 Score: 90/100 (9.0 out of 10)
We'll open by saying this: this is a very polarizing book! The first time we went through it, a lot went over our head, the multiple-timeline aspect seemed a bit convoluted, and the religious elements seemed to be a bit forced. However, the second time we read this book, we really gained more of an appreciation for it. You really have to read this book slowly and patiently to fully grasp the merit of the storytelling. This is a very ambitious story that borrows elements from Christian religious tradition (primarily the Gospels) and Arthurian lore. The book primarily follows Genesis, commonly just called “Gen,” as she has recently endured the tragic and unexpected death of her grandfather, a devout Christian man beloved by the entire community. Grandfather raised Gen to be familiar with the Bible. Among Gen's favorite stories are the Gospels, the life of Jesus, and the slaying of Goliath by David. Sometimes when she recalls hearing these stories from her granddad, she also recalls experiencing the sounds and actions of the stories as if she were really there. This is great foreshadowing for when her character develops and her eyes are opened to her uniqueness. See, Gen isn't just another 20-something-year-old MBA student, she's a girl with a very special lineage and a very special destiny that began when Jesus was crucified and killed on Golgatha. She has a deep affinity with and is a guardian of the nail that pierced Christ's feet, believed to have absorbed his essence. While this isn't necessarily biblical as in true-to-scripture, it is consistent with extra-biblical Christian folklore such as the Arthurian myths and legends themselves. In fact, the footnail in this book shares many similarities with the Holy Grail of Arthurian Lore—a sought-after artifact believed to have been associated with Jesus. It is essentially a McGuffin, but we mean that in the most flattering way possible. Sometimes you need a McGuffin for heroes and villains to feud over and chase after. It adds tension and makes the story more exciting. The footnail seems to behave almost like those pins in the Tommorrow Land, a movie we love, or like Luke's lightsaber in the Force Awakens, a movie we hate. When someone with an affinity for it touches it (namely Gen), they get a flash of the past and the history of the item. In other words, they get to see and experience bits of the life of Jesus and the struggle by those after him to obtain the item. Gen is an adequate protagonist. She is brave, spunky, and tenacious. She is the Chosen One, the one meant to bring balance to the Force. However, she's also a bit generic in that sense. Yes, we can relate to her early loss in the book, but that doesn't seem to have impact and payoff it should have. Does she grow throughout the course of the book? Yes. In the beginning of the book, she is confused and sometimes even afraid of the wild things going on which prompts her to call for help and ask questions. She eventually grows to have a greater understanding of what's going on and her role in the universe. This is her awakening. There's also Mark, essentially that handsome guy with all the tattoos on his face and the machine gun from The Mummy (1999). He's handsome, cool, and helpful. There are times he bails Gen out of very tough situations. This book also features Merlin (yes, THE Merlin from Arthurian legend) as part of a twist you learn about early on (so it's not much of a spoiler). Merlin is a rather interesting and fitting addition to this story-line as he serves his classic role as a sort of facilitator and catalyst for the larger conflict. Merlin is essentially the Yoda, Obi-Wan, or Gandalf of this book, the grizzly old veteran wizard serving the greater good. We also follow Empress Helena and her loyal guards. If you don't know, Empress Helena was historically the mother of Emperor Constantine, the man who made Christianity the official religion of the Roman Empire after living one of the coolest war-time stories ever. Helena was obsessed with Christian artifacts, especially things related to the life of Jesus and his apostles. Perhaps the artifacts she is best known for trying to obtain is the Spear of Destiny, the spear said to have pierced the side of Christ after his death. This legendary spear has been coveted by leaders throughout history and seems to be the direct inspiration behind the footnail in this story. Interestingly, when the Spear of Destiny was analyzed by scientists, it actually contained a nail, supposedly one of the nails involved in the crucifixion, although the dating seemed to disprove that. One of the things we noticed about this book and Season of the Swords by Domenic Melillo is how eerily similar the books are. They're almost identical. Both stories begin with the death of a grandparent shrouded in mystery. Ironically, we read them back to back. Both stories feature a figurative or real return-from-the-dead of said grandparents. Both stories revolve around artifacts and historical figures with mostly Judeo-Christian significance (i.e. Jesus). Both tout a mostly Christian message. The thing is, as far as storytelling, character, and pacing goes, Season of the Swords comes across as the superior book. It's also a funnier book. Perhaps that's the major different: it was just funner and more entertaining to read. Now, that's not to take away from Genesis Awakens because Season of the Swords will likely rate at or near the top of all fiction books this season. Genesis Awakens still does its job in featuring a strong female lead coming into her own, charismatic side characters, and arguably better villains. Unlike in Season of the Swords in which the villains (“the Apostles of Azazel”) are on the sideline being talked about for 95% of the book, the villains in Genesis Awakens (“the Accursed”) are constantly at our heroes' throats, always just one step ahead or behind. In that sense (the involvement of villains in the plot), this book is superior. We can definitely recommend that you at least give this book a try if you're into Christian fiction related to the life of Jesus and/or Arthurian lore. Check it out on Amazon!
