWgsje0ePaCt6-ZUxLroOife_8bwTuv4Bo1TzV89hqd58tzuVroNZYF0ELmIupJupx1F3gBxNTJq5c-mLHr0lhXNBg7AijUWEpWMCzIRPqP6HkFy5m4lLc/s500/bloodthirsty.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="314" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2P8uK8anQVOJ1yCTMbHU9ks_cBKPkHiBth7BbDi7vwMIbbW4QjFSjiBKOV4MBht4r8Z09GMWgsje0ePaCt6-ZUxLroOife_8bwTuv4Bo1TzV89hqd58tzuVroNZYF0ELmIupJupx1F3gBxNTJq5c-mLHr0lhXNBg7AijUWEpWMCzIRPqP6HkFy5m4lLc/w251-h400/bloodthirsty.jpg" width="251" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><h3 style="background: white; margin: 6pt 0in; text-align: left;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Bloodthirsty</span></i></b></h3>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 6.0pt; margin: 6pt 0in;"><span style="color: #222222;">This is the first book I’ve
read by Fred Wiehe, and I have to say from the outset, it won’t be the last.
And really, for those who know me and my background, it’s easy to see why. As a
former cop and astrophysics geek, this story has my name written all over it.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 6.0pt; margin: 6pt 0in;"><span style="color: #222222;">And the blurb helps you see
why I’m so excited:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 6.0pt; margin: 6pt 0in;"><span style="color: #222222;">*************<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 9.5pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 9.5pt;"><span class="a-text-bold"><span style="color: #0f1111;">Do
multiverses exist? And if they do, does a duplicate of each of us exist in
every reality? These are questions Lieutenant Sean (Mac) McGrath and Sergeant
Randy Dexter must come to terms with to solve a murder and stop the widespread
use of a new psychotropic drug dubbed Bloodshot. </span></span><span style="color: #0f1111;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 9.5pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 9.5pt;"><span style="color: #0f1111;">Almost simultaneously, a young
woman is murdered in Haight-Ashbury and this dangerous drug hits San
Francisco’s streets. Taken through the retina and optic nerve, Bloodshot
degrades and disrupts the neural network and central nervous system, turning
people into crazed killers and bloodthirsty cannibals. Their investigation
quickly takes them down a strange path that borders on science fact and science
fiction, a path that reveals horrors more akin to nightmares than the real
world, a path where they both begin to doubt their own already fragile sanity.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><span class="a-text-bold"><span style="color: #0f1111;">For if they are to believe the
mounting evidence before them, they must also believe their prime suspect
invented a device that can open portals to parallel universes, a device that
enables him to travel from one realty to another and murder his ex-girlfriend
time and time again—because apparently once just isn’t enough.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><span class="a-text-bold"><span style="color: #0f1111;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><span class="a-text-bold"><span style="color: #0f1111;">*************</span></span><span style="color: #0f1111;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 6.0pt; margin: 6pt 0in;"><span style="color: #222222;">So, what did I think?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 6.0pt; margin: 6pt 0in;"><span style="color: #222222;">Well, first off, I loved it! <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Bloodlust </i>is built on a great premise;
it’s skillfully executed; the characters are as flawed as they are relatable;
the action is delivered in wonderful energetic pulses that keep you tuning the
page; and the plotline is liberally sprinkled with clues that allow you to
anticipate how the story might develop. It’s superb! <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 6.0pt; margin: 6pt 0in;"><span style="color: #222222;">It reminded me is some
respect of David Walton’s Superposition, a story where advanced physics and
multiverses go awry, and I can’t wait to see how things develop in the next
story.<br />
(And YOU should get to know this story too).<o:p></o:p></span></p><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYO6e3CElzYIuGw2I6xS31oenFW0lnQMMf-MW0Mbpag_0p5U3nctAgFoj-yg34FXCX1zbv3SAfnroXJAzT-D1S-9EChga_veUNt7ltrZDvxjyfJdtdgr_nqZ9H3L9T-VjcuGNBDcue0-rLMhEPaZJMEqHCElnc36DCU7ATBWpb_djI87JAv6BhxIXc540/s620/goodreads.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="270" data-original-width="620" height="139" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYO6e3CElzYIuGw2I6xS31oenFW0lnQMMf-MW0Mbpag_0p5U3nctAgFoj-yg34FXCX1zbv3SAfnroXJAzT-D1S-9EChga_veUNt7ltrZDvxjyfJdtdgr_nqZ9H3L9T-VjcuGNBDcue0-rLMhEPaZJMEqHCElnc36DCU7ATBWpb_djI87JAv6BhxIXc540/s320/goodreads.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5696423798" target="_blank">Review Link</a><br /></div><p></p>Andrew P. Westonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14835115110822415448noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3864434211438580574.post-61069953034147984202023-07-06T20:43:00.001-07:002023-07-06T20:43:22.044-07:00<h1 style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red;"> See my Review of. . .</span></h1><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq0LpV7FZGLrsoBjYvTaytHm_ykovcy6NJudEz8brms0BI2HuuzNoQsAGM2zaGCrDCGaYYGDADzDyTJ4ec3oppJePRallm9J4ETq0kEbR2uhhgUqImGi3pXr8b5gdq4wCxCKjp31s5xWDl3lgBEgwUwM_mRLFfcAgTHd2e8ql3fxaMngn4dpjXQqiSj9Y/s500/DarkSins.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="314" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq0LpV7FZGLrsoBjYvTaytHm_ykovcy6NJudEz8brms0BI2HuuzNoQsAGM2zaGCrDCGaYYGDADzDyTJ4ec3oppJePRallm9J4ETq0kEbR2uhhgUqImGi3pXr8b5gdq4wCxCKjp31s5xWDl3lgBEgwUwM_mRLFfcAgTHd2e8ql3fxaMngn4dpjXQqiSj9Y/w251-h400/DarkSins.jpg" width="251" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: left;"></p><h3 style="background: white; margin: 6pt 0in; text-align: left;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Dark Sins</span></i></b></h3>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 9.5pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222;">In this final book of Marcus
Abshire’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Ways of the Warlock</i> series,
it looks as if Jakobus Shaw has finally bitten off more than he can chew.<br />
As the blurb highlights:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 9.5pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222;">*************<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 9.5pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><em><span style="color: #0f1111;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></em><span class="a-text-italic"><span style="color: #0f1111;">I’m not proud of my past, and I’m done running away from
it.</span></span><span style="color: #0f1111;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 9.5pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #0f1111;">The dark elf D’oreal, Lord of
Endless Night and my ex-girlfriend’s father is trying to unleash a hellish
nightmare on the entire world. I have to say, I don’t think that’s a good idea.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 9.5pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #0f1111;">He wants my help and he’s
threatening to kill my friends if I don’t give it to him. Shareal, the dark elf
from a past I can’t remember, wants to stop her father’s mad scheme but
trusting dark elves isn’t something a sane person would do.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 9.5pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #0f1111;">I’m used to working alone, but if
I want to keep a dark god of madness and death from plunging the world into the
black void of insanity, I’ll need to call in a few favors.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 9.5pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #0f1111;">Elder gods don’t like it when a
mere human not only forsakes their power but escapes their punishment for doing
so. I’ve pissed off a lot of people, monsters and creatures born from darkness,
but spitting in the eye of a god is damn foolish, even for me.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><span class="a-text-bold"><span style="color: #0f1111;">My past is clouded, my future
unclear, yet one thing I know for sure is that I’m not going to let anything
happen to the people I care about, even if it kills me.</span></span><span style="color: #0f1111;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 6.0pt;"><span style="color: #222222;">*************<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 6.0pt;"><span style="color: #222222;">Yes, the past seems to have
caught up with Jakobus, culminating in the mother of all stand-offs. One that
nobody will walk away from. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 6.0pt;"><span style="color: #222222;">But as we’ve come to learn,
this former warlock has something of a stubborn, defiant streak. And he didn’t
survive – and indeed escape – from the deep by giving up when all seems lost.
