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It Lives in the Basement
Sahara Foley
2016 Finalist
137 Pages
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Fiction - Fantasy - Urban
Reviewed by Jack Magnus for Readers' Favorite
It Lives in the Basement is a collection of interconnected dark horror stories written by Sahara Foley. Lieutenant Mike Flynn is investigating the mysterious disappearance of a couple that seems to have vanished into thin air. Pat Forbes hasn't been to her office for several days, and John Sempak, a writer, hasn't been seen in any of the bars he always frequents. Their landlord wonders if perhaps they quarreled and John murdered Pat. His wife finally had him call the police and report the situation. The couple's three cats have also gone missing, making the situation seem even stranger, especially when the police discover Pat's wallet, clothes, books and car still at the premises. After Mike dismisses the police officers investigating the scene, he decides to take a look at the spiral-bound notebook one of the officers had found. In it was a story that began in a most ominous fashion.
Sahara Foley's horror collection, It Lives in the Basement, is guaranteed to bring a smile of delight to the face of any horror fan lucky enough to pick this book up and read it. I love horror, but having grown up enjoying the works of Poe, Lovecraft and Derleth, rarely come across horror tales that reach the sublimely scary heights those classic authors mastered. This series of interconnected tales does just that. Foley's work is also an inspired police procedural at the same time, as the Omaha police follow a most unusual suspect in a series of disappearances and a particularly brutal murder. Foley's story is marvelous! The plot sizzles with tension, and the characters are compelling and real people you quickly come to care about. It Lives in the Basement is as good -- and as terrifying -- as it gets, and it's most highly recommended.
It Lives in the Basement is a collection of interconnected dark horror stories written by Sahara Foley. Lieutenant Mike Flynn is investigating the mysterious disappearance of a couple that seems to have vanished into thin air. Pat Forbes hasn't been to her office for several days, and John Sempak, a writer, hasn't been seen in any of the bars he always frequents. Their landlord wonders if perhaps they quarreled and John murdered Pat. His wife finally had him call the police and report the situation. The couple's three cats have also gone missing, making the situation seem even stranger, especially when the police discover Pat's wallet, clothes, books and car still at the premises. After Mike dismisses the police officers investigating the scene, he decides to take a look at the spiral-bound notebook one of the officers had found. In it was a story that began in a most ominous fashion.
Sahara Foley's horror collection, It Lives in the Basement, is guaranteed to bring a smile of delight to the face of any horror fan lucky enough to pick this book up and read it. I love horror, but having grown up enjoying the works of Poe, Lovecraft and Derleth, rarely come across horror tales that reach the sublimely scary heights those classic authors mastered. This series of interconnected tales does just that. Foley's work is also an inspired police procedural at the same time, as the Omaha police follow a most unusual suspect in a series of disappearances and a particularly brutal murder. Foley's story is marvelous! The plot sizzles with tension, and the characters are compelling and real people you quickly come to care about. It Lives in the Basement is as good -- and as terrifying -- as it gets, and it's most highly recommended.
Recommend this book:
 by S.K. Anthony is about a group of people who are genetically altered, known as Luminaries. Kinetic is told from Annie's perspective; we see how Annie works with her co-workers while getting over the heartbreak of her divorce from the dangerous Nick Logan.
In Kinetic (The Luminaries Book 1), Luminaries are selec...){kind=link}
Kinetic
The Luminaries Book 1
S.K. Anthony
2016 Finalist
337 Pages
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Fiction - Fantasy - Urban
Reviewed by Siobhan Quinlan for Readers' Favorite
Kinetic (The Luminaries Book 1) by S.K. Anthony is about a group of people who are genetically altered, known as Luminaries. Kinetic is told from Annie's perspective; we see how Annie works with her co-workers while getting over the heartbreak of her divorce from the dangerous Nick Logan.
In Kinetic (The Luminaries Book 1), Luminaries are selected as teenagers, but not everyone can become a Luminary. Luminaries have different powers, for example, Annie is super strong, Jenny can heal, and Beth is super fast. When we meet Annie, it becomes clear that we are going to be reading about a strong female lead, which is a nice change from most books. Early on we are introduced to Annie's ex-husband, Nick, an evil murderer who is trying to destroy the Luminaries. We meet Nick when he breaks into the Worldsafe. Annie's orders are to kill Nick on sight, but she hesitates and this could cost her everything. It is clear that Annie still loves Nick, even though he left her three years before.
