Dreamfever by Karen Marie Moning Book Review

Finally, after an extended delay, here is the book review of Dreamfever by Karen Marie Moning. This is the fourth installment in the fever series, and I must say, this is the book I have been waiting for since the first one.

Mac is back and Mac 3.0 is badass. The Unseelie princes broke her down – completely emptied her of any thoughts except her desire for them. Jericho Barrons built her back up better than ever. Mac trades her pink for black and her accessories of bracelets and scarves for guns and blades. Mac wants revenge for every injustice given to her, and that includes those who she thought were one her side. Alliances have changed and merged. Mac is stronger, smarter, and more patient. She has learned from previous mistakes and she starts to plan and conspire. 

Dreamfever is a book that can stand on its own. Previous books in the series seemed lacking. Those books felt like transition books – not much action, just a lot of waiting for the final climax on the last five pages. There were also a lot of questions but very few answers to satisfy. Dreamfever has constant motion and action. There are several mini-climaxes scattered throughout the book. Moning also starts to answers some of the burning questions that have been in the minds of readers. Moning even answers the the mistery of what is under the garage at Barrens Books and Babbles. 

My biggest disappoint of the book? There is very little of the yummy Seelie prince V’lane, but it is not an oversight on Moning’s part. There is a very important reason he disappears from the cast of characters, but Moning is not fully explaining yet and I am not telling either. 

If you have read the first three books, I highly recommend that you continue reading.. I considered dropping this series after book three, but I am glad that I gave Moning another chance. She has managed to rebuild my anticipation for the last book. I cannot wait!

Zadayi Red by Caleb Fox Review

Zadayi Red is Caleb Fox’s debut book. The book was inspired by Fox’s Cherokee heritage. Though the book and the Galayi people are fictional, you may recognize familiar stories and customs.

The book is about a people called Galayi, which is divided into five tribes. It is like a state divided into counties. Each has their own rulers and customs, but they also have collective customs and rulers. The tale focuses on one boy, Dahzi that is raise by a medicine woman. He is the prophesied savior of the people. This is a large responsibility with which to grow up. Also, Dahzi’s own grandfather wants him killed at birth and declares war on the tribe that protects him. The tale is about Dahzi learning about love, rebelling against his destiny, and coming full circle to embrace the prophesy.

The book had a lot of strengths in the creation of a believable tribe and culture, but it also has some weaknesses. It attempts to tackle two very large themes: coming of age and the circle of life. It is too much for one book. I think the story would have more depth if it focused on just one of these themes. There are also some very awkward exclamations; things that do not sound right. For example, “damn” and “Hell” was used, but the Galayi people believe in the Darkening Land not Heaven and Hell. These types of statement were enough to temporarily break the moment of disbelief. Fortunately, Fox does have an excellent story and has an incredible talent for telling it. Putting these weaknesses aside, the book is worth reading and I think that future books by Fox will only get better.

Christ the Lord: The Road to Cana - Review

Christ the Lord: The Road to Cana by Anne Rice is the second book in her Christ the Lord series. You do not need to read the first book to follow this one. The two books can stand alone. They both center on a central character, Yeshua bar Joseph, known to most modern people as Jesus. The first book focused on Yeshua’s childhood. The Road to Cana skips ahead to when Yeshua is in his thirties.

In The Road to Cana, Yeshua is shown as a flesh and blood man. He has the same wants, desires, pains, and troubles as any other man, but he knows that he is more. He knows that he is the son of God, but he does not yet know what that means or what it entails. Yeshua catches occasional glimpse of insight, but nothing that says to him, “This is what you must do.”

The village in which Yeshua lives with his entire family is in turmoil. The villagers are quick to condemn innocents of wrong doing, the Roman Empire is causing problems, there is a drought, and bandits are stealing food and women. It is in the height of all this that John the Baptist finally comes out of the wilderness and Yeshua’s eyes and spirit are opened to his true purpose. He knows what he must do and how he must do it. He becomes the Messiah.

Regardless if you are a Christian or not, you will enjoy this book. Anne Rice is one of the best modern storytellers. She brings the time period to life. You can feel the sand coating your skin, you can see the impressiveness of the Jordan River, and you can hear the determination as the men march out of the village. Rice is a master at bringing you into the story.

