 Score: 93/100 (9.3 out of 10)
Now, here's an interesting new take on an old story! Voiceless: A Mermaid's Tale seems to be a version of the classic story of The Little Mermaid--the 19th century tale by Hans Christian Andersen that was later famously adapted by Disney. However, Voiceless is far more than just a photocopy of the story, it adds more layers than an onion (as Shrek might say). For one, the main character, Moriah, is much more than a naive yet optimistic Mer princess, she is actually very smart, at times even cunning. There is an aspect of naivety in her when it comes to humans, but that's understandable. She just simply hasn't spent as much time with them as she has with Mer folk. When it does come to Mer issues, she is among the wisest and most conscientious of her people. She is able to think skeptically, critically, analytically. Another aspect of this story is that the infamous sea-witch, Ursula in the Disney tale and Amari in this telling, is not a one-dimensional, mustache-twirling villain who sings an ominous, catchy little tune. Yes, Amari is often rude, aggressive, and has her own ulterior motives, but she is also a mentor and, you could even argue, a friend to our main character. Friends try to strangle each other sometimes, right? They hit each other with aluminum pans, throw each other off of roofs onto stacks of tables, and perform finishing moves on each other, right? That's normal. Amari is one of the most interesting parts of this story. The reader can tell that there's so much more to her character than what we initially see and what we expect to see from her. The first exchange between Amari and Moriah allows the reader to see both Amari's gray nature and Moriah's intelligence. Moriah knows to expect a contact with strings attached from Amari, and she is clever enough not to play that game. Actually, she plays back. It's not her voice she surrenders in this version. Instead, she forms a sort of teacher-pupil partnership with Amari to learn the secrets of her transformation spell and other magic, seeking to empower herself in the long term to potentially face up to her tyrannical grandfather. And that brings us to our main villain, the aptly named Abaddon—a name that literally means “DESTROYER.” You would know this if you ever read the Bible, knew Hebrew, or binged watched Supernatural with any brain cells remaining by the end. Anyway, Abaddon is Moriah's grandfather and the tyrannical king of Zoara-Bela, essentially an underwater kingdom akin to something like Atlantis, only a lot more like Rapture from Bioshock with legit torture, capital punishment, and slavery (although a lot of it is implied but not shown, making this book still appropriate for young adults). Taking the place of King Triton from the Disney classic, Abaddon rules his kingdom with an iron fist. Anyone who dissents faces either corporal or capital punishment, even his own children and grandchildren. In fact, the looming threat of punishment persists throughout the story as both Moriah and Amari must tread carefully to avoid being caught. The justice system under Abaddon is also abysmal (pun intended) as it heavily favors the prosecution/accuser, especially male accusers. Women have little to no say in Zoara-Bela, which partly gives the book its title. Another character who is worth mentioning is Michael, a human male who is rescued by Moriah in the beginning of the story, typical for a mermaid tale. However, Michael is no prince. He really seems like a fairly normal human person. He is, however, a foster child who struggles with severe depression and likely mental illness. He feels unloved and unwanted due to his upbringing, making his relationship with Moriah a bit more special. Michael is made to feel “needed” by Moriah, but not in an overbearing way. Michael is Moriah's mostly-patient tutor when it comes to matters of humanity. He teaches her about things like dancing, history, and culture. It is from Michael that Moriah is able to put together that her civilization might not be so ideal: seeing that it reflects some of the worst aspects of humanity and human history. Now, it is a little strange that Michael learns very quickly that Moriah is a member of a cult that seems to be mentally and psychologically abusive to her at the very least, yet he still doesn't report it to the police or try to get her help. You could argue that he's just respecting her wishes or that he doesn't feel he has anyone he can turn to for help to begin with, but we digress. Voiceless is a really good, well-rounded, coming of age story with some fascinating elements. Check it out!
