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The Network
The Dream Traveler, Book Two
Ernesto H Lee
2019 Honorable Mention
Kindle Edition
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Fiction - Crime
Reviewed by Amy Raines for Readers' Favorite
In The Network: The Dream Traveler Book Two by Ernesto H Lee, Detective Constable Sean McMillan is arrested for the murder of his prime suspect in a case from the past. He has at his disposal a very odd gift that allows him to travel through time within his dreams, but this gift can only assist him so far without the trust and support of his fellow officers and colleagues. With the evidence stacked against him getting worse all the time and the knowledge that his own partner is involved somehow, the likelihood of being exonerated of the charges is all but nonexistent. While awaiting his trial, Detective Constable Sean McMillan finds himself in over his head with a prison thug’s deadly and time sensitive deadline looming nearer. Can McMillan find the information and evidence of the mobster group that calls themselves ‘The Network’ before either they or the prison thugs that want his blood can destroy all his hopes of finding the truth, along with his life?
The Network has a very exciting plot that takes the reader on a page-turning ride through time as Sean McMillan attempts to clear his name from the murder rap he faces. Every single character has their own surprising and unique past that distinguishes The Network from any other story I have ever read. I love how Ernesto H Lee made me think I knew who the mastermind was, then shocked me with the truth with a very precise and interesting explanation that took the story to a deeper level of excitement. The Network is action packed from beginning to end as the author keeps the reader asking ‘what’s coming next?’ I would recommend this book to anyone that loves action, adventure and misadventure all rolled into one. I would not be surprised to see a movie trailer for The Network in the future and I, for one, would love to see it. I loved this book and I can’t wait to see what other amazing stories Ernesto H Lee has in store for readers to get caught up in.
In The Network: The Dream Traveler Book Two by Ernesto H Lee, Detective Constable Sean McMillan is arrested for the murder of his prime suspect in a case from the past. He has at his disposal a very odd gift that allows him to travel through time within his dreams, but this gift can only assist him so far without the trust and support of his fellow officers and colleagues. With the evidence stacked against him getting worse all the time and the knowledge that his own partner is involved somehow, the likelihood of being exonerated of the charges is all but nonexistent. While awaiting his trial, Detective Constable Sean McMillan finds himself in over his head with a prison thug’s deadly and time sensitive deadline looming nearer. Can McMillan find the information and evidence of the mobster group that calls themselves ‘The Network’ before either they or the prison thugs that want his blood can destroy all his hopes of finding the truth, along with his life?
The Network has a very exciting plot that takes the reader on a page-turning ride through time as Sean McMillan attempts to clear his name from the murder rap he faces. Every single character has their own surprising and unique past that distinguishes The Network from any other story I have ever read. I love how Ernesto H Lee made me think I knew who the mastermind was, then shocked me with the truth with a very precise and interesting explanation that took the story to a deeper level of excitement. The Network is action packed from beginning to end as the author keeps the reader asking ‘what’s coming next?’ I would recommend this book to anyone that loves action, adventure and misadventure all rolled into one. I would not be surprised to see a movie trailer for The Network in the future and I, for one, would love to see it. I loved this book and I can’t wait to see what other amazing stories Ernesto H Lee has in store for readers to get caught up in.
Recommend this book:
The Unrepentant
E. A. Aymar
2019 Honorable Mention
330 Pages
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Fiction - Crime
Reviewed by Romuald Dzemo for Readers' Favorite
The Unrepentant by E. A. Aymar is set in the Virginia, Maryland, D.C. triangle and follows eighteen-year-old Charlotte Reyes, a girl who runs away from an abusive home only to find herself tricked and kidnapped by a gang of criminals. When she escapes again, she realizes that the bad guys trail her like dogs and there is a dirty cop who is paid to bring her back. Wherever she goes, there is no guarantee of staying off their radar, so she does the one thing no one expects her to do: fight back!
This is an engrossing story with a strong female protagonist, one that fans of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo will love. It opens in the midst of action and immediately introduces a powerful premise. A captured girl has help in getting free. The language is beautiful and I loved how the author combines the descriptions of the actions and the thoughts of the characters with elements of the setting to give readers a full picture of scenes. This is the introduction to the character that helps the protagonist: “Mace Peterson expected to see silhouettes of trees, a surprised deer or two, the smudge of a shadowed moon, maybe even a startled snake slithering away at midnight in the woods of Baltimore County.”
