REVIEW: The Bridge to Nowhere (Magemother, #3) by Austin J. Bailey

****(4) out of 5 stars

As the description suggests, this last book in the Magemother series is full of “danger and death, loyalty and friendship.”

Much more is learned about the major players – especially Brinley, Tabitha, Hugo, Cannon, as well as the mages – in this installment of the work.  There is a shocking betrayal, some unexpected support, and lots of other activity to keep things moving along toward the final confrontation.

The slight religious overtures in this volume appear rather at odds with the rest of the narrative.  They just didn’t really seem to mesh as well as the author probably would have liked.

The writing was very good, drawing me along more and more into the story, to the extent that I never wanted to stop reading this book until I had finished the entire thing.

The ending was quite definitive; good enough to be considered a "happy" ending, but with enough sad parts to make it believable.  Although the author has stated this is his last work set in Aberdeen, there were lots of unexplored opportunities left open for possible future visits, or at least fertile ground for the imaginings of the reader.

I received a free e-copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.  

REVIEW: The Paradise Twin (Magemother, #2) by Austin J. Bailey

****(4) out of 5 stars

In a very short period of time, Brinley has gone from being a regular, somewhat invisible, young girl living in a small town in Colorado, to being one of the most powerful beings in the fantastic magical kingdom of Aberdeen. She definitely has her work cut out for her, being tasked not only with finding the missing mages and restoring their power, but doing it before the evil festering in the Wizard’s Ire has a chance to escape. In this installment of the Magemother series, we learn much about many of the main players in the tale, as we watch them grow and develop into their new roles and responsibilities. Not all seem equal to the task. Considering how young many of them are, this should be no surprise; many are given duties that most adults would find daunting. The Paradise Twin is definitely a sequel, not quite as good as the first book in the series, I would say; and it is certainly a typical place-holder, mostly setting up play for the battle ahead in the final book. But there are many new characters to meet and locales to explore. It is definitely quite the adventure. I can’t wait to see how it all turns out.

REVIEW: The Empty Throne (Magemother, #1.5) by Austin J. Bailey

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

This is my very favorite narrative in the Magemother series! This account is primarily about Tabitha, who is probably my most adored character in these stories. Also predominate in the story is Archibald, who is definitely my next most cherished personality in these books. New characters are introduced, previously unknown talents are discovered, and different alliances are formed. Many little secrets and previously unknown bits of information are revealed here as well, some of which intersect quite interestingly with other portions of the overall story. This is a short tale, but certainly one of some importance, and most definitely worth the read!

I received a free e-copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.  

REVIEW: The Mage & the Magpie (Magemother, #1) by Austin J. Bailey

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

This was a delightful book that jars you into it with the sound of a gong and the jolt of a fall, not to mention a fair amount of drooling! And from there it just whisks you away on a wonderful adventure to a different land full of magic and mystery, where even the laws of physics are not quite the same. 

The title of the book, “The Mage and the Magpie,” at first seems a little odd; I wondered why it wasn’t simply called “The Magemother.” But as the story progresses, you learn the importance of the two characters from the title. 

There is quite a large cast of personalities involved in the narrative, but each of them is distinctly unique and endearing. The main handful of players are especially well-developed, but everyone adds their special lit bit to the development of the story. Even some of the personae that one might consider minor or even irrelevant, later prove to have a specific part to play.

Brinley, of course, is the main character, an adopted young woman of unknown origin, who is quite abruptly transported across space and time, to a world desperately in need of her help, although neither she nor anyone else knows that at the time. The mere fact that she was summoned by a calling bell intended for someone else lends a significant amount of intrigue to the tale. 

Searching for the Magemother (who alone can repair some of the damage being done to the world), while also looking for her birth parents (especially her mother), Brinley ventures along with a rather odd assortment of traveling companions, all of whom prove to be quite helpful and necessary. 

This book is classified as a middle grade series, which I would say is just about correct. There are a few dark scenes that are rather uncharacteristically and perhaps unnecessarily gory and gruesome, but the overall tone is hopeful and positive. Even if the general tone is a little bit younger, the tale has something for everyone; and the writer’s style just draws you into the story and carries you along for the ride. 