Perhaps his tenacity will see him through?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 6.0pt;"><span style="color: #222222;">One thing’s for sure, this
final chapter of the series is highly entertaining. Once again the cast comes
together to deliver a high-octane performance where the dialogue, humor and
action all combine to set your world on fire and keep it burning to the last
page. But as to who lives and who dies? Ah, you’ll have to find out for
yourselves. But it truly is an epic conclusion.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 6.0pt;"><span style="color: #222222;">I’ve really enjoyed reading
this series and will be sorry to say goodbye. And isn’t that what we all want
from our readers?<o:p></o:p></span></p><br /><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhluEUdTTgLpe9FqDyjoqAWV2eolcX20jJZOPIdqrs9QPoFQJezCeT1kDE0GdXC3vm25NiV10pp8QQJpA0j6cnlYD-E7SKbj9UwLdqBRGki2W8NTZqinxrUltUUnIrV1t4hqsUMMjt6UWKSxKQ7jZqWMU16w6fGzCa9pYRCa8ot-93bHKlCQzpBLx2gyLQ/s427/amazon%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="279" data-original-width="427" height="131" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhluEUdTTgLpe9FqDyjoqAWV2eolcX20jJZOPIdqrs9QPoFQJezCeT1kDE0GdXC3vm25NiV10pp8QQJpA0j6cnlYD-E7SKbj9UwLdqBRGki2W8NTZqinxrUltUUnIrV1t4hqsUMMjt6UWKSxKQ7jZqWMU16w6fGzCa9pYRCa8ot-93bHKlCQzpBLx2gyLQ/w200-h131/amazon%5B1%5D.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/review/R3HC3MABEXIZIG/ref=pe_1572281_66412651_cm_rv_eml_rv0_rv" target="_blank">Amazon Review</a><br /></p>Andrew P. Westonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14835115110822415448noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3864434211438580574.post-59311067322306341032023-07-01T06:08:00.003-07:002023-07-01T06:09:15.458-07:00<h1 style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: red;"> If You Build It - They Will Come</span></b></h1><h3 style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: red;">(And They Do . . . You'll See)</span></b></h3><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJQfsLLYn-TTCF8CDY9S3v-_ZCq9UUHMSYbUeh6J9L-9q35MinkK2VI7tzlQY9Q5jZE6LkKdkNGa_gZknvIuVfz-3ddWoeMtoW6-hqcQ8gGcP8YmxSxnEEGALCn2Bm36JgHZmfSwCMwFuTin_ItziiXlWJq0NsvPvg3LbLrkNIt6xjBs1ncnQbK7d645U/s500/Fieldghost.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="314" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJQfsLLYn-TTCF8CDY9S3v-_ZCq9UUHMSYbUeh6J9L-9q35MinkK2VI7tzlQY9Q5jZE6LkKdkNGa_gZknvIuVfz-3ddWoeMtoW6-hqcQ8gGcP8YmxSxnEEGALCn2Bm36JgHZmfSwCMwFuTin_ItziiXlWJq0NsvPvg3LbLrkNIt6xjBs1ncnQbK7d645U/w251-h400/Fieldghost.jpg" width="251" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: left;"></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #050505; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I’ve been a fan
of Jeff Crawford for a few years now. I’m particularly drawn to the mood he
manages to encapsulate within whatever topic he writes about. So, when I spotted
this recent release, I just had to check it out. And I was glad I did.<br />
Apart from one of the best openings scenes I’ve ever read, the blurb only hints
at the malevolence, simmering away beneath the surface. . .<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #050505; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">See for yourself:<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #050505; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">*****<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="background: white; color: #0f1111; font-size: 12pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Appearances can be deceiving. One
of the most serene and idyllic settings houses a secret that is nearly
unthinkable and unimaginable.</span><span style="color: #0f1111; font-size: 12pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" />
<br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" />
<span style="background: white;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">Rob knew something was wrong, had known it for a
while, but even though he waited to be told of it, his wife wasn’t saying
anything. Jennifer knew why she was acting as she had been, but she was keeping
it to herself, just as she had been for nearly two years.</span></span><br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" />
<br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" />
<span style="background: white;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">In an effort to put things back to right, Rob
shows uncharacteristic initiative and plans a three-day weekend for his wife
and himself. It is his hope and prayer that the peaceful and gentle
surroundings of Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley will lend themselves to be the
help he needs in repairing whatever has gone wrong between them. Assuring his
wife’s happiness is all he’s ever wanted to do. Now, he just needs to know how.
But a much bigger problem lies in front of them. There are secrets in the valley,
secrets that no one outside the small community that Rob and Jennifer find
themselves stranded in are remotely aware of. Beneath the pastoral setting lies
something dark and sinister that has been growing and evolving for more than a
century and a half.</span></span><br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" />
<br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" />
<span style="background: white;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">Relying on the kindness of strangers is all well
and good, unless no kindness abides within those strangers. Little things that
claw and scratch at Jennifer’s mind tell her continually that all is not as it
appears to be, but when the pieces start to come together and make sense, it is
already too late. The rot that surrounds the small community has, without Rob’s
and Jennifer’s knowledge, already enveloped them, and made its plans for the
couple.</span></span><br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" />
<br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" />
<span style="background: white;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">Every detail must be taken note of, every word has
to be paid attention to if an escape is to ever be possible, but more than
that, trust in each other becomes a necessary evil. But can they ever trust
each other ever again, after Jennifer’s own dark secrets are revealed?</span></span><br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" />
<br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" />
<span style="background: white;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">Fields of Ghosts exposes things that were never
meant to see the light of day. Secrets that the community kept, secrets that
Jennifer kept. Coupled together, will it prove to ruin completely everything
that all within the small community, including Rob and Jennifer, have ever
known?</span></span></span><span style="color: #050505; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #050505; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">*****<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #050505; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">In keeping with
the blurb, I will also do my best to give nothing away regarding the plot. That’ll
be for you to work out as you read along. And you will. Believe me, as Crawford
sprinkles the breadcrumbs for you to follow, and in doing so, not only sets the
scene for what’s to come, but allows a brooding menace and an ever-present sub
current to begin building and bugging away in the back of your mind. Something
that calls to that part in all of us, and warns us . . . Hang on, something’s
not right here.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #050505; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #050505; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Rob and Jennifer
are an average couple, whose marriage has lost some of its original spark. In
an effort to remind each other that they have something worth working for, Rob
decides to plan a romantic weekend away. Something, he hopes will revive their
flagging spirits.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #050505; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">But the thing is,
he never actually gets to find out if it will work or not, because they get
lost on the way there, and, the car breaks down.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #050505; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #050505; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">What follows is
the stuff of creepy nightmares. You know the kinda thing; it’s an iron fist in
velvet glove scenario, where those who seem to be helpful and friendly, aren’t.