The story is sprinkled with grim humor, and at times there is a pervading sense of the noir that allows an understanding of human nature, the depth of the conflict, and the development of characters. The Unrepentant is an entertaining tale of a young girl who chooses to fight crime and gain her freedom. The twists are powerful enough to be mind-blowing.
The Unrepentant by E. A. Aymar is set in the Virginia, Maryland, D.C. triangle and follows eighteen-year-old Charlotte Reyes, a girl who runs away from an abusive home only to find herself tricked and kidnapped by a gang of criminals. When she escapes again, she realizes that the bad guys trail her like dogs and there is a dirty cop who is paid to bring her back. Wherever she goes, there is no guarantee of staying off their radar, so she does the one thing no one expects her to do: fight back!
This is an engrossing story with a strong female protagonist, one that fans of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo will love. It opens in the midst of action and immediately introduces a powerful premise. A captured girl has help in getting free. The language is beautiful and I loved how the author combines the descriptions of the actions and the thoughts of the characters with elements of the setting to give readers a full picture of scenes. This is the introduction to the character that helps the protagonist: “Mace Peterson expected to see silhouettes of trees, a surprised deer or two, the smudge of a shadowed moon, maybe even a startled snake slithering away at midnight in the woods of Baltimore County.”
The story is sprinkled with grim humor, and at times there is a pervading sense of the noir that allows an understanding of human nature, the depth of the conflict, and the development of characters. The Unrepentant is an entertaining tale of a young girl who chooses to fight crime and gain her freedom. The twists are powerful enough to be mind-blowing.
Recommend this book:
The Banker Who Died
Matthew A. Carter
2019 Finalist
Kindle Edition
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Fiction - Crime
Reviewed by K.C. Finn for Readers' Favorite
The Banker Who Died is a work of thriller fiction for adults, penned by author Matthew A. Carter. Graphic, dynamic and filled with the high life and high crime, this stylish tale features bank employee Stanley McKnight as he is upgraded to a prestigious position at Laville & Cie. This exclusive Swiss bank has exclusive clients, and Stanley takes over the Russian clients after a previous employee dies in a car accident. But all is not as it seems, and Stanley finds himself in way over his head dealing with people who have become so rich that they think the law doesn’t really apply to them anymore.
An unusual premise for a thriller novel, the world of Swiss banking, shady finances and dirty dealings makes for an interesting realm in which to set a tale of an everyman who gets in too deep. Stanley is a relatable character with plenty of naïve charm, whose hidden capabilities come through the more you read his tale of being thrown into the deep end. Suspicions around the bank and its clients come to light with some really well-paced plot timing by author Matthew A. Carter, and in true thriller style, the book does keep you wondering right up to the last few pages. I found the various villains and clients at the bank entertaining to encounter, and one of them genuinely terrifying by the novel’s close. Overall, thriller fiction fans are sure to sink their teeth into The Banker Who Died.
The Banker Who Died is a work of thriller fiction for adults, penned by author Matthew A. Carter. Graphic, dynamic and filled with the high life and high crime, this stylish tale features bank employee Stanley McKnight as he is upgraded to a prestigious position at Laville & Cie. This exclusive Swiss bank has exclusive clients, and Stanley takes over the Russian clients after a previous employee dies in a car accident. But all is not as it seems, and Stanley finds himself in way over his head dealing with people who have become so rich that they think the law doesn’t really apply to them anymore.
An unusual premise for a thriller novel, the world of Swiss banking, shady finances and dirty dealings makes for an interesting realm in which to set a tale of an everyman who gets in too deep. Stanley is a relatable character with plenty of naïve charm, whose hidden capabilities come through the more you read his tale of being thrown into the deep end. Suspicions around the bank and its clients come to light with some really well-paced plot timing by author Matthew A. Carter, and in true thriller style, the book does keep you wondering right up to the last few pages. I found the various villains and clients at the bank entertaining to encounter, and one of them genuinely terrifying by the novel’s close. Overall, thriller fiction fans are sure to sink their teeth into The Banker Who Died.