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 Score: 91/100 (9.1 out of 10)
“Valiente: Courage and Consequences” by A.G. Castillo is a solid book about an 18-year-old gay basketball player and his struggles with personal loss, his homosexuality, and being the best he can be in his sport despite numerous challenges such as injuries. At the center of this book is the relationship between Chente, the main protagonist, and Doss, one of his high school coaches and love interest. How you feel about this pairing with inevitably affect the way you feel about the book. For us, the dynamics of a coach being romantically or sexually interested in one of their athletes, especially at the high school level, is very disturbing and troubling. Think about it: as a parent of a high school student, would you want a coach (or teacher) being romantically or sexually interested in them? The book, at least, acknowledges the taboo nature of this pairing. We are constantly reminded that Coach Doss could lose his teaching certificate if news about his feelings and relationship get out. Also, it is a bit softened by the fact that both individuals in the pairing are technically adults: Chente is 18 and Doss is 22 or “21 and a half” as we are often reminded. It isn't technically ephebophelia, although it gets dangerously close. That actually does help to soften the blow. We've read several books with a similar dynamic, probably the most disturbing of which recently was “A Hundred Honeymoons” by J.S. Wilson, a book in which the two young characters, Todd and Sally, are constantly victimized by pedophiles, hebephiles, and ephebophiles including Sally by clients of her high school cheerleading coach, Mrs. V, and Todd by Miss Lady. “Valiente” is nothing close to that level of depravity. Still, the dynamic does remain troublesome in the context of the immense sexual tension between the two leads. For example, Coach Doss has a strange habit of finding excuses to stretch and massage Chente. They also seem to run into each other in the shower quite a bit. Yes, it's consensual, and yes they're both technically adults, but again: this is a coach/teacher arguably molesting and leering at one of their players/students, whether if it's portrayed that way or not. We're constantly reminded by the author that Doss is “21 and a half” and that he is a “first-year teacher.” Those sentiments are repeated time and time again. However, as a loving parent, would you support or approve of this? We don't send our children to schools to gain this kind of inappropriate attention from adults. Now, before anyone goes throwing homophobia accusations around, let's just say that if this were a heterosexual relationship, it would be even creepier. At least Chente, as a mature athletic male, is physically capable of resisting Doss if push came to shove. If this were a male coach showing interest in (and/or taking advantage of) a female player, this would be exponential less comfortable to read about. If you are able to ignore the student-teacher dynamic of this relationship and just take it as one consenting adult forming a bond with another consenting adult, it can be quite captivating. The two obviously have a degree of chemistry from the very beginning of this book. They both definitely admire each other, not just on their looks (although we're immediately told what great legs Doss has), but on their charismatic and caring personalities. And that brings us to next layer of the book: Chente, his loving personality, and his personal struggles with profound loss and sexuality. When we meet Chente, he has already lost his father and a close friend named Jimmy. Jimmy is said to have been driven to suicide. In Jimmy, we see what Chente could be. In a sense, Jimmy acts as Chente's foil: what could happen if he allows the slings and arrows of society and his personal demons to get to him. Will Chente give up and cease to be or will he persevere and fight on against the odds? Chente is legitimately a good guy—if not a great guy—while being far from perfect. He's a three-dimensional character, something which we love to see. The book is clear that his homosexuality isn't the only thing that defines him, although it is still an aspect of him. He is also a great, hardworking athlete who fights through injuries and emotional traumas to not let his teammates and coaches down. He is a great friend who puts up with annoying friends like Haven, and was also there for Jimmy in his darkest hour. He is a good student who is in the running to be valedictorian of his class. And he even seems to maintain his faith and love for God despite some religious people being downright mean to him regarding his sexuality. All in all, this can actually be a worthwhile read. It's actually well-written and well-presented. You even have beautiful graphics at the top of the pages showing Chente in a very humanizing and sympathetic light. If you want a well-rounded LGBTQ+ story, then give this one a try!  Score: 96/100 (9.6 out of 10)
