BOOK REVIEW for "Balance of Mayhem (Mayhem Wave, #4)" by Edward Aubry

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

SUMMARY:

For five years, Dorothy O’Neill has had someone else living in her brain. Strontium, the witch who sacrificed herself to save Dorothy and the two children in her care, saved her own consciousness by fleeing into Dorothy’s mind, a tactic she thought would be temporary. Despite the best efforts of the Council of Mages to regenerate Strontium’s body and restore her to it, that state of affairs is starting to look permanent. So, when an opportunity presents itself to Dorothy to free Strontium and have her own mind to herself again, it sorely tempts her. All she has to do is embark on a quest with Felicia Kestrel, an assassin who has been until this point Dorothy’s mortal enemy.

Felicia seeks a scale from the armor of the legendary dragon Hypatia, a relic of the non-real world she believes has survived the Mayhem Wave, and whose sole purpose is to heal. She needs a witch to help her employ its magic and use it to heal herself of an undisclosed malady, and claims it has the power to restore Strontium to her own body. Joining her will make Dorothy a fugitive. Passing up this opportunity could mean spending the rest of her life with Strontium exiled in her head.

Enlisting the aid of a pixie to protect her, and armed with a magical sword, Dorothy leaves her home, trusting that the woman who tried to kill her once won’t do so again. The quest for the Scale proves trickier than expected, with dangers beyond Dorothy’s experience, and the threat of an unknown enemy who apparently desires very badly for her to fail. Each step along the journey brings her closer to getting her life back and freeing her friend, but also brings new and contradictory information about the object they seek, and Felicia’s reasons for seeking it may be far more sinister than she has revealed. 

REVIEW:

Once again, as this story begins, a significant amount of time has passed since the last novel ended; this time five more years.  As with previous volumes in the series, I anticipated being upset by the perceived missed events during that time, but it really wasn’t an issue.  We drop right back into the lives of these characters whom we’ve come to know so well, have some brief catch-up as to what their lives are like now, and then just jump right into the story!

Something happened.  A fight?  No, an argument.  Hurt feelings.  Strontium had made a joke about Ian, once her son, now Dorothy’s.  She laughed.  Claudia, Dorothy’s life-partner and co-parent, didn’t like being left out.  Sometimes the complicated nature of their family overwhelmed them all.

And what a story it is!   This book is pretty much entirely Dorothy’s tale to tell.  (Apparently, since Harrison had his own book, the author determined that it was only fair for Dorothy to get hers as well.)  Of necessity (after the events of Mayhem’s Children), Strontium obviously plays a significant role here also.  Claudia makes some brief appearances in the beginning and takes on a more significant part later on.  Bess and Sparky both came along for the ride, too.      

“I would ask you what this is about, but I think I’ll save you the trouble of making up a cover story.  Thanks for trusting me.  I won’t let you down.”

“Let me down?” said Dorothy.

Sparky grinned.  “Every quest needs a pixie.  We come in very handy.”

Dorothy avoided eye contact.  “I never said anything about a quest.”

“Yeah, that’s cute.  When you’re ready to roll, give me a ring.”

The biggest surprise of this book is quite simply the identity of the other main player.  Next to Dorothy, the most significant character is Felicia, formerly Agent Kestrel, the assassin who last-seen was trying to kill Dorothy and her compatriots in the previous volume.  Having now been cursed with an empathy spell, however, Felicia is not the same person we became familiar with in Mayhem’s Children.  And it is in fact her desire to lift this curse from herself that starts them on the path to this grand adventure. 

What’s the catch?

“What makes you think there’s a catch?”

Life is a tradeoff, kiddo.  Magical fixes don’t come cheap.  It’s the balance of mayhem.  That’s a powerful good take, so what’s the give?

“I had to make a deal with an assassin,” said Dorothy.

Apart from brief appearances here and there by Harrison and some other minor male characters, this narrative contains an almost exclusively female cast.  That being said, however, this is certainly not what would normally be considered a “girly” story at all.  In fact, the females pretty much spend their time fighting, treasure hunting, and otherwise kicking butt.  Indeed, this is a great example of female empowerment, even more impressive when considering that it was written by a male author, who still manages to produce characters that ring true and appear quite real. 

Dorothy wrapped her hand around Bess’s hilt and drew her slowly from her scabbard.  As she lifted the blade vertically in front of her face, Eric giggled.

Do you need my protection?

“I don’t think so,” said Dorothy.  “Not at the moment.”

“Did she just ask if she should kill me?” asked Eric.

“Something like that.”

“Ha! Fantastic!” He clapped his hands once.

There are some down times where the pace slows down and it occasionally even gets a tad boring, but by and large things keep moving at a strong clip, with lots of action throughout the narrative.  As usual in the Mayhem world, things are not always as they seem and there is a LOT going on at all times.  There are plenty of twists and turns to keep the reader entertained and on their toes (or totally confused, if you don’t pay attention!).

“How much trouble am I in?”

“We’re still sorting that out,” said Harrison.  “Claudia? Can you take a walk, please?”

“You okay here, Dotty?” asked Claudia.

“I have no idea.”

The next volume is purportedly the last in this series, and while I am hesitant to see visits to this world come to an end, I am anxious to discover what the author has in store for us!

