Bill Leviathan's Blog
January 30, 2016
Youth in Asia by Allen Tiffany
Youth in Asia is a novella that follows a small squad on their mission in the jungles of Vietnam. It is written as a first person account of the events, with the narrator coloring his perception of the wartime events with how life changed after the war.
The story is short, and as such, there are not many characters featured in depth. There is the narrator, and a soldier new to the Vietnam war named Elvis. Elvis is a bright eyed young kid with ambitions of being a playwright, and views the war as a necessary step to becoming a great writer. This leads to some resentment toward Elvis from the rest of the squad, especially from the narrator.
The story only follows one mission, but it is written in such vivid detail you can feel the heat and the humidity of the jungle overwhelming you as you sit on your couch taking in the words.
Rating: 4/5
You can find Youth in Asia on Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/Youth-In-Asia-Offensive-Highlands/dp/1511453451/
And Goodreads:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25245401-youth-in-asia
The story is short, and as such, there are not many characters featured in depth. There is the narrator, and a soldier new to the Vietnam war named Elvis. Elvis is a bright eyed young kid with ambitions of being a playwright, and views the war as a necessary step to becoming a great writer. This leads to some resentment toward Elvis from the rest of the squad, especially from the narrator.
The story only follows one mission, but it is written in such vivid detail you can feel the heat and the humidity of the jungle overwhelming you as you sit on your couch taking in the words.
Rating: 4/5
You can find Youth in Asia on Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/Youth-In-Asia-Offensive-Highlands/dp/1511453451/
And Goodreads:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25245401-youth-in-asia
November 29, 2015
Rescue One by Michael Gardner
Rescue One is a Sci-Fi adventure that follows the crew of a rescue ship shortly after the discovery of faster-than-light travel. It takes place in a world that is still coming to grips with the awesome power and consequences of what FTL travel brings.
This book works as a pilot episode for what will be the Rescue One series. While aspects of the overarching world are discussed briefly, the story focuses on the ship’s small crew and their one mission. The ending sets up what is to come in the rest of the series nicely, without leaving the reader on the edge of a cliff.
Like the Rescue One ship itself, the story moves at breakneck speed. After an opening scene the reader is thrown into the action of a mission gone awry and the conspiracy behind its sabotage. The story has the feel of the more action oriented episodes of Star Trek to it. Those looking for a rollicking space adventure will not be disappointed.
The one negative critique I have is that for the first half of the story, each chapter of the main plot is broken up with flashback chapters that focus on one of the characters in the story. Some of these chapters seemed relevant to later plot details, while others did not, and those latter types broke up the flow of the main plot. When the main plot is fueled by nonstop action this can be distracting to the reader. Some of these flashbacks may be more important in sequels to Rescue One, so this critique may fall flat as more books are released.
Rating: 4/5
You can find Rescue One on Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00L6FLNCM
And Goodreads:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22607190.Rescue_One
This book works as a pilot episode for what will be the Rescue One series. While aspects of the overarching world are discussed briefly, the story focuses on the ship’s small crew and their one mission. The ending sets up what is to come in the rest of the series nicely, without leaving the reader on the edge of a cliff.
Like the Rescue One ship itself, the story moves at breakneck speed. After an opening scene the reader is thrown into the action of a mission gone awry and the conspiracy behind its sabotage. The story has the feel of the more action oriented episodes of Star Trek to it. Those looking for a rollicking space adventure will not be disappointed.
The one negative critique I have is that for the first half of the story, each chapter of the main plot is broken up with flashback chapters that focus on one of the characters in the story. Some of these chapters seemed relevant to later plot details, while others did not, and those latter types broke up the flow of the main plot. When the main plot is fueled by nonstop action this can be distracting to the reader. Some of these flashbacks may be more important in sequels to Rescue One, so this critique may fall flat as more books are released.
