BOOK REVIEW for "Wayfarer: AV494" by Matthew S. Cox

****(4) out of 5 Stars!

Wayfarer: AV494

by Matthew S. Cox

Publication date: March 8th, 2018

Published by: Curiosity Quills Press

SYNOPSIS:

Kerys Loring hopes an expedition to a distant alien ruin will make her career ― assuming she lives long enough to still have one.

Her last team made a significant find, but her bosses took all the recognition and grant money. When Avasar Biotechnology appeals to her unique combination of experience and desperation, she jumps at the chance, even if it means leaving her little brother behind for a three-year trip.

At least she’ll be thousands of light-years away from her abusive ex.

Within minutes of arrival, her excitement shatters at the sight of her ex already there. Clinging to the hope his position with botanical sciences will keep him away from her team, she forces herself to continue.

On her first day in the ruins, she makes a profound discovery… but something goes terribly wrong.

Her domineering ex soon becomes the least of her problems as an unstoppable alien threat plunges Wayfarer Outpost into chaos. Trapped in an isolated facility with death stalking every corridor, Kerys finds herself up against an even more insidious threat than ancient aliens: the truth. 

REVIEW:

Wow!  This book was nothing like what I thought it would be!  From start to finish it pretty much surprised me at every turn.  Well, okay, so there were some plot elements that were pretty obvious.  But there were literally dozens of other instances that did not turn out how I would have expected them to go.  

There were many peripheral characters who we didn't learn much about and of whom I had a hard time keeping track.  But Kerys and the central band of players in her immediate orbit were fairly well-developed, believable, and most were somewhat endearing. 

The book was a bit too bloody and gory for my personal taste.  And I definitely do not recommend reading it if you are adverse to such things.  The violence was, however, rather central to the story.  It did not seem to be included just for gratuitous inclusion. 

There were a few points that really pushed my willing suspension of disbelief to the limit.  Also, the explanation of a few key points was rather lacking, and it felt like it all just wrapped up too quickly towards the end.  There were many more things about which I would have liked answers. 

Otherwise, however, it was a creative story, with lots of action and intrigue, that really held my interest and drove me to keep reading so I could find out what would happen next.  I definitely recommend it for fans of Sci-Fi and mild Horror.

~

I received a free eBook of this title from the author and NetGalley 

and have willingly provided an honest review.

#Wayfarer:av494

BOOK REVIEW for "Mayhem’s Children (Mayhem Wave, #3)" by Edward Aubry

*****(5) out of 5 Stars!

SYNOPSIS:

Eight years have passed since the Mayhem Wave forever altered the world to a blend of science and magic, and since Harrison Cody rescued twenty-eight teenage girls from human traffickers. Now they are disappearing, and he suspects their former captors, followers of an entity of ultimate power and evil, of an elaborate revenge scheme. An assistant director in the New Chicago Security Agency, Harrison puts his government resources to the task of protecting these women, and recovering the ones already lost. But Harrison did not just rescue them from villains those many years ago, he also adopted them, and that relationship holds the key to the true nature of their present danger.

Dorothy O’Neill, another of Harrison’s adopted daughters, though from very different circumstances, has taken five-year- old Melody Cody, Harrison’s only child by blood, under her wing. As the missing persons crisis intensifies, Dorothy discovers she and Melody are targets as well. When the NCSA headquarters are attacked by a dark wizard with a colony of giant bats, the two of them flee into the woods to evade capture.

Separated by hundreds of miles, and with no means of communication, Harrison and Dorothy become entangled in the schemes of a monster who hopes to alter the world once again at the cost of all they hold dear. And as Dorothy finds an inner strength and new abilities she never dreamed of possessing, she comes to suspect Melody may be something more than she appears. 

REVIEW:

I was at first irked that 8 YEARS had gone by in the Mayhem world since the events of the prior installment in this series.  But - much like still just clicking with a dear friend that you haven’t seen for a long time - the storyline soon won me over, and then swept me away!  There were plenty of now familiar (and more mature) characters, and also several new faces.  As usual, all of the players were unique and memorable, carving out individual places for themselves in the events that unfolded.  That is one thing that I really appreciate about this author’s work is how distinctive the different personalities are.  You can just about picture them as specific people, each like an old friend (or at least acquaintance); not just a random group of people thrown in to fill out the plot, like the faceless crowd at a soccer game.

