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Book Review: Animal Instinct

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Animal Instinct
The K-Team #2
by David Rosenfelt
read by Fred Berman

My rating: 3.5 / 5
Genre: Mystery

When a woman dies that Corey Douglas feels like he failed to help when he was a cop, he gets his investigative team involved in trying to track down her killer. Corey had been called in on a domestic dispute in the past, but the woman refused to press charges against her boyfriend. Now Corey wants to prove that the boyfriend killed her, but his bias might get in the way of the truth.

I’m still not really excited about this spin-off series. This one was a little better than the previous, but I think that’s mostly because I’ve gotten used to the narration from Corey’s POV. I still feel like he doesn’t have much personality, other than his short fuse. He’s quick to threaten the safety or even the life of anyone who remotely threatens his K-9 partner, and in this book, that extends to threatening the boyfriend mentioned in the synopsis, which gets him into some trouble in this story. Similarly, I guess it’s supposed to be a big deal that this character I barely knows has a steady girlfriend, but she doesn’t really have much of a personality to me either. She’s kind of a shadow of Laurie, Andy’s wife, and is even similarly presented to the reader as a little too perfect through Corey’s eyes, just like Laurie through Andy’s eyes.

I think Rosenfelt needed to spend a little more time developing a personality and overall life further removed from Andy’s for this spin-off to work very well. Especially since, on top of all of that, I thought the purpose of the spin-off was to focus more on the investigative side, where the main series includes the courtroom scenes along with the investigation, but this book ended up having both as well. So…I’m not understanding in general why Rosenfelt decided to make this spin-off series. It’s just not different enough or different in any way that I personally care about, though I’ll read the last two, because I don’t want to possibly miss any developments that might affect the main series (see my review of The K-Team). But if you’re a fan of the Andy Carpenter series and wonder if you should read this, I’d say this particular book could be passed on (though Andy is in it more than the previous, so there’s that). If you haven’t read any of the main series, don’t start here. But definitely do start on the Andy Carpenter series if you’re interested.

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Book Review: Black

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Black
by Ted Dekker

My rating: 4.5 / 5
Genre: Christian fantasy thriller

After an encounter with a dangerous loan shark, Thomas Hunter dreams of a world where evil is completely contained and humans live in happiness and harmony. The dream is so vivid that while he’s dreaming, he’s certain the world with the loan shark is the dream. Then the worlds begin to bleed together when he learns about some events that are still future to the “Earth” side and are expected to wipe out most of life on Earth. Knowledge from each world becomes useful in the other, and before long, both worlds are in jeopardy.

I read this book, and the entire trilogy, for the first time back around when it came out. I remember finding it a bit strange, confusing, and not particularly enjoyable. My husband read the series more recently and said he thought I’d like it…so I gave it another chance. I have come to understand that, when I was a young adult, I read this book as a direct parallel to Christianity. Though it certainly has an analogous angle to it, I needed to read it more as fantasy and let it be what it was, not what I assumed it should be. Doing that made this second reading experience far better than the first. I was hooked early on, enjoying the fast pace of the “Earth” reality and the world building of the “green forest” reality alongside it. Though the green forest side was slow in comparison to the Earth side, I skimmed a few scenes when Thomas had a very real, yet at the same time kind of abstract, communion with Elyon, the undisputed Creator of the green forest reality. I get the inclusion of those scenes, but I didn’t feel the need to read them thoroughly.

As the Earth reality gained speed toward the pending disaster, the green forest takes a turn that is sad and unexpected (though, at the same time, unsurprising), and I was really curious to see where that side of the story was going to go next. I remember snippets from the trilogy, but fortunately, it’s mostly all new. The last few pages are a bit bizarre but, at the same time, intriguing. And the book ends on a cliffhanger, which I normally dislike, but it really worked here. And now I’m excited to continue reading, which I didn’t expect to be!

I am aware that I’m at the beginning of a long, twisty mess of a book franchise. Some are directly connected and others are more peripherally so, and apparently there’s no specified order in which to read the books. I have read one of those books in the past and part of another one, and I found both bizarre and unsettling, coincidentally enough. I currently don’t have a lot of desire to read much more than the main trilogy, but I’ll see how I feel when I’m done with the first 3 books, and maybe the prequel.

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Book Review: The Activist

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The Activist
Theodore Boone #4
by John Grisham
read by Richard Thomas


My rating: 4.5 / 5
Genre: Middle grade fiction

When the powers that be discuss building a bypass around the city of Strattenburg, thirteen-year-old Theodore Boone finds himself in the middle of the politics from both sides of the issue. A friend whose family’s home is threatened by the bypass thinks Theo can somehow help, but Theo knows he’s in over his head. Even his own dad is for the bypass. What’s a kid lawyer to do?