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 Score: 95/100 (9.5 out of 10)
Who would've thought that a book about the Vietnam War would be the breath of fresh air we needed after numerous books about time travel, abuse, pandemics, politics, and racism? Letters from Vietnam by Dennis Hoy was exactly what we needed to read. It is a beautiful, grounded autobiography/memoir about one man (and couple's) experience during one of the most unpopular, violent, and divisive wars in American history. One of the things that pleasantly surprised us about this book is that this isn't just a lazily thrown together collection of letters (which we expected), but actually a thoughtful and thorough interpretation of these letters. In other words, this book actually has a clear and compelling narrative. And, by golly is it compelling! Dennis Hoy was an aspiring baseball player with a beautiful, loving girlfriend who got wrapped up and drafted into the Vietnam War, a conflict that provides the very real possibility of soldiers never coming home or not coming home in one piece. The tension is raw and real, and that's part of what makes this book great. Another thing that makes this book great is that you really get to know Dennis and the mindset of a soldier during the war. While the instinct to survive and protect oneself is great, so is the desire to make a positive difference and do one's duty such as when Dennis volunteered to be on point a third of the time and to be on watch when others couldn't be relied on to stay awake. This one year in Vietnam seems like an eternity as Dennis endures one struggle after another, not just from a very determined and tricky enemy but from his own military, particularly the higher-ups. Something that continually gets shared is how unjust and unfair the hierarchy can be. For example, many officers have less wartime experience than the grunts and serve tours that are half as long. But some of the greatest criticisms are regarding those much higher up in the chain of command and politicians, people who can send men to their deaths from all the way on the other side of the world. We are frustrated when Dennis is frustrated, anxious when he's anxious, and excited when he's excited. The greatest tension in this book, beside Dennis trying to survive the war in one piece, is whether Dennis and Beth will be able to reunite, marry, and have the happy ending they dreamed of before he was sent off to war. It's very tragic that these two are separated by a circumstance like this. What helps build the tension is when Dennis talks about other soldiers who are dumped or divorced during the course of the war, devastating them. We often worry if Dennis might suffer the same fate. After all, we've all experienced the difficulty of a long-distance relationship of some sort, so it's a very relatable conundrum made all the worse by war. It was also amazing to see some of the things we learned about from documentaries or in Arlen's Gun by Edgar Doleman be discussed from a real-life, first-hand perspective. Case in point: we got to read about Puff the Magic Dragon (the AC-47 gunship) in action, albeit sometimes tragically. For instance, there is one time when Dennis's side is overrun and outnumbered, having to call in close-air-support from an AC-47. The AC-47 devastates the enemy with tens of thousands of rounds per minute, but it also wipes out civilians who are wrapped up in the violence with nowhere else to run. Speaking of situations like this, the author isn't shy about talking about them. In fact, Dennis discusses some of the atrocities and torture he witnessed on both sides such as people losing fingers, being scalped, or being waterboarded. What's interesting is that Dennis doesn't bluntly condemn these actions but rather tries to understand them from the perspective of men at war who've seen their comrades mutilated and killed, dealing with immense trauma mixed with a burning bloodlust for revenge and retaliation. It seems natural, sadly, that immense cruelty might be met with immense cruelty. At the same time, there's a lot of hope and humanity to be found too. For example, when Dennis suffers from Malaria, he is visited by Vietnamese schoolgirls who give him gifts to cheer him up. Also, when the Americans visit a particular village, some of the children come out to greet them and give them coconuts. Perhaps the most enjoyable stories in this book aren't really about people at all but rather the exotic and often dangerous wildlife in Vietnam ranging from venomous snakes to mysterious murder cats that attack in the night to bullet-sponge water buffaloes that charge without warning. There's even a lizard so huge and aggressive that the soldiers mistake it for a crocodile! This is a perspective of the war that we think doesn't get a lot of attention: from the ground. It's one thing to see movies about Vietnam or watch media, but it's another thing to hear and read these perspectives. It's also interesting to get Beth's perspective. Check out this incredible book on Amazon!  Score: 93/100 (9.3 out of 10)