I really enjoyed all the characters, but I ended up hating how forward, pushy and obsessed Derek was with Annie. I found the story very interesting and I have not read a book like this one before. The author did a great job of explaining everything without needing to dump information on the reader, while still making sure the reader would know what was happening. The ending took me by surprise and I had not expected it. I am looking forward to seeing what this series has in store for me.
Kinetic (The Luminaries Book 1) by S.K. Anthony is about a group of people who are genetically altered, known as Luminaries. Kinetic is told from Annie's perspective; we see how Annie works with her co-workers while getting over the heartbreak of her divorce from the dangerous Nick Logan.
In Kinetic (The Luminaries Book 1), Luminaries are selected as teenagers, but not everyone can become a Luminary. Luminaries have different powers, for example, Annie is super strong, Jenny can heal, and Beth is super fast. When we meet Annie, it becomes clear that we are going to be reading about a strong female lead, which is a nice change from most books. Early on we are introduced to Annie's ex-husband, Nick, an evil murderer who is trying to destroy the Luminaries. We meet Nick when he breaks into the Worldsafe. Annie's orders are to kill Nick on sight, but she hesitates and this could cost her everything. It is clear that Annie still loves Nick, even though he left her three years before.
I really enjoyed all the characters, but I ended up hating how forward, pushy and obsessed Derek was with Annie. I found the story very interesting and I have not read a book like this one before. The author did a great job of explaining everything without needing to dump information on the reader, while still making sure the reader would know what was happening. The ending took me by surprise and I had not expected it. I am looking forward to seeing what this series has in store for me.
Recommend this book:
. I'm beginning to have the same disenchantment with books using fae, though there's still so much leeway with the fae yet. ...){kind=link}
The Light Who Binds
Bluebell Kildare Series Book 2
Lilo Abernathy
2016 Honorable Mention
404 Pages
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Fiction - Fantasy - Urban
Reviewed by J. Aislynn d'Merricksson for Readers' Favorite
The Light who Binds by Lilo Abernathy is the second in a series. The writing style drew me in right away, and I found myself enjoying the story despite a growing disenchantment with books that involve vampires (and werewolves). I'm beginning to have the same disenchantment with books using fae, though there's still so much leeway with the fae yet. It's just that there are depths to mythology and cryptozoology that have yet to be plumbed in the sci-fi/fantasy world! I read this one first, and Abernathy adds a bit of recap for necessary details. I was rather charmed by the world, and plan to snag the first book and give it a read.
Bluebell is a psychic investigator, and this book involves a search for a serial magickal arsonist (as if mundane arsonists weren't terrifying enough...), as well as Blue dealing with a prophecy involving her. I enjoyed the switching between viewpoints, and the character development was great. Looking forward to seeing where each go from here. Description is what really pulled me in. I love when the author paints pictures easy to envision in the mind's eye. That's magick all its own, it is. If you enjoy Laurell K. Hamilton's Anita Blake and Merry Gentry books, but would prefer a lack of gratuitous sex to the stories, be sure to check out Lilo Abernathy's Bluebell Kincaid series. It's sure to please.
The Light who Binds by Lilo Abernathy is the second in a series. The writing style drew me in right away, and I found myself enjoying the story despite a growing disenchantment with books that involve vampires (and werewolves). I'm beginning to have the same disenchantment with books using fae, though there's still so much leeway with the fae yet. It's just that there are depths to mythology and cryptozoology that have yet to be plumbed in the sci-fi/fantasy world! I read this one first, and Abernathy adds a bit of recap for necessary details. I was rather charmed by the world, and plan to snag the first book and give it a read.
Bluebell is a psychic investigator, and this book involves a search for a serial magickal arsonist (as if mundane arsonists weren't terrifying enough...), as well as Blue dealing with a prophecy involving her. I enjoyed the switching between viewpoints, and the character development was great. Looking forward to seeing where each go from here. Description is what really pulled me in. I love when the author paints pictures easy to envision in the mind's eye. That's magick all its own, it is. If you enjoy Laurell K. Hamilton's Anita Blake and Merry Gentry books, but would prefer a lack of gratuitous sex to the stories, be sure to check out Lilo Abernathy's Bluebell Kincaid series. It's sure to please.