Whew, this book took a lot of turns and kept me invested all throughout. The issue of the bypass, though it could easily be dry and make the plot slow, is handled well by Grisham. Both sides of the issue are represented well, and though Theo does probably pick his side pretty quickly, he recognizes that there’s really nothing a 13-year-old can do. Meanwhile, there’s an unrelated subplot in which Theo’s leadership abilities are questioned during a camping trip with his fellow scouts, and as weird as it might sound, I really appreciated the way Theo handles it (which is not well), because it keeps him from being too mature or even “perfect” for his age. As much as I’ve been enjoying these books, Theo can get a little unrealistic, so his immaturity on the scout trip brings him back to earth a bit. In the end, this book has quite a different feel than the rest of the series, yet it’s just as good. Maybe my favorite, though it’s difficult to pick between this and the previous.

Richard Thomas continues to do a great job with the narration. It’s probably not super important to read the books in order, though I’d recommend it. Overall, I’d say whether or not a teenager or pre-teen will be interested in this book will depend on what kind of fiction they like—if fast-paced action is important, this probably won’t suit them. If they’re interested in realistic fiction about crime and law and trials, this could be fascinating for them.

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Book Review: An Accidental Death

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An Accidental Death
DC Smith #1
by Peter Grainger
read by Gildart Jackson

My rating: 4 / 5
Genre: Detective procedural, mystery

When DC Smith returns to work after being away following a case that went badly, he has to dodge the hints that it might be time for him to retire, because he isn’t ready to give up policework yet. He’s eased back in with busy work, which includes being asked to sign off on an accidental death report that his superior isn’t sure is quite as open and shut as it seems. So Smith begins to investigate, with the aid of a younger detective named Waters, and it turns out there is indeed more going on than meets the eye.

I came across this series when I discovered that it’s narrated by Gildart Jackson, who narrates as series called Fireside Readings that I’ve enjoyed a few of so far. I like his narration style and I like mysteries and police procedurals, so I decided to give this a try. And though I have to admit to being confused or lost here or there in the cultural differences that I didn’t understand, I enjoyed the story overall. DC Smith (DC are his initials, not his rank) is experienced and wise, and his teaming up with the young Waters provides a great dynamic. Smith has recently lost his wife, which gives the story some heart that I appreciated. Smith is a pretty rounded character and not just a procedural-detective cliche. So overall, I enjoyed the story quite a bit, and Gildart Jackson unsurprisingly does a great job as narrator. I’ll definitely be continuing this series and recommend it for fans of procedural crime dramas, especially with a seasoned detective and set in a small-town area of England.

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Book Review: Chasing Echoes

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Chasing Echoes
by Jodi Perkins

My rating: 3 / 5
Genre: YA fantasy romance

Topaz “Taz” Aevos and her sisters each have powers that they can’t explain. Taz’s seem to be the most useless, though, since all she can do is make things fall. But when her youngest sister becomes the victim of a cruel prank during a school dance, she’s not the only one who wants to use a supernatural power to punish the prankster, Stryder Black. He also gets cursed into a time loop by someone who didn’t appreciate his prank, and when his path crosses further with Taz, the curse could become fatal.

The premise and at least some of the fantasy aspects in this book are interesting. I get what the author was going for with the reveal regarding Taz and her sisters’ powers, and there’s even a villainous aspect that will spill over into future books without feeling too much like a contrived cliffhanger. However, the time loop aspect of the story could have been done better. Stryder starts to fall apart after only 3 loops, which seems fairly quick for a “tough guy,” especially one who’s been warned he’s in a loop rather than being completely in the dark and wondering if he’s just going crazy. And his theories about how the loop works, both for him and for those “outside” the loop vary wildly and don’t always make sense to me.

There are also several cliches in the story that bugged me, including what turned out to be the change Stryder needed to make in order to break the curse. It was always my least favorite aspect of Groundhog Day and just made me roll my eyes here. (This is already semi-spoilery, so I won’t be more specific to avoid full-on spoilers.) I also had a difficult time buying that Stryder’s prank, brutal as it was, was worth the curse put on him, and the curse-giver, when confronted, was far too casual about the whole thing.

Overall, the book isn’t bad (especially for one that’s self-published, since it’s not full of errors, though it could have used a little more proofreading). But I think it’s more suited to an audience of people who like more contemporary romance or romantasy. I’m okay with both of these but prefer that the romance be a little more substantial than what I found here, and I might have liked a little more explanation about some of the fantasy elements. But if you’re interested in time loop stories and contemporary romance with fantasy elements, you might just enjoy this book.

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Book Sale!

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In honor of the release of book #3 in the Pithea series (and what a good time for it, with so many of us snowed in), the book that kicks off the whole series is available for only $0.99 for the next 5 days, and my novelette The Triangle (unrelated to the series) is free now through Thursday! See below for links and a little more information.

Pithea cover, Kindle

Pithea is the first book in a series of speculative, futuristic fiction. Check it out on Goodreads and Amazon.

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The Triangle is a stand-alone novelette of Christian fiction. Check it out on Goodreads, and go here to get your free copy!