The Lambda Factor is a heavily-inspired medical fiction thriller from the mind of an actual doctor and scientist, Dimple Desai (MD). Although it is listed as speculative fiction, it is actually a chilling reflection of reality and current events. The book covers such issues as failures in pandemic relief/response, an overburdened healthcare system, the military industrial complex and the weaponization of such things as Agent Orange, the politicization of tragic events, and—to top it off—global warming and its relation to weather phenomena. It is patient and methodical, covering a lot of ground in 350 pages (which is really about 180 pages of text considering the spacing). The author provides numerous perspectives of the book's core crisis. In that sense, it reminds us heavily of the novel we'd just read and reviewed, When All Hope is Lost by Alyce Elmore, another book about a viral pandemic that wiped out a large portion of the population post-COVID. Both books also featured doctors and scientists as central characters with numerous perspectives, although Elmore's work may have provided a broader diversity in those perspectives in showing the affects of the pandemic in the shoes of people at different levels of society. However, Desai's work does branch out as we get the rather unique and interesting perspective of Jason Carter, a prisoner and disgruntled veteran of the War on Terror. We're introduced to Carter as a surprisingly cool, charming, and somewhat snarky gentleman, even cracking jokes despite the direness of the situation and his vulnerability in being bed-bound in a hospital in the middle of both a pandemic and a hurricane. That's right, a hurricane. As if the pandemic weren't terrible enough, the characters have to experience the full wrath of 2020 (being sarcastic here), as Hurricane Beatrix forms in the Atlantic. Meanwhile, the hospital personnel and patients in Galveston, Texas are trapped on that island in quarantine with military enforcement and politicians like Senator Crowley being barely willing to lift a finger to alleviate the situation. You know this guy is not intended to be likable for the shear fact that his name is Crowley (as in Aleister Crowley, the occultist) and is possibly based on real-life Texas Senator Ted Cruz. Crowley may not be evil or a traditional villain, but he is definitely unscrupulous. He is a politician. He plays his political game and performs his political theater. It is kind of chilling how close this is to reality and how politicians on both sides used the pandemic to paint the other side as evil while glancing over the human costs of their actions or inactions. The author also has first-hand experience of hurricanes in Texas, having lived through and survived multiple ones. So, not only does the author have experience as a doctor during the COVID-19 pandemic, but they also have experience with the natural disasters in the region. This book really does come from a place of experience and inspiration, and we admire it for that. Does this sometimes lead to too much going on and a convoluted story with perhaps too many different messages? Maybe. But it's somewhat interesting. It was at least compelling enough to get us through the book without much complaint. Jason Carter, Dr. Shaka Sen, Dr. Kirsten Stone, and—above all—Dr. Danica Diza are solid protagonists who actively push the plot forward and get us on their side. Well, Jason can sometimes get on the reader's nerves, but that's the point. Also, his last name is misspelled at least once (as “Cater” at the beginning of chapter 16), but we can forgive that. Another somewhat funny thing we noticed about Jason's character is that the disturbing backstory he shares about serving in Iraq is almost identical to something we'd heard or read about before. At first we couldn't put our fingers on it, but then we realized that this isn't a description of the Iraq War at all but borrowed from an interview from a Vietnam War correspondent describing the treatment of American POWs and accused collaborators who were thrown off of trucks while tied up with no way to break their fall. It was seriously a case of deja vu to read that! We can't really fault the author too much as we've been inspired by historical documentaries in our own writing. The book also features some graphic descriptions of death and decay. Notably, it features one of the most tragic and sad deaths we've read in a fiction novel. There are also some shocking and disturbing reveals! Comparably, this book is most similar to Lethal Elixir by Dennis Ross, another book about a pandemic with political and military implications. Deciding on which of these two books is better or superior is incredibly difficult. With all that in mind we're giving it an identical score of 9.3 out of 10. Check it out on Amazon!  Score: 94/100 (9.4 out of 10)
Fostering: A Memoir of Courage and Hope by Carmen Maria Navarro is a heartfelt, genuine, eye-opening book about the ups and downs of the child welfare/foster care system. Navarro is an incredible human being as well as an author who has walked the talk and experienced this system first-hand. The book centers on the Navarro family's experiences with several foster care children, all of them unique and special in their own ways. Each with their own strengths, weaknesses, and challenges. What's incredible about this book is that no matter how difficult some of these children may be to care for, the author's love for them is unconditional. There is so much love in this book! What's also incredible is the amount of tension in this book. For example, we're all cheering for a happy ending. That's a plus in favor of the book right there—we truly CARE about the people involved. The sad fact is that happy endings aren't guaranteed or truly permanent/everlasting. Sometimes in life, you reach a pinnacle only to experience a major setback or fall. Sometimes the hardest thing to do is to let go of the people and things that we've nurtured and built. You really feel the weight of the decisions that the Navarro family makes. It's painful and heart-wrenching. There are a number of compelling real-life figures in this book, many of whom use made up names to protect their privacy. There's Andy, the first child whose biological mom was going through a crisis. There's Danny, a boy who insists on the family watching and reciting lines from the Disney movie Wreck It Ralph each and every night. He's totally in the right as Wreck It Ralph is the best Disney animated movie of the recent era. What's extra incredible about Danny is that we actually learn about encounters with