“The Making of a Physician” is a solid book by Harry L. Graber, M.D. F.A.C.C., a cardiologist who dedicated his life to doing God's will in helping people to live healthier, longer lives. Not only does it include Dr. Graber's storied life journey, but it also includes the incredible life journeys of several physicians with whom he'd crossed paths. Dr. Graber was instrumental in the research that led to the discovery that heart disease—the leading cause of death in America—was largely genetic and hereditary, passed down through a gene mutation. Therefore, heart disease could be screened and precautions could be taken to protect patients who were predisposed to the disease. Could you imagine if research by Dr. Graber and his associates had not surfaced? It is very likely that we wouldn't have seen the rise in popularity of the Atkins Diet by Dr. Robert Atkins (also a cardiologist) or the influential works by Gary Taubes. And the books and research by Udo Erasmus may not have come to be. But we digress. That's a part of the book, but far from all-encompassing. This book isn't about science or medicine or even medical research. This is a book about incredible people who answered God's calling to help their fellow human beings in their most dire times: the making of physicians. Some people believe that you have to be “born special” or have some sort of natural gift to be a doctor. But Dr. Graber and his contributors constantly point out that it's not a superpower that gives them the ability to be what they are and do what they do, it's a state of mind—an attitude—to help, to nurture, to sacrifice, and to care. Dr. Graber and many of his contributors did not grow up in a family of medical professionals. In fact, Dr. Graber was a farmer boy. He helped his family to care for animals on the farm from conception to death. This taught him such things as discipline, hard work and how to care for other living things. It also made him comfortable with dealing with more challenging elements of healthcare like blood, amniotic fluid, urine and fecal matter. The young Dr. Graber was also someone who loved sports and aspired to be an athlete, sometimes running three miles to school every day just to get to practice. His path to becoming a physician was not straight or narrow. It seemed like everyone expected him to become a teacher, which he eventually became. He was also held out of school/college by his father who hoped he'd find real work that actually paid—a 9 to 5 job. When he finally went to college and finally got a job as a teacher, he was caught in that hamster wheel for years, so much so that the school district just about refused to let him move on to pursue his dream of studying medicine and becoming a doctor. The young Dr. Graber was sickly, and he had a reputation as the town's sick boy who might not live very long. His Christian family even held prayer meetings with members of the faith to pray for his health. His mother changed his life by promising God that if her son lived, she would dedicate his life to him. Learning about that promise gave the young Dr. Graber's life purpose, and he took it to heart. Dr. Graber's life story is full of leaps of faith and taking calculated risks. There's was even a moment in which, in the middle of his residency, he was called and offered a chance to start a clinic with two other physicians in the middle of nowhere—a town he'd never even heard of. What would you do? Rather than dismissing this call, Dr. Graber promised to call them back when he had more information and weigh his options. He made a deal with them that he would do it for one year to help them get started, go back to complete his residency, and return in another capacity. It's said he made only a few dollars his first day at the clinic, and most of it from patients who just wanted to meet “the new kid in town.” Something else we really found special was his relationship with his wife, Roberta. Dr. Graber had various partners throughout his life, including a beautiful, athletic professional roller skater, but something about Roberta clicked. Roberta stood as an example of a woman who supported her husband's mission and calling without exploiting it for her own gain. She didn't want to be known as “Dr. Graber's wife” just to get favors from people or be seen as “greater” because of it. She was humble, supportive, and loving. Dr. Graber warns the reader that you should find a partner like that, not just based on good looks or status, but someone who has the character traits that will help (not hinder) you in reaching your goal. You sometimes need to let go of toxic people or people who are just weighing you down or holding you back—don't be mean or cruel about it, just break it to them gently and move on. As great as Dr. Graber's story is, the reader is then treated to a series of other extraordinary ones by other physicians. One of our favorites was the story of Dr. Glen E. Miller. It turns out this man grew up as one of nine children during the Great Depression and also lived through World War II, eventually serving in the Korean War. He was a Mennonite, and that upbringing taught him things like the importance of honesty, integrity, discipline, and