Recommend this book:
Sons of the Soil
A Novel
Lucas Dines
2019 Silver Medal
Kindle Edition
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Fiction - Cultural
Reviewed by Jamie Michele for Readers' Favorite
Sons of the Soil by Lucas Dines is a sweeping historical fiction novel taking place on the cusp of two of the world's most defining moments, the onset of WWI and the dissolution of the Ottoman Empire. Macedonia in the earliest years of the twentieth century sets the stage for a multiple points of view story about a man, Jon Ahmeti, who will do anything to save his family. At the behest of MacGregor, a British spy, there is little that isn't required of him as he becomes witness to (and a victim of) the atrocities of the Balkan conflict. “We Macedonians are frozen in time, confined to a playground in which Fate continually acts out all of its most sadistic fantasies.”
Dines has done an exceptional job in bringing to life a piece of history that so few seem to know about. Sons of the Soil is epic in both sound and substance, pushing beyond Jon Ahmeti's first-person perspective and cracking open every bloody angle through the eyes of opposing characters. Each allows the reader into the heart and mind of a transgressor, which all are, including Ahmeti in his own forcefully misguided way. I loved Eleni, a strong yet violently damaged Greek rebel, but found Gotse Delchev, a Slavic freedom fighter and leader of the IO, to be the most intriguing. It takes an even-handed, skilled writer to deliver such an ambitious saga, but Dines has done it with a responsible storyline that manages the delicate act of balancing a cataclysmic time in history with a riveting fictional drama. A beautiful novel.
Sons of the Soil by Lucas Dines is a sweeping historical fiction novel taking place on the cusp of two of the world's most defining moments, the onset of WWI and the dissolution of the Ottoman Empire. Macedonia in the earliest years of the twentieth century sets the stage for a multiple points of view story about a man, Jon Ahmeti, who will do anything to save his family. At the behest of MacGregor, a British spy, there is little that isn't required of him as he becomes witness to (and a victim of) the atrocities of the Balkan conflict. “We Macedonians are frozen in time, confined to a playground in which Fate continually acts out all of its most sadistic fantasies.”
Dines has done an exceptional job in bringing to life a piece of history that so few seem to know about. Sons of the Soil is epic in both sound and substance, pushing beyond Jon Ahmeti's first-person perspective and cracking open every bloody angle through the eyes of opposing characters. Each allows the reader into the heart and mind of a transgressor, which all are, including Ahmeti in his own forcefully misguided way. I loved Eleni, a strong yet violently damaged Greek rebel, but found Gotse Delchev, a Slavic freedom fighter and leader of the IO, to be the most intriguing. It takes an even-handed, skilled writer to deliver such an ambitious saga, but Dines has done it with a responsible storyline that manages the delicate act of balancing a cataclysmic time in history with a riveting fictional drama. A beautiful novel.
Recommend this book:
 is an epic story of family, hardships, triumphs, life and death, and assimilation. In the year 1961, Leon Edri, a Jewish immigrant from Russia, now living in Larida, Peru, attends the funeral of a close friend and business partner. As he mourns for his friend, Leon thi...){kind=link}
The Heritage
Jack Michonik
2019 Finalist
432 Pages
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Fiction - Cultural
Reviewed by Steve Leshin for Readers' Favorite
The Heritage by Jack Michonik (translated from the Spanish by Michael B. Miller) is an epic story of family, hardships, triumphs, life and death, and assimilation. In the year 1961, Leon Edri, a Jewish immigrant from Russia, now living in Larida, Peru, attends the funeral of a close friend and business partner. As he mourns for his friend, Leon thinks back to the time he and his late friend rose up from poverty in the tiny village or “shtetl” of Golochov in Russia. Leon’s birth name is “Lieb”. As a teenager, he decides to leave the shtetl and go to America. After years of travel through Europe with a stay in Paris of all places, “Lieb” becomes “Leon” and finds passage by boat to the small town of Larida. He decides to stay there, and through moxie, determination, and help from other immigrants he meets, Leon Edri finds fortune, but with consequences.