him later in life when he was more mature. He even remembers his time in the Navarro household. There's an African American girl named Naomi who expresses a sort of culture shock (living with a Latino-White family) while also struggling with an eating disorder. It is also revealed that she may have a criminal history, something which the state kept a secret from the family. There's also another foster child (or two) who we're introduced to in the epilogue, ending this book on an almost perfect note that brings everything full-circle. We won't spoil that. However, out of all these foster children, the most interesting by far is Lucy. Lucy even has her own section dedicated exclusively to her. So, who is Lucy and what is her deal? Well, first of all: POTENTIALLY TRIGGERING CONTENT AHEAD. Lucy is a troubled yet very likable child who alternates between times of frustration and even violence to times of demonstrating incredible affection and creativity. She is an onion—a frozen onion frozen there by circumstances beyond her control. She was a victim of grooming and sexual abuse by her own father, something which greatly affected her trust and future interactions with people. Despite sometimes lashing out and being anti-social, Lucy's cold outer shell slowly melts as she becomes comfortable with loving, physical contact again. In fact, she becomes so affectionate and loving that Navarro is forced to teach her about boundaries—both for her and for other people. Navarro is preparing her to protect herself from future sexual abuse. Something else that's very endearing about Lucy is that she loves to try things and express herself in different ways. She is a terrific singer with the voice of an angel. She also loves to apply makeup to herself and others, although not necessarily doing that great of a job some of the time. She also loves cheetahs. In fact, cheetah prints make up a great deal of her favorite clothes. Lucy just seems like a very dynamic character, someone who is flawed in a lot of ways yet full of hope. She inspires hope in us that someday she could have the happy life she deserves, righting the wrongs of her past life. While showcasing the experiences with these foster children, Navarro does a terrific job at pointing out the flaws of the child welfare/foster care system and aspects of it that go unacknowledged. Perhaps the biggest thing she points out is that the system knowingly and willingly keeps prospective foster parents in the dark about their prospective foster kids as a sort of privacy or confidentiality issue. The problem is that some of these foster children have histories that seem pertinent for the foster family to know about beforehand. For example, it seems wrong that the family wasn't told that Naomi had gone to juvenile prison for an undisclosed and potentially violent crime, all the while living under the same roof and right next door to other minors. They also weren't informed about her eating disorder or about Lucy's sexual abuse, something which possibly led to Lucy acting out physically and violently toward her foster siblings including choking one of them. These are significant pieces of undisclosed information that aren't just helpful, they are necessary to know both for the wellness of the foster children and the safety of the foster family. Foster families who are essentially doing the state a favor by taking in these children shouldn't be left in the dark by the state. Another issue that keeps coming up is the consideration of how having foster children influences and affects the biological children in the household. What influence are they getting? Are they feeling neglected or abandoned? Threatened? Afraid? What lessons are they acquiring from being a part of such a household? Check out this heartwarming, heart-wrenching, and eye opening book on Amazon!  Score: N/A
Rise from the Blue is presented as a series of conversations/dialogue akin to a stage play. The central character and most vocal protagonist is John Nobola, an immigrant who is very unhappy with the state of America, particularly its politics and media bias. As one character (Ekiey) says, almost everything Nabola thinks and says comes down to politics. Sometimes challenging him but usually trumpeting his call is his best friend, Isaac Abenda. They're also joined by other characters like Asso, a colleague of Nobola, the aforementioned Ekiey, Marty, and Father Gilbert. Through these characters, the author attempts to show different perspectives to the arguments that brew between the Left and the Right. You know what? We actually agree with a lot of the arguments that the author makes. Yes, the media is biased. Yes, there is a cult-like mentality brewing in our culture and society that's becoming increasingly dogmatic and dangerous. It has become its own socio-political religion in a sense, ruining peoples' lives and indoctrinating future generations. Yes, America seems to be deteriorating and caving in to the will of the mob. Yes, common sense isn't so common. Yes, we need lower taxes, less regulation, and a strong military that deters aggressors. Yes, America needs to remember that it's America and not Other-i-ca or Like-Everyone-Else-Ica. Yes, we need police—albeit police that don't murder and/or discriminate against people. Yes, we need rules. Yes, the race riots were horrendous. Yes, we need energy independence. Yes, we need to ensure that American businesses and workers continue to be the biggest and best in the world. Ok, maybe not the physical biggest (as in obese), but you get it... The real issue with this book is the presentation of information. The presentation of information in this book is so heavy-handed, so preachy, so dogmatic, and so one-sided that it's difficult to enjoy or find interesting even if you agree or can at least understand the overall message. This