Recommend this book:
The Secret of Excalibur
Sahara Foley
2016 Honorable Mention
313 Pages
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Fiction - Fantasy - Urban
Reviewed by Maria Beltran for Readers' Favorite
The Secret of Excalibur is a fantasy novel by Sahara Foley. Arthur Merlin is a typical, normal human being. But after a freak accident happens to him, things change quite abnormally. He develops certain abilities: telekinesis, telepathy, pyrokinesis and even teleportation; and that’s not even all that he can do. It’s not often that one develops multiple abilities – most of the time, only one manifests. The US government wants him for their own gains, but with teleportation he is hard to keep under control. So he teleports to an institution he thinks he can work with better - to the Institute of Psychic Research in London. He shows his abilities to doctors at the Institute and they are stunned, eager to include him in their research. Eventually a kind of force from Lake George calls out to him. With Dr. Burns and Commander Dobie from the Institute, he learns some disturbing truths about the lake, and it may be up to him to save the world from it.
If you come to think of it, Sahara Foley, author of The Secret of Excalibur, is a literary magician. It’s a wonderful page turner right from the beginning: when a cocky yet endearing Arthur Merlin exhibits his superpowers, it makes us want to read more. She writes a very compelling narrative, tickling the fancy of adult readers – it almost feels like she brings back the magical air of childhood stories in The Secret of Excalibur. It’s an adventure readers will not want to miss out on. The characters in this book are well defined and the main protagonist is easy to empathize with, that is, many of us would like to be transformed from an average human being into one with special abilities who can save the world. Extremely consistent with a clear theme, this book is certainly an enjoyable read!
The Secret of Excalibur is a fantasy novel by Sahara Foley. Arthur Merlin is a typical, normal human being. But after a freak accident happens to him, things change quite abnormally. He develops certain abilities: telekinesis, telepathy, pyrokinesis and even teleportation; and that’s not even all that he can do. It’s not often that one develops multiple abilities – most of the time, only one manifests. The US government wants him for their own gains, but with teleportation he is hard to keep under control. So he teleports to an institution he thinks he can work with better - to the Institute of Psychic Research in London. He shows his abilities to doctors at the Institute and they are stunned, eager to include him in their research. Eventually a kind of force from Lake George calls out to him. With Dr. Burns and Commander Dobie from the Institute, he learns some disturbing truths about the lake, and it may be up to him to save the world from it.
If you come to think of it, Sahara Foley, author of The Secret of Excalibur, is a literary magician. It’s a wonderful page turner right from the beginning: when a cocky yet endearing Arthur Merlin exhibits his superpowers, it makes us want to read more. She writes a very compelling narrative, tickling the fancy of adult readers – it almost feels like she brings back the magical air of childhood stories in The Secret of Excalibur. It’s an adventure readers will not want to miss out on. The characters in this book are well defined and the main protagonist is easy to empathize with, that is, many of us would like to be transformed from an average human being into one with special abilities who can save the world. Extremely consistent with a clear theme, this book is certainly an enjoyable read!
Recommend this book:
City in Embers
Collector Series Book 1
Stacey Marie Brown
2016 Bronze Medal
408 Pages
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Fiction - Fantasy - Urban
Reviewed by Tracy Slowiak for Readers' Favorite
Fun. Exciting. Hard to put down. Those are the words I would use to describe the first book in the Collector series, City in Embers by author Stacey Marie Brown. Follow the story of Zoey Daniels, a young woman who hasn't exactly had the easiest of beginnings. Switched from foster home to foster home from the time she was very young, she had to grow up quickly and develop a hard exterior in order to survive. At her last placement, one billed 'a last chance,' she finally let her guard down and built a true relationship with her foster sister, Lexi, a girl who is paralyzed and needs to use a wheelchair. The only other person in her life that has a true relationship with her is Daniel, the man she met after she joined a special government agency after high school, the Department of Molecular Genetics (DMG), and has fallen in love with. Lexi has a special gift, the ability to see fae. It's that gift that has led her to the DMG and her job as a Collector, a person who is charged with catching and using fae to protect human lives. But when she's connected to a fae Wanderer named Ryker, everything in her world changes and in order to protect herself, those she loves, and humankind in general, she may need to rethink what she's always accepted as true.