Rating: 4/5
You can find Rescue One on Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00L6FLNCM
And Goodreads:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22607190.Rescue_One
October 28, 2015
Writing Flash Fiction by Carly Berg
Writing Flash Fiction is a great primer for anyone looking to get into the world of very, very short fiction. Author Carly Berg shares her own experiences and knowledge on what works and what doesn't in the realm of flash. Each chapter ends with a few assignments, many of which involve writing your own flash fiction. By the time you are done reading through this, you'll have complete half a dozen or so flash fiction stories.
A few of the sections, such as Revising, A Self-Editing Checklist, and Getting Ideas are great not only for newcomers to flash fiction, but to anyone who writes in general. The tips in these sections are invaluable to any writer.
The book ends with a selection of Carly Berg's own flash fiction. It isn't just to stuff the back of the book. At the end of each story Carly explains why the story was written, where it was published, and what sort of flash fiction concept it is supposed to represent. They are fine examples of the craft.
Rating: 5/5
You can find Writing Flash Fiction on Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0692355006/
And Goodreads:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24424955-writing-flash-fiction
A few of the sections, such as Revising, A Self-Editing Checklist, and Getting Ideas are great not only for newcomers to flash fiction, but to anyone who writes in general. The tips in these sections are invaluable to any writer.
The book ends with a selection of Carly Berg's own flash fiction. It isn't just to stuff the back of the book. At the end of each story Carly explains why the story was written, where it was published, and what sort of flash fiction concept it is supposed to represent. They are fine examples of the craft.
Rating: 5/5
You can find Writing Flash Fiction on Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0692355006/
And Goodreads:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24424955-writing-flash-fiction
October 13, 2015
Review: Wicca: A Beginner's Guide to Witchcraft, Spells, Rituals, and Magic by Cassandra Larsen
Wicca is a great primer for the anyone interested in Wicca and Witchcraft. For those who are merely curious about the religion, such as myself, this book does a great job explaining what exactly Wicca is, and what it is not. It helps dispel myths that we have all been exposed to through various forms of media. It can also provide a particular insight for fantasy fans curious about some of the real life background on the magic and spells and witchcraft they find in their favorite books.
One section that is beneficial to everyone, regardless of their interest in Wicca, is the section on meditation. While it is written for the purposes of being done in Wicca, it can be used by anyone to help calm themselves and work through anxieties they may be experiencing.
Much of the book works as a "how-to" guide of how to practice Wicca and Witchcraft. It is very thorough in its description of certain acts and rituals, which may come off as a bit dry to the casual reader, but invaluable to the Wicca novice seeking guidance on how to perform something. The author also goes into detail about alternative methods and items that can be used for rituals, which I imagine is of great benefit to a new practitioner.
Rating: 3/5
You can find Wicca: A Beginner's Guide on Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B016...
Goodreads:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
One section that is beneficial to everyone, regardless of their interest in Wicca, is the section on meditation. While it is written for the purposes of being done in Wicca, it can be used by anyone to help calm themselves and work through anxieties they may be experiencing.
Much of the book works as a "how-to" guide of how to practice Wicca and Witchcraft. It is very thorough in its description of certain acts and rituals, which may come off as a bit dry to the casual reader, but invaluable to the Wicca novice seeking guidance on how to perform something. The author also goes into detail about alternative methods and items that can be used for rituals, which I imagine is of great benefit to a new practitioner.
Rating: 3/5
You can find Wicca: A Beginner's Guide on Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B016...
Goodreads:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
October 12, 2015
Review: Dog! by Mike Robbins
Dog! explores the question of "What is my pet thinking as they stare back at me?" The story at times dives deep into the philosophical questions we all have about our lives. Will our actions be judged, if at all? What awaits us when we reach the end of our time here? Will we ever be given a second chance for our mistakes? Do we even deserve one?
These questions are explored in-depth through flashbacks of the life of an adopted dog, who is simply referred to as "dog" throughout most of the story. Dog starts out as bitter, untrusting, and someone who wants to be left alone to stew in his own misery. He recalls the story of his life, reflecting on all of the pain he has lived through. A combination of this self-reflection and his observations of the new humans surrounding him, allow him to move on and accept his mistakes. While never dipping into cheesy sentimentality, Dog! tells the story of a troubled soul finding redemption within itself.
