Review: No Longer Hidden by M. C. Aquila

No Longer Hidden 

by M. C. Aquila

Linnea is a Swedish princess reluctantly settled into her role as the middle never as influential as the eldest and never as beloved as the youngest. With her fiancé missing in action for nearly a decade, her future is uncertain. But when the Norwegian king curses her younger sister, the fate of Sweden itself is at risk. As war breaks out, Linnea goes on a quest to meet the king and strike a deal that will save the lives of her family and her people — even if it means using her own life as a bargaining chip.

But quests rarely go as planned, especially as she uncovers the secrets of Norway's royal family and the hidden purpose of the war…

This loose retelling of the classic fairy tale "East of the Sun and West of the Moon" takes place near the end of the Viking Age when the old, fierce gods of myth and the new, omnipotent Christian God were both considered equally true and real.

 My Take:

Linnea Olofsdotter is the middle-born princess to the king of Sweden. Predicted to be ordinary and common by a witch's foretelling, she is fiance to the second-born prince of Norway, who went missing five years ago while on a hunt for a giant wolf in the north. 

When her father proclaims a contest for his third daughter's hand, many young princes from all over come to compete, including the sorcerer king of Norway. When King Ingvaldr does not win, in rage he casts a curse on her, placing her in a deep magic sleep only magic can raise her from. Then he and his fleet disappear in a moment.

King Olof makes ready to go to war with Norway, a war he cannot win. And the only one who can save both countries from destruction is Linnea, who must travel through forbidding monster-infested forests and mountains to plead with King Ingvaldr to take her to wife instead. But will the wizard listen at all? Will she even survive the treacherous journey, when she must travel alone?

Content:

Drug Content:
G – There is very little alcohol in this novel, and no substance abuse. 
 
Violence:
PG – A character is badly burned. There's a scene where men are coming back from a war, missing a limb or two.
 
Language:
G – Nada.
 
Adult Content:
G – There's a bit of kissing but nothing further. Good clean romance.
 
Christian content:
The main character goes up against several monsters of Scandinavian myth, and defeats them using icons of the Christian faith. (Crosses, prayers, that sort of thing.) Scripture is quoted in a few places, and faith plays a critical role in the characters as well as the countries they travel through. The book's setting historically is during the Christian conversion of these Scandinavian countries, and friars and bishops play a part in the plot. Faith, hope, self-sacrifice, and loyalty are critical components in this tale. 

  

Final Analysis:
Wow! Where to begin? This fantasy had me spellbound until 2AM; I could NOT put it down. From two chapters in I was unable to stop reading. It had it all - the fae folk, the frost giants, the hulders and the descendants of the wolf king Fenrir. From cover to cover, Aquila weaves a gripping tale of the struggle of faith against magic, of the dark against the light, of hope against hate. The contrasts between the forces of good and evil are not hard to discern here, and the stakes could not be higher. The fates of Sweden and Norway both hang in the balance. Masterful worldbuilding combines with believable and relatable characters, spiced up with a liberal dose of humor, banter, and a little romance to make an excellent, fast-paced fantasy. Perfect for lovers of historical fantasy and Scandinavian mythology.Five Stars!

About the Author:

M. C. Aquila, a Catholic and born and bred nerd, graduated from Winthrop University with a BA in English. She grew up in Pittsburgh, PA but currently resides in South Carolina. When she is not co-writing the Winter's Blight series, she tutors both native and ESL students in English, giving her a renewed love for the strange wonderfulness of the language. She also enjoys drawing daily, baking recklessly, hiking in the Blue Ridge Mountains, searching for the best red wine in existence, and reading any story with a villain she loves to hate.

To learn more about her present and future books, visit her website: https://mc-aquila.com/

Review: Zombie! Haunted Mansion: Memoir of Jesse Jamieson by Zombie Origin Media

Zombie! Haunted Mansion: Memoir of Jesse Jamieson

by 

Zombie Origin Media

Stranded in the middle of nowhere, an unlikely group of high school friends embark on a series of adventures and mishaps to survive a remote zombie outbreak. With bloodthirsty ghouls trailing close behind, Jesse and his friends stumble upon an eerie mansion offering refuge from the zombie infested woods. But the residents of Krakuz Manor may be hiding a sinister secret more dangerous than the undead threat outside, or they might just be complete lunatics. Either way, Jesse and his friends must prepare for the impending zombie horde if they hope to survive their trip to hell. With no communication to the outside world for help, can a mismatched group of teenagers defend Krakus Manor against the undead, or will they fall victim to a living dead nightmare?