book outright comes out and tells you what's wrong with America. Yes, there's dialogue, but is it really dialogue or someone just echoing/parroting the point that Nobola (the author's mouthpiece) is trying to make? It's more like a 91-page monologue or diatribe. It's pretty much like a novella-length rant. We invite you to read it for yourself to verify that or not. From our perspective, this book is just way too one-sided and preachy. These aren't really characters, they're two-dimensional constructs the author uses to put forward a political message. But perhaps the thing that hurts this book the most is that, despite the fact that it's presented like a stage or morality play, there doesn't seem to be a plot. We were going to playfully argue that this book is more preachy than the Bible. It kinda is. Yes, the Bible constantly reminds the reader that God is great, good, and powerful, but it also has three-dimensional characters with character flaws and relatable moments of weakness. Moses got frustrated with his followers and struck the rock. Abraham and Sarah conspired to get Haggar pregnant with Abraham's child. Thomas doubted Jesus. Peter denied Jesus three times. David committed adultery. Saul/Paul persecuted people. They all changed or had some sort of wrinkle occur with their characters. What real journey or character arc do the characters in Rise from the Blue actually undertake beside just nodding their heads and ultimately agreeing that blue is bad and red is good? Again, we are not arguing against the points that the author is trying to make, but rather we're arguing for the way that these points are made. It just does not seem real or natural. None of these characters seem to talk like real people. None of the conclusions seem contended or earned. It would have been much better had the author just made this a non-fiction book and said their piece about the way they felt about American politics and society. At least then it would have felt natural and real. This book does have a point of view worth hearing/reading about and is mostly absent of spelling and grammatical errors. You can still check this book out on Amazon if you are curious.  Score: 94/100 (9.4 out of 10)
Wow! We were really not expecting a book like this to be this good and this fun to read! The authors of Queen Bee's Alphabet Cook Book really went above and beyond to make this book fun and interesting for their readers. The art, while not elite or extraordinary by any means, still does the work. And the stock images/photographs are of workable quality with art/character superimposed onto them almost seamlessly. It is similar to Ronnie Pool in that sense. Where this book really shines, especially as a children's book, is the writing and the content. There is so much value in being able to teach language and the alphabet to young children. Growing up, programs like Hooked on Phonics were staples. They helped us to be where we are today—being able to read and write to a higher degree. Along with communicating with parents and other loved ones, books like these are one of the cornerstones of acquiring language. This book could've very simply been strictly an alphabet book like “B is for Bee” and “C is for Cat” but it went far beyond that. The writing in this children's book is very compelling. The rhymes are fun and interesting. It isn't wordy. It's not too hot, not too cold. It's just right. For example: “C is for carrot and cookies and cake. So many things to learn how to make.” This might seem like a simple quatrain, and it is, but that's the beauty of it. It's this brevity and economy of language that shines. Young kids don't need to be bombarded with words. They tend to latch onto sounds and form meaning from them. How about: “U is for up that's how you'll grow. When you eat healthy, the benefits show.” Something that you may have noticed from these quotes is that they do more than just tell you what the letter of the alphabet is and what it could stand for, it also teaches the young reader broader concepts like using smaller parts/ingredients to make something bigger/better or how eating healthy will benefit their bodies/growth. Those are valuable lessons for kids to learn just like language and communication are. Queen Bee herself is a charismatic and compelling character. She's positive (always smiling and/or high-spirited) and adventurous. There are times she's seen mowing or spreading seeds across a field, stirring batter in a bowl, trying out new or different clothes (like when she wears a “fancy orange suit”), and watching people play at a park or gather ingredients from the farmers market. She is definitely someone you can get behind. She reminds us of Oprah. The other characters, well, are a little less compelling and maybe even a little strange. First of all, they're purple, green, blue, and aqua blue. This could possibly be upsetting to a child who has a set of expectations about what a human being should look like. In other words, this has the issue of the uncanny valley—when something looks human enough to be recognized as human but different enough to possibly be unsettling. You could probably explain this all away as the characters basically being vegetable people—like Veggie Tales. The second part of this is an actual recipe book that children and their parents/teachers can engage with! That's the cherry on top of an already stacked book. What's also incredible about these recipes is that it not only comes from a passionate source but also a reputable one. Mariah Ecker is a legitimate registered dietitian, so that means that most of the recipes you are getting are helping your children to reach one or more nutritional goals based on the concept of nutritional balance. How wonderful is that? What's more is that the authors do not skimp on the importance of safety. There is a whole page about safety in the kitchen which parents and teachers can over with their kids. Check it out on Amazon!  Score: 89/100 (8.9 out of 10)