As the title implies, The Heritage’s main emphasis is the struggle for Leon and especially his descendants to keep their heritage. Michonik’s tale encompasses several Jewish families from Golochov who brave the extremely difficult task of leaving the shtetl with meager possessions through the expanse of Russia in the 1920s, only to find language barriers, harsh living conditions, and prejudice on their way to their destination. One character in the story makes the trip to Palestine or “Eretz Israel”. The reader is able to follow the happenings of the different families in the form of letters written to and from close-knit family members. Leon Edri is the main character of the book. Taught by his mother to “never forsake your heritage or your people”, Leon’s journey from a teenager to adulthood takes the reader on quite a journey. The translation from Spanish to English by Miller works to keep the style and flow of Michonik’s prose. All in all, a good read.
The Heritage by Jack Michonik (translated from the Spanish by Michael B. Miller) is an epic story of family, hardships, triumphs, life and death, and assimilation. In the year 1961, Leon Edri, a Jewish immigrant from Russia, now living in Larida, Peru, attends the funeral of a close friend and business partner. As he mourns for his friend, Leon thinks back to the time he and his late friend rose up from poverty in the tiny village or “shtetl” of Golochov in Russia. Leon’s birth name is “Lieb”. As a teenager, he decides to leave the shtetl and go to America. After years of travel through Europe with a stay in Paris of all places, “Lieb” becomes “Leon” and finds passage by boat to the small town of Larida. He decides to stay there, and through moxie, determination, and help from other immigrants he meets, Leon Edri finds fortune, but with consequences.
As the title implies, The Heritage’s main emphasis is the struggle for Leon and especially his descendants to keep their heritage. Michonik’s tale encompasses several Jewish families from Golochov who brave the extremely difficult task of leaving the shtetl with meager possessions through the expanse of Russia in the 1920s, only to find language barriers, harsh living conditions, and prejudice on their way to their destination. One character in the story makes the trip to Palestine or “Eretz Israel”. The reader is able to follow the happenings of the different families in the form of letters written to and from close-knit family members. Leon Edri is the main character of the book. Taught by his mother to “never forsake your heritage or your people”, Leon’s journey from a teenager to adulthood takes the reader on quite a journey. The translation from Spanish to English by Miller works to keep the style and flow of Michonik’s prose. All in all, a good read.
Recommend this book:
The Swan Garden
Anne Biggs
2019 Silver Medal
384 Pages
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Fiction - Drama
Reviewed by Kim Anisi for Readers' Favorite
In The Swan Garden by Anne Biggs, readers are introduced to Alice, who is sent to a mother-baby home by her parents because they don’t want to deal with a pregnant daughter. The pregnancy was not planned, nor did it happen because she carelessly slept with someone she loves without protection. It happened because she was assaulted and raped on her way back home. But everyone, especially the sisters in her new “home,” thinks that Alice must have done something to actually MAKE the rapist rape her. Alice’s life turns into a hell of verbal and physical abuse. People in power do what they want to whomever they want. We follow Alice as she gives birth, loses her daughter and is sent to a laundry home to work off the debt her parents refused to pay. I don’t want to give away too much, but readers spend a lot of time with Alice until she grows into an old woman. It is a life full of challenges, and the story of an extraordinary woman.
I was pleasantly surprise by the quality of the writing of The Swan Garden by Anne Biggs. It is the kind of writing that makes it easy to be drawn into the story, and to imagine how the world the characters live in looks like. There is a fine line between describing too much and too little. Anne Biggs found the golden mean. Her characters come to life on the page; the good, the bad, and the ones who can’t be put into any of these categories. I wasn’t a fan of some of Alice’s decisions, but you never meet characters that always do what you want them to do. I guess, it would also be a bit boring! Alice is quite different from me, so I never quite knew what she’d do next, and that added to the enjoyment of the story. I don’t often read books outside the fantasy, sci-fi and horror genres, but for some reason this book caught my attention, and kept it for every single page of every single chapter. So I really don’t hesitate in giving this a five star rating!