In The Road to Cana, Rice perfectly depicts Yeshua, the man, becoming Christ the Lord. This is not a religious book. It depicts a man overcoming trials and obstacles to find his true purpose in life. It is just a plain, well told story.

I give Christ the Lord: The Road to Cana by Anne Rice a 9 out 10.

Personal Effects: Dark Art - Review

Personal Effects: Dark Art by J.C. Hutchins and Jordan Weisman is a plain fun read. It grabs you and will not let go until you finish the book. It is a mind-bending, multimedia event.

Let me explain. First, it is mind-bending in the fact that you are not quite sure what is going on until the end. There is a supernatural, thriller aspect to the central murder-mystery. To figure out what is happening you have to determine what happened in the past. This is where the multimedia comes in.

The book is fashioned as a case file, complete with the patient's person effects. On the inside cover there is a folder with items from an accused murderer. The items include a state ID, photos, birth certificates, and drawings. There are also other clues throughout the narrative of the book. Look up websites mentioned, Google names of people, dial phone numbers, and enter access codes. Every piece of evidence pulls you further into the story. There is even a podcast as a prequel to the story. Start your journey at J.C. Hutchins's website.

I give the book a nine for originality and a seven for the story. One negative is the packaging of the book. It would be easier to handle and carry around if the book could be removed from the overall packaging. Also, the personal effects items fall out of the file, so a flap to close the folder would be nice.

In short, get the book.

J.C. Hutchins is another big name in the podcasting community along with Scott Sigler (see my Contagious book review), so if you have not listened to any of his stories, download 7th Son. It is free on iTunes and another great story.

The Legend of Sigurd and Gudrun Review

I was very excited when J.R.R. Tolkien's book The Legend of Sigurd and Gudrun came out. I was a little leery because Christopher Tolkien filled in the blank places and added commentary. In the past I have not been overly fond of his commentaries, but this was different. The information that Christopher Tolkien added was very helpful in reading this different poetic style.

The tales are written in an ancient Norse poetic style called Elder Edda. The style is very direct unlike other ancient poetic styles that contain a lot of flowery descriptions. What makes this style difficult is that is assumes prior knowledge of the legends. The book contains brief introductions to the tales to help, but I found myself going back to reread the introductions and then rereading the tales. I also had difficulty keeping the characters straight. Their names were very similar. For example, there is a Sigmund, Signy, Siggeir, and Sinfjotli.

This is a slow, but very good read. I love folklore and mythology and The Legend of Sigurd and Gudrun introduced me to new tales. Christopher Tolkien did a fine job at inserting just the right amount of explanation before letting the tales speak for themselves. He also compiled old lectures from J.R.R. Tolkien on Old Norse poetry. For ancient language buffs, you'll love these lectures and tales.

I Am Legend Book Review

As I previously mentioned, I Am Legend by Richard Matheson is a book of short stories. The title story "I Am Legend" is the basis for the movie with Will Smith. There are eleven stories in this book.

Overall, I give the book a 7 out 10. Some stories were creepy, some imaginative, and some very dated. I prefer Stephen King or Dean Koontz for horror short stories. Comparatively, these were tame. Then again, Matheson was writing in the 50's.

Here is a rundown of each short story:

"I Am Legend" is very different from the movie. It does not take place in NYC, it was not a cure for cancer that mutated that created the zombies, and there were not zombies. Instead, the main character is a man that teaches himself how to study the mutated disease that caused all of humanity to become vampires. The entire disease story was weak, but that was not the main terror in the book. The real terror was watching a person go through the loneliness. Matheson did a superb job detailing the anger, depression, and acceptance a person would go through.

"Buried Talents" reminded me of Heroes. It described what a person might do if he could move things with his mind. After shows like X-Men and Heroes, this story seems a bit unimaginative.

"The Near Departed" was cliche. I knew the ending before it happened.

"Prey" was a good horror tale, though it has been told in movies such as Puppet Master. I think that there was a Creep Show or other short movie based on this tale. It is about a murderous doll. I already have a fear of dolls thanks to tales like this. What makes this story different from others is that the woman the doll is chasing finds a strength and perseverance that she did not have in her everyday life. The story also has a great pace. Up to the very last paragraph, you cannot tell if the woman or the doll will win .