One complaint I had is a personal preference on the formatting of the text. Dog's flashbacks are in italics, and I found it difficult to read for some of the longer flashbacks. For me, using paragraph breaks to separate the flashbacks from the present moment would have made for easier reading, but I understand that this wouldn't be true for everyone.
Rating: 4/5
You can find Dog! on Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/Dog-Youll-Never-Look-Again-ebook/dp/B015WVZDN0/
And Goodreads:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26841579-dog
These questions are explored in-depth through flashbacks of the life of an adopted dog, who is simply referred to as "dog" throughout most of the story. Dog starts out as bitter, untrusting, and someone who wants to be left alone to stew in his own misery. He recalls the story of his life, reflecting on all of the pain he has lived through. A combination of this self-reflection and his observations of the new humans surrounding him, allow him to move on and accept his mistakes. While never dipping into cheesy sentimentality, Dog! tells the story of a troubled soul finding redemption within itself.
One complaint I had is a personal preference on the formatting of the text. Dog's flashbacks are in italics, and I found it difficult to read for some of the longer flashbacks. For me, using paragraph breaks to separate the flashbacks from the present moment would have made for easier reading, but I understand that this wouldn't be true for everyone.
Rating: 4/5
You can find Dog! on Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/Dog-Youll-Never-Look-Again-ebook/dp/B015WVZDN0/
And Goodreads:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26841579-dog
August 31, 2015
Review: A Sharp Bend in the Road by Gerard Bianco
A Sharp Bend in the Road is a collection of seventeen short stories. The stories follow a diverse cast of characters: Diamond dealers, a woman being placed in a retirement home, a young boy in a hospital, a young woman who talks to inanimate objects, murderous ex-spouses, omnipotent secret organizations, etc.
For me, a lot of the stories fell flat. They build up for a few pages, and then hit you with a punch line of an ending, but ultimately I was left unsatisfied. It was almost like the stories were working up to some sort of twist ending, but the ending wasn't really a twist. It was more so a neat idea the author thought of but couldn't quite fit a complete story behind. The worst offender of this was the longest story in the collection The Long Ride, which lived up to its title as being a too long story with one dimensional characters and a predictable ending. There are two stories, Tattoo and It Wasn't Me, that are just long form jokes. And not good ones either.
That said, there are still a few gems in the collection. A Process of Elimination, The Organization, and Yesterday, Thomas Was a Tree. A Process of Elimination and Thomas really get you into the mind of the main character. The plot may not blow you away, but the characterization is great, and in the case of Thomas, heartfelt and sincere. The Organization was kind of the opposite. The main characters involved are forgettable, but the way they travel through the story's world is wonderful and imaginative. Also, The Spirit of Christmas, while kitschy, was an enjoyable read that left me wanting for Christmas in August. In total, the four stories mentioned in this paragraph make up about 30% of the collection.
This collection could be great. A lot of the stories have potential, but get lost along the way in search of a good ending. The Long Ride is a prime example. It has a very interesting main character, but the story the character lives in doesn't live up to her potential. Overall, I would rate this as a good read. At times great, and at times just disappointing.
Rating: 3/5
You can find A Sharp Bend in the Road at Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/Sharp-Bend-Road-Intriguing-Stories-ebook/dp/B00S50CY7O/
And Goodreads:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24442341-a-sharp-bend-in-the-road
For me, a lot of the stories fell flat. They build up for a few pages, and then hit you with a punch line of an ending, but ultimately I was left unsatisfied. It was almost like the stories were working up to some sort of twist ending, but the ending wasn't really a twist. It was more so a neat idea the author thought of but couldn't quite fit a complete story behind. The worst offender of this was the longest story in the collection The Long Ride, which lived up to its title as being a too long story with one dimensional characters and a predictable ending. There are two stories, Tattoo and It Wasn't Me, that are just long form jokes. And not good ones either.