In The Swan Garden by Anne Biggs, readers are introduced to Alice, who is sent to a mother-baby home by her parents because they don’t want to deal with a pregnant daughter. The pregnancy was not planned, nor did it happen because she carelessly slept with someone she loves without protection. It happened because she was assaulted and raped on her way back home. But everyone, especially the sisters in her new “home,” thinks that Alice must have done something to actually MAKE the rapist rape her. Alice’s life turns into a hell of verbal and physical abuse. People in power do what they want to whomever they want. We follow Alice as she gives birth, loses her daughter and is sent to a laundry home to work off the debt her parents refused to pay. I don’t want to give away too much, but readers spend a lot of time with Alice until she grows into an old woman. It is a life full of challenges, and the story of an extraordinary woman.
I was pleasantly surprise by the quality of the writing of The Swan Garden by Anne Biggs. It is the kind of writing that makes it easy to be drawn into the story, and to imagine how the world the characters live in looks like. There is a fine line between describing too much and too little. Anne Biggs found the golden mean. Her characters come to life on the page; the good, the bad, and the ones who can’t be put into any of these categories. I wasn’t a fan of some of Alice’s decisions, but you never meet characters that always do what you want them to do. I guess, it would also be a bit boring! Alice is quite different from me, so I never quite knew what she’d do next, and that added to the enjoyment of the story. I don’t often read books outside the fantasy, sci-fi and horror genres, but for some reason this book caught my attention, and kept it for every single page of every single chapter. So I really don’t hesitate in giving this a five star rating!
Recommend this book:
The Imperfect Offering
Gary McCarragher
2019 Honorable Mention
276 Pages
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Fiction - Drama
Reviewed by Viga Boland for Readers' Favorite
The Imperfect Offering by Gary McCarragher is a quick read, and that has nothing to do with its length. It’s a quick read because it’s utterly engaging from the word go. What makes this fiction drama engaging is not just its intriguing plotline, but the character of its protagonist, Dr. Thomas Haydn: he’s the kind of doctor you’d like all doctors to be - truly concerned about what is best for his patients. But that also gets him into a situation he shouldn’t be in.
After 15 years as a primary care physician, Dr. Haydn has learned how the right words can mean more to a patient, especially one who is dying, than all the meds anyone can prescribe. When we meet him, he has moved into hospice care. As the rather mysterious plot unfolds, the author smoothly inserts brief vignettes that demonstrate Dr. Haydn’s very caring attitude toward each patient. But lest you think this slows down the plot, it doesn’t: these moments help explain why Dr. Haydn ends up finding himself in an ethical dilemma. Most doctors wouldn’t care enough about a dying patient to agree to do what Dr. Haydn does for a dying patient.
And what is that? There is no way I’ll spoil your enjoyment of this story by telling you how the good doctor ends up entangled in a situation involving a huge sum of illicitly obtained money and ultimately facing the possibility that one of his patients was murdered. Approach The Imperfect Offering expecting the unexpected and you’ll enjoy the read. Gary McCarragher keeps the plot moving with plenty of realistic dialogue, one most unpleasant character and plenty of nice ones, and when he ties up all the threads neatly at the end, you will close the book with satisfaction.
The Imperfect Offering by Gary McCarragher is a quick read, and that has nothing to do with its length. It’s a quick read because it’s utterly engaging from the word go. What makes this fiction drama engaging is not just its intriguing plotline, but the character of its protagonist, Dr. Thomas Haydn: he’s the kind of doctor you’d like all doctors to be - truly concerned about what is best for his patients. But that also gets him into a situation he shouldn’t be in.
After 15 years as a primary care physician, Dr. Haydn has learned how the right words can mean more to a patient, especially one who is dying, than all the meds anyone can prescribe. When we meet him, he has moved into hospice care. As the rather mysterious plot unfolds, the author smoothly inserts brief vignettes that demonstrate Dr. Haydn’s very caring attitude toward each patient. But lest you think this slows down the plot, it doesn’t: these moments help explain why Dr. Haydn ends up finding himself in an ethical dilemma. Most doctors wouldn’t care enough about a dying patient to agree to do what Dr. Haydn does for a dying patient.