And it all starts out so amicably and insidiously pleasant. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #050505; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">And that’s where
Crawford comes into his own, for he takes that seemingly innocent situation,
and adds a sickly-sweet, too-good-to-be-true tickle that warns you from the
outset. There’s an agenda here. An agenda so well hidden, that its development
and revelation are all too plausible.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #050505; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">You can’t quite
believe it. It’s repulsive, yet at the same time, strangely hypnotic. You just
need to test the water that little bit more – just to see if your suspicions
are true – and then you’ll walk away. . .<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #050505; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Only to find out,
too late, you’re in a web from which you’ll never emerge.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #050505; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #050505; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">And that’s what
makes reading Field of Ghosts so darn enjoyable: The tone is outstanding. The
sense of hidden menace is tantalizing. And you end up wanting to know, just
what the heck these people are up to?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #050505; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">And the superb
twist, right at the end? Absolute magic.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #050505; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #050505; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Dare you miss it!<o:p></o:p></span></p><br /><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmpZkmuW6RawSQ7LH4xi6zslSefoRfr0qbQjdGviN9Zcmi9myo_bXhcmyREGTfnAbWwBLFZmr3hJvpi_mJmShF4bSANeOX_zE5ZtMzGhFWBcxi3J7jk1Lq7xF8pKSJmnhPz_Ia9ACyn5PXUqU4sYExdvToMAB2TekUHGQ28rjQfsy5RtsRHbccfnt4550/s427/amazon%5B1%5D.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="279" data-original-width="427" height="131" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmpZkmuW6RawSQ7LH4xi6zslSefoRfr0qbQjdGviN9Zcmi9myo_bXhcmyREGTfnAbWwBLFZmr3hJvpi_mJmShF4bSANeOX_zE5ZtMzGhFWBcxi3J7jk1Lq7xF8pKSJmnhPz_Ia9ACyn5PXUqU4sYExdvToMAB2TekUHGQ28rjQfsy5RtsRHbccfnt4550/w200-h131/amazon%5B1%5D.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-reviews/R93HZKEV7IOVR/ref=cm_cr_dp_d_rvw_ttl?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B0C6VWPC9W" target="_blank">Amazon Review</a><br /></p>Andrew P. Westonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14835115110822415448noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3864434211438580574.post-90222468102204414312023-06-22T22:37:00.001-07:002023-06-22T22:37:05.342-07:00<h3 style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red;"> It's In Your Hands</span></h3><h1 style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red;">See my Latest Review Of. . .</span></h1><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG3S1haMwuDIslp4lEYt7WoPntROeJITDy1T-n31E2CMQK-jhpVV7GE6PrQi5loyN9t2qM5gHWvnYh1XRcCRyCmG5Qh-A7R3NcrUK9pThdh_gyDK0phsoFLnucxNHJBr60dIL-wnq-q4WN14MN0OXmwJIlQQTbPfXEr_WyVjpPCskG12fV_QqMgvj9m30/s500/DarkFate.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="314" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG3S1haMwuDIslp4lEYt7WoPntROeJITDy1T-n31E2CMQK-jhpVV7GE6PrQi5loyN9t2qM5gHWvnYh1XRcCRyCmG5Qh-A7R3NcrUK9pThdh_gyDK0phsoFLnucxNHJBr60dIL-wnq-q4WN14MN0OXmwJIlQQTbPfXEr_WyVjpPCskG12fV_QqMgvj9m30/w402-h640/DarkFate.jpg" width="402" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: left;"></p><h3 style="background: white; margin: 6pt 0in; text-align: left;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Dark Fate</span></i></b></h3>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 9.5pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 9.5pt;"><span style="color: #222222;">I’m sure we can all relate to
those nights of revelry lost to drink, where the carousing continued into the
wee hours and you wake up the next day, remembering hardly any of it. But what
happens when you discover huge chunks of your memory have been taken by a
stunning dark elf, apparently, with your consent in order to . . . what? Your
guess is as good as mine. Why? Because you can’t remember and no one will tell
you, THAT’s why!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 9.5pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 9.5pt;"><span style="color: #222222;">Ah, such things are just another
day to Jakobus Shaw, as he highlights:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 9.5pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 9.5pt;"><span style="color: #222222;">*************<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 9.5pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 9.5pt;"><span class="a-text-bold"><span style="color: #0f1111;">I’ve been
through a lot in the last few years.</span></span><span style="color: #0f1111;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 9.5pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 9.5pt;"><span style="color: #0f1111;">I escaped from the Deep, a prison
of eternal torment, fought living nightmares, stopped wars, and banished an
immortal dark phoenix in the eternal abyss of an Old One’s fathomless mind. All
while making some damn good friends and allies along the way.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 9.5pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 9.5pt;"><span style="color: #0f1111;">I’ve done all this and yet, when
Shareal, a dark elf, a creature of beauty and danger, returns from the past I
didn’t even know I had, I can’t help but be afraid.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 9.5pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 9.5pt;"><span style="color: #0f1111;">Shareal needs the safety of my bar
to house a meeting of the world’s most powerful and treacherous dark elves. I
don’t want to do it, but the elf drives a hard bargain, so…I better put out the
good silver.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 9.5pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 9.5pt;"><span style="color: #0f1111;">Dealing with dark elves is never
a wise thing to do, but I’ve never been renowned for my intelligence. They say
blood is thicker than water, but for the dark elves, power is the only true
family they have ever known.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><span class="a-text-bold"><span style="color: #0f1111;">I tried to run from my past,
tried to bury it and hope it stayed dead, but the seeds I planted long ago are
growing fruit and it’s time I started reaping what I sowed.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><span class="a-text-bold"><span style="color: #0f1111;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><span class="a-text-bold"><span style="color: #0f1111;">*************</span></span><span style="color: #0f1111;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 6.0pt; margin: 6pt 0in;"><span style="color: #222222;">Yes, Marcus Abshire presents
us with a corker of an adventure in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Dark
Fate</i>, as the past begins to catch up with Jakobus in ways he can’t begin to
comprehend. And that’s the thing when you’ve been involved with the deepest,
darkest magic. It never goes away, and the consequence of wielding it can turn
up out of the blue when you least expect it.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 6.0pt; margin: 6pt 0in;"><span style="color: #222222;">The thing is – and without
giving anything of the plot away – why now? What has Jakobus been involved with
in the past that now obligates him to a certain course of action that may not
only result in his own death, but the end of everything he holds dear? And why
are the dark elves so certain in his compliance?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 6.0pt; margin: 6pt 0in;"><span style="color: #222222;">Yes, not everything is as
first appears, and as Jakobus begins to navigate this latest path of magical
eggshells, he must try and unravel what it is about his abilities that everyone
seems to want a piece of.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 6.0pt; margin: 6pt 0in;"><span style="color: #222222;">As always, we have a
roister-doister, action-packed, mayhem filled adventure, where our protagonist’s
penchant for getting down and dirty often gets in the way of making swift
progress. But THAT’s where the fun lies. Because when the fate of the world