As many who will read this already know, authors, especially self-published or indie authors, need reviews to allow more readers to find their books. If you take advantage of either, or both, of the deals on my books, please make sure to leave me a review on Amazon, Goodreads, or preferably, both!
*Both of these books are also available through Kindle Unlimited.

Power Released!

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My third full-length novel, book #3 in a series of futuristic speculative fiction with a Christian worldview, is now available to purchase in 3 formats on Amazon: Kindle, paperback, and hardcover! I’m so excited to see this series continue! See synopsis below and go here to buy the book.

Power on Goodreads

Power

For as long as Alexander Surett can remember, he’s planned to be a bounty hunter like his dad, bringing in criminals to stand trial. And when he gets his first taste of Power usage, he knows that the Power is what he will use to chase those criminals. But during the years-long training on the way to that goal, he stumbles onto an innocuous item from his dad’s past that leads him to question everything he’s been told. Soon it becomes clear that his family’s past tragedy is only the tip of the iceberg.

He brings his unwitting training partner, a Cleric named Leahna Isa, along on his search for answers, and together they attract the unwanted attention of the leader of a band of mercenaries. Rusalki Morano doesn’t like to be told “no,” and the consequences will have devastating effects on both Alexander’s and Leahna’s families—and all of Pithea.

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Book Review: A Hero’s Guide to Deadly Dragons

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A Hero’s Guide to Deadly Dragons
How to Train Your Dragon #6
by Cressida Cowell
read by David Tennant

My rating: 2 / 5
Genre: Middle grade fantasy

In order to prove that his group of Vikings are better burglars than another group, Hiccup and his friends sneak into a Viking library to steal a book. Things go wrong, of course, in fairly predictable ways by this point in the series. Unfortunately, there’s not enough new here to make it particularly enjoyable. Hiccup is ridiculed, as always, but manages to pull off the unexpected, as always. This book feels more like the author is trying to get a not terribly subtle message across—books are important. Libraries are important. Banning books is bad. And alongside that message, she feels the need to talk about a woman’s breasts more than I’d be comfortable with in adult book, and this book is for kids! The leader of a mostly friendly rival tribe is named Big-Boobied Bertha, and she’s been in several of the previous books as well. I was a bit taken aback by the name before, but she had a pretty small role in the past and I guess I passed it off as a British quirk. In this book, not only is she involved a lot more, her “gigantic” breasts are described and referenced several times. It is absolutely unnecessary and just plan ridiculous in a book meant for 10-12 year olds. So though I’m probably in the minority of being bothered by this, let this be a warning for those who are like me. Maybe skip this one.

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Book Review: Isle of Ever

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Isle of Ever
Book #1
by Jen Calonita

My rating: 2.5 / 5
Genre: Middle grade fantasy

Twelve-year-old Everly Benedict (who goes by Benny) is presented with a series of clues and riddles to solve in order to inherit a large estate from an ancestor who lived 200 years ago. Since she isn’t sure how her mom is going to pay this month’s rent, it seems like an answer to all of their problems. But she only has 2 weeks to finish the game and is warned not to be careful who she trusts. And soon enough, it becomes clear that there’s more than an inheritance on the line.

Right up front, whatever else I thought about this book, the ending was a huge let-down. Not just a cliffhanger, but a full-stop that I see all too often in self-published books but don’t expect in traditionally published books from established authors. As an author myself, I firmly believe that not resolving an obvious story goal within that same book is a huge no-no, and unless I seriously misjudged what Calonita intended the story goal to be here, it was definitely not fully resolved. Even the final riddle was only partially solved. And though Benny is out of time, somehow she’s going to have to play a whole new game in order to “win”? Maybe the time will be extended, but either way, the ending was just so underwhelming for me.

Up to that point, the book was okay. Not stellar, but not interesting enough to make me curious about what was going on. The story is told from Benny’s POV with journal entries from her ancestor, Evelyn Terry, thrown in throughout. Those journal entries were written in 1825, though they did not sound like that to me much at all. The main downside (other than the ending) for me is that there are a lot of fantastical elements that either don’t make sense or don’t seem consistent. And very little, if anything, is explained, though that may just go along with the lack of resolution. I don’t think we were given enough chance to feel connected to the characters in that timeline to care as much as we should have about what happened to them. And quite frankly, I didn’t feel that the catalyst for the main story-propelling incident in Evelyn Terry’s timeline had enough urgency to it. 

So in the end, will I read the next one when it comes out? Probably, since it comes out in a few months so I hopefully won’t have time to forget everything about this book before diving right in where this one left off. But do I recommend it? Well…it really depends a lot on how you feel about a lack of resolution. Once the 2nd book comes out in March, you can “binge read” them and maybe it won’t seem so bad, especially knowing that this first book will end this way. But since I don’t know if some of the unclear elements or inconsistencies will be cleared up in the 2nd book, it’s really difficult to say whether I recommend the book or series as a whole yet. Stay tuned…

Thank you to Netgalley and SOURCEBOOKS Kids for providing me a copy of this book to review.

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