My Take:

Jesse's Prom date could not have gone worse. Literally. The girl of his dreams, Chloe, was asked to the prom by his best friend Bud, because he'd waited until the last possible second to ask her, for, you know, suspense. With poster and flowers in hand he ends up trapped asking the captain of the cheer squad to the prom. Someone who could not be less compatible. Then they all packed into Bud's truck with his friend Emu and his date Lexi, to head to Crystal Lake... er, Clearlake. Cheerleaders and Football jocks with the school nerd, all headed to a lake getaway after the prom. What could go wrong? Vhen you Vander in the Voods...

Jesse's date Becky manages to wreck the truck trying to play her vampire tunes, and they quickly run afoul of Zombies wandering in the woods too. They manage to find refuge from the rapidly growing crowd of zombies, in a mysterious old mansion hidden in the darkest part of the forest. But will the creepy inmates in the haunted mansion be any safer than the zombies milling around outside?.

Content:

Drug Content:

PG - There are a few references to crack. High school kids run off to the lake with a case of vodka. But it doesn't end up getting drunk, but being used for weapons.

Violence:

R - Oh wow. Head shots, eye-socket impalings, rampant wanton gunning down of poor defenseless zombies. Slaughtering them with bayonets and butter knives. There seems to be an endless supply of zombies to kill, and an endless supply of weapons to kill them with, from Russian Assault rifles and cannons filled with grapeshot to buckets of poo. One friend ends up with his hands cut off and other unfortunate things happening to him, from one mutilation to the next. Many of these are described in significant detail.

Language:

PG - There are a few cuss words, nothing serious. God's name is taken in vain um... many times, especially if you count the preponderance of 'oh my god' references throughout.

Adult Content:

PG-13 - There's actually not a bit of sexual content in this book, just a few kisses, no petting. But there are many titillating innuendos and a man's 'parts' are kept in a jar on the mantle, with a discussion about why they are there and not on, ahem, him.

Christian content:

Hmmm. One character refers repeatedly to Black Jesus. Several times the characters pray, as their situation gets more and more serious. One might consider that friendship plays a large part of this hilarious romp, but when the chips are down it seems to practically be every couple for themselves. A few times there is self-sacrifice, but if you enter this book for a moral lesson you likely won't get one, that's obviously not its purpose. There's about ten times people thank God for escaping, or some other minor miracle. One chapter references a priest with a taste for boys.

Final analysis:

I gotta admit, I started this book with some high hopes. The basic plot has been overused, one of high school prom kids out to get slaughtered by some Freddy Kreuger or Jason Voorhees. But these often are not laced in wit and humor, so I figured I was in for a treat.

The book is entirely written from Jesse's point of view, and the only content is conversation, onomatopoeia, and internal monologue in the main character's head. While this deep dive into first-person perspective is interesting in a short work, and can quickly put you into the quirky brain of an adolescent male, it becomes extremely frustrating trying to figure out what is going on without any description of action or surroundings. And repetitive uses of the Whack and Bang, Snap and Crackle, and pop, pop, pop, pop... you get the idea. It grew on me... like a rash where you couldn't reach.

So, here's my final word on it - this is a hilarious romp, a somewhat light-hearted if graphically gory humorous story; the characters are interesting and somewhat believable, the plot is sound, the action fast paced and the dialogue entertaining, the slapstick humor hilarious and the interactions interesting. However, the world-building was completely absent, the action confusing, the onomatopoeia extremely wearing and the pacing just dragged in the middle, and raced at the end. I found the gore to be a bit over the top, and would place the book based on that and the innuendos securely into the YA category. I'd like to give this Three and a Half Stars, but my scoring system is in whole numbers, so I'll round up. Four Stars.

About the Author:

Zombies! Looking for a zombie story with zombies and humor? Check out Zombie! Haunted Mansion and Zombie! Origins. Brought to you by Zombie Origin Media, a joint authorship of three idiot siblings writing complete and udder nonsense.