hard work. He served in Haiti, working with some of the poorest people in the world, and eventually visited over 40 countries. Another of our favorite stories is that of Dr. Vincent Petno, mainly for the reason that he got signed by the Oakland Raiders, and not only was he signed by the Oakland Raiders, he had the guts to tell them that if his medical career took off, he would pursue that as well. We also hear a lot about these doctors' legendary colleague, Dr. Charles F. Wooley, who obviously meant a lot to every other major contributor to this book. They talk about him with great reverence. What a man Dr. Wooley was! He played high school football against a team led by none other than Vince Lombardi when he was just a high school football coach in 1940s! He was also the doctor to legendary Ohio State football coach Woody Hayes! Above and beyond rubbing shoulders with sporting legends, Dr. Wooley was an inspiration to his colleagues, friends and families. Lastly, we wanted to talk about the section written by Dr. Graber's (the author's) son, Dr. Rodney L. Graber. Yes, he also became a doctor! Something beautiful about Rodney's section is that he constantly compares life to seasons: you have time when it's terrible and turbulent like a winter storm or the dying leaves of autumn, and you have times when it's fun and happy like summer or spring. We really loved that analogy. Check out this incredible book on Amazon today!  Score 96/100 (9.6 out of 10)
“Revelation Through Science” is a fascinating read that attempts to take an open-minded view of science through the lens of a man both of science and of religious faith. Not only is James G. Martin the son of a minister, but he just so happens to have a PhD in organic chemistry from Princeton, and he definitely shows off his extraordinary knowledge! Side note: Did we also mention he's a former GOVERNOR of North Carolina and a US congressman?! Martin goes over the history and intricacies of science, especially cosmology, biology, chemistry, and biochemistry in great detail. He doesn't discredit science or attack religion, instead choosing to present them as two different and equally beautiful approaches to understanding God's universe. This is a view similar to that held by some of the first great scientific minds after the time of Christ, namely St. Augustine and Galileo, both of whom were practicing Christians, and both of whom viewed science as a way to better understand God's handiwork. Even Charles Darwin, the father of the theory of evolution, was a devout Christian for much of his life, although the death of his daughter did dampen that world view. We're reminded of when Neil deGrasse Tyson stated how he was surprised that even 7% of the highest-ranking, most respected scientists on Earth still believe in a supreme being (a “God”)--even despite all of the knowledge and information available to them about the Big Bang and evolution. Interestingly, Martin never attacks Big Bang, evolution, or Darwin. If anything, he actually glamorizes and defends Darwin, seeming to suggest that Darwin's original intent wasn't to become the god of atheism, but that his research was heavily skewed by his colleagues and successors who used to it to further their own ends. Darwin is even called “our hero” at one point—astonishing to hear a Christian say as Darwin is paramount to the “great Satan” of science in the minds of many creationists. We're moving closer to an age of absolutes that only a Sith could be proud of: you're either for science or you're against it, you're either for religion or you're against it. You either believe in creationism or you believe in evolution and the Big Bang. Martin is quick to reign us in and remind us that there's nothing less scientific than absolutes—nothing less scientific than untested, unchallenged dogma. Even the accepted laws of physics break down at the center of a black hole or before the Big Bang. Even Darwin made mistakes and misidentified certain birds, having to be corrected by coworkers. Even the so-often quoted phrase “infinite density” to describe the Big Bang at the moment of creation is an oxymoron because the universe, as far as science understands, is finite. That means it has a beginning and an end. Modern science has become it's own kind of dogmatic religion. Science, like religion, makes a lot of leaps of faith and assumptions—the exact opposite of what's scientific. For example, one of the leading theories of life on Earth is that it came from outer space. You read that right. Scientists—the same ones who constantly talk down to the “Jesus freaks”—believe that because they found a meteorite that had some amino acids in it, clearly life originated from a meteorite that impacted or came close to Earth. What a leap! To say that we had high hopes for this book would be an understatement. To say that we were slightly disappointed would be an understatement as well. This book is complex and very detailed, which we loved, but it just seemed like—despite all of this detail and complexity—most of that didn't specifically address or support the supposed