The Scrolls of Xavier: John A. Ashley

   Okay, this was a pretty interesting science fiction genre novel. I was really impressed by the descriptiveness of the story. I always thought what made a good novel was the feeling you got when you read it. If you felt like you were right there with the characters while they're jumping through hoops to survive. When you find yourself rooting for the "good guys" to win. That's what makes a good novel.

   John Ashley certainly managed to accomplish that here. I felt myself hoping the characters could pull through just one more time. John Ashley certainly didn't disappoint with this story.

   I loved how the plot developed in completely unexpected ways. I've always hated being able to guess the ending of a story, but I never had to worry about that with this story. The characters were enticing, and the romance was complicated. All in all I would definitely recommend this story to anyone interested in a good science fiction book.

   A free copy of this e-book was provided by the author for reviewing purposes.

The Tainted Coin: Mel Starr

   The Tainted Coin takes place in a very early setting, 1367, to be exact. It takes place in Bampton where Master Hugh is enjoying the quiet life, until a badly beaten man is found under the porch of St. Andrews chapel. The beaten man is a traveling merchant of sorts. The oddest thing of all, in my opinion, is the fact that there's an old, corroded coin found in his mouth.

    First of all I did like the over-all sound and feeling that came from this creatively drafted story;however, due to the time period it was set in, I found it a bit difficult to follow.

   I do have to admit it's an enchanting little story; however, I may wish it wasn't true. I did like it over-all, but if you don't have penchant for understanding old texts it won't be any easier for you to decipher The Tainted coin than it was for me.

   Don't get me wrong, I loved the feelings that and setting the author incorporated into his novels, but I had to reread things a couple of times before I completely understood it. Which, of course, takes most of the fun out of it. Although I have to admit it was a little interesting to try to puzzle out the mystery. I wonder who'll try next.

   In my opinion if older stories interest you more than you'll love this book, but if you prefer modern work akin to Stephen King or Dean Koontz than you should probably steer clear of this book.

  Although I could never become a true fan of this book I'll admit if you like historical fiction this will probably appeal to you. I didn't like how hard the book was to follow, but I did think it had a classically antiquated feel to it.

   Another reason I was never quite able to get into this book was because I had not had the fortune of obtaining the books that were a prelude to The Tainted Coin; I strongly feel that prier knowledge to the series would have led to a better reading experience.

A free copy of this book was provided to me by Kregel at the expense of Kregel for reviewing purposes.  

                       

Death Comes In Pairs: Loretta Jackson and Vickie Britton

January 14th, 2012 

 I've always loved westerns. My dad loves them and so do I. Death comes in Pairs is a western. Accused of killing two men in Douglas, Wyoming Jack Leige finds himself wanting to finally settle down in a nice quiet life. However it seems fate has other plans. Once again accused of killing two men Jack finds himself drawn to a local girl by the name of Vida Wrey. Now he has a reason to stay. If they don't hang him first.
   I loved Death Comes in pairs. My only regret was it wasn't longer. At the end of the book I found myself wanting to read more. Loretta Jackson and Vickie Britton are talented writers, who built suspense to the end.
   Death Comes in Pairs brings to mind the old westerns that used to be so popular. I congratulate the authors on a job well done.

Against The Gates of Hell: Mylow Young

Against the Gates of Hell

Created by:

Mylow Young

   Against the Gates of Hell is about two twin brothers, twins Kerby and Herby Wilson. Herby's a police officer and his twin, Kerby is a drug addict. Kerby's headed down a desperate path full of Pride and self-destruction, while Herby is trying to shut out his brother at all costs thanks to his questionable life choices.   

   Herby is entangled in his own problems as he faces bitterness and resentment. All the while trying to keep away from his brother. 

   First of all the main point I got from this story is the struggle that everyone faces in their life. Some aren't as serious as this but everyone has problems they have to struggle through. Internal and external. They can be anything, but a family dispute is one of the hardest things to over-come in my personal opinion. 

   It can be incredibly difficult to over-come personal problems while you're facing separate problems outside of losing faith, or family drama.

   I think this story is an extremely helpful read. In fact the only complaint I had was the street talk was a little annoying, but I do realize it was intentional. I would really recommend this book for anyone facing a crisis of faith or family problems.
http://mpnewsroom.com/books/against-gates-hell
This book was provided for free by MP News Room for reviewing purposes.

