Timothy Other: The Boy Who Climbed Marzipan Mountain by L. Sydney Abel

18 May 2015 Leave a comment

by Amy in 3 Stars, Junior Fiction, Young Adult Tags: , , , ,

Published: 2nd October 2014Goodreads badge
Publisher: Solstice Publishing
Pages: 354
Format: Ebook
Genre: Junior Fiction/Young Adult
★   ★   ★  – 3 Stars

12 year-old adventurer, the intriguingly named Timothy Other, escapes the Dreams and Hopes Orphanage and travels to the bizarre world of Marzipan Mountain, where he befriends some amazing creatures.

With the help of his friends, Timothy seeks to discover his true origins and returns to the Orphanage. He becomes embroiled in a matter of life and death and faces the evil forces that crave the secret of ‘Golden Life’.

He becomes embroiled in a matter of life and death and faces the evil forces that crave the secret of ‘Golden Life’.

Note: I was provided with a copy of this book from the author for review.

From a captivating and really sweet beginning this story turns into one that is filled with adventure, puzzles and mysteries, and a lot of other elements that are a combination of magical, bizarre, and delightful.

The narrative is interesting, it is cryptic and elusive, with tiny tit bits dropped throughout that pique your interest. The tone is light and casual, conversational almost like that of a storyteller, but it soon settles into an almost regular narrative style while still maintaining its deliberate style. There are also multiple points of view which allow an understanding of all angles and character intentions, both good and bad, and Abel makes use of these nicely to propel the story along.

There is just enough character depth and explanations to make the situations believable and the events make sense. Timothy goes off on a spontaneous adventure and is quite accepting of the strange and bizarre things that follow, but there are brief explanations that justify what happens which doesn’t make it too farfetched, and the mindset and justifications of a twelve-year-old can account for a lot of things.

Timothy is a decent main character, he is a bit snappish and he likes to tease and bicker seemingly out of the blue, plus he is slightly intolerable, all of which was a little strange but if you remind yourself he is only twelve then it does help explain his behaviour.

Other characters are interesting, unique in their own way, and a mix of quirky, eccentric, and strange with a few stereotypical figures like jolly cooks and maternal housekeepers, but Abel has them in a place that suits them, and makes it a nice environment. There are some darker characters who are not just mean but a tad threatening, but there is restraint in their behaviour and while the actions can be quite dark, Abel doesn’t make it too disturbing.

Plot wise there were a few odd things that were explained strangely or just accepted, even with a magical reasoning. Though this does add to the quirky and mysterious nature of the story, and while it feels like a few things haven’t been answered as much as you’d like, it doesn’t affect the story too much. Where the story shines is towards the end when after all the dropped hints and secrets and puzzles Abel does a great job of bring the story to a close, solving many of the riddles and offering wonderful surprises while still hinting at further adventures.

I wouldn’t call this a Young Adult book; it is more down the Junior Fiction 10-13 year old bracket, though admittedly not unenjoyable for older readers. There is adventure and mystery, with fantasy mixed in but there is also a sweet story as well. There is a slight paranormal element but it is pleasant rather than scary, and coupled with the magical and fantasy components it works really well.

Overall it is nice, complex and delightfully cryptic with secrets to reveal and a fun bunch of characters in a detailed but not over the top adventure story.

 You can purchase Timothy Other via the following

Amazon

Amazon Aust

Amazon UK

The Conviction: Enacting Vigilante Justice by John Mathews

05 May 2015 Leave a comment

by Amy in 3 Stars, Mystery, Short Stories, Thriller Tags: , , , , ,

Published: 25th January 2015Goodreads badge
Publisher: Self Published
Pages: 72
Format: Ebook
Genre: Mystery/Thriller
★   ★   ★  – 3 Stars

Two criminals are responsible for an innocent man getting sentenced to life for murder. An inept defense attorney and a crooked prosecutor are the other players in this case of egregious American corruption.

The four of them have been lured into a trap in an abandoned warehouse. Someone wants vengeance. This is a story of vigilante justice for the wrongfully convicted. Marked doors lead to four locked rooms, one where each of them will have to pay a price for what they have done. What will they be required to do in order to survive?

This riveting crime thriller puts the American justice system in public view and will keep you guessing until the very last scene. A dark masked figure watches…waits…and wants revenge.

Note: I was provided with a copy of this book from the author for review.

This short story is an interesting take on the idea of vigilante justice with entrapment, mind games, and threats all playing a part. There is drama and suspense and a multitude of questions about who is behind the elaborate set up. There is mystery and unanswered questions that are hidden from the reader as well as the characters, but small clues and snippets of information make an already mysterious situation complex and even more curious.

Narrative wise the story flowed quite well and Matthews tells the story with care, keeping it interesting and engaging, while also holding back when needed. The dialogue didn’t have much life, and the conversation between character seemed stiff, not really connecting with one another, and yet at times Matthews captures the panic and desperation they feel quite well as their situation looks dire and the begin to turn on one another.

