Review: Imprint Legacy by Dorian Keys

Imprint Legacy

by 

Dorian Keys

Detective Robert Miers is in trouble. His partner is missing, he’s suspended from work, and he’s got a gap in his memory that he can’t explain. Uncovering the truth means plunging into a bizarre new reality far beyond his comfort zone, an inescapable reality where memories can transfer from body to body, secret factions fight for control, and human life extends far beyond Earth. Is taking sides worth the risk-to his job, to his family, and to himself?
And does he even get to choose anymore?

My Take:

When Detective Robert Miers and his partner follow the clues left by the stiff they found in the old apartment, it quickly leads them to their own deaths. But Robert wakes up to find he's not dead, just confused, with a gap in his memory and a missing partner. After being suspended pending an internal investigation, Robert follows clues on his own regarding the mysterious men in black, clues that cause him to question whether his entire life has been a lie. 

Content:

Drug Content:

G - None.

Violence:

PG - There's violence and death, a gun battle and ray guns. There is no real gore. Some people die in a fire off-screen.

Language:

PG - The D-word is used once, and g-d is used a couple times.

Adult Content:

G - there's really no sexual content of any sort in this work.

Christian content:

Not really any. I wouldn't have any issue handing this to my kids to read, as they are all into their teens or beyond. There are questions raised in this book that make for some good talking points - ideas about loyalty, life and death, and our purpose in life. 

Final analysis:

This short novella is a whirlwind of twists and turns, a high-stakes action-packed scifi mystery. Fast-paced and immersive, the focus is more on action and plot than deep descriptive passages, which makes for a quick read with an interesting end. Five stars!

About the Author:
One day, a while back, Dorian handed his father a handwritten story. Five sentences telling of an unknown object landing on the backyard. He was seven.

At the time, he was praised for it, he thought nothing of it: everyone can do what i do. And everyone can.

Years later, Dorian self published his debut novel Imprint Legacy on Amazon. It was well received. Earning a four star rating from Literary Titan. Next year he self published a short story collection, and has a world of stories to tell.

Presently, Dorian lives in busy New York City together with his family. He writes every chance he gets carrying his laptop everywhere. Occasionally he shows up on Twitter, but the best way of contacting is on this website.

P.S: Unbeknownst to Dorian, his father laminated that original story and kept it with him. He yet has to see it again.

Review: Frapps The Barbarian by J.L. Blenkinsop

Frapps The Barbarian

by 

J.L. Blenkinsop

Frapps, a lowly wen-picker from the Equatorial Girdle, is overwhelmed when he picks up a paperback novel in Catenary Jones' Trading Post. Its cover depicts the gormless Frapps himself, bestride the Globe; and the title is Frapps the Barbarian...
Flicking through he sees that most of the book is empty - but pages are being written as he reads.
How could any red-blooded wen-picker resist? He sets out to defeat the foul Dictator Unther Margate and save the fair Princess Amplex. Making his farewells the intrepid idiot sets off for the distant city of Campingas.
This short novella, the first in a brief series called The Knights of the Golden Drain, was written many years ago. It depicts a journey through great odds undertaken with the help of the All-Powerful. A journey we may all, idiot or not, embark upon. 

My Take:

When Frapps, the Barbarian, a lowly wen-picker from the Equatorial Girdle, visits Catenary Jones' Trading Post, he is surprised to see a paperback novel there with his own likeness on the cover, and his own name there, too. Recovering from the shock, he opens it to find that most of the pages are blank. But what is in there are the activities of his last few minutes. The pages are being written as he reads.

Inside the book he also discovers that a hapless land far to the north called Legoland is being taken over by a despot named Unther Margate, who is making plans to overthrow the kingdom by marrying the fair Princess Amplex. The rebel forces have called for the assistance of a Hero, by putting an ad in the paper. How could any half-wit resist?

Content:

Drug Content:

G - None, unless wens are cigarettes. I have no idea.

Violence:

PG - The bad guy in this story is not above chopping off heads, and his sword gets stuck in a dead guy. There's a knife in the back, but for the most part it's about on a Disney level.

Language:

G - squeaky clean. In fact, the book refuses to record one word the bad guy lets fly. :-)

Adult Content:

PG - This is a kids' book. Sort of. Not even kissing occurs here. There's a bit of potty humor with the choices of names in this hilarious romp, about on a level with Spongebob I suppose. There are several scenes, however, where the main character is rendered naked, a relatively obvious allegory to how we are all naked before God, unable to hide our sin.

Christian content:

Quite a bit. There is a significant amount of Christian allegory in it, with the Immortal Unicorn being the embodiment it seems of Christ. There are other parallels but some of that would be spoiling. There are no bible verses quoted, no preaching, per se. Self sacrifice and determination are bold and up front. The concept of the king being God's man found in Rom 13:4 is clearly displayed. 

Final analysis:

Frapps the Barbarian is a novella, which I rarely review. But this was an entertaining and quick read, with a nice moral outcome where good triumphs in the end. I found some of the thick English cockney accents a bit hard to interpret, but there were only a few areas where they were problematic. The characters are all whimsical and you can't take them too seriously, but even so there is definite character development and the world building is ingenious. I found it fascinating, entertaining, fast-paced and enthralling. Five stars!

About the Author:

After many years during which I've written plays, pantomimes and short stories for friends, I am now the proud possessor of a step-daughter, attached to a beautiful and intelligent wife.
I've never had a child to look after before, and it's a challenge. She'll be a teenager this month. Watching her trying to work out what life means to her, how to cope with friends and foes, made me write (for the very first time) a novel, just for her.