Follow Zombie Origin Media on:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ZomOriginMedia
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zombieoriginmedia/?hl=en
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Zombie-Origin-Media-1720801831583328/

Review: Sweet-pea's Thief by J. Cassidy

Sweet-pea's Thief

by 

J. Cassidy

“If you can pay, I can get you your body back.”

Her body stolen, her soul pushed into a world of magic and monsters, Sweet-pea's best chance of survival is to stick with Alan and his promise of protection.
Hounded by the threat of bounty hunters, wanted by the mysterious Tin Master and chased by monsters attracted to her, getting home soon takes second place to staying alive.

My Take:

Gambling for dollars is one thing. But gambling for days is something else. Charlie is dying of cancer. He only has months to live. But he hears of a raven-haired girl that will play poker with you, gambling for your remaining time. If you win, you leave with more time. If you lose, you... lose time. With little to lose, he plays poker with Sweet-pea, who relates during the game the incredible tale of why she is gambling Years of Life with the dying.

With her body stolen by a monster, and her soul pushed into another parallel realm with monsters and magic, Sweet-pea's survival depends on the protection of others stuck in this horrific realm with her. Hunted by bounty hunters, monsters and the mysterious Tin Master,  Sweet-pea finds that while attempting to regain her life, she may lose her soul.

Content:

Drug Content:

PG - Sweet-pea is given a bottle of pills to help her cope with the shock of losing her body, pills she quickly becomes addicted to.

Violence:

R - There's a good deal of violence and death, blood and gore. A torture chamber provides a horrific gory backdrop for one of the scenes. A hand is cut off, a throat is slit.

Language:

PG - There are a few cuss words, nothing serious.

Adult Content:

G - there's really no sexual content, though some obviously happened once off-screen.

Christian content:

Nada. There are some concerning concepts in this work, mainly that souls aren't eternal and can be used for food, that Time can be gambled away, or gained through a game of chance. There are some references to an afterlife. Heaven and Hell are referred to as real places, in other dimensions, but monsters can capture your soul during the 'tunnel experience' while heading to the bright light at the end of the tunnel. Loyalty, self-sacrifice, destiny and friendship play large parts in this tale. There is a definite struggle between good and evil here, but the lines are grayed.

Final analysis:

This book has an incredible concept - that between life and death there is a dimension the soul must travel through, and those souls can be stolen. That the body can be stolen, and the soul released to wander rather than move on to heaven or hell. The plot behind this story is gripping, the world-building phenomenal, and the action fast and furious. New life, Old life, are gathered like glowing marbles. Strange creatures like Griwald and Deadly Mimics threaten constantly, along with Tin Men and other horrific creatures. Magic amulets and spells are formulated and used to gain access to further dimensions, while time passes at alarming rates. Characters are often larger than life. However, the pacing dragged for me. It seemed to take an eternity for me to plow through some sections, while other sections moved so quickly I had to reread to catch important details. So, a great read, but some pacing issues. Four Stars!

About the Author:
J. Cassidy's website reads,

I’m J. Cassidy and I used to be an oak tree growing in a park in England. I still like to be decorated once a year.

Pink, sparkly fluffles and rainbows make everything better.

Her website is https://6twistedbiscuits.wordpress.com/j-cassidy/

She can be followed on Twitter: https://twitter.com/6twistedbiscuit

Review: The Agora Files by Adam Oster

The Agora Files

by 

Adam Oster

When dying alone on the hot sands of the Mohave Desert, Cyrus has no regrets. He loves a challenge. Being tasked with running from San Francisco to Boston in fifteen days, while the United States government and a host of bounty hunters hunt for him, sounds like fun. Being at death's door only a day into his trip doesn't faze him either. It's when he's joined by fellow runner Eve, bringing new emotions to the surface, his confidence cracks.

My Take:

Cyrus Rhodes is about to reach the AoA, the Age of Accountability. For a teen, that is usually good news, but for Cyrus, it means his days as a Runner for the Agora are coming to a close. And that's a shame, because he's the best runner they've ever had. While running contraband could get you executed by the US Government, kids under the AoA are exempt, which is why the Agora use them.With only a few weeks left before his birthday, he gets a lucrative opportunity, one last run, a cross-country footrace against time to deliver a package from San Francisco to Boston. In fifteen days, on foot.

