Book Reviews, Thoughts, and Random Interesting Ideas

I read the first of the Conor Archer books (Roan, The Tales of Conor Archer #1) not long ago and enjoyed it. It was a nice combination of fantasy, Celtic myths, Native American mythology, and modern technology. I added the second book of the series to my TBR and here are my thoughts.

Synopsis (from the author):

RUMORS OF MAGIC AND MURDER hung over the tragedy at Tinker’s Grove which destroyed a town and killed some fine people. Aunt Emily thought sending Conor Archer to Ireland to see his godmother was the solution to keep him safe and out of harm’s way.

Conor went and immediately got himself in trouble with a local landowner, a Japanese war criminal, and a bunch of Otherworld things that wanted to destroy him. Not everyone was an enemy. There were the secretive Travelers–the Tinker folk with legends that tended to come true. Of course, the Roan were there, the People of the Sea, promising to watch over him. But there was something more–an ancient being camped out on the mysterious Skellig Islands, intent on protecting him and the land.

He remembered Aunt Emily slapping an envelope into his pocket saying, “Here’s your ticket; have a nice flight; stay safe.” Not a chance he thought. Ireland might be a spectacular place, but it was bound to be dangerous. Good thing he had his shapeshifting powers. But would his newfound abilities be able to defeat the Dark who wanted him dead?

What I liked about Skellig:

Skellig was an excellent conclusion to The Tales of Conor Archer. The cast of characters changed, but the stakes stayed just as high as Conor pursued his destiny. The combination of mythology, fantasy, and modern technology kept me entertained, and the end was satisfying. If you want a book with all those elements, give Skellig a try!

What I didn’t like about Skellig:

While I enjoyed Skellig, the story tried too hard to get all the aspects of the mythology included. It mostly succeeded, but there were times when it seemed forced. Other than that, no complaints.

Overall impression of Skellig:

The book had all the elements of a great fantasy story. Magic, prophecy, danger, and mythology combine to create an excellent tale. As mentioned above, if you like these elements, try Skellig!

My rating:

4 Stars

Connect with E.R. Barr:

Find E. R. Barr on his Goodreads page. Find Skellig and his other books, pick up a copy for your reading pleasure, and maybe leave a comment or a review if you’ve already read it!

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My latest review is for a fellow Brag Medallion recipient E.R. Barr and his first book in the Conor Archer duology, Roan (The Tales of Conor Archer #1). Read on to find my thoughts on this urban fantasy that combines Celtic myths and modern day science.

Synopsis (from the author):

Orphaned and alone, Conor Archer comes back to his hometown to find himself the center of attention. With the help of new friends, Jace the captain of the football team and Beth, his twin sister, along with a strange Labrador Retriever named Troubles, Conor has to discover who he really is and how he is tied to the mystery of the ‘Dark Ones’. They are the children the town is protecting from an ancient river demon and a shapeshifter in the nearby Indian Burial mound. Into the midst of Conor’s hunt for the truth comes DIOGENE, a biogenetics company with a scientist willing to do anything to unravel the mystery of the ‘Dark Ones’. Conor finds himself caught in a web of lies where myth and science war for humanity’s soul.

What I liked about Roan:

I enjoyed the Celtic myth, Native America, and modern science combination. The story wove those elements together nicely. Add in the beast in the river (Piasa), ancient rivalries, love interests, and humans influenced by both evil and good, and you have a great tale.

What I didn’t like about Roan:

My only complaint about Roan was the redundant references to the prophecy surrounding Conor. Despite the many mentions of it, the prophecy really never was fully revealed.

Overall impression of Roan:

I liked Roan by E.R. Barr! A nice combination of myth and science, tons of ancient intrigue, and an earth shattering prophecy make for a good urban fantasy tale. If you enjoy those elements, read Roan!

My Rating:

4 Stars

Connect with E.R. Barr:

Find E. R. Barr at his Goodreads page or his website. Find Roan and his other books, pick up a copy for your own reading pleasure, and maybe leave a comment or a review if you’ve already read it!

Connect with me:

I’m on Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads, and Pinterest, so find me, say hello, and let’s connect!

I enjoy the thrillers Gordon Bickerstaff writes. I’ve read most of them, so it shouldn’t be a surprise that I added The Hunt for Enigma’s Mother to my TBR list when it was released. Read on to find out my thoughts on Zoe Tampsin’s latest adventure!

Synopsis (from the author):

In North Carolina, a home invasion goes horribly wrong, and triggers a series of disastrous knock-on events, beginning with the abduction of a five-year-old girl.

Six years later, one of the kidnappers is identified on a routine facial recognition scan at Glasgow Central train station. Relevant authorities are notified, and they race to be the first to capture the fugitive.

Zoe Tampsin’s Lambeth Group prepare to make an arrest. Unaware of ruthless forces competing to prevent exposure of a criminal cold case capable of destroying the alliance between Europe and the USA.

The stakes are high. The consequences are unthinkable. The options are vanishing.

What I liked about The Hunt for Enigma’s Mother:

As with all the Zoe Tampsin/Lambeth Group novels, The Hunt for Enigma’s Mother was jammed with action, intrigue, and excellent plot twists. While the stakes aren’t quite as high as with some of the other books, the story still had serious implications on a large scale. This one, though, was on a more personal level for many of the characters, making it an entertaining book!

What I didn’t like about The Hunt for Enigma’s Mother:

My only complaint about this book was the diminished role Zoe played. The focus was more on her team than her, which is a natural progression, but still a letdown.

Overall impression of The Hunt for Enigma’s Mother:

The book had all the elements I’ve come to expect from Gordon Bickerstaff’s novels. Action, suspense, good characters, and a fast-moving pace, I enjoyed it as much as any of the Lambeth Group books I’ve read.