"Then it's someone only you can see, sir."  In the post-Mayhem world, observations of impossible things rarely prompted confusion or the need to lie about them.
"Possibilities?" asked Harrison, eyes still on the man.
"Illusion," said Milton.  "...a curse...a wizard might be able to cloak himself from some people but not others... a mundance hallucination, brought on by stress or drug use... Ghost, perhaps?"
"Oh, shit.  Why didn't I think of that?  I'm going outside.  I think he wants to talk to me."
"Would you like an escort?"
"Bodyguard?"  He looked down at the ghost of his friend.  "No, I'm good."  

I was so glad to have Dorothy back and at center stage in this volume, after her veritable absence from the last book!  This tome was somewhat reminiscent of the first installment, with Harrison and Dorothy portrayed in alternating chapters from their individual points of view.  Much is going on with her even before the intrigue that encapsulates the main plot points.  As things evolve in the story, so too does Dorothy, very quickly becoming much more secure in who she is, and much wiser overall.  And that’s not even mentioning the rather life-altering situations that come to encapsulate who she is!

"You killed six goblins?" said Milton.  "How?"
[Sparky] shrugged.  "A little magic, a little violence.  You know."

There was a LOT that occurs during the course of this book; tons of different moving parts, all seemingly random, but ultimately mostly interrelated; diverse characters and settings and activities.  So much so that a summary of it would not even seem to make sense, but somehow most of the pieces fit together wonderfully, more so as the story progressed and more information came to light about a variety of things.  There were so many twists and turns that it was sometimes hard to keep up!  Many events occurred that were totally beyond the realm of what I would have anticipated.  Once again, the author did a wonderful job of incorporating the feeling of mayhem into this ongoing saga of a world thrust into the middle of it.

"Wow.  I really did not see that coming."
"I think it's fair to say no one saw this coming," said Dorothy."
"I'm happy for you," said Jessica.
"So am I.  Here's hoping we all make it out of here.  If I die two days after finally figuring out what I want, I am going to feel extremely swindled."

In case you couldn’t tell, I really enjoyed this book!  I totally recommend it!  And I can hardly wait for the next installment! 

~

I received a free copy of this title from Curiosity Quills Press 

and have willingly provided an honest review. 

#MayhemsChildren  #MayhemWave

BOOK REVIEW for "The Switch" by A.W. Hill and Nathanael Hill

***(3) out of 5 stars

SYNOPSIS

IMAGINE THAT you could change your world with the flip of a switch. You might be prettier, more athletic, more popular, or even living on an exotic island, because your history — your world line — would be different. But here’s the catch: you have no way of knowing if the reality on the other side of that switch will be better… or much worse.

JACOBUS ROSE is a fifteen year-old who believes — as many fifteen year-olds do — that his life could use improvement. School is a numbing routine, and his parents’ marriage seems to be imploding before his eyes. ‘Maybe I was born into the wrong world,’ he thinks. Lured by his best friend, CONNOR, into a strange little house containing nothing but empty rooms and an oversized circuit breaker, he’ll discover that reality comes in a plural form, and that our choices create a continuous web of branching worlds, any of which is as ‘real’ as another.

A solo odyssey becomes a duo, a trio, and then a quartet, as Jacobus befriends other interdimensional travelers along the way: GORDON NIGHTSHADE, the veteran pilgrim and chief theorist; MOSES DeWITT, the alley cat with an old soul; JEMMA DOONE, a girl of many-worlds who becomes the main river home for Jacobus and his crew; and finally, his lost friend Connor, who just may have preferred an alternate universe to his own.

THE SWITCH is the story of their journey home. The question is: if they get there, will it be the same place they left behind? 