lies in your hands, who wants boring and easy? Blunt humor; great dialogue;
superb interaction between characters; thrills & spills galore. It’s all
there, waiting for you to turn the next page.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 6.0pt; margin: 6pt 0in;"><span style="color: #222222;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhecwC03LYr-WPEN9LNnhq4f1Ni1qGkaxgqHp7lAkIlenJisWk2zDAYj313NRURmblPFK5FIIlj7ROaVvc0VHir_oOoC3YRyklw2jh5O2puBLbwTFQ1OCY_FLfYJjCvcbTSdMvLZocH2MJJMVjlo4N-S_zSyhlOfgFx9pal47BlSslZGao8AyfhShwlO-0/s427/amazon%5B1%5D.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="279" data-original-width="427" height="131" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhecwC03LYr-WPEN9LNnhq4f1Ni1qGkaxgqHp7lAkIlenJisWk2zDAYj313NRURmblPFK5FIIlj7ROaVvc0VHir_oOoC3YRyklw2jh5O2puBLbwTFQ1OCY_FLfYJjCvcbTSdMvLZocH2MJJMVjlo4N-S_zSyhlOfgFx9pal47BlSslZGao8AyfhShwlO-0/w200-h131/amazon%5B1%5D.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-reviews/R1H40ZXRYF7L32/ref=cm_cr_dp_d_rvw_ttl?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B09LX6FTY8" target="_blank">Amazon Review</a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p>Andrew P. Westonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14835115110822415448noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3864434211438580574.post-61275468525265778922023-06-11T23:06:00.002-07:002023-06-11T23:06:22.418-07:00<p> </p><p style="background: white; margin: 6pt 0in; text-align: center;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: red; font-size: 20.0pt;">Into
the Vortex </span><span style="color: red;">– </span></i></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: red; font-size: 14.0pt;">Book 2 of The Vortex of Worlds Series</span><span style="color: red;"><o:p></o:p></span></i></b></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 6pt 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: 14.0pt;">By –<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> </b>Charles E. Gannon<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 6pt 0in; text-align: center;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: red; font-size: 14.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKQ7FM6ohG9kv_17VcfjkPnnkEZZBgilhYIpokvHqU7IcYhou0SU_VbvQMIQejhYfSCZJLKQTgc2fQZdVA04j6bU52kSSmpOw1_U_BDns-5G61zNvgttZb8CjUye9dnM6H7ZRcKJ2aY2Fy44Gd3fhVpaW6f3BP-_4oQ4mNbgpDkyT-RPANAOtp4wyO/s2136/IntotheVortex.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2136" data-original-width="1400" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKQ7FM6ohG9kv_17VcfjkPnnkEZZBgilhYIpokvHqU7IcYhou0SU_VbvQMIQejhYfSCZJLKQTgc2fQZdVA04j6bU52kSSmpOw1_U_BDns-5G61zNvgttZb8CjUye9dnM6H7ZRcKJ2aY2Fy44Gd3fhVpaW6f3BP-_4oQ4mNbgpDkyT-RPANAOtp4wyO/w263-h400/IntotheVortex.jpg" width="263" /></a></i></b></div><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><br /></i></b><p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 6.0pt;"><br /></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 9.5pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="background: white; color: #0f1111;"><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<!--[endif]--></span></i></b><span style="color: #222222;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 6.0pt;"><span style="color: #222222;">I’ve been a fan of Chuck
Gannon for quite a while, having discovered his Caine Riordan novels about ten
years ago. The time and effort he puts into his world building really pays off
in the substance of his writing. So, when I discovered he was branching out
into fantasy, I just had to take a look.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 6.0pt;"><span style="color: #222222;">The first book of his The
Vortex of Worlds Series – <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">This Broken
World</i> – was an absolute treat to read, and you can find out what I thought
in the link provided at the end of this review.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 6.0pt;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #222222;">Into the Vortex</span></i><span style="color: #222222;">
continues Druadaen’s adventures– and indeed, those of his erstwhile companions
– as they try to discover the disparities riddling the land in which he lives,
and especially, why knowledge of the truth might prove so fatal.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 6.0pt;"><span style="color: #222222;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 6.0pt;"><span style="color: #222222;">Here’s the blurb:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 6.0pt;"><span style="color: #222222;">**********<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 6.0pt;"><span style="background: white; color: #0f1111;">A little bit
of knowledge can be a dangerous thing . . . but knowing the full truth might
get you killed.</span><span style="color: #0f1111;"><br />
<br />
<span style="background: white;">Druadaen, Outrider for the once-mighty Dunarran
Consentium, has proven that there are irreconcilable contradictions between
magic and physics on Arrdanc, the world of his birth. And what is his reward
for this important discovery, made against all odds and at considerable
personal risk? Exile—organized and compelled by nervous temple hierarchs.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background: white;">However, Druadaen remains determined to uncover
what several ancient persons and beings have urged him to seek: “the truth of
the world”—which might only be gained by traveling beyond it. Indeed, the
mysterious Lady of the Mirror speculates that he might find the answers by
journeying to the other side of her unusual looking glass: a reflective,
ethereal portal that she calls a “shimmer.”</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background: white;">But there’s a catch: because the mysterious
portal only allows a single person to pass through, Druadaen must leave his
companions behind. Unfortunately, once he has, they discover that the “shimmer”
only allows travelers to leave Arrdanc, not return to it. So his friends, led
by stalwart swordsman Ahearn, resolve to find another means by which they can
retrieve Druadaen—and with him, the truth of the world.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background: white;">There’s just one small problem with their quest:
the closer they come to finding a solution, the more obvious it becomes that
various powers on Arrdanc don’t want them to succeed. In fact, they’d rather
Druadaen doesn’t return at all.</span><br />
<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<!--[endif]--></span><span style="color: #222222;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 6.0pt;"><span style="color: #222222;">**********<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 6.0pt;"><span style="color: #222222;">Yes, the reaction of those in
power doesn’t add up. After all, why would they exile someone if all they were
doing was searching for the truth? <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 6.0pt;"><span style="color: #222222;">We begin to see the answer to
that question when Druadaen and his companions actually seek counsel with the
Lady of the Mirror, and Druadaen ends up stepping through a mysterious portal
into an entirely different world. He discovers people there, much like those
from home, who have also endured chaos at the hands of an unknown power – from
long, long ago – the likes of which was unmatched by all but the gods. And get
this. The echoes of that chaos are similar to that on Arrdanc.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 6.0pt;"><span style="color: #222222;">Of course, his friends are
left floundering in his wake, so they also begin trying to fit the pieces of
this larger puzzle together. In doing so, they begin to appreciate that the
real truth as to the origins of Arrdanc has been hidden from mankind. And if
they want answers, they’ll need to follow in Druadaen’s footsteps and journey
across time and space to find them.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 6.0pt;"><span style="color: #222222;">Thereafter, our story is told
from two perspectives: By Druadaen, after his journey through the shimmer; and
by his friends, who continue their efforts to be reunited with their friend, as
they also strive to uncover the truth.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 6.0pt;"><span style="color: #222222;">As before, the story arc is
as compelling as it is thoroughly entertaining. It’s vivid, it’s bright, and
dark and menacing. Murder, mystery, and mayhem, and abound in equal measure.