"Witch War" is another that could be a story from X-Men or Heroes. Unlike the previous story, this one is very imaginative and very disturbing.

"Dance of the Dead" reminds me of Clockwork Orange. It is a futuristic tale complete with slang language that is defined. It is the old "mama told you not to go out with those kinds of people and do those kinds of things" tale. This tale has the highest gross out factor, but overall I did not care for the tale.

"Dress of White Silk" did not have a great plot, but the way the story was told through the voice of a little girl was very well done, especially for a man writing it.

"Mad House" was the best short story. I love the idea of inanimate objects absorbing the feelings of people and then turning it against them. Matheson also did a wonderful job describing what it is like to have anger-management issues. If you don't understand how difficult is can be to control your anger, read this.

"The Funeral" was amusing. Nothing more, nothing less.

"From Shadowed Places" could be a precursor to The Serpent and the Rainbow. Interesting premise, excellent pacing, and intriguing imagery.

"Person to Person" was a little silly, but interesting. I did not guess what was happening, but I felt the ending was a letdown.

Faefever Review

I just finished the third book in Karen Marie Moning's Fever series, Faefever. I previously said that her second book was a transitional book, but this one was the same. The entire book was to get us to one point and then ends in a cliffhanger. I still thoroughly enjoyed the book. It was a great light read and I like seeing the changes that come over Mac, but I think the story could have been condensed into to a trilogy instead of whatever number of books it is going to be.

As you figured, Mac is back, along with the rest of the cast, Barrons, Dani, Rowena, Christian, Inspector Jayne, O'Bannion, Fiona, miscellaneous Unseelie, and the Sinsar Dubh. If it is the dead-by-sex Fae that you are interested in, I am afraid you will have to wait quite sometime in the book to get any serious action. V'lane is way "muted" trying to stay in Mac's good graces.

It turns out that Halloween is the perfect time for the Unseelie to attempt to break through the barriers, so the good guys (the ones against the Unseelie, anyway) need to join forces and perform rituals and spells to keep the walls between the worlds standing. Of course, nothing and no one is as they seem. Your head will spin trying straighten out who is really on the side of good and who is one the side of bad. I've come to the conclusion that everyone is in this for themselves and screw everyone else.

You can see the transformation in Mac. In Faefever she takes action herself. She chooses her own allies, devises her own plans, and attempts to execute them. She is new to this, so it is not her fault when her plans do not turn out how she wants them too.

I give this book 6 out 10 because it created enough interest that I want to buy the fourth book just to find out what happens next! On its own the book isn't overly exciting or original.

Book Review Updates

Death's Daughter by Amber Benson is a science fiction tale about a girl who is, surprise surprise, the daughter of Death. Death has gone missing and Calliope Reaper-Jones is called to take over for daddy. She must leave the normal life she has found for herself.

There was not much about this book that I liked. An accurate comparison would be poorly written fan-fiction. It was full of clichés, slang, pop-culture references, and flat characters. Definitely not my kind of book. I give it a 3 out of 10 just because I was able to finish it quickly.

Survivor: A Novel by Chuck Palahniuk was very different and unexpectedly enjoyable. It was a book of lists, but the use of the lists helped to put you inside the head of the narrator, which is a very bizarre place. Tender Branson was born and raised in a religious cult community. Being a lesser son, he had to leave the community and work in the city once he came of age. When his entire family and community commit suicide, Branson is left as the last of the cult. He finds unlooked for fame and is hailed as a messiah. You are never quite sure if Tender is sane, brainwashed, or a con man.

The book is well written and keeps your attention, except for the ending. The ending was too unbelievable and seemed forced. It was almost as if it was the ending to a different story. Up until the end I would have given the book 8, but the ending dropped it to 6 out of 10.