That said, there are still a few gems in the collection. A Process of Elimination, The Organization, and Yesterday, Thomas Was a Tree. A Process of Elimination and Thomas really get you into the mind of the main character. The plot may not blow you away, but the characterization is great, and in the case of Thomas, heartfelt and sincere. The Organization was kind of the opposite. The main characters involved are forgettable, but the way they travel through the story's world is wonderful and imaginative. Also, The Spirit of Christmas, while kitschy, was an enjoyable read that left me wanting for Christmas in August. In total, the four stories mentioned in this paragraph make up about 30% of the collection.
This collection could be great. A lot of the stories have potential, but get lost along the way in search of a good ending. The Long Ride is a prime example. It has a very interesting main character, but the story the character lives in doesn't live up to her potential. Overall, I would rate this as a good read. At times great, and at times just disappointing.
Rating: 3/5
You can find A Sharp Bend in the Road at Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/Sharp-Bend-Road-Intriguing-Stories-ebook/dp/B00S50CY7O/
And Goodreads:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24442341-a-sharp-bend-in-the-road
December 3, 2014
Review: Medicus by Carl Ehnis
Medicus is a thrilling revenge story of a wife who won't let a giant corporation walk all over her the way they did to her husband.
The wife is Lisa Parmenter, whose husband is tragically killed in the opening scene of the book. After her shock wears off, she works to discover what happened to her husband, and how. Her investigation leads her down a path of revenge, and how her life is affected by carrying out that revenge.
A good part of the story is shown from the perspective of the many corporate leaders who are trying to keep Lisa in check. A key word here is "many". At the beginning, there are so many board room names thrown around making it difficult to keep track of who is who. In the end, it seemed like only two of them were really important and the rest were just kind of 'there'. In the beginning of the story, the perspective of the corporate leaders is valuable in showing why Lisa is seeking revenge, but by the end of the story it drags on and becomes a bit boring. There's a lot of talk of a merger, which as I read I couldn't ever get myself to care about.
Lisa's story is what really shines through here. Some of the events are too coincidental to believe, with some things just working out too easily for her, but ultimately everything in her story fits and makes sense and makes for a thrilling read.
Rating 3/5
You can find Medicus at Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/MEDICUS-CARL-EHNIS-ebook/dp/B00LBLN41E/
And Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22609668-medicus
The wife is Lisa Parmenter, whose husband is tragically killed in the opening scene of the book. After her shock wears off, she works to discover what happened to her husband, and how. Her investigation leads her down a path of revenge, and how her life is affected by carrying out that revenge.
A good part of the story is shown from the perspective of the many corporate leaders who are trying to keep Lisa in check. A key word here is "many". At the beginning, there are so many board room names thrown around making it difficult to keep track of who is who. In the end, it seemed like only two of them were really important and the rest were just kind of 'there'. In the beginning of the story, the perspective of the corporate leaders is valuable in showing why Lisa is seeking revenge, but by the end of the story it drags on and becomes a bit boring. There's a lot of talk of a merger, which as I read I couldn't ever get myself to care about.
Lisa's story is what really shines through here. Some of the events are too coincidental to believe, with some things just working out too easily for her, but ultimately everything in her story fits and makes sense and makes for a thrilling read.
Rating 3/5
You can find Medicus at Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/MEDICUS-CARL-EHNIS-ebook/dp/B00LBLN41E/
And Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22609668-medicus
November 14, 2014
Review: Bound by Sarah Downing
Bound is a fantasy tale that follows two main characters, Coiran and Elam. Coiran is a slave girl who washes up on the shore after a shipwreck nearly dead, and Elam is the former heir to a kingdom who finds and rescues her.
The plot follows three story arcs. Coiran's former captors trying to get her back, a murder mystery and trial, and revelations on Coiran's origin and her fulfillment of an otherworldly covenant. The first two arcs move along well, though with a few hard to swallow twists and turns. At the heart of everything is a conspiracy that must be stopped by Elam and Coiran. Some of the motivations for the conspiracy seem a bit flat, and some of the ways the conspirators carry out their plan seems a bit unbelievable or unnecessary. All said, the story is still full of excitement and comes to a satisfying conclusion.