REVIEW

This is an intriguing story about a group of friends, in various iterations, who spend a lot of time chasing around various realities, trying to find the way home to their original one(s).  The moral of the story seems to be something along the lines of "the grass may look greener on the other side of the fence" - but that isn't necessarily the case.  And, really, you should appreciate what you have in life, be it family and friends or circumstances.  Even though some aspects of their lives might sometimes be better, there's really no place like your real home.  And it could always be worse!  Many of the alternate universes that the kids discover themselves in are quite threatening and scary.  

There is also a strong sense of the power of friendship.  Things definitely go better for the grouop when they are together versus when they are on their own.  That they recognize each other through all the changes that take place is in itself a clue as to how important they are to each other.  

I'm definitely glad that this is a Middle Grade/Young Adult book, because as it was I was often lost in the Physics of the story.  There is no way that I could have even tried to wrap my brain around a more "adult" version of the foundational premise. 

There seemed to be a lot of unnecessary running around in realities that didn't appear to have anything to do with the end result of their mission.  And I'm still not entirely clear on what the actual purpose of the Switch was supposed to be.  But it was definitely an entertaining journey.  One that I'm quite sure most adolescents (and adults) will appreciate, especially those who like a little bit of intrigue and brain stretching to go along with their adventure.

~

I received a free eBook copy of this title from Curiosity Quills 

and have willingly provided an honest review.

BOOK REVIEW for "The Eldritch Heart" by Matthew S. Cox

****(4) out of 5 stars!

SYNOPSIS:

Princess Oona Talomir enjoys the little things that come with her station: a handmaiden, her lavish bedchamber, and scores of fancy dresses ― the duty to win a decades’ long war, not so much.

Oh, did I mention assassins?

Seers foretold the conflict would end by her hand. From the moment she drew her first breath, the neighboring kingdom has been trying to kill her so she could not grow powerful enough to destroy them. The king, fearing for his daughter’s life, has kept her confined to the castle grounds for most of her sixteen years. With the tide of war turning against them, the burden of her crown becomes too much to bear, yet one thing lifts her spirits amid the gloom.

Her servant girl, Kitlyn.

Alas, in a kingdom obsessed with the god of purity, she is terrified to confess her forbidden love. When her father makes a demand she cannot abide ― marry a prince to forge a military alliance ― Oona panics. He is handsome and honorable, but he’s not Kitlyn. Unable to admit why she cannot obey, Oona does the only thing she can think of, and runs away.

Alone and unprepared in the wilderness, she prays the gods will let Kitlyn find her — before the assassins do.

~

REVIEW:

I enjoyed this book far more than I thought I would.  I requested it originally because I heard there was a main player – a Princess, no less – who was an LGBTQ character.  Since, even in this day and age, this seems to be an underrepresented segment of society, I thought this work would be well worth promoting, or at least exploring.  Turns out, I was right on both counts.

The author has crafted a wonderful adventure story full of intrigue, action, mystery, romance, and fantasy.  It is truly a delightful tale, awash with magic and seemingly fueled with heart.

Despite how much I enjoyed the tale, I have to warn that it did start out SO boring!  The first third of the book is world-building and stage-setting, but it just drags on and on.  It is mostly full of the Princess Oona and her supposed hand-maiden Kitlyn both moaning, albeit mostly internally, about the drawbacks of their respective lots in life.  Nearly everyone is especially and unnecessarily cruel to Kitlyn, which just became depressing to continue reading about. 

There’s also an awful lot of teenage angst in the form of repeated “Does she love me?” queries, again mostly internal, from both characters, neither of whom can bring themselves to admit their true feelings.  For, you see, Oona and Kitlyn, who once were the best of friends, now more Princess and servant, are in love with each other, but both are too afraid to act on it. 

Eventually, due to other outside circumstances, things come to a head and the girls independently leave the castle where they’ve basically been imprisoned for years for their own protection.  To say they are ill-prepared for the outside world is a bit of an understatement, but they each turn out to be loyal, creative, determined, kick-butt women in their own right.  And after many adventures and mishaps, they finally get a shot at their own non-traditional happily ever after. 

I liked how it wasn’t the usual trope of the charming prince rescuing the helpless princess.  Instead, it was about two young women coming of age and growing into their own voices, while simultaneously trying to navigate an awful lot of distracting outside influences. 