We read this book about a week ago and really had to wait to let it sit and simmer. We've come away with the recognition that When All Hope is Lost is an ingenious, clever, and very cynical book about many issues facing our society today. Interestingly, despite the fact that most of this book takes place in Melbourne, Australia (one of our favorite places on the planet), it is applicable to people living in places like the United States and Europe—western nations arguably undergoing a socio-cultural and political upheaval with some even claiming they're heading the route of civil war. At the very least, there is a culture war between the Left and the Right. What's very interesting about this book is that even though a matriarchy reigns supreme in it and you get some feminist vibes that appeal to Progressives and Leftists, people who lean the other direction could equally argue that the book has aspects that appeal to them too. It is very, very complicated, but let's try to unwrap this little by little. In a lot of ways, this book is written as a satire of current and recent events like the COVID-19 pandemic, race wars, and the Supreme Court's ruling on abortion rights. The author cleverly and cunningly does this by completely reversing the situation, putting MEN and BOYS in the shoes of WOMEN and MINORITIES who are frequently marginalized and have their rights taken away. Sorry for the all-caps, but we really needed to emphasize that point. In this dystopian, apocalyptic vision of Australia's future, a virus in the late 2030s wiped out a large portion of the male population and continues to kill them shortly after the age of 18. Most of the book takes place between 2049 and 2069 in the aftermath of this catastrophic pandemic which left most of the population female. So, naturally, most of the power in government, business, and practically every institution is run by women in the world of this book. Furthermore, homosexuality has seemingly usurped heterosexuality as the norm with the majority of women turning to Lesbianism while men and boys are used only as “donors.” Men and boys are also exploited in this book where male suicide, infanticide/abortion of males, and a slave trade of vulnerable young males are as common and open secrets as McDonalds and Walmart. Furthermore, there are advocates for writing males (or at least their importance) out of the history books because they're seen as obsolete and unnecessary. It is actually quite haunting. If we were going to compare this book to any work of fiction, it would actually be World War Z. The book is actually presented in much the same way as it was in that zombie apocalypse book, from multiple perspectives and somewhat in hindsight with multiple people talking about what came before. You follow the deputy premier, Monika Thomas, as she is conflicted between attending to her personal convictions about humanity and pressure from her party and the diabolical Evelyn Perkins—the Queen Maker—who wants to rid the world of males. Monika is placed into a position of great influence and authority after the mysterious assassination of Premier Anderson. There's also Patricia, a political journalist trying to get the scoop on both the assassination of the premier and the plan to eradicate boys (to supposedly free them from homelessness, joblessness, and exploitation). We also get the perspective of Dr. Bonnie Harris, a researcher dying to find a cure despite shocking and continued obstacles put in her way by the government who want to defund her and “move on.” On the side, we also get the perspective of a heterosexual couple in Karen and Josh. This book has INCREDIBLE potential. It should absolutely have scored at least a 9.3 if only for two things: it is poorly edited and barely formatted. It was impossible to ignore that. It just did not look polished or finished at all. It is really unfortunate because the content is pretty much all there. However, there are instances when words like “premier” are spelled wrong. And all throughout this book, there are no indentations at the start of paragraphs or dialogue. There are also odd times when things are double-spaced while other sections are single-spaced. In the hands of a caring and thoughtful editor or proofreader, this book could really be a top-tier book. Also, as an side (not affecting the score at all), the cover definitely needs more work as it is low quality and doesn't nearly reflect what the book is about. With that out of the way, the content of this book is actually incredible and compelling. Check it out!  Score: 92/100 (9.2 out of 10)
Vigilante justice comes to the 19th century is in this edgy novel by Adrian Winney! The book follows the titular Tosher, a disabled boy who was abandoned in a London sewer by his parents only to be raised by an ex-soldier/mercenary named Jack Tanner, often just called “Da” (probably short for dad). Jack, acting as a father, raises Tosher to use his head and to think past and around his missing leg. Due to this upbringing, Tosher grows up to be a incredibly ingenious boy who is able to figure out advanced problems, make contraptions, and even improve on cutting edge technology like revolvers and shotguns. In a sense, he's kinda a mix between Batman, Iron Man, a Ninja Turtle, Edmund Dantes, and the Phantom of the Opera. He's an orphaned kid with a chip on his shoulder raised by a grizzly old wise guy to create weapons and traps to defeat unscrupulous foes. He's like a Ninja Turtle while not being, well, a turtle. Going with that, Jack/Da is a lot like Master Splinter, Alfred, or the priest from Count of Monte Cristo. He was arguably our favorite character in the book as he demonstrated so much love