The author does a great job building the world the story takes place in. New kingdoms and religions and rules of law and timescales are fully realized and understood by the reader. There is also a handy glossary in the back of the book that explains everything.
One major flaw that keeps me from rating this no higher than a 3/5 is that this story needs a thorough proofread and edit. There are numerous typos, missing words, incorrectly used words, and even the occasional formatting tag that is missing a '
Overall this is a very good story for those looking for a new world of magic and sword fighting and political conspiracies.
Rating: 3/5
You can find this story on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00MMM3ZA6/
And Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22779713-bound
The plot follows three story arcs. Coiran's former captors trying to get her back, a murder mystery and trial, and revelations on Coiran's origin and her fulfillment of an otherworldly covenant. The first two arcs move along well, though with a few hard to swallow twists and turns. At the heart of everything is a conspiracy that must be stopped by Elam and Coiran. Some of the motivations for the conspiracy seem a bit flat, and some of the ways the conspirators carry out their plan seems a bit unbelievable or unnecessary. All said, the story is still full of excitement and comes to a satisfying conclusion.
The author does a great job building the world the story takes place in. New kingdoms and religions and rules of law and timescales are fully realized and understood by the reader. There is also a handy glossary in the back of the book that explains everything.
One major flaw that keeps me from rating this no higher than a 3/5 is that this story needs a thorough proofread and edit. There are numerous typos, missing words, incorrectly used words, and even the occasional formatting tag that is missing a '
Overall this is a very good story for those looking for a new world of magic and sword fighting and political conspiracies.
Rating: 3/5
You can find this story on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00MMM3ZA6/
And Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22779713-bound
October 2, 2014
Review: In a Time Where They Belong by Brenda Cheers
Book two in the 'Strange Worlds' series continues the story of a small group of people living in a post-apocalyptic Australia. Book one left off on a bombshell twist regarding the main character Meg. Book two begins with a shift in the main point of view from Meg to Derek. All of the other characters are unaware of what happened to Meg.
There's a lot of recap at the beginning of the story. There's some that serves the plot, such as Derek investigating what happened to Meg, and reacting to her journal entries of events in the previous book. Then there is just moments of straight retelling of what happened in the previous book. Not much time is spent doing this, but it is all material that the reader is already aware of, and feels unnecessary.
Derek begins looking for the same answers Meg was looking for in book one. About halfway through the story, he finds the answers. The real twist of the story is revealed, and the reader knows what actually happened to Meg at the end of book one. Derek's story is resolved, and the main story reverts back to the end of book one. Meg is back as the main character, and begins looking for answers, and starts covering the same ground as Derek did just prior. That's my main problem with this book, is it just comes off as repetitive. Halfway through the story a big mystery is solved, and then it goes back and has another character solve that same mystery. What happened to Derek ultimately seems like a waste of time.
There are a few other nitpicks I had with the story, though they are about unanswered questions. A major concern in book one were the strange Acts of God, or whatever you want to call them. Strange wildfires, storms, and animal behavior. These events seem to have been forgotten by the characters, and the mystery Meg and Derek uncover does not provide any answers for why they occurred. These types of events don't occur in book two either, leaving me unsure if the author decided to do away with them as an important plot detail, or if it is being saved for book 3.
Rating: 3/5
You can find the book on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Time-Where-Belong-Strange-Worlds-ebook/dp/B00LKF1M3I/
And Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22702476-in-a-time-where-they-belong
There's a lot of recap at the beginning of the story. There's some that serves the plot, such as Derek investigating what happened to Meg, and reacting to her journal entries of events in the previous book. Then there is just moments of straight retelling of what happened in the previous book. Not much time is spent doing this, but it is all material that the reader is already aware of, and feels unnecessary.