I must admit that I found the “love scenes” more uncomfortable than I had anticipated.  In reality, they entailed nothing more than some kissing and light petting.  But I don’t believe I’ve ever read anything of the sort that didn’t involve just a man/woman pairing.  Consequently, it did take a bit of getting used to.  And it definitely reinforced to me that while I don’t have anything against same sex couples, and in fact in real life have several close family and friends in such relationships, it definitely is just not my thing. 

The ending is basically a happy one, which I was very glad of; even though the girls will undoubtedly have many challenges ahead in their relationship and due to various issues in their kingdom, they are poised to have a wonderful future together.  Yet it did all seem to wrap up a bit too quickly.  I would have enjoyed some more explanation as to what comes next, as much with the kingdom as with the main characters.  It was definitely a shame how some very intriguing secondary characters were rather abruptly disposed of in the tale; I would have liked to know more about several of them.

Definitely a good read that I highly recommend though, especially if you are looking for sympathetic and realistic LGBTQ characters, and the type of kick-butt female lead who can be her own heroine.

~

I received a free eBook copy of this novel from 

Curiosity Quills Press and NetGalley, 
and have willingly provided an honest review.  

BLOG TOUR & AUTHOR INTERVIEW with Matthew S. Cox for "The Eldritch Heart"

The Eldritch Heart 
by Matthew S. Cox
Published by: Curiosity Quills Press
Publication date: August 1st, 2017
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult

Princess Oona Talomir enjoys the little things that come with her station: a handmaiden, her lavish bedchamber, and scores of fancy dresses ― the duty to win a decades’ long war, not so much. 

Oh, did I mention assassins? 

Seers foretold the conflict would end by her hand. From the moment she drew her first breath, the neighboring kingdom has been trying to kill her so she could not grow powerful enough to destroy them. The king, fearing for his daughter’s life, has kept her confined to the castle grounds for most of her sixteen years. With the tide of war turning against them, the burden of her crown becomes too much to bear, yet one thing lifts her spirits amid the gloom. 

Her servant girl, Kitlyn. 

Alas, in a kingdom obsessed with the god of purity, she is terrified to confess her forbidden love. When her father makes a demand she cannot abide ― marry a prince to forge a military alliance ― Oona panics. He is handsome and honorable, but he’s not Kitlyn. Unable to admit why she cannot obey, Oona does the only thing she can think of, and runs away. 

Alone and unprepared in the wilderness, she prays the gods will let Kitlyn find her — before the assassins do.

Goodreads / Amazon

~AUTHOR INTERVIEW with Matthew S. Cox~

1)    What gave you the inspiration for the storyline?  

A couple years ago, I was at work and overheard some people talking a few rows over about the Disney movie Frozen. I work for a big company, so I’m not sure who they were, but the voices I heard complained (none too quietly) about how Disney is ‘corrupting’ people with their lesbian agenda. (Clearly the guy hadn’t seen the movie or cared to do much but hear it’s got two female characters in it so obviously they must be lesbians.) He sounded like a religious wingnut, and proceeded to complain endlessly about this thing that didn’t affect him whatsoever (and was, not to mention, absolutely wrong).

Anyway, this got me thinking about what if there was a story where the two female leads fell in love with each other instead of the handsome prince. I sketched out a couple of quick notes for the story and set it aside. At the time, I was eyeball deep in another writing project that had two or three novels left in it.

When I finished the other project, I found myself with time, and re-noticed the notes I’d put down for what would become The Eldritch Heart. I had some initial hesitation, wondering how people would receive a book like this coming from an author who is outside the LGBT community.

A woman who has done some beta reading for me that I’d ‘internet-known’ for about a year shares with me that her eldest daughter had recently come out as gay after many months of fear. (I’m keeping this somewhat vague as she’s not out to everyone in her family yet and does not want too much attention brought on her.)

Anyway, the girl’s fifteen, and it got me thinking about how difficult it is for so many teens facing this situation where they don’t know if their own families will accept them or people who they’ve thought loved them will suddenly turn on them. I felt I could speak to that fear, so I added focus to that aspect of the girls’ struggle as I wrote The Eldritch Heart.

