Book Reviews, Thoughts, and Random Interesting Ideas

Halfway Bitten by Terry Maggert

This is the third book of Terry Maggert’s I’ve read and the second of the Halfway Witchy series. The first book of the series, Halfway Dead garnered a 5 Star review from me, so the second book of the series, Halfway Bitten had a lot to live up to. It succeeded!

Synopsis (from the author):

The circus came to Halfway, and they brought the weird.

When clowns, vampires, and corpses start piling up in town, Carlie has to break away from her boyfriend, Wulfric, to bring her witchy skills to the table- or grill, as the case may be.
When the body of a young woman washes up in the lake, it unleashes a spiral of mystery that will bring Carlie, Gran, and Wulfric into a storm of magical warfare. Spells will fly. Curses will rain. Amidst it all, Carlie will make waffles, protect her town, and find out if a man from the distant past can join her in happy ever after.
With love and honor at stake, Carlie has no peer.

What I liked:

Carlie and Gran are wonderful familiar characters that I just enjoy. The first person narrative is done well, with just the right mix of snarky commentary and conversational storytelling. The premise of the book is the appearance of creepy clowns, vampires, and the circus come to town. The battles that Carlie and Gran fight, the passage of power and knowledge from Gran to Carlie, and the interaction with the ghosts make this an excellent read!

What I didn’t like:

I thought the book could have used more Wulfric. He plays such an important role in the book, but I didn’t get enough backstory on the character. Other than that, not much to complain about!!

Overall impression:

Halfway Bitten by Terry Maggert was a great entertaining read! Filled with witchy magic, cool characters (even the French Canadian ghost), sacrifice, and a satisfying conclusion, I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a bit of witchy fantasy!

My rating:

5 Stars!!

If you read the book, please consider leaving a review! It’s always great for an author to hear from readers!

Connect with the author:

Find Terry Maggert on his website or on his Amazon Author Page, too, to discover when the third installment of the series is coming and discover his other books!!

Connect with me:

Like my review? Please leave me a comment about it! Don’t like the review? Leave me a comment and let me know how I could improve it. If you don’t want to comment here, you can also find me on Twitter, Facebook, and Goodreads. You can send me an email, too, at bill@williamlstuart.com. If you don’t want to miss a post, subscribe to the blog!!

Crystal Horizon by Doug J. Cooper

I read the other two books of this series, so when Doug J. Cooper came out with the prequel, Crystal Horizon, I knew I had to read it, too!

Synopsis (from the author):

Crystal Deception is a science fiction thriller and this work, Crystal Horizon, is a prequel to that book.

I wrote this short piece with two thoughts in mind. One was to give new readers a low cost opportunity to sample the larger story and meet a couple of characters from the series. Perhaps you’ll enjoy yourself so much, you’ll want to read the full length books?

My second reason was to give current fans the backstory on Sid and Cheryl. This prequel takes place five years before the time of Crystal Deception, where we meet Cheryl as a captain of a military space cruiser and Sid as a covert warrior for the Defense Specialists Agency.

We learn in Crystal Deception that Sid and Cheryl have a shared history and, in particular, a romantic relationship that has somehow gone awry. In this prequel, we join them on the day they first meet and we experience that history with them.

What I liked:

As mentioned above, Sid and Cheryl are two of the main characters throughout the books. In the later books, Sid is the fearless operative in a shadowy organization and Cheryl is working her way up the military chain of command, but you’ll get no spoilers from me on the later books. We do find out in the sequels that Cheryl and Sid have a history and Crystal Horizon gives a great backstory, and details how they met and the start of their relationship. For fans of the series, it is a satisfying completion. For those who haven’t read any of the books, it is a great introduction!

What I didn’t like:

The only disappointment I had with the book was the relationship between Sid and Cheryl was a bit predictable. Other than that, good stuff!

Overall impression:

Well-written, with a good introduction to the characters, Crystal Horizon was a quick, interesting, and entertaining sci-fi read. If you haven’t read the series, read this one first and then go enjoy the other two! Well done, Doug J. Cooper!

My rating:

5 Stars

Connect with the author:

Visit Doug J. Cooper on his website, or find his books on his Amazon Author Page! If you read one (or all of the books), please consider leaving a review! It’s important for authors to hear from readers!!