I received a free eBook copy of this title from the author, 

and have willingly provided an honest review.

BUY LINKS:

Amazon Kindle Edition    Amazon - Paperback

#BalanceOfMayhem  #MayhemWave

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 "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

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

TEASER TUESDAY book quote from "Prelude to Mayhem (Mayhem Wave series, #1) by Edward Aubry

Check out my Author Interview with Edward Aubry

HERE on So Few Books!

#PreludeToMayhem  #MayhemWave

BLOG TOUR & AUTHOR INTERVIEW with Edward Aubry for "Prelude to Mayhem (Mayhem Wave series, #1)"

Prelude to Mayhem
(Mayhem Wave series, #1)
Edward Aubry
Published by: Curiosity Quills Press
Publication date: November 28, 2016

Synopsis: 

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, and leaving 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.

On their separate journeys, Harrison and Dorothy begin to piece together what has happened to their world. Their questions have answers to be found in what remains of Chicago, and from the mysterious voice on the radio offering the hope that civilization can be rebuilt.

~AUTHOR INTERVIEW with Edward Aubry~

1) I've read just a couple chapters of the book so far, and it seems wonderfully inventive.  What gave you the inspiration for this unique storyline?  

It’s a combination of a variety of inspirations. The Mayhem Wave started as an experiment to blend fantasy and science fiction elements in a new way, or at least in a way I had never seen before. The post-apocalyptic aspect emerged from a simple daydream. I used to work in a bookstore, and that first scene with Harrison driving alone on I-91 came to me during a week when I was filling in for a store manager in another county. The commute was a lot longer than I was used to, and early in the morning I had the highway almost to myself. I started to picture it completely empty, with a character on a solitary drive to nowhere, and the questions of how he got there and why he was alone spun out into the premise for my story. The character of Glimmer was salvaged from an abandoned story idea I had in my early teens. I originally intended her to be a throwaway, transparent satire of Tinker Bell there for comic relief only, but she quickly got away from me. She’s like that.

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

I wouldn’t describe them as well-hidden, but yes, themes about family and heroism weave through the entire series. My goal with my protagonists was to show heroes defined by qualities other than courage and risk-taking (though they have those things, too).  Heroism exists in subtler, less visible, less sexy forms, and I wanted to validate them.

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

My family tends to crop up in all my books, but apart from that, I shy away from bringing real people into my imaginary worlds. Static Mayhem was my first novel, and I absolutely fell into the immature, first novel conceit of writing Harrison as an idealized version of myself. He has evolved over many drafts to the point where I don’t think he reads like that anymore, but I may be kidding myself.  Dorothy is about 90% my middle daughter. One of the protagonists in the third and fourth (or fifth) books is about 90% my youngest daughter.  One of the main characters of an unrelated book, Unhappenings, is about 60% my oldest daughter.  Every love interest I have written for a male protagonist is some version of my wife.

4) I believe there are other works in this series.  How many are there or will there be total?  Have you completed them all?  Do you know how the series will end?

There are three books finished, a fourth one partially drafted, and sketches for a fifth. Prelude to Mayhem is the first book chronologically. Static Mayhem takes place one year later, and is told entirely from Harrison’s POV. A third book, Mayhem’s Children, takes place eight years after that, and is told in split POV again, though it is very much Dorothy’s story. Mayhem’s Reign, will take place nine years after that, told in three-way POV, with the third character, someone introduced in Mayhem’s Children, being the most important. Meanwhile, while writing it, I have discovered an untold Dorothy story between the third and fourth books that I am now itching to write. It may or may not end up a full novel, chronologically fourth in the series.  So, Mayhem’s Reign will either be book four or book five, but either way I intend it to be the finale of the series.

5) Who has influenced you most as a writer?

Great question, and my answer changes as I get older.  I’m also not sure how apparent my influences will be to a reader, as I don’t think my work reads like any of these people. That said, a partial list would have to include the following: Lois McMaster Bujold, for her long-form, character-driven storytelling. Neil Gaiman, for stretching the boundaries of fantasy. Joss Whedon, for engaging dialog and the willingness to twist conventional tropes into something unexpected. Kurt Vonnegut, for elegant simplicity of prose. The list goes on, but that should suffice as a starter.

6) 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?  

Tom Sawyer, Yossarian, and Ford Prefect. We would play poker. Any hors d’oeuvre will suffice, as well as unfettered access to whiskey. Poker is a game of guile and manipulation, and I cannot imagine a more entertaining evening than watching these guileful, manipulative bastards in their efforts to relieve each other of their coin. For my part, I would expect to fold a lot.

About the Author

Edward Aubry is a graduate of Wesleyan University, with a degree in music composition. Improbably, this preceded a career as a teacher of high school mathematics and creative writing.

Over the last few years, he has gradually transitioned from being a teacher who writes novels on the side to a novelist who teaches to support his family. He is also a poet, his sole published work in that form being the sixteen stanza “The History of Mathematics.”

He now lives in rural Pennsylvania with his wife and three spectacular daughters, where he fills his non-teaching hours spinning tales of time-travel, wise-cracking pixies, and an assortment of other impossible things.

Find Edward Aubry Online:

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Prelude to Mayhem BLOG TOUR

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