Book Review Spotlight - Resuscitation by Jerrid Edgington

 

Resuscitation by Jerrid Edgington is the second book in the Racing the Reaper series and one that will keep you on the edge of your seat as you read through it.

The book begins shortly after the first one, Racing the Reaper, leaves off. Following after Bridge, the main character, Jacob, is in a new town and in a new job. Little does he know that his love interest, Bridge is already involved with a doctor at the hospital. Jacob discovers this when he happens to run into her and the doctor one day after Jacob delivers a patient via ambulance to the hospital.

The reader is taken on a journey through emotional highs and lows right along with Jacob. I cringed, cried and laughed out loud at some of the emergency calls that Jacob had to respond to, but in the end thought that all of it seemed very realistic in terms of what first responders go through on a daily basis.

Intertwined with the main plot is the struggle between Bridge and Jacob to work out a way to be together. All the while, Jacob must also deal with Bridge's ex-boyfriend who is a power hungry, control freak that gets his comeuppance later in the book.

Although this second book stands on its own, I would recommend reading the first book prior to this one to get the full back story of Jacob and his life before the new town and new job.

The author did a great job of tying up loose ends and delivering a complete, well-written sequel to Racing the Reaper (Book 1). Looking forward to the next book in the series.

Book Review Spotlight - Small Town Witch by Kristen S. Walker

"Small Town Witch" by Kristen S. Walker is a wonderfully unique story of small town witches in a world where magical powers and sorcery are commonplace.

The story is told through the eyes of Rosamunde, a teenage witch who lives in a small town in California. Although Rosamunde is human, she made a pact with a fae in order to have magical abilities like those of her mother. As with any teenager, Rosamunde is in a hurry to grow up and use the magic powers that her mother has taught her over the past few years. But, her mother believes she needs more training - much to Rosamunde's dismay.

The nice little town of Madrone is painted so vividly in the beginning of the story that I felt as though I were there along side Rosamunde. As the story progresses, there are hints and foreshadowing that everything is not as it seems and a more sinister plot comes to the surface.

The daily trials and tribulations of teenagers are sprinkled throughout the book, no matter that they are not normal teenagers - their lives still echo the thoughts and feelings of any normal young adult. When you add the layers of witchcraft, sorcery and magic to the mix, the outcome is an explosion of emotion and drama that keeps the reader interested and engaged in the story to the very end.

I found the characters to be believable and each one was fully developed to my satisfaction. The plot had many twists and turns that kept me guessing and made me eager to turn the page to see what would happened next. Although the ending was a slight cliffhanger, it only made me want to read the next book right away.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading "Small Town Witch" and look forward to reading the sequel.

Book Review Spotlight - Seeking Dr. Magic by Scott Spotson

"Seeking Dr. Magic" by Scott Spotson is an urban detective fantasy that delivers a well-developed story full of suspense and a good amount of "magic".

The story opens with Ninjas effortlessly performing stunts on a high-rise building in New York City, only to disappear in front of the large crowd of on-lookers. Former FBI agent, Tony Hetfield is now a detective who is tasked with solving the mystery of the Phantam Ninjas, only to be taken from his office in Chicago and dropped thirty stories off the Morgan Stanley building in New York within a matter of minutes. Hetfield is then caught inches from the ground by Dr. Magic - all is recorded and the media is in a frenzy about it.

Throughout the book, both Dr. Magic and Detective Hetfield reveal more and more "human" characteristics, not just the surface traits initially portrayed in the beginning of the book. Hetfield becomes more likable as a character as he develops a bond with Dr. Magic. Hetfield has a gut feeling that Dr. Magic is not evil, just misunderstood. Dr. Magic realizes that he is just a kid in need of a friend that he can trust.

The only thing that bothered me while reading this was that the ending felt a bit rushed, but not to the point of detracting too much from the story line.

If you are looking for a quick read this summer, "Seeking Dr. Magic" certainly fits the bill!

New Release Spotlight - Blackout by Madeleine Henry

"Blackout" by Madeleine Henry is a superbly written dystopian novel, full of action, suspense, romance and adventure.

The story begins after the world is plunged into darkness and America is divided by a concrete wall (the Frontier). The northern part of the nation above the wall has electricity, the bottom part below the Frontier does not. The lives of those without electricity in the Dark Zone is harsh, dangerous and barely above existing for most of the inhabitants in the region. The lives of those with electricity is much easier (thus the term, "Easies" used to describe them).

The main character, Phoenix, and his girlfriend, Star are selected along with several other teenagers to be allowed into America. In exchange for this, their families are given electricity and Star hopes it will be the answer to her younger brother's chronic illness.

Once in America, Phoenix and Star are thrown into a contest given by the richest families in the country. At first glance, the intentions of the families appear to be genuinely altruistic and the teens quickly adapt to the lifestyle. However, during the course of the contest, secrets are revealed that shake Phoenix to his core and make him question the true reasons for the contest.

"Blackout" was an easy read and it kept me on the edge of my seat throughout the entire story. Ms. Henry has delivered a great story with a wonderfully thought out plot. I loved the ending and am looking forward to the sequel.

I would definitely recommend it to those who enjoy books such as The Hunger Games and other young adult dystopian, post-apocalyptic type novels.

About the Author

Madeleine Henry was born and raised in New York. This spring, she graduated from Yale University and began her adult life in New York City. Madeleine majored in psychology and wrote her senior essay on the extreme popularity of the Twilight book series. In college, she also ran a marathon and had a brief but enthusiastic stint as a stand-up comedienne.

BLACKOUT is Madeleine's first book. Parts of the story are drawn from two weeks she spent foraging for food and water in desert Utah while enrolled in a survival skills field course. She has since recovered.