Even for an ultra-marathon athlete like Cyrus, that's not going to be very likely. Assisted by his brother The Geek, who acts as GPS and DJ for Cyrus via some very high-tech equipment, and the surprise help of Eve, a runner from his past, he just might make it. But little does he know that the package is something critical for the Rebellion. Something that might trigger the overthrow of the government. Frankly, he really couldn't care, he's just in this for the money. But when the oppressive US Government learns of this race, they throw everything they have at stopping him.

Armed with only a taser and an incredible amount of self-confidence, Cyrus pits himself against a multitude of bounty hunters and the US military to deliver the package on time, all while wondering whether he is racing to his death. And whether the package should be delivered at all.

Content:

Drug Content:

PG - There is one scene where Cyrus races through Reno, and there are many drug addicts and homeless laying in the street grabbing for him. No real discussion of drug use, though there is a brief mention that Cyrus has run drugs as well as guns.

Violence:

PG - There is quite a bit of gunfire in a few scenes, and in one scene tanks and turret mounted machine guns are deployed. An airstrike occurs. A bullet or shrapnel injures a person. A few people are tasered.

Language:

PG - very light sprinkling.

Adult Content:

PG - There's some love interest between the two runners, but it's tame.   

Christian content:

Nada. There is a bit of struggle in the main character with right and wrong, and a character arc, where he begins as a free spirit, an arrogant self-centered opportunist with no moral compass, but reaches a point where he actually seems to care about this impossible task he's been given. Loyalty and self-sacrifice, redemption and perseverance are broad-brush themes. The dystopian regime of the US presented some of the evils of absolute power and the intrusive nature of a corrupt but powerful government. This hints, but doesn't say, that mankind is basically evil.

Final analysis:

While I found the idea of a cross-country footrace to deliver a package a hard theme to suspend my disbelief over, especially given the fact that encrypted messages and documents can be sent instantaneously anywhere in the world, the concept presented challenges and obstacles that kept my interest, while the sarcastic wit of the main character kept me in stitches as often as not.

Fast-paced and entertaining, with a little romantic angst thrown in, The Agora Files would be a fun frolic for anyone who has ever been into running, or just looking for an adventure. Five Stars!

About the Author:
Adam Oster hates writing bios. If you ever find him working on an auto-biography, you'll know he's finally been taken over by some sort of memoir-loving group of pod people.

That being said...here's a little bit of information about him.

Originally hailing from Columbia, SC, Adam lives in Eau Claire, Wisconsin with his gorgeous wife and three adorable kids. He spends a lot of his time trying to figure out what part of this world he'd like to visit next.

When he's not traveling or writing books, he's working a rather mundane desk job, dreaming up further tales of adventure.

His favorite activity is to explore, whether it's his current hometown, or anywhere else he happens to end up. When he's not exploring, he often finds himself enjoying stories in whatever form he can find them, through television, movies, books, comic books, and video games. 

Review: Wolf of the Tesseract by Christopher D. Schmitz

Wolf of the Tesseract

by 

Christopher D. Schmitz

In a world underneath our own reality, magic & science are two sides of the same coin. After merging with her copy from an alternate reality, college student Claire Jones is thrust into a setting beyond imagine and must fight alongside Zabe, an inter-dimensional guardian. Together they must stop an evil warlock from shattering the laws of existence who, above all else, seeks Claire's blood as the key to controlling the all-powerful Tesseract.

As they flee his wrath, Claire must decide what her romantic feelings for her protector mean... apocalypse-bringing sorcerers aside, Claire's mission is to rescue the woman Zabe loves... even if Claire has likewise fallen for the selfless soldier. 

My Take:

Claire Jones is about to marry the man of her dreams. Excessively wealthy, attractive, and famous, James represents the pinnacle of the best husband one could land. She is head over heels in love with him, and yet... something about him just seems a trifle 'off'.

A homeless person named Rob tries to warn her about James, but his warning sounds crazy. If Rob were telling the truth, reality is just one of many dimensions, and James is actually a sorcerer trying to get a powerful locket her father gave her, one that will allow him to rule all the dimensions. That's the bad news. The worse news is, it will require her blood to activate.

As Rob and Claire flee the wrath of the warlock, an invading force of his minions give chase, and Claire  begins to realize that the stakes are much higher than she anticipated: the existence of all the dimensions.