Author Stacey Marie Brown has done a wonderful job of creating a fantastic book that you absolutely will not want to put down once you start reading it. The characters she has developed are so realistic that you will feel as if you know them personally. She's a master at world creation and at moving the storyline forward in a thrilling and suspenseful manner. City in Embers is a book that will be enjoyed by any reader who loves an excellent book in the fantasy genre. I highly recommend this book, and I am very much looking forward to reading the next installment in the Collector series as soon as I can.
Fun. Exciting. Hard to put down. Those are the words I would use to describe the first book in the Collector series, City in Embers by author Stacey Marie Brown. Follow the story of Zoey Daniels, a young woman who hasn't exactly had the easiest of beginnings. Switched from foster home to foster home from the time she was very young, she had to grow up quickly and develop a hard exterior in order to survive. At her last placement, one billed 'a last chance,' she finally let her guard down and built a true relationship with her foster sister, Lexi, a girl who is paralyzed and needs to use a wheelchair. The only other person in her life that has a true relationship with her is Daniel, the man she met after she joined a special government agency after high school, the Department of Molecular Genetics (DMG), and has fallen in love with. Lexi has a special gift, the ability to see fae. It's that gift that has led her to the DMG and her job as a Collector, a person who is charged with catching and using fae to protect human lives. But when she's connected to a fae Wanderer named Ryker, everything in her world changes and in order to protect herself, those she loves, and humankind in general, she may need to rethink what she's always accepted as true.
Author Stacey Marie Brown has done a wonderful job of creating a fantastic book that you absolutely will not want to put down once you start reading it. The characters she has developed are so realistic that you will feel as if you know them personally. She's a master at world creation and at moving the storyline forward in a thrilling and suspenseful manner. City in Embers is a book that will be enjoyed by any reader who loves an excellent book in the fantasy genre. I highly recommend this book, and I am very much looking forward to reading the next installment in the Collector series as soon as I can.
Recommend this book:
Dreamthief
Fairy World MD Book 1
Tamara Grantham
2016 Bronze Medal
318 Pages
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Fiction - Fantasy - Urban
Reviewed by Kayti Nika Raet for Readers' Favorite
In Dreamthief, the first book in the Fairy World MD urban fantasy series by Tamara Grantham, visiting Faythander is a nasty business. Forget the fairies and unicorns, most people who visit return to the human realm with lost memories and mental problems. Olive Kennedy knows. Half elf, half human, she works as a therapist to treat patients suffering from Faythander's side effects. Despite her empty bank account, she takes pride in her job as Houston's only Fairy World medical doctor. She's never failed to cure a client — until now.
Traveling back to Faythander wasn't on Olive's to-do list. But when her godson suffers from a mysterious ailment and falls into a coma, she has no choice. The fate of both Earth and Fairy depends on her ability to stop an ancient being called the Dreamthief. To complicate matters, she may be losing her heart to someone who can't love her in return. Saving the world, she can handle. Falling in love — not so much. As if battling the forces of evil wasn't difficult enough...
Dreamthief by Tamara Grantham is a fast paced tale of urban fantasy. A clean read filled with humor, romance and a plucky heroine, Dreamthief hits all the right notes in the genre and never missteps. The characters are engaging with layers that may surprise the reader as the book progresses. The action and adventure are well done and there isn't a slow moment in Dreamthief. The romance has just the right amount of sweet and sizzle, and there's a mystery throughout that's guaranteed to keep you guessing. Grantham is prepared to make her mark in the urban fantasy scene with this one.
In Dreamthief, the first book in the Fairy World MD urban fantasy series by Tamara Grantham, visiting Faythander is a nasty business. Forget the fairies and unicorns, most people who visit return to the human realm with lost memories and mental problems. Olive Kennedy knows. Half elf, half human, she works as a therapist to treat patients suffering from Faythander's side effects. Despite her empty bank account, she takes pride in her job as Houston's only Fairy World medical doctor. She's never failed to cure a client — until now.
Traveling back to Faythander wasn't on Olive's to-do list. But when her godson suffers from a mysterious ailment and falls into a coma, she has no choice. The fate of both Earth and Fairy depends on her ability to stop an ancient being called the Dreamthief. To complicate matters, she may be losing her heart to someone who can't love her in return. Saving the world, she can handle. Falling in love — not so much. As if battling the forces of evil wasn't difficult enough...