Book Review Spotlight - Fleischerhaus by Melissa Bowersock

 

 

"Fleischerhaus" by Melissa Bowersock is another great read from this extremely talented author. I loved "Stone's Ghost" and was eager to read Ms. Bowersock's latest offering.

The story centers on Julia, who is recently divorced and decides to visit her friends (Denis and Maggie) in Germany for the summer. While there, she and Maggie visit a historical area which includes what was once a concentration camp. Julia is drawn to a cottage off the main area of the camp. Once she enters, she feels as though she is being strangled and runs out of the building in fear for her life.

After Maggie helps her regain her composure, they go to the medical office where Maggie and her husband, Denis are employed as physicians. This is where Julia meets Dr. Theo Seiler and is quickly attracted to the handsome, single doctor.

With encouragement from Theo and a reference to another doctor who performs hypnosis, Julia decides to delve further into her belief that she was murdered in a past life at the concentration camp. Under hypnosis, she finds out much more than she could have imagined of the life of the girl who was murdered in the camp.

"Fleischerhaus" is indeed a suspenseful, intriguing, well-crafted story of a past life experience and a summer romance. One that will surely keep you interested from the very beginning to the very end.

Book Review Spotlight - Written in Hell by Jason Helfold

Book Review Spotlight - Written in Hell by Jason Helfold

"Written in Hell" by Jason Helford is a well-crafted tale of the journey through Hell for a very "bad" author.

Nathaniel Blovey is a writer whose collection of books failed miserably to garner much readership while he was alive. He also was a pretty awful person in real life, just ask his girlfriend. Although his girlfriend was no prize either.

The story begins where Nate's life is cut short is a most horrific way and he is sent to Hell. Well, actually, he has been asked to write in Hell. Since his books have been a big hit there, the Devil decides to allow the hoards their request of more books from this famous (in Hell) author. But, Nate has a problem. He has writer's block. What is an author to do if writing a best-seller is the key to him NOT spending eternity in the worst level of Hell (the Hall of Mediocrity and in his own mediocre mind)?

The plot is unique, original and different with a touch of "Dante's Inferno", yet this version of Hell is masterfully created with a fresh newness about it. The book is strange, creepy and at times flinch-worthy, but not so much as to take away from the storyline.

I would recommend this to those who appreciate fantasy, however, be warned that there is a large peppering of profanity throughout the book.


Overall, a very good read and one that I will not soon forget.

Book Review Spotlight - The Mine by John A. Heldt

"The Mine" by John Heldt is a cross between a time travel, science fiction novel and a love story, blended quite nicely into one perfectly packaged piece.

In the beginning of the book, Joel is nearing graduation from college in the year 2000. He is on a road trip with his friend, Adam in Montana and they take a detour on their way home to Seattle. Adam is not very happy about the change of plans and the abandoned gold mine, but allows Joel a few minutes to go into the cavern.

While in the mine, Joel is swept into the past. The portal only opens during a certain alignment of the planets, which occurs about every 60 years. When he steps out of the mine, Joel ends up in the year 1941, just six months before the Japanese attack Pearl Harbor.

In 1941, Joel is a homeless person in Montana with no money in his pocket and just the clothes on his back. He is able to sell his watch at a pawn shop and get food and other items with the proceeds. He teams up with other homeless men, down on their luck and hops a train to Seattle. This is where he meets Tom.

Joel breaks up a fight where Tom is being beaten up by a couple of thugs over a debt. For his heroism, Tom takes Joel under his wing and to his home. Joel settles in quite nicely in 1941 and becomes a star salesmen in Tom's father's furniture store.

One thing leads to another and Joel falls in love with Grace. This is where the story gets really good and you can see Joel maturing from the cocky college student to a caring young man.

Grace is the perfect girlfriend for Joel, but she is engaged to another man who will soon be shipped off to war. Their budding romance blossoms as the weeks go by while her fiancée is in training in another state. Joel and Grace become inseparable. That is, until Joel makes the decision to go back to the year 2000.

I loved the setting for this book, Seattle is one of my favorite places. I could see and feel the sights and sounds of the Pacific Northwest with the descriptive voice that the author used. To be in Seattle in the 1940's would have been a great time to be there.

Heldt has wonderfully blended a time-travel story with a romance, not something that is very easy to do. The balance of both was right on the mark for me. I thoroughly enjoyed the book and did not want it to end. When it did end, the smile on my face was one of pure satisfaction.

The Comet Cat - Review

The Comet Cat is the sequel to Star Pirate and a wonderful addition to the Ebony's Legacy series.

In the first book, Ebony finds her parents. Her father is the captain of the pirate steamship and her mother is the Northern Star. In this sequel, Ebony dearly misses her parents and is looking for a friend to keep her company.

Ebony wishes upon a two-tailed star and is subsequently visited by Comet Cat (Hale - as in Hale-Bopp). She is then taken on a whimsical journey into the Milk Way where she meets the devious Snake who would like nothing more than to steal Hale's tail so he can be seen better in the night's sky. This event leads to Ebony being visited by her mother, the Northern Star and onto a fantastical story where Ebony is tasked with helping to retrieve Comet Cat's tail.

The ending is truly special and one that warmed my heart.

This is a well-written and beautifully illustrated book for children as well as adults to enjoy. I am looking forward to the next installment in Ebony's Legacy, which is now my new favorite children's book series.

This review can be found on Amazon and Goodreads at the following links.  If you found this review helpful, please click on the "Yes" button at the Amazon link and the "Like" button at the Goodreads link:

Amazon review by S.A. Molteni

Goodreads review by S.A. Molteni