My rating:

4.5 Stars (rounded to 5 Stars)

Connect with Gordon Bickerstaff:

Find Gordon on his website, his Amazon Author page, or Goodreads page! Visit, find out about his books (maybe buy a couple?), and leave a review or a comment!

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Find me on Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads, and Pinterest, and let’s connect. I enjoy meeting new friends!

I’ve read all Doug J. Cooper’s books in the Crystal Series and the Bump Time series. Both are excellent science fiction series and I truly enjoyed reading them. It should come as no surprise, then, that when he released Lagrange Rising (A Cuss Abbott Novel), it made its way on my TBR list. Here is my review!

Synopsis (from the author):

The bodies of wealthy seniors are being dumped in Lagrange, their ID implants cut from their skulls, their bank accounts emptied. Authorities learn that the elderly victims were snatched from Nova Terra on the Moon. Lagrange is a sovereign nation, a massive space structure orbiting between Earth and the Moon, so the chilling crimes fall under the purview of the Interworld Marshals Service. Cuss Abbott, a resourceful and tenacious investigator, starts the case with few clues, a rising body count, and politicians demanding answers. The criminals are seemingly invisible, disappearing after each heinous act. Shadowed by his partner, an enhanced human named Ygo, Cuss corners the butchers, setting in motion a confrontation with tragic results. Distraught, he bulls ahead, pursuing the killers across worlds to a suspense-filled showdown.

What I liked about Lagrange Rising:

Lagrange Rising had much to like. First, Cuss Abbott, an intriguing character to say the least. Ygo, the enhanced human helping Cuss in the background, added a lot to the story. Top-notch technology imagined for Nova Terra and Lagrange, plus the space travel was an interesting backdrop for the story. Lastly, Cuss’ romantic pursuit of Hatha put all the elements in place for an enjoyable space opera.

What I didn’t like about Lagrange Rising:

My only complaint about Lagrange Rising was that the perpetrators were revealed pretty early in the story, so apart from Cuss’ efforts to track them down, there wasn’t much mystery to it.

Overall impression of Lagrange Rising:

Lagrange Rising by Doug J. Cooper was an entertaining novel. Good characters, plenty of action, nice technology, and a bit of romance made for a good read. For those who enjoyed Mr. Cooper’s other books, this one is a good start to the new series. For those new to Mr. Cooper, add this one to your TBR list!

My rating:

4.5 Stars (rounded to 5 stars)

Connect with Doug J. Cooper:

Find Doug J. Cooper on his website, his Amazon Author Page, and his Goodreads page. Find all his books, maybe pick up one or two, and learn more about the author!

Connect with me:

I’m on Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads, and Pinterest. Find me and let’s connect!

If you read my post about Lost Treasures of Alabama, you know I tried to highlight a few of the rumored and legendary treasures that may (or may not) be hidden in Alabama. This post heads to the wilds of Alaska and explores the same topic.

As you can imagine, many lost treasure stories involve gold. Add to the amount of gold mining and the rugged and remote wilderness, lost mines, hidden gold, and tragedy seems inevitable. Along those lines, then, here is the first story!

Frenchman’s Lost Gold Mine in Alaska

As the story goes, a Frenchman showed up in a remote Haida village called Howkan. The miner, who needed supplies, paid for the goods in pure gold. His appearance excited the villagers but was soon forgotten until he showed up again. He once again he purchased supplies, paying pure gold for them. This happened several times and the storekeeper and a few villagers tried to follow the miner to discover where his gold originated. Long Island is part of a chain small islands, and the Frenchman was able to elude his pursuers. The miner sailed away one day, never to return. The best guess is the gold came from Dall Island, but no one has found it or tried to mine the island. Gold may still be out there!

Northwest Airlines Flight 4422

Flight 4422 took off from Merrill Field in Anchorage after refueling and headed toward New York. It ferried twenty-four merchant marines from Shanghai to New York. The plane crashed into Mount Sanford and killing all aboard. Though the wreckage was spotted form the air, and witnesses saw the crash, snowstorms and a mountain glacier covered the plane, and it was lost for fifty years. A tragedy for the families, made worse by the fact that none of the passengers or crews’ remains have been recovered, though a piece of wreckage recovered in 1999 confirmed it was the plane. In addition, one mummified limb identified one of the passengers.

The treasure part of this horrible story is the persistent rumor that the plane carried a secret cargo of gold from China for the purchase of a tanker. Supposedly in the $3 million dollar range, the cargo has spurred attempts over the years to recover it. No record of the gold recovery exists.

Clara Nevada and an Alaska Tragedy

Another rumored treasure is also part of a tragedy. The SS Clara Nevada was originally a survey ship for the US Revenue Service. Near the end of its life, the ship was sold to the McGuire Brothers. The brothers, who purchased the ship at a fraction of its original cost, quickly refurbished it, and put it into service sailing to Alaska from Seattle. Beset with problems on the first voyage, the ship tied up at Skagway, Alaska on February 4, 1898.

On February 5, 1898, the ship headed south with passengers and crew onboard. For reasons unknown, the ship collided with Eldred Rock, and very quickly sank, killing everyone on the vessel. Along with the loss, a rumored $165,000 in raw gold. With the gold price at the time at $18.98 per ounce, that equals about 8700 ounces of gold. In today’s dollars, that’s about $14.3 million. The wreckage lies in less than 40 feet of water, and no one has claimed to find the gold. If it was there, it might still be lying on the bottom, protected by the ghosts of those who perished.

There you have just a very small sampling of the lost treasures in Alaska. I don’t know if any are true, but it is fun to speculate!

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