That, along with engaging characters and an appealing, ‘you’re one of us’
dialogue helps to immerse you in the trials and tribulations of the gang as
they begin to pick apart the scales masking the truth, to reveal a truly
astonishing revelation As they do so, a bigger, much more complex, and
insidious picture begins to emerge. (Fantastic world building there), which
really adds an additional weight to an already well-established foundation. <br />
<br />
Now, as to what that maleficent cancer is, you’re given plenty of clues (adding
to those sprinkled throughout the first book). And as it continues eating away
at the fabric of the world, you can only begin to imagine what’s coming. And
whatever it is, it’ll be huge. The tension is building, and I for one can’t
wait to see what happens.</span><span style="color: #0f1111;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 9.5pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #0f1111;">And isn’t THAT what it’s all
about? <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 9.5pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #0f1111;">Go on, enjoy yourself. It’ll be
one hell of a ride.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 9.5pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><br /></p><p style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 9.5pt; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0f1111;"><a href="https://www.amazon.de/-/en/gp/customer-reviews/R2JUY689VSNX1F/ref=cm_cr_dp_d_rvw_ttl?ie=UTF8&ASIN=1982125713" target="_blank">Amazon - This Broken World</a><br /><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 9.5pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"></p><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0f1111;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="color: #0f1111; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.amazon.de/review/R2XMDDA42VKB9T/ref=pe_1604851_66412761_cm_rv_eml_rv0_rv" target="_blank">Amazon - Into the Vortex</a><br /></div><span style="color: #0f1111;"><o:p></o:p></span><p></p>Andrew P. Westonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14835115110822415448noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3864434211438580574.post-58527221823209791502023-04-21T23:09:00.002-07:002023-04-21T23:09:49.462-07:00<h1 style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red;"> See How I Shine A Light On. . .</span></h1><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4V5KC5TMiS6PsZPQ97SRWniK8mi5ec9sHUQgsjoI8eqd3OGjEyHT7-e5WeQECwX837vZhy7ub2gNVMoaaBbs1FAUtfDLoU_RD8ZEP2dTiQXGXYwJGipAvbckyukiHyMxeq7BKftFESHEUWRFYD3hSWEtXYeN3ofZtIg7FFojc-3uBcPQB4RDSkdcf/s500/DarkestDay.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="314" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4V5KC5TMiS6PsZPQ97SRWniK8mi5ec9sHUQgsjoI8eqd3OGjEyHT7-e5WeQECwX837vZhy7ub2gNVMoaaBbs1FAUtfDLoU_RD8ZEP2dTiQXGXYwJGipAvbckyukiHyMxeq7BKftFESHEUWRFYD3hSWEtXYeN3ofZtIg7FFojc-3uBcPQB4RDSkdcf/w402-h640/DarkestDay.jpg" width="402" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: left;"></p><h3 style="background: white; margin: 6pt 0in; text-align: left;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">The Darkest Day</span></i></b></h3>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 6.0pt; margin: 6pt 0in;"><span style="color: #222222;">In this final book of the Gun
Hand series, 17 years have passed since Walsh Ritter buried his wife, and
shortly thereafter, avenged her death. And as the blurb goes on to highlight,
his circumstances have changed considerably:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 6.0pt; margin: 6pt 0in;"><span style="color: #222222;">**********<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 6.0pt; margin: 6pt 0in;"><span style="color: #222222;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="color: #0f1111;">Walsh
Ritter and the town of Tucumcari have needs. Walsh Ritter is standing on the
doorstep of old age and needs a town where he can live out his final years
quietly while he remembers the wife he loved that was needlessly and heinously
taken from him. Tucumcari needs a resident coffin maker.</span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 9.5pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 9.5pt;"><span style="color: #0f1111;">Seventeen years after he exacted
his revenge on those that had killed his wife, Walsh Ritter is tired of
wandering, he is ready to sleep in the same bed every night. Fate makes that
possible. Walsh falls quietly and contentedly into life as a resident of a town
who fills a necessary role, the role of coffin maker. Still wearing the gun
that has made him so feared and so hunted, on occasion he must fall back on his
old ways to stop those who would make a name for themselves by killing Walsh,
but mostly he builds coffins and sits in the shade remembering her… until that
young man came to town looking for help.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 9.5pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 9.5pt;"><span style="color: #0f1111;">The town never saw Walsh again
after he went to the shop to help the young man who was in need of a coffin.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 9.5pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 9.5pt;"><span style="color: #0f1111;">Eleven days later, Walsh is
allowed to emerge from one of his own coffins to see what he had hoped he would
never see again. The young man proved to be much more than even Walsh had
believed him to be. He was not just a kidnapper and would be murderer, he has a
bloodline that makes him formidable.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 9.5pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 9.5pt;"><span style="color: #0f1111;">Killing Walsh isn’t enough for
the young man, it could never be enough. As so often before, the brutality had
to precede the killing. But the young man makes the same mistake others before
him made. When you take time to torture Walsh Ritter, you are giving him time
to think and to get mad.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 9.5pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 9.5pt;"><span style="color: #0f1111;">A reckoning must come, but also a
final and everlasting peacefulness that had been sought for so long. Walsh sees
a way for everyone involved to get what they desire the most, himself most of
all…finally.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><span class="a-text-bold"><span style="color: #0f1111;">With jagged teeth and ragged
lips, Walsh Ritter can finally smile in the epic conclusion to this saga.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><span class="a-text-bold"><span style="color: #0f1111;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><span class="a-text-bold"><span style="color: #0f1111;">**********<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 6.0pt; margin: 6pt 0in;"><span style="color: #222222;">My blog followers will know
I’ve followed Jeff Crawford’s Gun Hand series from the start. And I’ve really
enjoyed every painful, bloody step along the way. What impressed me the most is
the way Jeff Crawford managed to elevate his story by applying & sticking
to – how can I describe this – an adult approach to psychological horror from
the outset. <br /><br />(If you’re looking for madcap running and screaming and wanton
bloodletting, then look elsewhere).<br /><br />No, what you get here is something
thoughtful; something insidious; something that eats away at your sensibilities
so that you’re drawn into Ritter’s plight in a very personal way. THAT’s why
it’s far superior to many other stories out there. And such a vibe set the
series apart. And in this concluding chapter, he manages to slow the pace right
down and add an intensity that allows you to prepare for an inevitability long
in the waiting.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 6.0pt; margin: 6pt 0in;"><span style="color: #222222;">What that inevitability
entails? Ah, you’ll have to find out for yourself. Just remember, Ritter does
things HIS way. At a time and place of HIS choosing. Can we expect anything
less, then, in this his final story when the ghosts of victims past come a
calling?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 6.0pt; margin: 6pt 0in;"><span style="color: #222222;">A part of me is sad that
Ritter’s story has to end. But isn’t that the way life is? Even so, Jeff
Crawford delivers that ending in such a way that the legend will always live on,
and in doing so, sets an example of how to round a hugely satisfying series
off.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 6.0pt; margin: 6pt 0in;"><span style="color: #222222;"><br /></span></p><p style="background: white; margin: 6pt 0in; text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjRrflV_d9c2iwfm5I2W08CZd4qX9M7remufkNZhd9XohXXpctV7XEqN4G4DHwtbTMzZd19roL1aLvfkCGCcopjtrdtAe_PNSMlGBBOpd8SYGrzNdPbpTmmbLsxQ90W2CgtSKlO7kgEKHysQ_RslqsY_1jv_GnZKBRemwOlQm7bpZhlM9Bg1PD-Kms/s427/amazon%5B1%5D.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="279" data-original-width="427" height="131" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjRrflV_d9c2iwfm5I2W08CZd4qX9M7remufkNZhd9XohXXpctV7XEqN4G4DHwtbTMzZd19roL1aLvfkCGCcopjtrdtAe_PNSMlGBBOpd8SYGrzNdPbpTmmbLsxQ90W2CgtSKlO7kgEKHysQ_RslqsY_1jv_GnZKBRemwOlQm7bpZhlM9Bg1PD-Kms/w200-h131/amazon%5B1%5D.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #222222;"><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/review/R3IXYWNTTF9FCL/ref=pe_1572281_66412651_cm_rv_eml_rv0_rv" target="_blank">Amazon Review</a><br /></span></div><p></p><br /><p></p>Andrew P. Westonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14835115110822415448noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3864434211438580574.post-1389669157412570672023-04-11T21:44:00.001-07:002023-04-11T21:44:09.388-07:00<h1 style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red;"> See How I made Sense Of. . .</span></h1><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitvmRPLMcJTZ57ncwqx51SgR9XRq9brc50C0eds45ZKSNtD3ftZwOujKeodBJ1QICdPCxP07RsGW4xsZejRU-8wW5eGBFx4On4EJqkOMfZbUFThrg7Ec92sykSzpnywUh0hPMXc2JQMPZKDPPEILVxeDbwGeYAw7pn9wW2hGRRcc-V5UUBvOCk5B9Y/s1000/chaosvector.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="636" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitvmRPLMcJTZ57ncwqx51SgR9XRq9brc50C0eds45ZKSNtD3ftZwOujKeodBJ1QICdPCxP07RsGW4xsZejRU-8wW5eGBFx4On4EJqkOMfZbUFThrg7Ec92sykSzpnywUh0hPMXc2JQMPZKDPPEILVxeDbwGeYAw7pn9wW2hGRRcc-V5UUBvOCk5B9Y/w408-h640/chaosvector.jpg" width="408" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: left;"></p><h3 style="background: white; margin: 6pt 0in; text-align: left;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Chaos Vector</span></i></b></h3>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 6.0pt; margin: 6pt 0in;"><span style="color: #222222;">In <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Chaos Vector</i>, the second installment of the Protectorate Series,
Megan O’Keefe maintains the frantic pace of her opening foray into the stars,
and indeed, builds that momentum into a blistering action-adventure that
pleases from beginning to end.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 6.0pt; margin: 6pt 0in;"><span style="color: #222222;">But let’s not race ahead of
ourselves. The blurb has something to say first:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 6.0pt; margin: 6pt 0in;"><span style="color: #222222;">**********</span><b><span style="background: white; color: #0f1111;"><br />
</span></b><span style="color: #0f1111;"><br />
<span style="background: white;">Sanda and Tomas are fleeing for their lives
after letting the most dangerous smartship in the universe run free. Now,
unsure of who to trust, Sanda knows only one thing for certain - to be able to
save herself from becoming a pawn of greater powers, she needs to discover the
secret of the coordinates hidden in her skull.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background: white;">But getting to those coordinates is a problem
she can't solve alone. They exist beyond a deadgate - a sealed-off Casimir gate
that opens up into a dead-end system. And there's a dangerous new player who
wants the coordinates for their own ends - a player who will happily crack her
open to get them.</span></span><span style="color: #222222;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 6.0pt; margin: 6pt 0in;"><span style="color: #222222;">**********<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 6.0pt; margin: 6pt 0in;"><span style="color: #222222;">Yes, the threads O’Keefe laid
out in Velocity Weapon are tightened even further, providing us with a
visionary, far-flung adventure that is as gripping as it is exasperating. How
so?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 6.0pt; margin: 6pt 0in;"><span style="color: #222222;">Sanda has a chip in her head.