Once I had a finished draft, I sent it to this woman without telling her that the princess falls in love with another girl. (btw – she is totally supportive of her daughter.) She has a rather positive reaction to it and asks if she can let her daughter read it. I said “of course. She’s the reason I decided to finish writing it.”

A week later, I hear back that the girl loved the book and even read it through twice – something her mother says is rare. Also, she ‘could relate to’ a lot of what happens in the book.

That made me feel awesome.

2)    Are there any hidden themes in the book that you hope readers will discover?

Not so much hidden really. It’s a story of self-worth, of finding love despite the risk it carries. Ultimately, The Eldritch Heart is a love story about two souls who yearn to be together, oh, and there’s a war going on. Both the princess and the peasant girl face challenges that force them to re-evaluate their own prejudices based on being brought up on lies, and how no one should feel worthless or ashamed of who they are. (Even the goddess of death.)

     3) Are any of the characters based on real people you know?

Not in this book. ^_^

4)    Who has influenced you most as a writer?

I’m honestly not sure who had the largest influence on my writing. Perhaps the authors of Self Editing for Fiction Writers (Renni Brown and Dave King), as I am constantly referring aspiring writers to that book. There’s also William Gibson, Tolkien, Stephen King (On Writing is a great book), various movies, video games, and manga.

5)    If you could have any three literary characters over to your place for game night, who would you invite, what would you play, what would you serve, and why?  

Wow, what an interesting question. Maybe Aragorn from Lord of the Rings, Damico from Bob Defendi’s Death by Cliché, and Molly from Gibson’s Sprawl trilogy. We’d probably wind up playing either Cards against Humanity or video games, and food would likely be pizza or Chinese take out. (I am as unskilled at planning parties as I am at cooking.)

Author Bio:

Born in a little town known as South Amboy NJ in 1973, Matthew has been creating science fiction and fantasy worlds for most of his reasoning life.  Somewhere between fifteen to eighteen of them spent developing the world in which Division Zero, Virtual Immortality, and The Awakened series take place.  He has several other projects in the works as well as a collaborative science fiction endeavor with author Tony Healey. 

Hobbies and Interests: Matthew is an avid gamer, a recovered WoW addict, Gamemaster for two custom systems (Chronicles of Eldrinaath [Fantasy] and Divergent Fates [Sci Fi], and a fan of anime, British humour (<- deliberate), and intellectual science fiction that questions the nature of reality, life, and what happens after it.  He is also fond of cats. 

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

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BOOK REVIEW for "Static Mayhem (Mayhem Wave, #2)" by Edward Aubry

*****(5) out of 5 stars!

SYNOPSIS:

A year after the world was thrown into magical chaos, Harrison Cody takes part in an expedition to learn the cause. What his team finds is an unfathomable enemy, who intends to finish what was started and wipe out every remaining survivor. Harrison is the key to stopping it, but doing so will come with an unbelievable sacrifice, one he might not be willing to make.

~

REVIEW:

Once again, I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed this book.  After reading the first volume in the Mayhem Wave series (Prelude to Mayhem), and thoroughly enjoying it, I had serious doubts as to whether the sequel could live up to the benchmark that was set previously.  But it did so and then some!

Unlike the proceeding novel that dealt alternately with two main characters in separate locations and circumstances, this one pretty much just follows the exploits of Harrison and those in his immediate vicinity.  That this entourage did not include Dorothy and Mitchell for the majority of the book was somewhat disappointing.  But at least Glimmer was once again along for the ride, and in rare form.

Other main players in the story include many that we met, if only briefly, near the end of volume one; as well as several newly introduced characters, some of whom prove more important than others.  All have their own attitudes, moods and motivations, which come across abundantly clear in the narrative.  I certainly appreciate it when an author can adequately articulate varied personalities to the extent that each being appears as a real three-diminsional individual.

“You were right,” [Louise] said.  “About the girls.  Leaving them there would have been horribly wrong.  And without you to speak for them, we certainly would have.  Thank you for saving those children from our darker selves.”

“I… don’t know what to say.”

She touched his face and smiled.  “You know, in a lot of ways, I think you’ve become our conscience, Harrison.”  She straightened up.  “I won’t be admitting that again anytime soon, so you should run with it while you can.”