Content:

Drug Content:

PG - One of the characters in this book is a drunkard, and several of the villains. An astral projection scene may involve drugs to achieve a heightened state. Some homeless people are sedated heavily while their blood is slowly drained.

Violence:

PG-13 - One of the characters regenerates rapidly, and goes through horrific damage and is ok later. A man is blown up, another is set on fire, by magic.

Language:

G - squeaky clean.

Adult Content:

G - There's some love interest between the Princess Bithia and Claire and Zabe the wolf-man, but it's tame.   

Christian content:

While Wolf of the Tesseract makes no claim to be a Christian Fantasy, there are some elements of faith in it. The worlds were created by the Architect King, and there is a discussion about Satan, God, and Shlogath, who appears to be an anti-god, equal to God in power though he does not, exactly, exist. Astral projections and dream-walking occur a few times, and the villains use these methods to pursue and track. There is a dimension that is similar to hell.
So, while this novel has some basic references to a Creator and Sustainer, who is self-sacrificing, and the existence of Jesus and Satan are mentioned, there is some content that is cross-grain to the basics of the bible. There is a lot of positive faith-based content here, though. Bithia prays often and has faith the King will see her through somehow. There is self-sacrifice, loyalty, and a clear depiction of good vs. evil.

Final analysis:

Wolf of the Tesseract was a gripping fast-paced fantasy with believable characters and outlandish settings. The stakes could not be higher, the plot is well-thought out. I found this a barn-burner page-turner,  Five Stars!

About the Author:

Christopher D Schmitz is the author of fiction and nonfiction as well as a regular blogger. 

Following completion of his first fantasy novel in the early 2000s he began working on lots of short fiction in order to refine his craft and went on to publish many pieces from 1,000-15,000 words in a variety of genres and outlets as writing exercises. Putting fiction away for a while, he pursued post-graduate work where he received a new appreciation for nonfiction, wrote Why Your Pastor Left, and then returned to his love for fiction, writing several new books.

Schmitz attained a Biblical Studies degree and a Youth Ministry minor from Trinity Bible College in 2003 and went on to gain a Masters of Arts in Religion from Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary in 2014.

Other: he is generally known as a decent guitarist and played/sang in a rock band for several years. Schmitz is also an ungraded bagpipe player and has been known to pop up in random places and play them--sometimes while dressed as a pirate... because normal is boring. 

Review: Capering on Glass Bridges (Hawk of Stone #1) by Jessica Hernandez

Capering on Glass Bridges (Hawk of Stone #1)

by 

Jessica Hernandez

The Utdrendans have spoken, and everything has changed as a consequence. 
People normally avoid the fog surrounding the cursed Kingdom of Mar, but now they are asking sixteen-year-old Kaia Stone to venture into it. The Utdrendans implied that there is something special about Kaia. They claimed that she could help free the land; she need only carry out their instructions and deliver a message to the Marian king.

Mar, however, is a land in which dark secrets abound, and many will stop at nothing to ensure that it remains forever cursed. Determined to work against Kaia, unfriendly forces have already begun to gather.

Will Kaia choose to abandon the only life she’s ever known—perhaps indefinitely—in pursuit of the greater good…in pursuit of her purpose?

My Take:

Sixteen-year-old Kaia Stone feels like a misfit. In the land of Grey, where she lives, almost all citizens have a canonipoms, a small intelligent creature that bonds with them for life, and lives to serve and protect them. The two are linked telepathically from birth, and on a given day, the canonipom is called, and they meet to share the rest of their lives together.

When Kaia's canonipom was called, however, she no-showed. The bitter disappointment, the incompleteness, still festered in her. She felt useless and unimportant, rejected, really, until her family was called to Zavonia, to the city of the Makers, to discuss her role in freeing the captive and cursed Kingdom of Mar.

Mar was cursed over a decade previously by the Zavonians, when King Richard committed genocide against the Tivmicans. The curse took the form of an impenetrable barrier of fog. The people inside could not escape, and were left to deal with the... other... ramifications of the curse. The land was obscured by fog and darkness, but there were rumors. Of horrors lurking there. Of evil waiting.

The Zavonians, who have the ability to speak and create by that spoken word, intended the curse to be permanent and irrevocable. But the Utdrendans, who were the first people and creators, considered the punishment of Mar too harsh. And the curse was imperfect, ill-spoken and flawed. With the flaw, a chance for redemption offered itself for the people of Mar.