thesis. Maybe we were expecting something else. To us, the thesis seemed to be that there are aspects of science that may support the existence of God. We expected to be able to pick this up and show other scientific-minded and religious friends all of these great finds that somehow prove the existence of God and events in the Bible. Unfortunately, that's not what this book is. This is a science textbook talking about the history of modern science, practically from beginning to end—in painstaking detail. This isn't a “they found a God particle!” book. Nor is it a book that claims that the 1st law of thermodynamics proves the existence of God because energy can't be created—something Christians often cite. This isn't even a book trying to explain supernatural phenomena using rational, scientific means, like claiming that the parting of the Red Sea by Moses was actually the result of a passing meteor or other orbital body. This book is barren of those sorts of things, for better or for worse. Forgive us for hoping, but we were optimistic that this book was going to be a lot more like the History Channel at 2 AM. Instead, it's the History Channel at midday. It's just loaded with scientific information, thrown at you because... the author knows it or something. You can almost make the argument that the real thesis of this book is that you can believe in God even if you're someone who knows everything there is to know (currently) about science. And perhaps that's a better thesis. There are several instances in which the author does try to make the argument that some things are just highly unlikely to be up to chance. That's the closest he gets to proving creationism. He makes the argument that the chances of the universe and life within it assembled itself by chance are as unlikely as a tornado rolling through a Boeing factory and assembling a fully-functional 747. That seems like a pretty good analogy. Another example is he points to the “right-handed DNA” or the way that the strands of RNA wrap around each other perfectly in perfect “righty-tighty” fashion like specific nuts designed to fit specific bolts—unlikely, he argues, to have simply been up to chance. The author also takes on the “mediocrity principle” which, in layman's terms, states that we aren't some special bunch of human animals on a special planet with a special sun, we're one of many animals in the universe on an average planet with an average main-sequence star as our sun. But are we really? The author argues, as we would, that the Earth and its human inhabitants do seem rather special. First of all, we haven't found life on any other planets (yet). And our planet exists in the Goldilocks zone in relation to the sun. If it were any closer or further, it might not exist. If our sun were a larger star, it might not have lived long enough to allow the Earth to exist the way it does, much less life itself. It could've burned itself out. Next, the author immediately stomps down the assumption that many—both atheists and Christians alike—often make in the belief that the Bible supports a “young Earth” of about 5000-6000 years. The Bible really doesn't, and the author is quick to point that out. The 5000-6000 year thing is a human invention built on several assumptions: that the genealogy of Jesus found in Luke is the complete, exhaustive genealogy of a man who lived 2,000 years ago going back to the very first man (Adam), not symbolic or poetic in the slightest. The next assumption is that Adam was made by God on the 6th Earth day. Well, surprise, Earth days didn't exist until the “fourth day” of creation because God only created the sun then. So it's much more likely that these “days” are simple measurements of a length of time and not actual Earth days. Earth doesn't have to be 5000-6000 years old for the God of Judaism, Christianity and Islam to exist. At no point does the Bible actually tell us how old the Earth is, it's the result of fallible human attempts to misinterpret the “generations” from Luke. In conclusion, this is one of those books you own just to say you own it. This is one of those books, like the Bible, Webster's Dictionary or “How Everything Works” that—whether you've read it or not—you can pull it off the shelf in the middle of an argument and say, “Hey, I read this big, huge thing and understand it, so listen to me and believe what I say!” And, yes, the information will WOW you, and it is pretty darn comprehensive. At the same time, if you're going into this expecting to have a renewal of your faith or to convince an atheist or agnostic that your religion “had it right all along,” then you're expecting too much. This book is great for what it is. Another thing about this book is that the research and writing are impeccable--some of the best we've seen this season! Check it out on Amazon!  Score: 93/100 (9.3 out of 10)
