Beem Weeks's Blog - Posts Tagged "book-review"

The Assassin Princess - A Legacy Novel by Blake Rivers

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


If you’re into fantasy stories that recall the brilliance of C.S. Lewis, The Assassin Princess is your book. Author Blake Rivers has taken the familiar genre and sprinkled in his own unique spin, avoiding the usual clichés common to such stories. And where The Chronicles of Narnia were aimed toward a younger audience, Blake Rivers nudges his tale into a decidedly grown-up light.

The Assassin Princess opens with our protagonist Ami being yanked from her world and pulled into another. This other reality is still here on planet Earth, though it exists in another layer. She’s the lost princess of a place called Legacy, where she’s expected to reign as the rightful heir to the throne. But trouble ensues when Ami’s half-brother Adam enters the picture, looking to take the throne for himself. Ami, an artist, discovers she has all the powers one would expect of a mythical princess. This girl is not one with which to mess. As she travels through this alternate realm, she learns all about these amazing powers she possesses, putting them on display in a classic battle between good and evil.

Rivers has filled his novel with vivid images of talking unicorns, intricate plot lines, interesting characters, and fantastical scenes that would surely make C.S. Lewis himself jealous. This book is well written and highly entertaining from start to finish. And though I’m not one to normally read the fantasy genre, I can honestly say I enjoyed this novel. I highly recommend it to anybody who does feast on good fantasy stories.




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Me & Emma by Flock Elizabeth

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Elizabeth Flock has written a heartbreaking tale of child abuse, human suffering, and the misery of severe poverty. Me & Emma is set against a disturbing North Carolina backdrop, and follows the lives of eight-year-old Carrie Parker, her young widowed mother, a drunken and abusive step-father, and six-year-old Emma Parker.

Flock tells the story through the eyes and narrative voice of Carrie, capturing the innocence of childhood mingled with the horror of those destructive forces that all too often visit the most vulnerable. It's six-year-old Emma who absorbs the abuse (physical and sexual) for older sister Carrie, acting as a buffer between the older girl and the monster that is their step-father. But things here aren't as they seem.

What Flock has done so well is lay a foundation on which she invites the reader to stand, then, when you're good and comfortable, she yanks that foundation right out from under you. It becomes one of those "No way!" moments that so often makes for amazing reads. This truly is a fantastic story, well written, and in need of a big-screen treatment. I highly recommend this to anybody who enjoys a seriously well-told story.



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AIDS Doesn't Discriminate, So Why Do We? by Joel Savage

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


AIDS Doesn’t Discriminate, So Why Do We? isn’t a novel, though it certainly would make quite an interesting story. Neither is it a biography. What author Joel Savage has crafted is a very real look into the lives of victims of the AIDS epidemic that has plagued the world since before the dreaded disease was actually identified.

Savage introduces readers to Benta, a woman living on the outskirts of Aarhus, Denmark. When Benta is diagnosed with the AIDS virus, her family and friends desert her in the moment she needs them most.

We also meet young Nkosi Johnson, a boy of only twelve years when he loses his life to the disease. But Nkosi was unlike most children his age. This boy took his fight—and the fights of other victims—into the public arena, challenging politicians and others to step up and make a difference in this battle. Nkosi even went so far as to chide the president of his nation, Thabo Mbeki, before thousands attending the 13th International AIDS Conference in South Africa, for the politician’s mishandling of an epidemic already responsible for the loss of millions of lives across the African continent.

Author Savage tells the stories of other lives touched by the disease. He so powerfully exposes the bias of those who would turn their backs on loved ones and strangers alike, based solely on a doctor’s diagnosis. Had these individuals been told they had cancer, would they still be deserted by those who claimed to love them?

AIDS is a dark chapter in modern history. Joel Savage points out how this one disease seems to give permission to discriminate against its sufferers. This is a book that everybody should read. I recommend it highly.




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Downriver: Short Stories by Jeanne M. Leiby

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


What an amazing collection of stories by a wonderfully talented writer. Jeanne M. Leiby has put together fifteen unique stories detailing the lives of children, women, mothers and fathers; characters which are so real and full of life, they threaten to jump off the pages and force the reader into their world.

Leiby is a brilliant storyteller, drawing up images and emotions with nothing more than well-chosen words and beautiful descriptions of life in and around my home state of Michigan. The content of her work touches on death, sexuality, family relationships, and the fears that children harbor about the world around them. There's a connection to these characters. They could be your family or the neighbors who lived next door when you were a kid. Leiby has captured us (human beings) on these pages, no matter where we call home. For readers and writers looking for examples of quality short stories, this is the book for you.