Connect with me:

If you enjoyed my review or want to make a comment, please leave me a note and let me know. You can also connect with me on Twitter, Facebook, and Goodreads. You can drop me an email, too, at bill@williamlstuart.com. If you don’t want to miss a post, consider subscribing to the blog!

Blott (The Canvas Chronicles Book 1) – My Review!!

I saw the cover for this book (recommended to me in my Amazon feed) and was intrigued. I read the blurb and liked what it said, so I picked it up. I’m glad I did!

Synopsis (from the author):

When a devastating famine forces Blott to disobey his parents and leave his remote village in search of food, he learns three things that change his life forever.

1. The world outside his village is made up of a giant canvas that stretches all the way to the horizon.

2. A freakish ability that he has kept secret for years means that he can paint life into the fabric, and shape new land around him to save his people from extinction.

3. A sinister voice inside his head has other ideas, threatening to consume him and unleash an untold evil onto the community.

Will Blott create a perfect world, or will he let his inner demon paint with darker colours?
The fate of his people rests in the balance.

What I liked:

This book started with a bang! Blott running for his life! The action continued throughout the book and kept me in the story. Daniel Parsons did an excellent job of building a strange world and filling it with interesting characters. Blott, the awkward teen who bleeds ink, Seraph, his best friend, and Arcana, the leader of the town, are instrumental in the book. I connected with Blott and sympathized with his plight. And the evil Alkali was cool! All said, a good read!

What I didn’t like:

I thought Seraph could have played a bigger role than she did. Another thing that didn’t make sense to me was Blott’s reluctance to his creations. Blott was brave enough to strike out to find food for the town, but waited until others died at the hands of his creations before fighting them.

Overall impression:

I liked this book! The story is original, the characters easy to identify with, and the action well done. I recommend this book to any reader who enjoys a different kind of fantasy world!

My rating:

4 Stars

Connect with the author:

If you read Blott, please consider leaving a review where you purchased the book. Authors always like to hear from readers! You can also connect with Daniel Parsons on his Amazon Author Page or at his website.

Connect with me:

If you want to leave me a comment on my review, I can be found on Twitter, Facebook, and Goodreads. You can drop me a note at bill@williamlstuart.com or just leave a comment below. If you don’t want to miss a post, please subscribe to the blog. I look forward to hearing from you!

Tacenda by Christine Vann – My Review!!

When I’m looking for books to read, the cover, the blurb, or the title can attract me. Tacenda got me with the cover and the blurb. Read on for my thoughts!

Synopsis (from the author):  

Can a unique partnership discover who is stealing the minds of children? Life isn’t easy when you don’t own yourself, not all humans are aware that other species exist, and your ship is semi-sentient. Kerris and Arucken are an interspecies messenger team, tasked with aiding communication across the galaxy. Haunted by the grief of her sister’s murder and stranded, Kerris must discover who is stealing the minds of children.

What I liked:

The concept of the book amazed me! The idea of the alien/human partnership and the mental connection between Kerris and Arucken was cool! I liked their ship, a hybrid in itself. Add in the sibling rivalry with Arucken’s sister, hinting at familial conflict, the deception about Kerris’ sister’s death, and the elements are there for a great story. I enjoyed Lily, and the interaction with the other species that stole the children’s minds was interesting. All told, Tacenda is an excellent story.

What I didn’t like:

As much as I enjoyed the story, the book has some technical issues. The grammatical errors pulled me out of the story, and I found a few formatting errors, too, that interrupted the flow of the book.

Overall impression:

For me, this could be a 4.5 star read, but the issues mentioned above knock it back. I did enjoy the story, and I connected easily with the characters. Tacenda is a good sci-fi novel that is worth a look!

My rating:

3.5 Stars (rounded to 4 Stars)

Connect with the author:

If you would like to connect with Christine Vann, you can find her on her Amazon Author Page or on her site! Give her books a look and, if you read one or more, please consider leaving a review!

Connect with me:

If you have comments on my review or what to connect with me, I can be found on Twitter, Facebook, and  Goodreads. You can email me at bill@williamlstuart.com. If you don’t want to miss a post (including my reviews), subscribe to the blog!