“Ambushed by Betrayal: The Survival Guide for Betrayed Partners on Their Heroes' Journey to Healthy Intimacy” by Michele Saffier and Allan J. Katz is an excellent self-help book for those with partners who have cheated on them and/or who are struggling with sex and/or pornography addictions. The book focuses on several hypothetical entities: the betrayed person (who has been cheated on), the betrayer (the partner who has cheated), and the therapist (who can help guide them through the process of healing). It's a very good thing that we read these books thoroughly because in the process of reading this book it, went from a 9.1 to a 9.2 and eventually to a 9.3 as we slowly started seeing that, despite a slow and somewhat generic start, this book had a lot new to offer. As you get deeper into this book, the author reveals unique and fresh methods to help the reader and the betrayer to overcome their plight. This includes helpful, useful and unique activities and exercises that usually involve breathing and/or introspection. The author even provides worksheet-type activities for the reader to try given their circumstances. We were actually very impressed by the intricacies and complexities of this book! At the same time, the intricacies and complexities of this book can be a bit overwhelming, and from our experience helping and teaching people, the quickest way to have a rule broken is to have too many rules. The quickest way to have someone stop listening to you is to overwhelm them with a lot of information at once. There is so much advice in this book. There are so many tips—probably in the hundreds if we we were going point by point. You don't have to follow or listen to all of them as many are situation-based, but many readers are going to try to read this book cover-to-cover and try to get as much help and information that they can from it. It can be a lot, so it demands rereading. We want to preface before saying any more that we've read about a dozen similar books in the last year alone, and that this book still manages to stand out as unique. Michele Saffier is highly qualified to talk on the subject of relationships and porn addiction as she is licensed to help with both and has worked with a variety of clients, many of whom serve as case studies in this book. Anyway, we'll go over some of the takeaways from this book because there are many. First of all, we loved the quote that “You are what think” just like “You are what you eat.” It's actually quite true. Your reality, many times, is what you make of it. If you are ungrateful for what you have in life (i.e. family, friends, a home, your health), you're naturally going to be discontent. If you feed off of anger, rage and a thirst for revenge to drive your actions, you're ultimately going to be miserable because these types of people cause as much damage to themselves as to their perceived enemies. On that note, one of the best takeaways from this book is that forgiveness along with acknowledging/resolving problems leads to healing. Something we loved reading about is that forgiveness is not forgetfulness and forgiveness does not acquit the wrongdoer of their wrongs, it allows the victim to heal and avoid further hurting themselves. There's a beautiful quote by world-renown preacher J.D. Jakes about that subject that the author provides, it reads: “Forgiveness does not exonerate the abuse. Forgiveness liberates the victim. It is a gift you give yourself.” Wow, that's beautiful and powerful. And it's true! Another takeaway from this book is that the reader needs to come into control of their inner thoughts and make sure that they don't radiate out like a wildfire out of control, consuming everything it touches. When someone has cheated on us and we feel betrayed, and our profound expectations have been profoundly shattered, it is easier to imagine just about anything being true about our partner: Have they been sleeping with every woman in town? Are they a pedophile? Are they a rapist? Are they a murderer? The author actually addresses this issue—that our thoughts naturally run amok when faced with a harsh truth. Once you can believe your betrayer has betrayed you, it is easier to believe anything and everything about them, even with lack of evidence. Saffier reminds us that we have to control these thoughts and look at facts and evidence. It's going to drive us crazy and down a darker path to believe things that simply aren't true. We are encouraged to take an almost scientific approach: be patient, observe, ask questions and collect evidence. Don't just ambush your betrayer and prod them with questions, you're setting yourself up to be lied to and likely hurt. The book encourages us to use our “Wise Mind” while keeping our “Emotional Mind” in check. Emotions make us do and say things that we often regret later, things like, “I never want to see or talk to you ever again!” Sometimes, that can work, but most of the time, that just leaves unresolved issues. Not every relationship needs to permanently end due to infidelity, we also learned that in “No Perfect Love” by Dr. Alyson Nerenberg earlier this year. They also don't need to end just because one partner has a sex or pornography addiction, these are addressable and resolvable issues. The book also shows us how to set boundaries, what it called “no-fly zones.” In other