Derek begins looking for the same answers Meg was looking for in book one. About halfway through the story, he finds the answers. The real twist of the story is revealed, and the reader knows what actually happened to Meg at the end of book one. Derek's story is resolved, and the main story reverts back to the end of book one. Meg is back as the main character, and begins looking for answers, and starts covering the same ground as Derek did just prior. That's my main problem with this book, is it just comes off as repetitive. Halfway through the story a big mystery is solved, and then it goes back and has another character solve that same mystery. What happened to Derek ultimately seems like a waste of time.
There are a few other nitpicks I had with the story, though they are about unanswered questions. A major concern in book one were the strange Acts of God, or whatever you want to call them. Strange wildfires, storms, and animal behavior. These events seem to have been forgotten by the characters, and the mystery Meg and Derek uncover does not provide any answers for why they occurred. These types of events don't occur in book two either, leaving me unsure if the author decided to do away with them as an important plot detail, or if it is being saved for book 3.
Rating: 3/5
You can find the book on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Time-Where-Belong-Strange-Worlds-ebook/dp/B00LKF1M3I/
And Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22702476-in-a-time-where-they-belong
September 19, 2014
Review: In Strange Worlds by Brenda Cheers
In Strange Worlds is a post-apocalyptic tale that takes place in Australia and follows the main character Meg. Anyone similar with 28 Days Later or the Walking Dead tv show will recognize the beginning of the story, possibly to the work's detriment. Fortunately the story only spends a small amount of time here.
The author is very descriptive of what is taking place in this world, and her intimate knowledge of the locales shows through in the writing. The plot plods along at a good pace. It follows a typical post-apocalyptic story line: Initial shock and confusion over what has happened, wondering around desolate landscapes, settling down, rebuilding.
I had a few problems with character actions, namely inconsistency with how they come to trust or distrust new characters. Meg is also a bit of a mess. The author tries to balance her as a strong or determined individual, while trying to make her seem emotionally vulnerable. There are times the vulnerability of the character seems a bit overplayed or cliche, especially when Meg describes her past romantic relationships. Some of the dialogue comes of as a bit off and hokey as well.
There are a lot of mysteries introduced in the plot that go unsolved and aren't even looked into all that deeply by the characters/plot. Shared dreams, strange men in helicopters, and a bombshell of an ending that completely flips the story on its head and leaves the reader with nothing more than 'To Be Continued...'
There's a strong story here, and one that, given the abrupt change in plot near the end, seems like it could be unique to the post-apocalyptic genre. There is another book in this series which may address a lot of the concerns with the plot. The first entry in the series leaves me with a lot of questions and almost no answers.
You can find the book on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Strange-Worlds-Brenda-Cheers-ebook/dp/B00HVTW80S/
And Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20552804-in-strange-worlds?from_search=true
The author is very descriptive of what is taking place in this world, and her intimate knowledge of the locales shows through in the writing. The plot plods along at a good pace. It follows a typical post-apocalyptic story line: Initial shock and confusion over what has happened, wondering around desolate landscapes, settling down, rebuilding.
I had a few problems with character actions, namely inconsistency with how they come to trust or distrust new characters. Meg is also a bit of a mess. The author tries to balance her as a strong or determined individual, while trying to make her seem emotionally vulnerable. There are times the vulnerability of the character seems a bit overplayed or cliche, especially when Meg describes her past romantic relationships. Some of the dialogue comes of as a bit off and hokey as well.
There are a lot of mysteries introduced in the plot that go unsolved and aren't even looked into all that deeply by the characters/plot. Shared dreams, strange men in helicopters, and a bombshell of an ending that completely flips the story on its head and leaves the reader with nothing more than 'To Be Continued...'
There's a strong story here, and one that, given the abrupt change in plot near the end, seems like it could be unique to the post-apocalyptic genre. There is another book in this series which may address a lot of the concerns with the plot. The first entry in the series leaves me with a lot of questions and almost no answers.
You can find the book on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Strange-Worlds-Brenda-Cheers-ebook/dp/B00HVTW80S/
And Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20552804-in-strange-worlds?from_search=true