They could be freed, but a message had to be delivered to the Marian King, and only Kaia could deliver it. But would she, when there was no guarantee she could ever return?

Content:

Drug Content:

G - squeaky clean.

Violence:

PG-13 - The curse has some horrific transforming power, and some descriptions of it are a bit graphic. Monsters attack and rip people apart. Several murder attempts are made. There is a passage where children are quietly murdered.

Language:

G - squeaky clean.

Adult Content:

G - It's clean.   

Christian content:

While God is not mentioned at all in this book, nor is church or faith, the basic workings of the curse are that immorality transforms the immoral person. Liars receive a forked tongue. Murderers immediately transform into a creature of horror. Because of this, sin in its various forms is limited in its presence in the land of nightmare.

Self sacrifice, the greater good, loyalty and its lack, are major themes. Compassion and mercy are bold brush here. Risking all for the undeserving becomes an undercurrent as well.

Final analysis:

Capering on Glass Bridges was a gripping tale. The stakes were very high for Kaia, and the plot twists abounded. The settings were quite realistic, the flora and fauna captivating. The world-building here was astounding. This fast-paced adventure had me ripping through it, from the moment they embarked on the adventure to the very end. Well written, fast-paced, captivating! Five Stars!

About the Author:
Hello, everyone! My name is Jessica. Pleasure to make your acquaintance. :) Allow me to share a bit about myself with you. I was born and raised in the beautiful, sunny state of Florida. I attended the University of Miami, where I spent more time than I care to admit daydreaming of a faraway land called Acu. Upon graduating with a degree in English and Political Science in 2014, I put pen to paper and brought Acu to life—so was born the Hawk of Stone duology. 

Review: The Summoned King (The Kalymbrian Chronicles, #1) by Dave Neuendorf

The Summoned King (The Kalymbrian Chronicles, #1)

by Dave Neuendorf

Indiana high school senior James Madison Young can best be described as a Renaissance man: intelligent, of good character, and possessed by insatiable curiosity about everything from Krav Maga to robotics. One evening, he falls asleep while studying at the library. He wakes to find himself in another world, filled with magic, danger and romance. He has been summoned by court wizard Maynard to be the king of Kalymbria. Forced into marriage with the beautiful and magically powerful yet untrained Julia Roper for his queen, he must restore the lapsed Constitution in the face of opposition from a hostile Council of Advisors, and defend his new country from the evil machinations of the wizard Ruinga and her allied kingdom of Venicka. Rediscovering the lost art of enchantment may provide him with a powerful edge in his quest, if he can survive the assassins and conspiracies arrayed against him.

My Take:

James Madison Young is a promising high school senior with a bright future. Intelligent, of high moral character, interested in politics and history, and a talent for Krav Maga, he delves deeply into every study he can get his hands on. With a library of nonfiction texts from engineering to history  filling up his Kindle Fire, he finds himself at the school library late one evening doing research, and falls asleep - only to wake up on another planet, where magic and danger abound.

He has been summoned by the court wizard Maynard to be king of Kalymbria. This country 'jobs out' their puppet leadership to protect the real leadership, the Council of Advisors, from blame for the odious legislation they pass, strangling the common people to fill their coffers and their indulgent lifestyle.

Immediately forced into marriage with a beautiful and powerful female wizard, James quickly finds himself the pawn of opposing forces set to tear this weary country apart. Hated by the council, hated by the citizens, and threatened by neighboring countries poised on the brink of invasion, James must refashion the government into a benevolent servant of the people, with no friends and no resources.

With a heart for the common man and a desire to establish a fair democracy modeled after the US, James must stand up to the corrupt Council and avert war with neighboring countries, all while trying to prevent his own assassination!

Content:

Drug Content:

PG - There is a minor level of drunkenness involved with some pirates.

Violence:

PG-13 - There are quite a few characters killed by poison darts, or executed by hanging. One family is murdered at their dinner table, a decapitated head is left as a warning. A child is kidnapped. Assassination seems to be an accepted practice.

Language:

G - squeaky clean.

Adult Content:

PG - Rape and prostitution is discussed, but only from a legal consideration as to punishment. The king and queen, though forced into marriage, remain celibate until they mutually decide to consummate.   