Dreamthief by Tamara Grantham is a fast paced tale of urban fantasy. A clean read filled with humor, romance and a plucky heroine, Dreamthief hits all the right notes in the genre and never missteps. The characters are engaging with layers that may surprise the reader as the book progresses. The action and adventure are well done and there isn't a slow moment in Dreamthief. The romance has just the right amount of sweet and sizzle, and there's a mystery throughout that's guaranteed to keep you guessing. Grantham is prepared to make her mark in the urban fantasy scene with this one.
Recommend this book:
Guarded
The Silverton Chronicles
Carmen Fox
2016 Silver Medal
276 Pages
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Fiction - Fantasy - Urban
Reviewed by Bil Howard for Readers' Favorite
If Ivy could just stick to snapping pictures of cheating spouses as ordered by her boss at the P.I. firm that she works for, her life would be much simpler. However, she has other problems, her neighbors in her classy suburb have secrets and she knows about them. Carmen Fox reveals those secrets in Guarded: The Silverton Chronicles. Her BFF is a vampire, her next door neighbor is a werewolf and Ivy has the ability to not only identify them, but to resist them with Oldworld skills of her own. With that as the beginning to the problems stirring in the neighborhood it would be enough; however, Ivy stumbles upon a murder committed by demons of a very powerful sort. She has her suspicions that they are after a talisman or icon with special powers, but that isn't the whole story. When she is abducted and another demon suddenly shows up in her life, she begins to learn the truth about her father, her family ties and receives explanations to some of the strange behaviors that are a part of an internal nature that she wasn't aware of. With all sorts of desires for the men who have suddenly appeared in her life, being careful and resisting a genetic tendency toward sensuous desire have become extremely difficult, especially when she's wrapped up in an entirely twisted plot where she feels as if she is only a pawn.
Guarded: The Silverton Chronicles is an awesome addition to the Urban Fantasy genre and kicks the series off with a bang. Carmen Fox has created a heroine with so much appeal that readers, even men, suddenly feel like they are wrapped up in Ivy's skin. Reminiscent of Stephanie Plum, the delightful mix of klutz, personality and latent sensuality make Ivy completely irresistible. The story line moves at a rapid pace, keeping you turning pages and stirring emotional intrigue and suspense from beginning to end. Guarded: The Silverton Chronicles is an action packed thriller with all sorts of seductive sizzle. A must-read!
If Ivy could just stick to snapping pictures of cheating spouses as ordered by her boss at the P.I. firm that she works for, her life would be much simpler. However, she has other problems, her neighbors in her classy suburb have secrets and she knows about them. Carmen Fox reveals those secrets in Guarded: The Silverton Chronicles. Her BFF is a vampire, her next door neighbor is a werewolf and Ivy has the ability to not only identify them, but to resist them with Oldworld skills of her own. With that as the beginning to the problems stirring in the neighborhood it would be enough; however, Ivy stumbles upon a murder committed by demons of a very powerful sort. She has her suspicions that they are after a talisman or icon with special powers, but that isn't the whole story. When she is abducted and another demon suddenly shows up in her life, she begins to learn the truth about her father, her family ties and receives explanations to some of the strange behaviors that are a part of an internal nature that she wasn't aware of. With all sorts of desires for the men who have suddenly appeared in her life, being careful and resisting a genetic tendency toward sensuous desire have become extremely difficult, especially when she's wrapped up in an entirely twisted plot where she feels as if she is only a pawn.
Guarded: The Silverton Chronicles is an awesome addition to the Urban Fantasy genre and kicks the series off with a bang. Carmen Fox has created a heroine with so much appeal that readers, even men, suddenly feel like they are wrapped up in Ivy's skin. Reminiscent of Stephanie Plum, the delightful mix of klutz, personality and latent sensuality make Ivy completely irresistible. The story line moves at a rapid pace, keeping you turning pages and stirring emotional intrigue and suspense from beginning to end. Guarded: The Silverton Chronicles is an action packed thriller with all sorts of seductive sizzle. A must-read!