This tome provides an even more exacting look into the thoughts and feelings of Harrison.  He often gives the impression to others as being something of a jerk, but he truly does have the finest of intentions, and just wants the best for everyone.  As things progress, he gets more and more of a chance to prove himself, first as a worthy person in general, and later as a fine leader.

Harrison put his hand on Apryl's shoulder, and she spun around and beat him on the chest with her fists.

"Shh."  He held her wrists.  "Hey, stop."

She looked up at him.

"Please forgive me," he said.  "You deserve a chance to live."

"So do you."

"I know.  Tough shit for me."  He kissed her.

She grabbed his head with both hands.  "I love you," she said through tears.

He laughed.  "I certainly hope so!"  He kissed her again.  "I love you too."

There is so much (good stuff) that I could say about this book, but also so much that is better if read and not just given away, so I’ll just leave it at that!  I’ve heard from the author that the third book in the series (Mayhem’s Children - due to be released in December), is supposed to be even better!  Seriously?  Honestly, I can hardly contain my excitement!

  

I received a free eBook copy of this novel from 
the author, Curiosity Quills Press, and NetGalley 
and have willingly provided an honest review.  

"Static Mayhem (Mayhem Wave, #2)" by Edward Aubry

is now available on Amazon Kindle!

~

"Prelude to Mayhem (Mayhem Wave, #1)" by Edward Aubry

is now just 99-cents on Amazon Kindle thru August 27, 2017!

It is also available in Audiobook, Audio CD & Paperback formats.

Read my 5-Star REVIEW of "Prelude" HERE!

#StaticMayhem  #MayhemWave

BOOK REVIEW for "Organic (Kepler Chronicles, #2)" by Jadah McCoy

***(3) out of 5 stars

SYNOPSIS:

Jadah McCoy’s ORGANIC, pitched as Bladerunner meets Pitch Black, in which 18-year-old Syl has barely survived the genetic splicing that plagued her human body. After discovering the androids’ plot to wipe out human and Cull alike, Syl must return to Elite to warn the other survivors. However, with the realization that her group of survivors isn’t the only one, also comes the realization that some humans are just as bad as androids. Bastion and Syl grow closer, however, their relationship suffers under the weight of her past ghosts and a growing threat that endangers human and android alike. 

~

REVIEW:

As is typical in trilogy sets, this second-in-the-series book seemed like nothing much more than a place holder.  While I still enjoyed reading it, there was hardly anything new that occurred to truly advance the storyline.  Syl - now an android hosting a memory dump of human-Syl’s brain - has even more issues than she did before!  For once thing, she is having dreams, something which shouldn’t be possible.  She is still making a myriad of bad choices.  And Bastion continues to follow her around like a lost little puppy.  Mostly, the book consisted of them walking into one bad situation after another, more often alone than together.  There was also an inexplicable amount of going back and forth from one place to another, without ever actually getting anywhere.  The story didn’t really advance either, other than how the book ended which was just dumb.  I had such high hopes for this series, but they just didn’t pan out in this volume.  I’m really hoping that book three is able to redeem it.  

I received a free eBook copy of this title from the publisher, Curiosity Quills, 

and have willingly provided an honest review.  

REVIEW of "Landlocked (Atlas Link, #2)" by Jessica Gunn

***(3) out of 5 stars

Synopsis:

When there are more traitors than allies, who do you trust?

Two years have passed since SeaSatellite5 was taken by the Lemurians. Trevor and Chelsea have rejoined the war on TAO’s side, exploring Link Pieces in hopes of finding the station. But so far they’ve managed to find nothing. Not even solace in their crumbling relationship.

After following a Link Piece to A.D. 3001, the botched trip leaves them telepathically connected. It’s too much for Chelsea and, retreating to a nightclub in Arizona, she interrupts an operation conducted by a paramilitary group called TruGates. They seem to know more about the Atlantean-Lemurian war than they’re letting on, and also unknowingly hunt Lemurian mercenaries. While guarding her own ties to the war, and despite Trevor’s and TAO’s misgivings, she agrees to join up if it’ll possibly lead to finding SeaSatellite5.