Christian content:

James is a devout Christian and works with a prophet from Kalymbria to bring the bible to this planet. Multiple characters convert to faith following miraculous evidence of God's power and guidance. The spiritual purpose behind James being summoned is explored.

Final analysis:

Sometimes reading a book for review is arduous, but this is not one of those times. I found The Summoned King to be like candy. Fantasy mixes with Faith in this high-stakes roller coaster ride. Fast-paced, action-packed, and filled with timeless truth, Neuendorf has hit a home run with this debut treasure. Looking forward to reading more about James and Julia in the pages to come. Five Stars!

About the Author:
Dave Neuendorf has been a lover of fantasy, science fiction, and political thrillers since the 1950's, when he would rather read than romp during recess in school. After decades of making notes of stories he'd like to write, he finally set out to create his own fantasy series in 2015. The first fruit of his efforts is The Summoned King, published in February 2016, as book one of The Kalymbrian Chronicles. Development of the series will proceed as time allows while he continues to pursue his day job as a Java software development consultant. He is also working on his first political thriller.

Dave has been married since 1976 to his one love, Patricia. He is the father of three sons, and grandfather of one young lady and one tiny gentleman, so far. He and his family live with their two dogs, a Samoyed and a Siberian Husky, in Aurora, Indiana.

Dave can be found on Facebook and at his author web site.

Review: The Landlord by Hannah Ross

The Landlord

by Hannah Ross

When Allie Morton rents an isolated lake cabin near the picturesque village of Gosbury, she only wants a quiet place to sort herself out after an abusive marriage. The last thing she expects is an encounter with a ghost that takes her back to the Regency era. At first Allie doubts her own sanity, but when she delves into the tragic fate of Elizabeth Williamson, the mysterious woman from two centuries ago, she doesn't just uncover a dark secret of the past - she opens a new venue to her future.

My Take:

Allie Morton is so done with her old life. Reeling from an ongoing, messy divorce from an emotionally abusive tyrant, she desperately seeks a quiet, peaceful place to recover. She snaps up a rental cabin by a peaceful lake near Gosbury for an unbelievable price. She quickly finds that the amazingly low rent has a reason. The cabin is in disrepair, far from the beaten path, and hasn't seen a tenant in decades. And that's before she learns there's a ghost.

The peaceful lake is home to a forlorn 200-year-old ghost trying to get resolution for her tragic end. Allie first believes the visions and dreams she has are stress-induced hallucinations, visions of a beautiful woman named Elizabeth Williamson, from the Regency era. When she finds out that Elizabeth did in fact exist around that time, she delves into her tragic story and death, aided by her ghost, uncovering a dark secret buried deep in the past, and inadvertently opening a new hope for her own future.

Content:

Drug Content:

PG - Alcohol is consumed a few times, there are a few scenes at a bar. One of the patrons at the village bar gets wasted, as well as an underage boy.

Violence:

PG - There is a shooting death, and a death under mysterious circumstances. Violence and death are threatened multiple times.

Language:

PG - The Lord's name is taken in vain once, there are a few other mild expletives.

Adult Content:

PG - Affairs are discussed. A man has a reputation as a ladies' man, advances are made on married women. A gentleman uses position to attempt to seduce women of lesser state.  

Christian content:

The pastor of the town church in the Regency era struggles with the decision of whether to expose a grievous sin, when it would be futile. He leaves judgement in the hands of a higher and later court. Faith plays a part in his life, but not much in the lives of any of the other characters. Sin is condemned soundly by certain characters in the novel, though their harsh judgmental condemnation is of the person, not the sin. Friendship, loyalty, forbearance, mercy, and grace all play a part in this work.

Final analysis:

Allie is a very believable character, and Elizabeth also has depth of character. The setting was immersive and the supporting cast were likable and real. I found the demarcations between the past and present a bit difficult to follow, but a great plot device. The pace was steady and fast, the action thrilling, the suspense tangible. I'm not a big fan of Regency but I thoroughly enjoyed this one. Five Stars!

About the Author:
Hannah Ross wrote her first story at the age of six and hasn’t stopped since. Wishing to have a steady profession, she trained as a clinical nutritionist, but the writing bug was too strong and Hannah continued to write fiction in the form of short stories, novels, poetry and plays, as well as many non-fiction essays and articles. 

Hannah enjoys a quiet life in the country with her husband, three children, two cats and a flock of chickens.