Recommend this book:
The Light Who Shines
Bluebell Kildare Series Book 1
Lilo Abernathy
2016 Gold Medal
366 Pages
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Fiction - Fantasy - Urban
Reviewed by Tracy Slowiak for Readers' Favorite
I just finished The Light Who Shines: Bluebell Kildare Series Book One by author Lilo Abernathy. I am always thrilled to find a new series that promises to be fantastic, and this book has all the elements needed to make that the case! The story starts with a witch-burning 2000 years ago, one with serious consequences for the people in our story. Bluebell Kildare, more commonly called Blue, an agent with a paranormal investigative team in the year 2022, has many gifts. With the abilities of a Sensitive, she is able to sense magic, see souls, and feel emotions, and is able to assist in solving crimes in a very unique way. When we’re first introduced to Blue, she’s at the scene of a supposed hit and run car crash that has killed a teenaged boy. It quickly becomes apparent that his death is more than a simple hit and run and, before she knows it, Blue is wrapped up in a complex and dangerous situation that could lead to her solving the mystery or coming to harm. Combine that with her growing attraction to her boss, a daytime vampire, Jack Tanner, and you’ve got an extremely intriguing story on your hands.
I loved this book! I really enjoy paranormal reads, and this book has everything the genre needs; vampires, wolves, witches and Sensitives, but so much more as well. Mystery, intrigue, action, adventure and romance also abound in The Light Who Shines, and I so appreciate author Lilo Abernathy’s ability to pull all that together in one book. This novel would appeal to any reader of paranormal fiction, mysteries, romances or action/adventure novels, or just those ready to try a creative read that is very well done. Ms. Abernathy does a great job of world-building in this novel, and sets the reader up for the next in the series. I, for one, can’t wait to read the next installment!
I just finished The Light Who Shines: Bluebell Kildare Series Book One by author Lilo Abernathy. I am always thrilled to find a new series that promises to be fantastic, and this book has all the elements needed to make that the case! The story starts with a witch-burning 2000 years ago, one with serious consequences for the people in our story. Bluebell Kildare, more commonly called Blue, an agent with a paranormal investigative team in the year 2022, has many gifts. With the abilities of a Sensitive, she is able to sense magic, see souls, and feel emotions, and is able to assist in solving crimes in a very unique way. When we’re first introduced to Blue, she’s at the scene of a supposed hit and run car crash that has killed a teenaged boy. It quickly becomes apparent that his death is more than a simple hit and run and, before she knows it, Blue is wrapped up in a complex and dangerous situation that could lead to her solving the mystery or coming to harm. Combine that with her growing attraction to her boss, a daytime vampire, Jack Tanner, and you’ve got an extremely intriguing story on your hands.
I loved this book! I really enjoy paranormal reads, and this book has everything the genre needs; vampires, wolves, witches and Sensitives, but so much more as well. Mystery, intrigue, action, adventure and romance also abound in The Light Who Shines, and I so appreciate author Lilo Abernathy’s ability to pull all that together in one book. This novel would appeal to any reader of paranormal fiction, mysteries, romances or action/adventure novels, or just those ready to try a creative read that is very well done. Ms. Abernathy does a great job of world-building in this novel, and sets the reader up for the next in the series. I, for one, can’t wait to read the next installment!
Recommend this book:
Kahtar: Warrior of the Ages
A Covenant Keeper Novel Book 1
S.R. Karfelt
2015 Finalist
300 Pages
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Fiction - Fantasy - Urban
Reviewed by J. C. Steel for Readers' Favorite
SR Karfelt’s Kahtar: Warrior of the Ages opens with a speeding ticket awarded by a part-time police chief to a woman on her way to a new life. Beth White has just left a highly successful, jet-setting career as an investor to buy an old house that she found a picture of in a library book, and start a shop in it. She doesn’t quite know why she feels so strongly attracted to this particular house. She also doesn’t know why the community of Willowyth seems determined to make her leave when she feels more at home there than anywhere else. Even being arrested and racking up four traffic tickets in half an hour aren’t enough to change her mind. In fact, for some reason, arrest from the Willowyth Police Chief could almost qualify as an incentive to stay.