words, if something is a trigger, we can come right out and say that we—the victim—don't want to talk about it. Comfort is key. The book takes the stance that you have your own “hero's journey.” You're going to be adventuring, taking on obstacles, and overcoming figurative two-headed dragons, giants and other monsters. This sounds almost identical to the “21st Century Man” by Dr. Judson Brandeis, which we read earlier this year. What's extra interesting about Saffier's take, however, is that she also says (albeit briefly) that your betrayer also has their own hero's journey. How very interesting! And it's actually quite true. Just because your betrayer hurt you by cheating or by looking at other partners instead of you, it doesn't make them the devil incarnate (although it might seem that way). King David in the Bible and Gilgamesh from the Epic of Gilgamesh were flawed and promiscuous. That's not to excuse them, but it does make your betrayer's actions understandable. Real quick, the book always reminds us, the betrayed, that just because a person has cheated on us doesn't mean it's our fault. In fact, the opposite is usually true. The problem is with them. Maybe they suffered abuse or had parents who cheated on each other. Maybe they're suffering from deeper, psychological issues. It might help the reader to realize that they are the hero of their own journey, and that they're pursuing pleasure and relief as much as the reader is. There are a ton of activities and exercises in this book, many involving controlled breathing and positive self-thought. There were a few odd ones that made us chuckle but also kept our interest. One is an activity in which you start a fire, collect everything related to your problem and burn them while being conscious of what you're burning and why. This sounds... interesting and potentially dangerous. The author isn't shy about the danger and does warn that this is to be done safely and ideally under supervision in a safe environment. Another more practical activity is the “Impact Letter.” This is a letter getting all of your thoughts and grievances out on paper, especially including the impact that your partner's infidelity has had on such things as your children, finances, and your work life. It is part of the healing process of disclosure. In practical terms, this allows you to vent and also quantify all the losses you're incurring because of your partner's actions. This, more than anything, could be enough to show the betrayer that hurt feelings weren't the only consequences of the betrayer's actions. Something about this book that reminds us of one of the other self-help books we just reviewed, “Care Giving Gift of Unconditional Love” by David Soh Poh Huat, is that it may be too niche and specific for the broader audience. You're immediately told as the reader that your partner has cheated and has a pornography addiction. That seems... oddly specific. Indeed, this book is very specific quite niche. It seems to have a very heavy emphasis on pornography and pornography addictions as a major source of relationship problems. Maybe it is—the statistics support it. If you just so happen to be one of the many people who have a partner, former partner and/or betrayer who suffers from this specific ailment, then this book is almost definitely going to resonate with you. But what if your relationship eroded for some other reason? What if one partner is just bad in bed or suffers from infertility when fertility is a major priority to the other partner? What if finances are the major issue? Kids? Parents or grandparents? In-laws? Moving apart due to work? Because of the specificity and niche nature of this book, it may be challenging for these other people with these other problems. However, this book can still help them if they're willing to ignore or omit some things. Overall, this book can be a very valuable tool in overcoming your relationship issues, especially if they involve infidelity and/or pornography. If two people can work together using the information in this book, forgiving each other, getting everything out in the open, and checking in with each other, it could potentially lead to healing and relationships being saved. Check it out on Amazon!  Score: 92/100 (9.2 out of 10)
The undisputed Outstanding Creator Awards champion in fiction returns with yet another great entry! No one in modern times does fantasy & adventure quite like David V. Mammina. Nobody. And we've read dozens of these types of books this year, there's just no one who does it better. “Of Freedom, Fear & Fantasy” is a collection of short stories by the Mammina that primarily deal with themes like warfare, the future of humanity, and what it truly means to be free. In the very first story, we're thrown into a thrilling seafaring adventure story akin to “Pirates of the Caribbean” or “Master and Commander” in which the protagonist aboard the eponymous warship, Seawolf, hunts down the Caribbean slave ship, the Jarled Stag, and its nefarious captain, Deadlash. Jake was left for dead along with his slave-turned-lover, Marilyse, and her slave