and care for this little boy who he could've easily passed over as someone else's problem. No, he's not perfect, and he does have a dark side, but Jack is mostly a good man in some very dark and dangerous scenarios. SPOILER AHEAD! YOU'VE BEEN WARNED! Unfortunately (and this is kinda a spoiler but kinda not since it happens so early on, but BE WARNED), Jack doesn't make it very far in this book. It is one of the most frustrating things about it, actually, similar to the death of Joel in The Last of Us Part II. Why would you set up this awesome character who has so much more butt to kick only to kill him off less than a quarter of the way through? Well, if the author's intention was to make it tragic and to anger us enough into wanting vengeance, then they succeeded. The problem is that as cool, capable, cunning, and interesting as Tosher is, can he really carry this entire plot on his shoulders? Yes and no. Yes, he can because he's cool, capable, cunning, and interesting. But no, he would've likely been better off playing off of Jack. Without Jack, Tosher is like Shaquill Griffin without Shaquem Griffin. He's like Bubba Ray Dudley without Devon Dudley. It's like Bo Duke without Luke Duke or Lamont Sanford without Fred Sanford or Officer Jon from CHIPs without Erik Estrada. And we all know CHIPs would've sucked without Erik Estrada. The dynamic duo is disrupted. Yes, it can work, but should it? Does it have to? It's almost exactly like The Last of Us Part II in that this tragic death of a father figure is intended to trigger a very strong emotional reaction, however it also makes us feel a bit cheated. But we digress. It does work for dramatic effect and as the catalyst to the main plot in which Tosher predictably seeks revenge. The thing about this also is that Tosher seems to become a worse person as a result of Jack's death. Yes, he still tries to draw from Da's wisdom, but he mostly just becomes very mean and angry. Well, do you blame him? There are times in here in which he just outright murders in cold blood. Yeah, this isn't Batman or a Ninja Turtle anymore, this almost becomes the origin story of a mad genius serial-killer or a mass-shooter. He abducts and tortures people, albeit people who likely deserve some comeuppance. But he also threatens their family members who've done nothing wrong as far as we know. Yes, he feels bad about it later and it's questionable if he'd actually follow through with his threats, but it's still something he does. He legitimately goes into shops asking how he can make his guns more efficient at killing people. On one hand, it's hard to blame him, and the other hand, well... do we really want to cheer for this kid anymore? How far is too far? If you enjoy books about dark ingenious antiheroes, you can check this out on Amazon!  Score 94+ out of 100 (9.4+ out of 10)
This book is so much fun! The camaraderie between the young characters is superb, and there's a prevailing sense of adventure that keeps you turning the pages. There's also a fun and empowering sense that anything is possible—that you can go anywhere and do anything. Although there are stakes (and some frightening alien creatures), it never feels like the characters are ever at risk of being permanently maimed or dying. They are, however, at risk of being stuck in time and not seeing their loved ones again, which serves as the crux of the book. This is really a fun book and strictly a fun book. It is very friendly and accessible to grade school children and young adults (this is technically a middle-grade book). It also teaches young readers the importance of not taking for granted what they have in a family and a home. It teaches them to value the time they have with their parents and siblings, even when they can be a headache sometimes. Let's talk about the characters because they really bring some spice to an already-loaded book. There's Nic, a boy who begins this book as a bit of a downer and gradually transforms into an adventurous and optimistic sort. Nic is more or less the main protagonist of the story, although it is a ensemble cast. There's also Sophia, the smart and spunky little girl who is always trying to talk sense into the others. She's also always among the first to volunteer for dangerous tasks like infiltration missions. Tate might seem like the least memorable of the central characters, but he too can be quite interesting. He is a young man who aspires to be a pilot like his late father. Despite his ambitions, Tate is frequently one of the more apprehensive characters. But the character who stole our hearts was Zoe. How can you not like Zoe? She's a girl from the future with futuristic knowledge, futuristic technology, and (as the book constantly points out) futuristic clothes based on movies like Back to the Future, which she references. Zoe is a true nerd, an apparent Whovian too. There's some really awesome world-building in this book too including flying and self-driving cars, quadcopters, jetpacks, implants that give you some special abilities/knowledge but also allow the government to track and influence you. Even the “puffy” fashion style is unique to this world. But perhaps the thing that stuck out to us is the diet of these futuristic people: they love to eat crickets! Fried crickets, boiled crickets, and even chocolate crickets! Anyway, if you're looking for a book with some lighthearted, time-traveling adventure, fun characters, and good world-building, check out this book!  Gilraen and the Guilds by Joanne Reid is the best installment of the Jaralii Chronicles since the original trilogy! It is the fifth installment in the series after Gilraen Returns, a book which left a bit to be desired. Thankfully, Gilraen and the Guilds is much more eventful, and there’s a fresh sense of adventure with it also as our heroine finds herself in a new land.