Back at TAO, Trevor learns that what he and Chelsea assumed happened to SeaSatellite5 barely scratches the surface. As the picture of the war expands, allies and traitors churn out of the web-work left behind. If Chelsea and Trevor can’t get past the betrayals and heal their wounded hearts, not only will the fate of SeaSat5 dangle on a precipice, but also every member of the crew they once risked everything to save.

~

Review:

I just did not enjoy this second book in the Atlas Link series nearly as much as the first.  In book one, Chelsea and Trevor were doing everything they could to move toward one another and a possible future together.  In this story, they just keep moving further and further apart, in ways that made it seem like they can possibly never be friends and coworkers, let alone anything else to one another.  Even after they became telepathically linked from a botched away mission, they still didn’t understand one another, and neither seemed to make much attempt to do so. 

There was a lot more info offered here about the parts being played by all the different participants in the war that is being waged.  But I still felt as though what we know is just the tip of the iceberg, with a huge mass of information still unknown beneath the surface. 

The author once again used a dual point of view, alternating between Chelsea and Trevor each chapter.  I still just personally do not like this type of narrative style, although I’m getting a bit more used to it as it crops up quite frequently these days.  And here it seemed like a storyline would come up at the end of one chapter, but then just be dropped in the next one and never followed-up on in subsequent sections.  The whole thing left me feeling a bit confused and unfinished.  But I guess some of that is probably intentional, given the complexity of the overarching themes and the issues in the relationship between Chelsea and Trevor.

In fact, most of the novel seemed to just be going back and forth from one thing to another, but never making any real headway toward, well, anything.  Even when they score a big win in their endeavors, it somehow feels like it is just part of someone else’s plan, and their fight isn’t even being waged at all, let alone won. 

The same was true of the concert by Phoenix and Lobster where Chelsea enacts her emergency clause to get a secret message to Trevor.  It was amazing, a brilliant piece of subplot that was uniquely crafted into the narrative; probably my very favorite part of the entire novel.  But then Trevor just tries to approach Chelsea afterwards and then tries to call her on the phone, instead of getting the hint and doing something about it.  Chelsea doesn’t do anything either though, even when given a chance.  She just keeps putting herself in harm’s way repeatedly, for no apparent reason. 

Basically, I found the entire story dismal and depressing, and pretty much just a place-keeper, like many such tomes in a series.  I do still enjoy the way in which the author can so beautifully turn a phrase, and the general storyline behind all the intrigue is interesting and entertaining.  But I’m really hoping for a lot more substance and resolution in the next volume(s)!

I received a free eBook copy of this title from Curiosity Quills, 

and have willingly provided and honest review.

REVIEW of "Prelude to Mayhem (Mayhem Wave, #1)" by Edward Aubry

****(5) out of 5 stars!

I absolutely adored this book!  It may very well have been my favorite read of 2016!

On May 30, 2004, the world transformed. Nearly all signs of civilization vanished, leaving in their wake a bizarre landscape of wilderness, advanced technology and magic[.]

I was not prepared to actually like this book very much.  I received a free advance copy from the author after agreeing to participate in the blog launch tour for the book’s debut.  As I was scheduled to do an interview with the author, I figured that I had better read a couple of chapters so that I had at least some idea of the concepts of the story, and therefore I might be able to ask some semi-intelligent questions.  The conflux of fantasy and sci-fi really intrigued me, but I wasn’t sure how well a writer could pull it off with any degree of aptitude.  But I definitely should not have doubted his prowess with the written word, because the author completely nailed it in this tome!  Once I started reading this unique tale, I literally could not put it down.

[The transformation left] Harrison Cody very much alone. After weeks of surviving in solitude, he hears a voice on the radio, beckoning him to cross a thousand miles of terrifyingly random terrain to meet her, and any other survivors, in Chicago. Eager to find any remnants of humanity, he sets forth, joined by an unexpected — and inhuman — companion.