And what is that? There is no way I’ll spoil your enjoyment of this story by telling you how the good doctor ends up entangled in a situation involving a huge sum of illicitly obtained money and ultimately facing the possibility that one of his patients was murdered. Approach The Imperfect Offering expecting the unexpected and you’ll enjoy the read. Gary McCarragher keeps the plot moving with plenty of realistic dialogue, one most unpleasant character and plenty of nice ones, and when he ties up all the threads neatly at the end, you will close the book with satisfaction.
Recommend this book:
Ripples in the Generations
A Generational Saga that Continues Down the Ages
Joyce K. Gatschenberger
2019 Finalist
328 Pages
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Fiction - Drama
Reviewed by Anne-Marie Reynolds for Readers' Favorite
Ripples in the Generations by Joyce K Gatschenberger is a tale of betrayal and deceit. Dove-Whispering and Dacia meet during a high school science class and immediately become friends as they work together on a DNA project for an upcoming science fair. The results of that project will rip their worlds apart as they discover they are related genetically. And thus begins a rollercoaster journey back in time, through days of deception, of the ultimate betrayal. Family secrets are laid bare, shaking the Henry family skeletons right out of the closet. Can they find a way forward or will this destroy them forever?
Ripples in the Generations by Joyce K Gatschenberger is a very intense, deep story. Extremely well written, there are lots of twists and turns that keep you on your toes – don’t blink or you’ll lose the thread! The story has everything you would expect – death, secret adoptions, betrayal, sordid affairs and more besides. It was an exciting story, with a great plot that moved at a good pace. There weren’t any dead spots, no red herrings that led to nowhere, and plenty of action. The characters were excellent, both in development and dialog and you will find it hard not to want to take sides! The story will grab you from the very beginning as it drags you deep into the plot straightaway. It’s a roller-coaster read, one you won't want to put down. I enjoyed it, and am looking forward to reading the next installment in the story.
Ripples in the Generations by Joyce K Gatschenberger is a tale of betrayal and deceit. Dove-Whispering and Dacia meet during a high school science class and immediately become friends as they work together on a DNA project for an upcoming science fair. The results of that project will rip their worlds apart as they discover they are related genetically. And thus begins a rollercoaster journey back in time, through days of deception, of the ultimate betrayal. Family secrets are laid bare, shaking the Henry family skeletons right out of the closet. Can they find a way forward or will this destroy them forever?
Ripples in the Generations by Joyce K Gatschenberger is a very intense, deep story. Extremely well written, there are lots of twists and turns that keep you on your toes – don’t blink or you’ll lose the thread! The story has everything you would expect – death, secret adoptions, betrayal, sordid affairs and more besides. It was an exciting story, with a great plot that moved at a good pace. There weren’t any dead spots, no red herrings that led to nowhere, and plenty of action. The characters were excellent, both in development and dialog and you will find it hard not to want to take sides! The story will grab you from the very beginning as it drags you deep into the plot straightaway. It’s a roller-coaster read, one you won't want to put down. I enjoyed it, and am looking forward to reading the next installment in the story.
Recommend this book:
Survivors of the Sun
A post-apocalyptic thriller
Mia Kingslie
2019 Gold Medal
672 Pages
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Fiction - Dystopia
Reviewed by Amy Raines for Readers' Favorite
In Survivors of the Sun, a post-apocalyptic thriller written by Mia Kingslie, everything is gone. The power, the water, any means of communication and there’s barely enough food left to ration. Georgia’s husband, Nathan, is missing and she has to decide what to do next to ensure the survival of her loved ones. With the world now in shambles, reeking of devastation, Georgia ventures out to find some place safe with better resources. People in desperation have turned to vandalizing and looting for the things they need to survive by whatever means necessary in this post-apocalyptic world. Can Georgia lead her loved ones to safety before they become victims of this new and violent world? Will she be reunited with Nathan or is he gone forever? How long can Georgia keep her loved ones safe from those that would hurt them? Will they ever find out what set off this apocalypse to begin with?