Something that will result in her death if anyone in authority finds out about
it. Yet the chip contains coordinates that might – just might – provide answers
to an ongoing mystery, hundreds of years in the making.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 6.0pt; margin: 6pt 0in;"><span style="color: #222222;">Her brother, Biran, is
fighting to maintain his position and authority in an increasingly volatile
environment where Keeper turns against Keeper, and Guard Core can’t be trusted.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 6.0pt; margin: 6pt 0in;"><span style="color: #222222;">And Thomas? Thinking the
terms of his original contract have been fulfilled, his Nazca masters reassign
him, placing him in far more danger than ever before. And unbelievably, against
a woman he has started to develop feelings for. Trying to navigate a path out
of this unenviable position is fraught with peril, for if either side discovers
what he’s up to, it’ll mean instant death.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 6.0pt; margin: 6pt 0in;"><span style="color: #222222;">You see? A lot happens in
this second book, and we haven’t even considered some of the finer points of
the ever-evolving sub plot taking place among some of the other players
introduced in Velocity Weapon. As I said, the momentum is frantic. But at no
time do you ever lose track of what’s happening, where, when, or to whom.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 6.0pt; margin: 6pt 0in;"><span style="color: #222222;">And, just when you think it’s
safe to relax, O’Keefe does it again, by adding that plot-twist to zing things
along in a different direction. Great fun. Thoroughly enjoyable, and a superb
example of what space opera is supposed to be.<o:p></o:p></span></p><br /><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinVuLpLbJjxmVtQJdLDKdWxP4qGRr2lW9V2ey8j8maH1Z7YsqeSuJg05hip_ZKVYJoXegvzIRdkCFhXPmCu4Tmwn0qlVu-srhYTdoDVoChyt7DZHgvWyYzl0iHcrXXWW0jID8hC45ko4IUvS70Lf9yE1DaJMuoMyjiTogz5bIE_xm4Hw7iiQjipBy-/s427/amazon%5B1%5D.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="279" data-original-width="427" height="131" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinVuLpLbJjxmVtQJdLDKdWxP4qGRr2lW9V2ey8j8maH1Z7YsqeSuJg05hip_ZKVYJoXegvzIRdkCFhXPmCu4Tmwn0qlVu-srhYTdoDVoChyt7DZHgvWyYzl0iHcrXXWW0jID8hC45ko4IUvS70Lf9yE1DaJMuoMyjiTogz5bIE_xm4Hw7iiQjipBy-/w200-h131/amazon%5B1%5D.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.amazon.de/review/R1YQXQ3JNJBIZW/ref=pe_1604851_66412761_cm_rv_eml_rv0_rv" target="_blank">Amazon Review</a><br /></div><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p>Andrew P. Westonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14835115110822415448noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3864434211438580574.post-75252663216722702023-03-30T03:25:00.001-07:002023-03-30T03:25:25.826-07:00<h1 style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: red;"> This Was No Hit & Miss Affair. . .</span></b></h1><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOe9bcoIXZdTS9sqms2qduOivhoJgUR1HgUZyQ6uIBGtntOIg18YKrPnWUzADy1thVtlYoYOsNEBPAiy_hLlxMGPU9P2QVOP-zqAeO7a7mSCkm30nWWbHWv1R0_m0N-fBpb79qaTY_KTkcaTX6ng0j6I3DMKK4vHWBB_MavoTcXXPrrtN6tANWVpor/s500/deadclose1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="314" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOe9bcoIXZdTS9sqms2qduOivhoJgUR1HgUZyQ6uIBGtntOIg18YKrPnWUzADy1thVtlYoYOsNEBPAiy_hLlxMGPU9P2QVOP-zqAeO7a7mSCkm30nWWbHWv1R0_m0N-fBpb79qaTY_KTkcaTX6ng0j6I3DMKK4vHWBB_MavoTcXXPrrtN6tANWVpor/w402-h640/deadclose1.jpg" width="402" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: left;"></p><h3 style="background: white; margin: 6pt 0in; text-align: left;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Dead Close</span></i></b></h3>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 6.0pt;"><span style="color: #222222;">I can’t emphasize enough how
much I enjoy stories that are that little bit different. Stories that are
unpretentious, yet subtle enough to grab your attention from the outset. And in
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Dead Close</i> by Mark Robinson, that’s
exactly what you get.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 6.0pt;"><span style="color: #222222;">Take a look at the blurb, and
you’ll see why it caught my discerning eye:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 6.0pt;"><span style="color: #222222;">*************<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 6.0pt;"><span style="background: white; color: #0f1111;">Following a
power outage in the dead of night, the residents of a leafy cul-de-sac
mysteriously vanish. Amongst the missing are Eve Parker’s aunt and uncle.
Desperate for answers, Eve starts digging into the history of Roanoke Road with
the help of her friends, who host a true crime podcast series. What they
discover could not only put them in harm’s way but also make this their last
podcast, ever. . .<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 6.0pt;"><span style="background: white; color: #0f1111;">*************<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 6.0pt;"><span style="background: white; color: #0f1111;">And this
modest intro leads into one of the best murder/mystery/horror whodunnits I’ve
read in a long time. Seriously . . . it’s THAT good.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 6.0pt;"><span style="background: white; color: #0f1111;">What helps
elevate this story is the fact that Robinson keeps to a simple formula: <br />
Keep things short and sweet.<br />
So, you’ll find the mystery starts from the very first chapter. And once you’re
hooked, the breadcrumbs start to trail through the story arc. You are led from
character to character; victim to victim; crumb to crumb, with the occasional
revelation thrown in.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 6.0pt;"><span style="background: white; color: #0f1111;">But never
too much. Never too quickly.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 6.0pt;"><span style="background: white; color: #0f1111;">It’s quite
exquisite how Robinson establishes a thread, allows it to tighten, and then
moves on to the next facet of his story, only to repeat the process again. In
doing so, he gradually tightens the overall theme and brings the larger picture
into focus. (Think of the way some people start a jigsaw by establishing a
perimeter, and then work their way inward).<br />
Each chapter is concise; it plays into the overall premise; and it keeps you
involved from beginning to end. The pacing, the characters, the delivery . . .