Christy Miller Collection

Christy Miller Collection

Robin Jones Gunn

December 28th, 2012

   Okay, obviously I haven't written a post recently. However the first book I'm reviewing after my brief sabbatical is the Christy Miller Collection. This is actually a group of three books in one copy. The first book Summer Promise, the second book A whisper and a wish, and the third book Yours forever.

First of all my general opinion about the writing is although there technically isn't anything wrong with the writing style that was employed I felt it was a little dry and boring. I also thought it was a bit more dramatic than it had to be. 

First Book Summer Promise

    Christy Miller is fourteen years old and is staying in sunny California for the summer. Her Aunt Marti loves to shop, and the surfer boys are everywhere. She develops a crush on surfer Todd. Todd and his 'god-lover' friends are befriending Christy and teaching her.

   Like I said I thought the writing was a little dry, but it was rather touching. It tends to touch on religion quite a bit. Christy's reactions to the challenges she faces are definitely interesting. And a lot of the situations she faces are challenges that a lot of high schoolers have to face. Over-all I think this book is probably a good choice for anyone who likes real-life drama.

Second Book: A Whisper and a Wish

   Christy's immediate family moved to California just in time for Christy's Sophomore year of high school. However, this time she's an hour and a half away from her Aunts house where she stayed the summer so now she has to start all over making friends and trying to fit in. 

   Over-all everything is working out well until an overzealous activity during some midnight fun leads to a stay at the police station. Christy starts to question her newfound faith in god asking questions. Does God really hear every whisper, and why does he make it so difficult to know who your friends really are.

   Again I felt the same problem in the second book. The writing was a bit trite and boring, but it shows that your actions have consequences. It also admirably shows the importance of choosing your friends carefully, and making wise decisions despite pressure from so-called friends.

Third Book: Yours Forever

   Christy is back at her Aunt Marti and Uncle Bob's house for a whole week between Christmas and New Years. The good news is Todd is there too. The bad news is her Aunt Marti and all of her friends from the summer seem to be mad at her. 

   She's becoming increasingly confused because she wants to know. Is Todd hers or isn't he? She finds herself questioning God again. Why would he let everything get so tangled.

   This book focuses more on her relationships and how difficult they can be for a teenager. You're never quite sure where you stand, and how to go about confronting a person you're interested in.

   Again I think Robin Jones Gunn, the author of the books, could use a little work on how to make a story show an image better, but it was still a good read. 

   Over-all I think the Christy Miller series is a good book to read for a teenager facing difficult decisions.

   A free copy of this book was provided by Multinomah publishing for review purposes.

Adrian: Shubhi Singh

Adrian

Authored by:

Shubhi Singh

December 1st, 2012

   Okay, first of all I should mention that this book was written by a middle-schooler so obviously there will be a lot of errors. Now on to the review-

Adrian is about a orphan, Adrian,who is adopted by the Wildes. Although Mr. Wildes does not participate in any abuse toward Adrian, he knows that it happens at the hands of his wife and son, so I don't believe he is a completely innocent party.
   I had a few problems with this book. First of all the idea revolving around a group of supernatural creatures was just kind of thrown in there. I didn't think there was really any reason for making it a group like that.
   Also he was put into an orphanage at the age of eight, but he supposedly had a girlfriend and was leader of a group of these supernaturals before the age of eight. Like I said a lot of things didn't really make sense in this book.
   Over-all I think she could be a good writer if she were a little older, and had a lot more practice, but right now I think she should postpone publishing anymore books, and wait until she's a little older.
   I received a  free copy of this book compliments of Dorrance Publishing Company.

If interested in a copy of this book follow the link below-
http://www.dorrancebookstore.com/adrian.html

The Unnamed:Jennifer L. Oliver

December 4th, 2012
   The Unnamed is a short novella, a prequel to Haedyn. The first chapter of The Unnamed is about a Demon Azazel who is bound and determined to corrupt souls. Willing to go so far as to create his own predestined evil souls. By demons having sex with humans he hopes to create souls that he can turn evil.
   The second chapter of The Unnamed is about a blind orphan, Haedyn, who never quite fit in with the other children. However when she's confronted with pure evil she must make a choice. To allow this demon to train her, to make her evil, or try to find peace with the humans.

   Both chapters have their strong points. I thought the first chapter was more entertaining, however; the second did a better job of painting an image. The first chapter, although the idea was captivating, could've done a better job of using descriptive words to make a better image of what was going on.
 
   Over-all I thought it was an interesting start to a larger storyline and I can't wait to read more.

   This book was provided, in an e-book format, for free by the author for review purposes.