children. As an aside, Marilyse is probably Mammina's first-ever major love interest who isn't a red-head. Their ship, the Duchess, was cruelly scuttled with them still inside it by Corbin Nash, a diabolical man with a heavy hand in the Arab slave trade. Slavery and freedom are in the background of this story as it becomes apparent that the Civil War has been fought and slavery is now officially illegal in the region. The best parts of this story by far are the fighting scenes, particularly when we finally get the climactic showdown between the crews of Seawolf and the Jarled Stag. We can only imagine the sense of dread in having the enemy ram our ship and board it. It's truly a fight to the death—no surrender! David Mammina again shows his art in describing these types of all-or-nothing battles. This story was so thrilling and exciting that we almost forgot that this book was a collection. Mammina treats us to a true variety show: a detective story involving a vampire ("night hag"), a dystopian story about a Terminator-like society in which human beings are quickly being replaced by robots and machines, a discussion/debate of humanity's place in the biosphere (destroying the environment while enriching their civilization) starring the somewhat obnoxious Avidus. In fact, let's talk about that particular story because it brought up some thoughts. For one, the topic is a lot like “The Cottage” by William Thon, another book we read this season. Both stories discuss the effects that humanity is having on the environment, particularly in polluting the world, accelerating global warming, ruining the habitats of various animals, and sabotaging our own future. Like “The Cottage,” there's even a debate about organized religion in here. The difference between this and Thon's work is that it seems a lot more balanced. Thon's take was very lopsided, and the bias was pretty overbearing. It was almost like a school teacher wagging their finger in front of you saying, “Bad, bad, bad! No, no, no!” In Thon's work you could almost hear the characters screaming and shouting about the evils of plastics and automobiles, all in a medieval fantasy. With Mammina's work, we have another character, Genus, who supplies a more balanced take and gently challenges Avidus on his opinions, not to prove him wrong but to supply a different perspective. The key word is “gently.” Genus isn't screaming or shouting at him about how her opinion is “better” or “worse” than Avidus's. That's up to the audience, as it should be. Another especially interesting story in here is “Pest Control.” From what we gathered, and we might be a bit off, it's about a young female soldier serving in an insurgency against the corrupt and tyrannical federal army, one that's replacing human workers and soldiers with machines and robots. There are several interesting aspects of this story. First, the female protagonist is struggling to fit in among mostly-male comrades. They constantly make misogynistic comments and belittle her, and yet she still feels a strong connection to them because working with them is her only real chance of survival. While their behavior is reprehensible, it is understandable. They don't entirely trust the protagonist because they feel she can't physically pull her own weight and/or will be a liability in battle. Also, it gives us hope that the protagonist can prove them all wrong by proving her metal. Another aspect of this story that's interesting is how the villains are treated. Yes, they come on in and basically commit a war crime, but you get the feeling that they're as much victims as the protagonist and the insurgents are: they're doing what they think is right. They believe in the state and have a somewhat just and understandable hatred for the insurgents who stand against it. They also believe in the promise of the technological advancements they are propagating, having faith that these robots and machines will be for the betterment of the human civilization in the long term. They also feel that if they don't build bigger, better, and badder weapons and technology that the Chinese and Russians will. These just aren't evil people who kill and massacre people because they're kill-crazy sociopaths, they are actually proud and loyal soldiers who are serving a cause they think it's the right thing to do, just like the protagonist's group. A last aspect of this story that's interesting is the actual pest control. It's symbolic for what both the protagonists and antagonists are doing. The ants are all serving a higher calling. They all believe they're doing the right thing, and following their instinct to work and serve. When one ant deviates from the rest and survives because of it, we feel how that resonates with the protagonist—a young woman indoctrinated by people that one side calls freedom fighters and the other calls terrorists—trapped in a cycle of violence. All in all, this is a great collection of short stories. If you love fantasy and adventure, you'll love this and all of Mammina's books! Check it out on Amazon! |
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