Survivors of the Sun by Mia Kingslie is a riveting, well-written story with a plot that gets more and more interesting as horrifying events unfold in a world that has been turned upside down. The characters are highly developed with personal traits that add momentum to the story. I recommend Survivors of the Sun to anyone who enjoys reading about what the world would be like if everything suddenly changed and the survivors had to learn how to fend for themselves or die trying. I love how Kingslie does not spare the reader the horrible details in the plot's events as they unfold. I hope to read many more stories by this skilled author in the future. A wonderful story!
In Survivors of the Sun, a post-apocalyptic thriller written by Mia Kingslie, everything is gone. The power, the water, any means of communication and there’s barely enough food left to ration. Georgia’s husband, Nathan, is missing and she has to decide what to do next to ensure the survival of her loved ones. With the world now in shambles, reeking of devastation, Georgia ventures out to find some place safe with better resources. People in desperation have turned to vandalizing and looting for the things they need to survive by whatever means necessary in this post-apocalyptic world. Can Georgia lead her loved ones to safety before they become victims of this new and violent world? Will she be reunited with Nathan or is he gone forever? How long can Georgia keep her loved ones safe from those that would hurt them? Will they ever find out what set off this apocalypse to begin with?
Survivors of the Sun by Mia Kingslie is a riveting, well-written story with a plot that gets more and more interesting as horrifying events unfold in a world that has been turned upside down. The characters are highly developed with personal traits that add momentum to the story. I recommend Survivors of the Sun to anyone who enjoys reading about what the world would be like if everything suddenly changed and the survivors had to learn how to fend for themselves or die trying. I love how Kingslie does not spare the reader the horrible details in the plot's events as they unfold. I hope to read many more stories by this skilled author in the future. A wonderful story!
Recommend this book:
The After War
Book One of The After War Series
Brandon Zenner
2019 Honorable Mention
444 Pages
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Fiction - Dystopia
Reviewed by Ray Simmons for Readers' Favorite
I’ve got good news for people who are fans of post-apocalyptic war stories. The After War by Brandon Zenner is the first book in The After War Series that will go down as one of the best in the genre. The writing is so good that you will feel you are right there in the ruins with these great characters, making decisions that will shape the destiny of the human race. These are stories of survival, but just as important, they are stories of hope. I’ve read a few post-apocalyptic tales, both individual stories and series dealing with this all too probable possibility, and The After War is one of the best I have read. It is rich in detail and the characters are fully human, with all the strengths and weaknesses that come with that. The After War grew on me, as I think Brandon Zenner intended it to do. Page by page, it introduces this strange new world to us. Then Zenner shows us the hard decisions that these survivors must come to grips with.
For the most part, the characters are always what attracts me most to a novel and The After War has some great ones, major and minor. I liked the two cousins most of all. Brian and Steve reminded me of the relationships I have had with relatives and friends over the years. Other characters like Simon and Carolanne were interesting but the cousins fascinated me. The plot is important in a story like this and Brandon Zenner handles plot well. There is a sense of building to something, and the wonders of this new reality are peeled off layer by layer. The setting is great and very believable. Everything is done well. You will like this book and find it hard to wait for the next one.
I’ve got good news for people who are fans of post-apocalyptic war stories. The After War by Brandon Zenner is the first book in The After War Series that will go down as one of the best in the genre. The writing is so good that you will feel you are right there in the ruins with these great characters, making decisions that will shape the destiny of the human race. These are stories of survival, but just as important, they are stories of hope. I’ve read a few post-apocalyptic tales, both individual stories and series dealing with this all too probable possibility, and The After War is one of the best I have read. It is rich in detail and the characters are fully human, with all the strengths and weaknesses that come with that. The After War grew on me, as I think Brandon Zenner intended it to do. Page by page, it introduces this strange new world to us. Then Zenner shows us the hard decisions that these survivors must come to grips with.
For the most part, the characters are always what attracts me most to a novel and The After War has some great ones, major and minor. I liked the two cousins most of all. Brian and Steve reminded me of the relationships I have had with relatives and friends over the years. Other characters like Simon and Carolanne were interesting but the cousins fascinated me. The plot is important in a story like this and Brandon Zenner handles plot well. There is a sense of building to something, and the wonders of this new reality are peeled off layer by layer. The setting is great and very believable. Everything is done well. You will like this book and find it hard to wait for the next one.
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