it all works beautifully.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 6.0pt;"><span style="background: white; color: #0f1111;">I thoroughly
enjoyed it, and am sure you will too. </span><span style="color: #222222;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 6.0pt;"><span style="background: white; color: #0f1111;"><br /></span></p><p style="background: white; margin: 6pt 0in; text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEENrPtjiREJ0A9LI08ZAJRDIhdn9OG2l-ZwKz1z60Aqu33CurMN5oLTnEcy4NjJgt_gvXr5ixs-LtH7TLZrvcyU0f0QgegLzmBFg1-lDtl9n4BkhWIU2bmPCGIIbQBtU9joYdyOECZFbOewp0l0z8AaMCrwow3RHnGXzzP4Mn7wT0H1hXlWAB0M98/s427/amazon%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="279" data-original-width="427" height="131" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEENrPtjiREJ0A9LI08ZAJRDIhdn9OG2l-ZwKz1z60Aqu33CurMN5oLTnEcy4NjJgt_gvXr5ixs-LtH7TLZrvcyU0f0QgegLzmBFg1-lDtl9n4BkhWIU2bmPCGIIbQBtU9joYdyOECZFbOewp0l0z8AaMCrwow3RHnGXzzP4Mn7wT0H1hXlWAB0M98/w200-h131/amazon%5B1%5D.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><br /><span style="background: white; color: #0f1111;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-reviews/RO1W2X1QRWHJ3/ref=cm_cr_dp_d_rvw_ttl?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B0B6Q94QFB" target="_blank">Amazon Link</a><br /></span><p></p><br /><p></p>Andrew P. Westonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14835115110822415448noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3864434211438580574.post-33096120700350468292023-03-23T22:52:00.000-07:002023-03-23T22:52:09.388-07:00<h1 style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red;"> There's No Chance of Slowing Down For. . .</span></h1><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioM7OyVVGoWgoPwDL-g9hrv6t2h-vPGAj_B3gi5KLTuCuhzu6HST9FwM5Rs2TCMrpQyrSYeGm7qhQLpLYM54FFnLIqiHI2Tl0r6YM6Uwtqmy9WSxsdeNPGPwCEce0q80vJeUtNpELB3baEqNR4n6xYk1iCxfxjwGZtwmrSN_eX21MNm9WJoblyfZNR/s1000/velocityweapon.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="667" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioM7OyVVGoWgoPwDL-g9hrv6t2h-vPGAj_B3gi5KLTuCuhzu6HST9FwM5Rs2TCMrpQyrSYeGm7qhQLpLYM54FFnLIqiHI2Tl0r6YM6Uwtqmy9WSxsdeNPGPwCEce0q80vJeUtNpELB3baEqNR4n6xYk1iCxfxjwGZtwmrSN_eX21MNm9WJoblyfZNR/w426-h640/velocityweapon.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: left;"></p><h3 style="background: white; margin: 6pt 0in; text-align: left;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Velocity Weapon</span></i></b></h3>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 6.0pt; margin: 6pt 0in;"><span style="color: #222222;">As my followers know, there
are few things I like better than an ‘unconventional’ space opera. You know;
stories that span the galaxy in scope, and yet manage to hang on to those
old-fashioned values that make us what we are. Human(ish). And in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Velocity Weapon</i> by Megan E. O’Keefe, you
get exactly that. . .<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 6.0pt; margin: 6pt 0in;"><span style="color: #222222;">Though the blurb doesn’t give
much away:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 6.0pt; margin: 6pt 0in;"><span style="color: #222222;">**********<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 6.0pt; margin: 6pt 0in;"><span style="background: white; color: #0f1111;">The last
thing Sanda remembers is her gunship exploding.</span><span style="color: #0f1111;"><br />
<br />
<span style="background: white;">She expected to be recovered by salvage-medics
and to awaken in friendly hands, patched-up and ready to rejoin the fight.
Instead she wakes up 230 years later, on a deserted enemy starship called <i>The
Light of Berossus</i> - or, as he prefers to call himself, 'Bero'.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background: white;">Bero tells Sanda the war is lost. That the
entire star system is dead.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background: white;">But is that the full story? After all, in the
vastness of space, anything is possible . . .</span></span><span style="color: #222222;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 6.0pt; margin: 6pt 0in;"><span style="color: #222222;">**********<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 6.0pt; margin: 6pt 0in;"><span style="color: #222222;">As usual, I’m going to be
very careful about giving anything away regarding plot development. I’ll leave
that to O’Keefe and her story. But what I will reveal is that she lays out the
threads of her story so that it can be told from three main perspectives. Then,
as events unfurl, you’ll see how she begins to tighten those threads until it
begins to knot into a coherent whole. (Remember that, because this first book
is just the beginning of something special).<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 6.0pt; margin: 6pt 0in;"><span style="color: #222222;">And it’s cleverly done, we’re
not only introduced to an intergalactic society set in the far distant future,
but we also see how humanity remains divided by the same old hang-ups we’ve
always had.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 6.0pt; margin: 6pt 0in;"><span style="color: #222222;">There’s interplanetary
political intrigue aplenty. Forbidden tech in the wrong/right hands. Hidden
subtext. Space action and hi-jinks. Sound world building and character
development, where the theme of familial ties and loyalty abounds. And it’s all
delivered in a beautifully crafted, superbly executed and down to earth way
that gets you involved from the outset.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 6.0pt; margin: 6pt 0in;"><span style="color: #222222;">I thoroughly enjoyed it. And
for me, what I particularly liked was the way O’Keefe leads you along a
particular path, only to trip you up with an unexpected plot-twist. And then
another. AND another! (It really is that good).<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 6.0pt; margin: 6pt 0in;"><span style="color: #222222;">Buuut that’s not all. As the
plot thickens and certain revelations are made and laid to rest, she also
manages to sow the seeds of future developments that you know will be addressed
in later books. And THAT’s good storytelling. Because with something this
complex, it takes time to tell the story properly. And I really appreciate the
author who doesn’t rush, allows the story to set its own pace, and teases you
with even more diabolical machinations to come.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 6.0pt; margin: 6pt 0in;"><span style="color: #222222;">Excellent stuff! I can’t wait
to see what happens . . . and really, isn’t that the reaction every author
should try to elicit from their readers?<o:p></o:p></span></p><br /><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZep0tLhzS3axGDAQ-xasCMnp5z4iuSYmu3YbRmXMOiifTNNOYLS-Ij8idorb1xtYF8fJvSPgBDdvZk99SNEAeEoIApqSu8-r07GyX25XriWWjmEa-KtHLCceUmDv1b4i64SwRadNg-JpCisqiB0ULwTyGZFf9Ws9Sg_Ft3mrGGFKjX39Oz4gdctO7/s427/amazon%5B1%5D.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="279" data-original-width="427" height="131" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZep0tLhzS3axGDAQ-xasCMnp5z4iuSYmu3YbRmXMOiifTNNOYLS-Ij8idorb1xtYF8fJvSPgBDdvZk99SNEAeEoIApqSu8-r07GyX25XriWWjmEa-KtHLCceUmDv1b4i64SwRadNg-JpCisqiB0ULwTyGZFf9Ws9Sg_Ft3mrGGFKjX39Oz4gdctO7/w200-h131/amazon%5B1%5D.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.amazon.de/review/R32IIUTQFK4C4I/ref=pe_1604851_66412761_cm_rv_eml_rv0_rv" target="_blank">Amazon Review</a><br /></div><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p>Andrew P. Westonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14835115110822415448noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3864434211438580574.post-89675193141284142842023-03-08T04:33:00.001-08:002023-03-08T04:33:07.522-08:00<h1 style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red;"> See How I Navigated The Dangers Of. . .</span></h1><div><span style="color: red;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpCZUZQMIV_iQI2EhdTjSn3pCS8yne6lkz2pQK7Uc7yZieDYfKKvhhWOLtPMhOs0qH4oNSyyrIraZ3IWo3-xDdl4VKEp4JLpLcgT50HkPaP0CbLSr-bQAUcyOIdylZ_Mx7TW5EhZLi89tDsGzCUAHHieM84wEM5hFGXtJlq6cD-zNQIWe3z6l02Xgn/s2148/house%20of%20styx.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2148" data-original-width="1400" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpCZUZQMIV_iQI2EhdTjSn3pCS8yne6lkz2pQK7Uc7yZieDYfKKvhhWOLtPMhOs0qH4oNSyyrIraZ3IWo3-xDdl4VKEp4JLpLcgT50HkPaP0CbLSr-bQAUcyOIdylZ_Mx7TW5EhZLi89tDsGzCUAHHieM84wEM5hFGXtJlq6cD-zNQIWe3z6l02Xgn/w418-h640/house%20of%20styx.jpg" width="418" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 9.5pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 9.5pt;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #222222;">The House of Styx</span></i></b><span style="color: #0f1111;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 9.5pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 9.5pt;"><span style="color: #0f1111;">Those of you who follow my blog