The Lost City of Z by David Grann was as entertaining as I had hoped. It is about the early 1900's Amazon explorer, Percy Fawcet. He was convinced that there was a lost city in the Amazon that provided proof of an advanced society. Fawcet spent years in the Amazon. He knew the dangers, the people, and the hardships. He knew how to survive in the jungle. Fawcet stepped into the Amazon with his son and his son's best-friend. It was the most followed exploration of the Amazon, but then they disappeared. Fawcet's tale has inspired uncountable others to enter the Amazon jungle in search of riches, an advanced society, and even Fawcet himself.

Grann created an entertaining and informative book. He created an even mix of the facts, fiction, and fantasy of the legendary tale. He provided just enough information about English society at the time to ensure understanding of the thoughts and beliefs of the time, especially in regards to science and religion. I highly recommend this book and have found a new respect for the Amazon (but developed a new phobia of bugs). 9 out of 10.

Review - John Ransom's Diary (audiobook)

If you have not read (or listened to) John Ransom's Diary Andersonville I recommend that you do. It is an awe-inspiring story of the survival of a POW during the Civil War in Andersonville.

The main topics of discussion throughout the book are the amount of food (or the lack thereof), the cold, escape attempts, and rumors of a prisoner trade. These topics are repeated over and over, but it does not get boring.

The audio version was well produced and the narrator was captivating. I could not stop listening. I just had to know if he was going to survive another day, was he going to try to escape even though the guards are shooting people for nothing, was the government finally going to offer a prisoner exchange?

It was not only the lack of food and warmth or the treatment by the guards that the POWs had to worry about. Ransom tells many tales of prisoners stabbing and beating to death others just for a blanket or extra bread crumbs.

Two parts of the tale sum up the experience and philosophy of John Ransom:

• "New men comin' in and bodies goin' out. There is no end but dying."
• The key to survival is staying positive. A poor outlook will counter any medicine.

Overall this book is a 9 out of 10 for inspiration and for John Ransom being the man he was.

Scott Sigler's Contagious Book Review

Contagious is the sequel to Scott Sigler's book Infected: A Novel. You will want to read the first book before reading Contagious. Scott Sigler does not waste anytime rehashing what already happened; he just gets right into the action. "Scary" Perry Dawsey is back, but this time he is working with the good guys. Well, maybe not exactly working with them, but they at least have the same goal.

If you have a weak stomach or are easily offended by language then this book is not for you. It is fast-paced and action packed. I know that is cliche, but it perfectly describes Sigler's book. Sigler is not afraid to kill off good guys and let the bad guys seize control. You cannot predict what will have next.

There is a lot of medical and military action in the book, which requires careful explanation so the reader understands what is happening. Siglar is a master at providing the reader with enough explanation to make the story plausible, but not so much detail that the momentum is lost.

Contagious was just a fun and exciting read.

The one problem with the book was the errors missed during editing. There were enough errors that it started to annoy me. Some of the formatting errors may have been the Kindle edition. I'd be interested in hearing from those who read the paper copy if there were the same formatting errors.

Overall I give the book 8 out 10.

Review of Traffic: Why We Drive the Way We Do (and What It Says About Us) by Tom Vanderbilt

Traffic: Why We Drive the Way We Do (and What It Says About Us) is about . . . well . . . traffic. This book has information and facts about what traffic is, what causes it, how different factors contribute to it, and what has been tried to reduce it. Unfortunately, the book reads like a mass grouping of magazine articles. It is choppy and repetitive. I found myself skimming large portions of statistics and facts (though you may find this useful if you plan to be on Jeopardy). I also had difficulty reading the book for extended periods of time. It was a good read in small doses.

The book was not all bad. I enjoyed reading Vanderbilt's human interest stories and anecdotes. For example, there is a portion about how LA gets all the limousines to the Oscars on time. There really are a bunch of men watching and controlling the traffic signals. It is also interesting that there is a direct correlation on the type of government a country has and how its people drive.

This could have been an excellent book if it had a good edit. It could say the same thing in half the pages and rearranging some parts would make it flow better. The book has not changed how I drive nor how I react to traffic. I now understand the reason for a mile back-up on the highway for one stalled car, but I am not more patient about it.