The Mage & the Magpie is currently FREE as an eBook on Amazon Kindle.

I received a free e-copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.  

REVIEW: The Unquiet Dead by Chris Dubecki

**(2) out of 5 stars

The storyline of this tale was fairly intriguing, filled with ghosts, cults, specters, and other supernatural beings. One rather intriguing plot device that the author made good use of was the fact that the main character supposedly was new to learning about his necromantic powers. So the reader was taken along for his tutoring sessions, and learned a lot about the world view of the main characters in this fashion.

The narrative itself was rather interesting, although there were a lot of convoluted schemes and intrigues that didn’t always make sense or seem to fully come together. However, there were many more things that bothered me about the book than impressed me.

If you have issues with the F-word then, seriously, do not read this book! Nearly every page had at least one instance of it, many had two or three. After a while, I started to speculate that the author maybe didn’t know any other words, different swear words included. I definitely would not let my kids read it, not even my teens. 

There was an overuse of “yeah?” at the end of sentences. Apparently, it’s the author’s version of “eh?” I guess that’s a real Canadian thing? I always thought it was made up. Every time it was used, it reminded me of the two moose in Brother Bear. And it was nearly as annoying as them.

I also had a problem with how often it was mentioned that the main character was nauseous or sick to his stomach. I was starting to wonder if he was pregnant.

The thing that I disliked the most, however, was the ending. There were already a ton of questions left unanswered from the last action scene. Then the very last words of the tale are a total cliff-hanger, leading into a completely different topic that had only been hinted at earlier in the book. A cheap parting shot, if you ask me. I just hope that there is a planned sequel out there; I hate loose ends. 

Despite all of the things that largely irritated me about the book, I did finish it through to the end. The characters weren’t magnificent, and quite frankly I had a hard time relating to them at first. Nonetheless, they did grow on me after a while, much as Trish developed a likely for Ty. It was quite interesting to find that many of the players were not what they seemed. I expect there will be more revelations in future books as well, as there were several suggestions of things not yet fully explored. 

I received a pdf copy of this book free from Curiosity Quills in exchange for an honest review.

REVIEW: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Enemies Old, Enemies New by Kevin B. Eastman & Tom Waltz (Authors), and Mateus Santolouco & Dan Duncan (Artists)

***(3) out of 5 stars

This story was just a little too... well... WEIRD for me! Okay, not that the entire concept of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles isn't sufficiently weird in and of itself. But this version throws in a whole reincarnation aspect that I found very hard to buy into. That whole spiritualist side just didn't seem to jive with the general freaky science experiments vibe of the story. I did enjoy the usual banter between the brothers. My favorite line (poor English aside): "Cripes, who'da thought Nerd Ninja and Captain Butt-Kiss would be even more annoyin' when they're not arguin'?" I wasn't too impressed with the graphics. The turtles all looked exactly like, and without their voices to differentiate them (like in the shows), it was impossible to tell them apart. And many of the other characters were just weirdly drawn. Splinter looked like a mutated dog, not a rat; and Hob's cat face was just plain disturbing. The drawings of the Parkour were very strange as well, and you never do discover how he fits into the story. I hate how the ending of these comics/graphic novels are never really an ending. Even if not exactly on a major cliff-hanger, there is more of the story left untold than resolved. The apparent connection to April in this incarnation is quite intriguing. And Casey's character is very sympathetic and rather funny, especially in the closing line of: "I just wish I never taught her how to punch, 'cause somethin' tells me when she wakes up... she's gonna break my face." Overall, a good, entertaining read, even if a bit weird in the backstory arena, and with graphics that could use some improvement.

I received a pdf version of this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

REVIEW: Warship Jolly Roger, Book 1: No Turning Back by Sylvain Runberg (Author) & Miquel Montllo (Illustrator)

***(3) out of 5 stars

While “Warship Jolly Roger” was no “Firefly,” it was quite a bit better than I anticipated. I expected a story patterned after some pirate tale of the past, or a “Moby Dick” wannabe tale, or some such. But while it did have common elements of such classic adventure tales, the story seemed genuinely unique and original, with a fresh setting of its own. 