Review: Shattered Roses: A Beauty and the Beast retelling by E.L. Parfitt

Shattered Roses: A Beauty and the Beast retelling

by E.L. Parfitt

A book for all Beauty and the Beast fans! A contemporary retelling viewed through the eyes of a teenager. Sixteen year old Megan wants to be a doctor. When Megan volunteers at a residential home she meets Lady. Lady tells a fragmented and confusing story of a duke who never aged; his fate tied to the roses that grew in his garden. As Megan hears more of Lady’s tale she is intrigued to know whether the duke existed or if he is a figment of Lady’s imagination. As Megan embarks on unravelling the mystery of the beast a hidden family secret emerges... will it shatter her life forever? 

My Take:

Sixteen year old Megan wants to be a doctor. When she volunteers at a residential home she is tasked with listening to Lady, an ancient woman whose mind seems to be fractured, telling disjointed fragments of a story about a duke who never aged, a duke cursed to have his life tied to the fate of the roses in his garden.

Is the Duke real, or a figment of Lady's misty imagination? Will the magic mirror reveal the truth? As the mystery unravels, Megan learns a hidden family secret that could change her future.

Content:

Drug Content:

G - squeaky clean.

Violence:

G-There is some emotional and slight physical abuse mentioned. There are a couple deaths, none graphic or described.

Language:

G - squeaky clean.

Adult Content:

PG - There is an oblique reference to a young woman alone in a room with a man, and leaving the end result to the imagination. There is some discussion of periods.  

Christian content:

None.

Final analysis:

This was an intriguing little story, a modern-day retelling of Beauty and the Beast, with quite a few changes to mix things up and make it interesting. There's more mystery than romance, though. The disjointed visits back in time actually merge well with the modern-day high school angst and family interactions between Megan, her mum, and her little sister Faiza. There are some unexpected twists that make the ending particularly interesting. i found the winter garden and the roses always in bloom to be enchanting, pun intended. Decent world-building, and Megan and Lady seem relatively life-like. Five Stars!

About the Author:
E.L. Parfitt lives an eclectic life between Scotland and France. Currently reading Frank Tayall, Surviving the evacuation series. Often heard saying, ‘If I were to be a vegetable, like Pratchett, I would probably be a carrot... but I don’t do hats’. Storytelling researcher, currently working on ‘Once upon a time. Discovering young people’s lives through storytelling’. A challenge to the current exam culture based on young people’s discussions of their complex relationship with story and their surroundings.

Review: Behind Her Mask was Death by Aria E. Maher

Behind Her Mask was Death
by Aria E. Maher

People don't generally think about death, especially not on the night they are going to die...

Devon Lavender never thought he'd end up in the middle of a murder mystery. But when an unnamed red haired woman dies in his arms on the dance floor in the middle of the Prince's extravagant costume ball, it would seem obvious to everyone who the killer is. Devon finds himself with one chance, and one chance only, to prove his innocence and discover the real murderer, before it's too late.

My Take:
Devon Lavender has spent his life trying NOT to be the object of any attention. After all, in the Kingdom of Plutch, getting the attention of the Marquis is a good way to end up dead. But once the prince's girlfriend dies in his arms, Devon finds that he's the center of attention, and that his life hangs by a micro-filament. There won't be any hiding behind masks. Just an unmasking of the real culprit. Before somebody else ends up dead.

This is a novella, but it could have been fleshed into a full length novel. It covers the events of one fateful night, and is a fluid stream of action throughout, as Devon races against time to find the real killer and prove his innocence, with the assistance of the woman dressed as the grim reaper at the costume ball. Devon and the Princess make a great team, and her sarcastic wit and his confused puppydog innocence produce chuckles throughout.

Content:
Violence:
PG - Well, mainly because somebody dies. After all, it's a murder mystery, so there needs to be a body. There's the threat of torture, but no real description of what that would look like.

Language:
G - I don't remember a single curse word in the book. .

Drug Content:
G - There's some discussion about the main character avoiding the wine, and a description of the hangover he gets the next morning. I'd call that PG, but there's a drunken scene in Sleeping Beauty that's a lot worse.

Adult Content:
None.

Christian content:
Not much, pro or con. There's a bit of discussion about heaven in passing. The Marquis could be a typecast for the devil - he's evil enough, but plays by a strict set of rules even so.

Final analysis:
This delightful novella is an intriguing murder mystery with a few twists to keep you wondering whodunit. The stakes are clearly life and death. The characters are entertaining and relatively believable, and the action moves along at a good clip right to the exciting conclusion. Five Stars!

About the Author:
I wrote my first book when I was eight, chronicling the grand adventures of the Super Mario Bros. in pages torn from a sketchbook and bound with masking tape. At ten, I ditched my writing for a career as a robotics engineer, and constructed interesting devices (which never worked) out of old bits of computers and washing machines. But then, dismayed that I would have to study mathematics (oh, the horror!) in order to be an engineer, I returned to my writing, and constructed bizarre fantasy worlds filled with fairies, portals, mad wizards, and flying castles built on clouds.
Currently, I'm in the middle of publishing my first book, Behind Her Mask was Death, a YA mystery/fantasy novella. My favorite inspirations are steampunk (and Victorian things in general), Terry Pratchett's remarkable Discworld novels, and the random fantasy landscape art I find on Pinterest.