For Dorothy O’Neill, the end of the world means she will never finish ninth grade. On her own, she builds a home in the ruins of a strip mall, relying on her ingenuity and hard work to maintain some semblance of creature comforts. When another survivor arrives, he brings futuristic technology and stories of monsters he has encountered. Armed with this information, she takes a new interest in exploring her world, but she is not prepared for what awaits her, and the new arrival has brought his own set of problems.

I was quite confused about the initial introduction of the two protagonists, Harrison and also Dorothy, portrayed in alternating chapters from each of their points of view.  They had no apparent or logical connection to one another, and no hint for the first half of the book that they will ever even have cause or opportunity to interact.  That part really frustrated me for quite a while.  When and how they finally do meet is a masterstroke of the narrative, and something that I definitely don’t want to give away.  But the timing was impeccable, and just ironic enough to be believable; not to mention the understated way in which both these characters handle that introduction to some of the only other people they’ve seen since the mash-up.  It was brilliant. 

While the introduction of the other two core characters wasn’t nearly as poetic – well, okay, one of them was pretty funny anyway – I also greatly enjoyed the addition of Glimmer and Mitchell.  All of the characters just fit together so well with how they interacted.  And I loved the way in which their relationships developed and the course they took.  At first, with the introduction of an adult male and a 14-year-old female character, I was a bit afraid there might be other, creepy versions in store for interactions between Harrison and Dorothy, not to mention between her and the peripheral character of John.  Let’s just say that I was very glad of the reality that evolved instead!

Initially, it did take me a little while to warm up to Harrison.  Upon reflection, I believe that it probably was just due to the culture shock of jumping mid-stream into his story, trying to gain some footing while working out the context and meaning of this strange new environment of his in which we are suddenly thrust.  But as the explanations start to come forth and the world-building continues, we get a very good picture of not only the existence that Harrison finds himself in, but also the type of person that he is.  Again, I had a very different first impression of him than what I ended up with later in the book.  But can you blame me, when the very first scene shows him driving a hotrod car - with his eyes closed?  Which is bad enough, but then is followed by giant sentient sunflowers tracking his movements, just proceeding the introduction of a real life (although dead) dinosaur.  Yeah, it all took a bit of getting used to!

This bizarre world that the author creates proves so intriguing though.  Some of the best and worst things from our fairly recent reality, combined with seeming impossible things from a magical realm, and advanced technology from some unknown future, all melded together in one big crock-pot of confusion.  Random bits and pieces of this or that world are strewn around, while in other places buildings are cut right in half.  Perhaps most bizarre of all is that fact that whatever technology does exist – be it indoor plumbing or advanced mapping equipment – works just as it would in its native environment, even without any evidence of outside connections or power sources or the like.  A truly bizarre environment to navigate, but one that the author takes our characters through in dazzling fashion. 

The writing was wonderful; the way in which the author puts phrases together is just superb.  Even in the occasional slow stretches of the narrative, I still wanted to keep reading just to take in the words.  And the dialogue between the characters was outstanding.

“So,” Glimmer asked enthusiastically, “are we looking for anything specific?” … “I’m not sure.”  “Then are we looking for anything vague?” she asked with equal eagerness. 

Okay, so, yes, despite this otherwise glowing review, there were a couple of down points.  First, there was a bit too much language in some parts than I care for; nothing excessive, mind you, and I am a self-admitted prude when it comes to such things.  (I just think there are much creative ways in which to express oneself.)  But still, there were definite sections that contained quite a bit of foul language. 

And even more annoying, there were several things that were mentioned, some almost in passing, that seemed like they should have been significant, but then were never brought up again.  I’m just hopeful that some of these things will be addressed more in the subsequent books of the series. 

Again though, overall, a superb story; one that I highly recommend, and that will most definitely be joining my Favorites list!  

After signing up with the publisher (Curiosity Quills Press) to host a stop on my blog for the launch tour of the book, I received a free pdf copy of this title from the author, 

and I have voluntarily provided an honest review.

(I read this book in November of 2016, and thought that I had posted a review of it then.  Apparently however, in the midst of some family issues occupying my attention then, 

I failed to actually do so.  I am now posting it in March of 2017 

- along with my sincere apologies to the author for the delay.)

#PreludeToMayhem  #MayhemWave