*Note: Jeanne Leiby was tragically killed in an auto accident in 2011.



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Reflections of Soul by Queen Of Spades

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Reflections of Soul is a collection of wonderful poems from an amazingly talented author who writes under the pen name Queen of Spades. I received this book as a gift recently and discovered many gems within its pages. Queenie lays bare the human condition that anybody with a soul certainly experiences throughout the course of life. She exposes the raw nerves of anger, fear, joy, yearning, love, and hope. And she does this in a way that illustrates how these lines can so easily become blurred.

This book is an exercise in writing technique; Queenie's emotions seep from her soul onto the pages so effortlessly. You'll find yourself returning to these words over and over again, recalling lines the way the greats are often recalled.

If you're a fan of poetry, this is most definitely a must-have for your library. Even if you're not into poetry, the beauty and pain of this collection is not to be missed. There are only a few poets writing today that truly move my soul. Queen of Spades is one of those few.



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Daydream's Daughter, Nightmare's Friend: One Woman's Journey Through Two Hells by Nonnie Jules

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



Daydream’s Daughter, Nightmare’s Friend by Nonnie Jules opens with a shooting. A teenage girl appears to have pulled the trigger. What would lead an outwardly normal, well-adjusted girl to shoot the primary breadwinner in a home stricken with poverty? Author Jules lures the reader in, sparing few details in this dark read. Think Bastard Out of Carolina by Dorothy Allison for these modern times.


Maiya’s mother is a physically abusive alcoholic with little patience for her daughter (one of seven children fathered by several different men). Bad things happen, which leads to unimaginable and awful secrets far too heavy for a young girl to be forced to bear.


Maiya does have allies in her corner: a godmother who helps the girl deal with the consequences of abuse; a best friend, Charlotte, who wants to shield Maiya from the horrible realities in her corner of the world; loving grandparents who try to do what they feel is right by their granddaughter; and others who drift into her life at various times. But this story is about Maiya, about her struggle for a normal life, about one girl who seeks triumph in the face of certain defeat.


Nonnie Jules has proven herself a skilled storyteller of the first order. As far as debut novels go, this one ranks high on my list. There are some sexually explicit scenes, so this is not a novel for the youngsters. But for those who enjoy a good, solid story, Daydream’s Daughter, Nightmare’s Friend is one you’ll want to read.




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Outshine: An Ovarian Cancer Memoir by Karen Ingalls

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


This book is more than a simple memoir telling a story. This is a book filled with harrowing moments in the life of the author. Through sharing the darkness of a cancer battle, Karen Ingalls shines light on her faith and the events that led her to courage in the face of deep uncertainty.

Ovarian cancer is a serious issue—as is any cancer diagnosis. In a moment, a person must stand face to face with his or her own mortality. Karen Ingalls not only found victory in her personal battle, she has chosen to share her journey, offering comfort to those who may be fighting adversity in their own lives.

Ingalls writes from a point of view of a gentle friend telling the reader what God has done in her life. She is a deeply spiritual human being. There is much to learn from those who have faced such battles.

In the chapter entitled Spirituality, she writes the following: I believe we always have lessons to learn, and that’s what life’s experiences are about. If we don’t learn our lessons the first time, then life will keep bringing us new opportunities to learn.

That really spoke to me because that’s been my belief for the last twenty-odd years—since I became born again in 1996. It’s a truth that I abide by. Life is filled with lessons designed to make us into the people God intends us to become—the person we’re meant to be. I especially love the way Karen describes the trying times as “opportunities” for us to learn. Growth doesn’t come without struggle. Many of us won’t know the dread of cancer. But our own struggles will come. They can most certainly be strong enough to defeat us. But if we take the mindset and determination that Karen used in facing down her own fears and struggles, we can know we have a fighting chance. If you’re struggling with adversity or have a loved one going through trials, I highly recommend this memoir of perseverance and faith.





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From Whence Jasmine Blooms by C. Desert Rose

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


As the old saying goes, “One must die in order to truly live.” From Whence Jasmine Blooms dips into this philosophy—sort of. To reach her full potential, Jasmine finds herself on a journey most of us would die for—literally. Heaven, and all of its mysteries, becomes the classroom for this curious young lady.
Jasmine doesn’t enter the Pearly Gates in the standard way. But it’s the people she meets there who become her teachers—each one sharing lessons needed for a life well lived. And many of these teachers are people she already knows—or knew.
This is a short read filled with life lessons and a focus on the bonds of love that cannot be severed even through death. What’s the meaning of life? Grab a copy of this story and find out.




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