know how much I loved the Quantum Evolution Series, as I found the universe in
which it was set, as innovative as it was inspiring. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 9.5pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 9.5pt;"><span style="color: #0f1111;">Imagine my delight, then, when I
discovered Derek Künsken is currently in the middle of a number of prequels to
that work, set 250 years before the events portrayed in The Quantum Magician.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 9.5pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 9.5pt;"><span style="color: #0f1111;">Here’s the blurb to <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The House of Styx</i>, the very first <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Venus Ascendant</i> novel.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 9.5pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 9.5pt;"><span style="color: #0f1111;">**********<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 9.5pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 9.5pt;"><span style="background: white; color: #0f1111;">Life can exist
anywhere. And anywhere there is life, there is home.<br />
<br />
In the swirling clouds of Venus, George-Étienne and his children are one of a
few families of <span class="a-text-italic">la colonie</span> living on
floating plant-like trawlers, salvaging what they can in the fierce acid rain
and crackling storms. Outside is deadly for the unprepared or unwary, but the
planet’s atmosphere is far from the only threat a family can face.<br />
<br />
For the surface of Venus carries its own secrets, too. In the depths, there is
a wind that shouldn’t exist. For George-Étienne and the House of Styx, harnessing
it may be worth risking all.</span><span style="color: #0f1111;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 9.5pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 9.5pt;"><span style="color: #0f1111;">**********<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 9.5pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 9.5pt;"><span style="color: #0f1111;">As fans of The Quantum Evolution
series will know, the Vesuvian Congregate was a pivotal power throughout
colonized space. A political power, with the punch to influence just about
anyone they wanted. But here, in this story, Venus is the poor man’s version of
a rough and ready hick town.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 9.5pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 9.5pt;"><span style="color: #0f1111;">Yes, mankind has managed to
settle in the volatile environment of the upper atmosphere of Earth’s nearest
neighbor, but life is far from easy. Existence is hard. So hard, that dogmatic
routine – of check, check, and check again – is the key to survival. The
slightest exposure to Venus’ toxic atmosphere will burn you; the smallest
misstep will send you plummeting into the crushing depths of the lower
atmosphere; the tiniest inclination to relax your guard will set of a series of
catastrophes that get you killed.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 9.5pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 9.5pt;"><span style="color: #0f1111;">Yet people have not only set up a
colony here, they’re doing their best to thrive . . . if owing the Bank of
Pallas an ever-extending debt from which you’ll never be free is your idea of
thriving. And it’s into this cauldron of fomenting menace that we look in on
the D’Aquillon’s, a family who were part of the original settlers who took the
chance of making Venus their home.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 9.5pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 9.5pt;"><span style="color: #0f1111;">But as I mentioned, life isn’t
easy. The banks are always out to make a profit. They even have a controlling
influence on the distribution of medicines and spare parts, vital for survival.
And if you don’t toe the line, then you just might discover that Venus becomes
your grave. This creates something of a division between the settlers. There
are those who do prosper – to a degree – the kowtows and the lackeys, who do
exactly what the Bank of Pallas wants. They get the better, more sophisticated
habitats higher up in the atmosphere where it’s safer.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 9.5pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 9.5pt;"><span style="color: #0f1111;">Families like the D’Aquillon’s,
however, live deeper down, in floating, plantlike homes where thunder and
lightning rages, and death is only a stuttering heartbeat away. But what do you
expect when your whole economy is based on salvaging what you can from the endless
storms that churn Venus’ atmosphere into a frothing rage?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 9.5pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 9.5pt;"><span style="color: #0f1111;">And then the D’Aquillon’s make a
remarkable discovery. One that will guarantee a future free from debt and the
controlling fist of oppression.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 9.5pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 9.5pt;"><span style="color: #0f1111;">Regardless, if the wrong people
find out, then not only will the bank step in and take<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> </i>their discovery from them, but the D’Aquillon’s may very well find
themselves arrested on trumped-up charges, or even killed. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 9.5pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 9.5pt;"><span style="color: #0f1111;">Now, what that find is, exactly, you’ll
have to uncover for yourself. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 9.5pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 9.5pt;"><span style="color: #0f1111;">But you’ll be glad you did, as
Künsken’s immersive style will allow you to ‘connect’ with the every-day-in-day-out
struggle the D’Aquillon’s must endure to simply eke out a living. And that
endurance is what makes them special. Yes, they’re flawed. Their personalities
often create as much friction as the storm clouds in which they live. But being
downtrodden and ignored and rejected for so many years has made them tough.
Self-reliant and determined. Resilient. So much so, that when a golden
opportunity comes their way, they have just the right qualities and skills to
make a daring plan work.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 9.5pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 9.5pt;"><span style="color: #0f1111;">And I thoroughly enjoyed how Künsken
put that across in this story. We delve into what makes people tick. What
motivates them. What makes one person stand up and be counted when it matters,
while others fold. It’s about loyalty and unity. And, quite simply, it’s yet
another fine example of how good old-fashioned sci-fi should be written.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 9.5pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 9.5pt;"><span style="color: #0f1111;">I can’t wait to see what happens
next.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 9.5pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 9.5pt;"><span style="color: #0f1111;"><br /></span></p><p style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 9.5pt; text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPdT7n80soCh0emDzTbPOEqhijPeBx7EYvI2hu9IrchhyGQOJFKMmBv0HtOhU8YxRzelgU8H_CFjhl--ss6JohZu-20rgk_JdZ1iXwm7zqoqbL5EECW6uizxTT1uLriISLgbsZTMkiTRV2-Z-rUNV2LKpED3l84Le2v4-87w7cocMybvG-AkM92ceZ/s427/amazon%5B1%5D.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="279" data-original-width="427" height="131" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPdT7n80soCh0emDzTbPOEqhijPeBx7EYvI2hu9IrchhyGQOJFKMmBv0HtOhU8YxRzelgU8H_CFjhl--ss6JohZu-20rgk_JdZ1iXwm7zqoqbL5EECW6uizxTT1uLriISLgbsZTMkiTRV2-Z-rUNV2LKpED3l84Le2v4-87w7cocMybvG-AkM92ceZ/w200-h131/amazon%5B1%5D.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.amazon.de/review/R8C8JAZC61UPL/ref=pe_1604851_66412761_cm_rv_eml_rv0_rv" target="_blank">Amazon Review</a><br /></div><span style="color: #0f1111;"><br /></span><p></p><span style="color: red;"></span></div></div>Andrew P. Westonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14835115110822415448noreply@blogger.com0