Kahtar: Warrior of the Ages is a fantastic opening book to the series, featuring engaging characters and a plot line that made me sorry to step out of it. SR Karfelt expertly creates a world within a world of Covenant Keepers, living beside the modern world, invoking touches of the folklore of the faery land of Underhill woven in with Christian mythology. The characters are plausible and well-developed, drawing you in to share Beth’s frustration and Kahtar’s conflict, personifying a collision of cultures between the punk rock of the new world and the ancient and hidden traditions of the Arcs. I can’t recommend this book highly enough; humour, action and an enticing world make it an entrancing read.
SR Karfelt’s Kahtar: Warrior of the Ages opens with a speeding ticket awarded by a part-time police chief to a woman on her way to a new life. Beth White has just left a highly successful, jet-setting career as an investor to buy an old house that she found a picture of in a library book, and start a shop in it. She doesn’t quite know why she feels so strongly attracted to this particular house. She also doesn’t know why the community of Willowyth seems determined to make her leave when she feels more at home there than anywhere else. Even being arrested and racking up four traffic tickets in half an hour aren’t enough to change her mind. In fact, for some reason, arrest from the Willowyth Police Chief could almost qualify as an incentive to stay.
Kahtar: Warrior of the Ages is a fantastic opening book to the series, featuring engaging characters and a plot line that made me sorry to step out of it. SR Karfelt expertly creates a world within a world of Covenant Keepers, living beside the modern world, invoking touches of the folklore of the faery land of Underhill woven in with Christian mythology. The characters are plausible and well-developed, drawing you in to share Beth’s frustration and Kahtar’s conflict, personifying a collision of cultures between the punk rock of the new world and the ancient and hidden traditions of the Arcs. I can’t recommend this book highly enough; humour, action and an enticing world make it an entrancing read.
Recommend this book:
The Love Duology
Richard Schwindt
2015 Honorable Mention
118 Pages
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Fiction - Fantasy - Urban
Reviewed by Tracy A. Fischer for Readers' Favorite
Two love stories intertwine in Richard Schwindt’s new book, The Love Duology. Made up of two related novellas, Love Stacey and Love Susan, Schwindt’s work is impressive in his ability to create realistic stories about strong women with somewhat fantastical backgrounds. In Love Stacey, Professor Stacey Trout, an amazingly bright mathematician without a memory of her own history, meets an older man who disappears almost as suddenly as he appeared in her life, but also leaves her his home and his diary. In Love Susan, Dr. Susan Call, psychologist, needs Stacey’s help in figuring out the issues of a challenging patient, Andrew, with a very unique set of issues.
I understand that author Richard Schwindt wrote The Love Duology as a part of the International 3-Day Novel contest, in which authors are challenged to write a complete novel in a 72-hour time period. What makes his work even more impressive is that Mr. Schwindt actually wrote two complete stories in this time frame, both unique and interesting on their own. The author’s creativity and ability to meld together the genres of fiction, mystery, sci-fi and even a bit of mysticism is astounding. I would highly recommend this work to any reader who loves a well-crafted short story, who is open to a merging of genres in a fantastic mix, and anyone interested in seeing just what type of wonderful work can be produced in a very, very short amount of time. The Love Duology is a worthwhile and fun read, and one you won’t want to put down!
Two love stories intertwine in Richard Schwindt’s new book, The Love Duology. Made up of two related novellas, Love Stacey and Love Susan, Schwindt’s work is impressive in his ability to create realistic stories about strong women with somewhat fantastical backgrounds. In Love Stacey, Professor Stacey Trout, an amazingly bright mathematician without a memory of her own history, meets an older man who disappears almost as suddenly as he appeared in her life, but also leaves her his home and his diary. In Love Susan, Dr. Susan Call, psychologist, needs Stacey’s help in figuring out the issues of a challenging patient, Andrew, with a very unique set of issues.
I understand that author Richard Schwindt wrote The Love Duology as a part of the International 3-Day Novel contest, in which authors are challenged to write a complete novel in a 72-hour time period. What makes his work even more impressive is that Mr. Schwindt actually wrote two complete stories in this time frame, both unique and interesting on their own. The author’s creativity and ability to meld together the genres of fiction, mystery, sci-fi and even a bit of mysticism is astounding. I would highly recommend this work to any reader who loves a well-crafted short story, who is open to a merging of genres in a fantastic mix, and anyone interested in seeing just what type of wonderful work can be produced in a very, very short amount of time. The Love Duology is a worthwhile and fun read, and one you won’t want to put down!
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