The reader is dropped right into the armored shoes of Gilraen, in the guise of Gillian Gilaman, as she ventures through a foreign land. This takes Gilraen out of her comfort zone, forcing her to improvise and rely on her wits in dealing with the powerful guilds of Narwortland. The world-building, as usual, is top-notch. The world feels lived-in, full of different ways of speaking (in which parts of speech are sometimes switched), colloquial terms for bees ("shi") and honey ("cyli"), highwaymen, a special currency, and the unique guilds themselves--each one having their own specialty such as smithing, mining, or wizardry. This book is adventurous and imaginative, taking the reader to a whole new land they've never seen or experienced before! This series of books always polarizes us because there are ways in which it is absolutely incredible and a master-class in world-building, and there are also ways in which we see room for improvement. This is especially evident when it comes to character development and pacing. Gilraen herself is a very polarizing character. Our judges, many of whom have read every other book in the series thus far, have always felt strongly about her. That can be a very good thing. The worst reaction is no reaction at all. There are times we loved and adored her, and times (as in the previous book and at points in this one) that we couldn’t get behind her quite as much. We think it might be because it seems like she reached her zenith or pinnacle earlier in the series. In other words, she is a character who has already undergone her character arc, growing from a stranger in a new world to a strong and capable queen in that world. She marries the love of her life and gets pregnant. She wins huge battles and overcomes every obstacle in her way. You don’t want to go back to the well one too many times. Look at the Terminator series, as great as it is. Thankfully, this novel does shake things up a bit. In this, Gilraen is essentially a spy. She can’t come right out and overpower everyone as she has in the past as that would blow her cover. Instead, she has to be mindful and tactful. She has to be clever and diplomatic. It’s when Gilraen has to use her mind and cleverness (gained perhaps by Tony’s gaming experience and his experience in the military), that she is at her best and most interesting. The first half of this book is some of the best work in the series as Gilraen must talk and act like a guild leader of Nartwortland. She must be a problem-solver. In this book, we were also introduced to a surprisingly compelling character named Merry (Meredith Zochanges), who became our favorite character in the book. She joins Gilraen, William, and Reuben as our favorite characters in the series. There’s just something about her… the way she is so often underestimated and talked down to despite being a young girl with tremendous potential if she’s just given a chance. She’s an underdog, a Cinderella, and everyone loves an underdog and a Cinderella. Gilraen is not finished as a character. The Adjudicars and their allies still stand in her way, and she truly has a lot to fight for, most of all REVENGE. Something we’d love to see in future installments like Gilraen and the Two Cities and Gilraen Regent is for the author to dig deeper and explore the emotions Gilraen and William experience due to the loss of their loved ones in battle. As we’ve said in previous reviews, this conflict should be personal–it should be a blood feud. Gilraen and William need and deserve their revenge for Dominica, Richard, Rue, and the elves who were slaughtered/massacred in previous books. And we’re sure the Adjudicars hunger to avenge Cairne and Thandekre as well as Gilraen thwarting every one of their pawns they put in her way. In a sense, we do see hints of the effects these tragic events had on Gilraen and William. Gilraen is more agitated and William seems depressed and impatient, different from his time as an upbeat, lively prince. Talking to each other clearly raises their spirits, but it doesn’t mask the hurt they feel from the reader. That’s another wound that really needs to be opened for the sake of raising tension and drama in the series: there feels like there should be more tension in their relationship–a challenge to them being together. Distance is one such challenge, and that’s something both of them wrestle with throughout the story. What other challenges might Gilraen and William face in the future? We look forward to reading the future installments to find out what happens next! You can check this out on Amazon! |
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