Overall rating - 6 out of 10

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Review of Darkfever and Bloodfever by Karen Marie Moning

Darkfever and Bloodfever are the first and second books, respectively, in Karen Marie Moning's Fever series. The books are about a young woman's search for the man, or thing, which killed her sister. MacKayla "Mac" Lane travels to Ireland where her sister was murdered and discovers that the world is not what she thought it was. Fantasies and nightmares exist and it is not always possible to tell which is which. Mac also discovers that she is not who she once thought she was; not physically, emotionally, mentally, nor genetically.

MacKayla is a southern peach through and through. She is beautiful and blond. She likes shopping and anything pink. Her biggest concern before her sister's death is matching her nail polish to her outfit. Mac is not who you would picture as the savior of the world, but that is who Moning has created. This unlikely hero is the reason I am so drawn to this series. The stories are fast paced and action packed, but Mac is so unconventional that I never know what to expect from her. She uses "petunia" instead of "ass" because her mother taught her that ugly things don't come out of a beautiful mouth. How many monster-fighting, good guys do you know that say, "I am going to kick your petunia"? You might laugh at her language (and so do the bad guys) but she proves to be tougher that they believe.

Mac's reluctant partner, Jericho Barrons, is another reason that I am drawn to the books. He is an enigma. I have not figured out if he is good guy trying to save mankind or if he is just protecting his own interests. He is pompous, tough, and sexy. Speaking of sexy, did I mention the Death-by-Sex Fae? All I can say is "Yummy!"

Darkfever is definitely worth reading, but if you are crunched for time, you can listen to the free audio book. It is very well produced and unabridged.

I was not as impressed with Bloodfever, but the second book in a series is often a let down. They serve as a transition move the people and plot between books. A lot of my favorite series have bad second novels, so I am willing to suspend judgment and read the third book Faefever. Do not misunderstand. Bloodfever is not bad, it is just that nothing much happens. I will let you know how Faefever holds up.

Technorati Tags: Bloodfever,Darkfever,book review,Karen Marie Moning,Fever series

Review of Ghost Hunting: True Stories of Unexplained Phenomena from The Atlantic Paranormal Society

If you have ever seen the TV show Ghost Hunters on SciFi Channel, you know that Jason Hawes and Grant Wilson are interesting and funny men. You may or may not believe in paranormal, but these men and their team TAPS (The Atlantic Paranormal Society) keep you entertained through the hour long program. That is why, when their book Ghost Hunting came out, I put it on my list of “To Read.” I finally got around to reading it.

I had mixed feelings about this book. If you have never watched the show, or have only watched a few episodes, I think you will enjoy the book. It is interesting and fast paced. Jason and Grant do not use a lot of “ghost hunting” jargon to sound important or scientific. They are straight forward and down to earth. They even include a glossary at the back of the book to define any terms that are not common knowledge. Jason and Grant tell the facts of cases: what the people claim, what they experience, and what conclusions they make. They are not afraid to say that the bumping they heard was a loose pipe instead of a ghost. They are also plumbers, so if it is a loose pipe they find it. There is also a fun side to the entire TAPS team that comes out in the book. They explain some of their pranks on each other. They also describe some of the problems they have, because regardless if this is only a hobby, it is still a business. All businesses run into problems with employees. I think what makes the book appealing is that it shows that these guys I watch on TV are just like anyone else. They have a family, a job, and have problems, too.

Now, if you are a fan of the show and watch every episode, you will find little you do not already know about your favorite ghost hunters. The first quarter of the book provides information before the show was on the air and Jason reveals his paranormal experience. Reading this hooked me into the book. The cases are very interesting, including a possession, but after this brief period of time, Jason and Grant rehashed cases that appear on the show. I continued reading hoping to glean some new information, but I was very disappointed. I did not even learn anything new in regards to the issues with Brian. I counted two instances that were not on TV (okay, maybe there were a few more, but very few).

I do not want you to think this book is a waste of time if you are a fan. Like I said, the beginning is new, but the best part of the book is in the back. The end has a section called “Ghost Hunter’s Manual.” This is useful information if you are considering ghost hunting or starting a group. They provide information on staying safe, dealing with a client, collecting evidence, and handling spirits.

This book certainly is not going to win any literary awards, but it is a quick and fun read. I wish it had more new information, but I still enjoyed the straight-forward, honest telling of the paranormal.