The main storyline centers on Confederation Commander Jon T. Munro, who is given a life sentence in prison for a war crime which he was forced to commit. As the action begins, he seizes the opportunity of someone else’s failed prison break to secure his own escape. Of course, this takes the assistance of a small ragtag group of fellow cons, all of whom prove to be interesting characters in their own right. 

There were a couple of points that were definite negatives for me. The switching back and forth in time from different perspectives is quite confusing; if I’d been aware of how much it would be used, I would have created a flow-chart when I started the book. Also, there was a considerable amount of violence, almost of which was quite gruesome and bloody; unnecessarily so, in my opinion. 

I was impressed with the general outline of the plot though, and intrigued by the characters. I am definitely curious to see where the story goes from here!

I received a free eBook version of this title from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

REVIEW: Time Trial #1 (The CHRONOS Files) by Rysa Walker (Creator), Heather Nuhfer (Writer), and Agustin Padilla (Illustrator)

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

Having not ever read anything from Rysa Walker’s CHRONOS FILES universe, I was a bit lost reading this first issue of the new stand-alone comicbook series, even though it was obviously created with newbies like me in mind.  Basically, the entire episode was minimal back-story, trying to get the reader familiar with the main characters and their world.  But I found it rather lacking in that area; more depth - both about Clio and the other main players, as well as their world - would have been greatly appreciated.  Still, it was an enjoyable enough story, and the time-travel aspect is definitely appealing.   I anticipate that future issues will have much more actual plot, which I look forward to reading.  

The graphics are well done, clear and concise, for the most part; but no so overdone as to distract from the happenings.

I received a few copy of this Issue #1 from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

REVIEW: Raising Dion # 1 by Dennis Liu (Writer) & Jason Piperberg (Illustrator)

****(4) out of 5 stars

This was a good opening comic with pleasing graphics. However, there was so much time devoted to the backstory that, other than the promo material, you don't even know what the story is actually supposed to be about! I hope that there are future editions though, and that this situation is remedied in them. It seems like a great premise:  Nicole, a young black woman, as a single parent, trying to raise her 7-year-old son, Dion, who has superpowers.  It would be good to see more of what Raising Dion is really all about.

I don't recall where I first heard of this book, but I received a FREE ebook copy - and you can as well! (at least as of the time of this posting) - at: www.dennis-liu.com. 

REVIEW: Forgive Me by Daniel Palmer

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

The entire time I was reading this book, I kept thinking that the title was – and should have been – “Find Me.”  The presumed main plotline of the story was about Nadine, a girl who needed to be found and rescued in the present moment.  The tale that was the impetus for the given title of “Forgive Me,” while interesting, nonetheless seemed secondary at best.  Since it had occurred decades before, it just wasn’t as urgent as the matter at hand.  The way in which Angie just would not let it go was quite distracting and annoying.  In the end, all of her pushing didn’t serve much purpose, other than to prove her whole life a lie and get more people killed.  

The primary narrative about Nadine being sucked into the dark world of human trafficking and sexual slavery was quite a disturbing topic.  It was sad to watch how easily the perpetrators enticed and manipulated her and other young women into this horrible existence they found themselves trapped in.  All the stories and details about that life, while not extremely graphic, were definitely rather vivid, depicted in a very real and believable manner.  Although the whole aspect of Nadine being able to keep a journal not only updated, but also hidden the entire time, seemed rather corny and farfetched.

The switching of perspectives between Angie and Nadine was quite informative, but also rather irritating, especially when they occurred at different points in time.  While I found the entire book very engrossing and entertaining, I did find the many connections between the various players to be a bit too coincidental.  And, in general, there was just too much going on, too many subplots and conspiracies at once.

I did quite enjoy all of the main players, especially Angie’s various “& Associates.” I am intrigued to see if this remains a stand-alone book or if it becomes part of a series. I’d be interested to pursue other adventures with this private investor, and perhaps even learn, along with her, what became of the missing friend who inspired her career choice so many years ago. 

I received a free review copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.