The characters themselves are terrible people in all honesty, but that is why they have found themselves in their current predicament. I didn’t really engage with who they were aside from casting casual judgements on them based on what they did, but not caring about them didn’t really bother me as I was more focused on the developing mystery and game play element than realising how one dimensional they were.

Away from the characters, and to Matthews’ credit, the story itself was clever and it never goes where you expect. From early on it intrigued me and this was maintained as the story progressed with a lot packed into such a short story. There are surprises and revelations that change what you though would happen and what you thought had happened.

I liked the idea of the vigilante justice and the mystery figure orchestrating the entire thing was great and led to all manner of creative theories on who he possibly was. When the man behind the curtain is finally revealed it was certainly unexpected and I can imagine it would split readers to either liking it or disliking it. Personally I wasn’t a fan of how Matthews chose to end it, one because I thought it was going in a totally different direction, and two it immediately seemed unbelievable which flattened the anticipation that had been building from the start. Having said that it was different, and creative in its own way, and it was completely unexpected.

You can purchase The Conviction via the following

Amazon | Amazon Aust

Land of the Giants (#2) by D. M. Almond

01 May 2015 Leave a comment

by Amy in 3 Stars, Chronicles of Acadia, Epic Fantasy, Fantasy Tags: , , , , , , ,

Today I am pleased to participate in the blog tour for David Matthew Almond’s new novel Land of the Giants, the second book in the Chronicles of Acadia series, thanks to Sage’s Blog Tours! You can read my review of the first book, Secret of the Elders, here.

Published: 25th March 2015Goodreads badge
Publisher: CreateSpace
Pages: 555
Format: Ebook
Genre: Epic Fantasy
★   ★   ★  – 3 Stars

Ages long past, forced to abandon the surface, mankind descended into the core of Acadia, fleeing impending xenocide at the hands of the cruel invading ice giants, the Jotnar. There, under the light of the Crystal god, Baetylus, they settled a new homeland among the deep forests and wide caverns of Vanidriell.

~Enter the Fourth Age of Acadia.~

The highly anticipated second chapter in the Chronicles of Acadia is here. Follow the Walker brothers and their stalwart gnome companion Bipp as they journey to the surface of Acadia in search of the mysterious Isaac, the one person who may hold the key to overthrowing the dark sentient Crystal. Along the way they will forge alliances with brave new allies and cross paths with some of the deadliest forces they have ever faced in the Land of the Giants.

Note: I was provided with a copy of this book for review.

The second book in the Chronicles of Arcadia series follows on with the Walker brothers’ journey to save their city but it brings in new characters, a new aspect of the world, and new elements to the story that add mysteries, dangers, and assistance in their quest. What starts off as one quest to save their city soon turns into many as the brothers team up with others along the way to help each other out and fight for a common cause.

The story continues on from the one set up from the first book, and though there is information provided about what has happened beforehand, it is fairly limited and scattered, but not too hard to understand if you haven’t read the first book.

A lot of the narrative is drawn out with the focus on what happens on the way rather than reaching their destination. Although seemingly pointless at times there is a reason and it isn’t until the last part of the book do you realise the things that have been put in place and what has been cleverly set up.

That is not to say that these moments during the journey are not interesting at the time. The numerous discoveries and interruptions on the way are interesting in their own way and Almond is skilled at making sure that while there are constantly new discoveries or distractions the story remains on track and does not detour too far. This means that the main story is kept on track but it is not straightforward, simple, or dull.

While many characters from the previous novel make an appearance there are a lot more introduced. With new species and races being introduced Almond is imaginative with each society in terms of their laws and practices and beliefs. The characters are quirky, cheeky, and often unusual but they each add something to the story and surprisingly all play a part in the overall scheme of things.

With multiple points of view as well as numerous quests and storylines to follow there is a lot to take in, but Almond balances it well, introducing new perspectives only when needed and alternating between them at the right times, keeping the story fluid and not too jumpy. Keeping track of new characters and what is happening with each storyline can be hard at times but it was good because it provides you with insights into what is happening to others, as well as a greater understanding of Acadia as a whole, showing many sides of the same world.

There is slight humour in the narrative, not predominantly and mainly through character dialogue, but enough to make it light while remaining suspenseful and adventurous. The character banter is also natural and it helps portray the varying levels of friendship between each person whether it is old friend, sibling, new friend, or enemy.

Almond is creative in his construction and development of surface Acadia with numerous intricate details giving it form and a solid narrative to explore the new locations and elements naturally. Descriptions are vivid and Almond uses words and dialogue to illuminate the world and various landscapes quite well. The use of comparisons not only helps to describe a scene or location but Almond cleverly uses them to also demonstrate cultural differences between characters.

The story ends with clear intentions of a third book with cliff-hangers that draw you in and tempts you to continue with the next stage of the journey, but Almond also concludes many of the problems and events raised in this novel rather nicely. Being an epic fantasy means a lot of patience is required whilst reading to allow things to develop and be put in place narrative wise, but as with the previous book the payoff is at the end when it all comes together with excitement and action, and all the pieces fall into place to make a intriguing conclusion. The next instalment of the Chronicles of Acadia is set to be an interesting read and no doubt fraught with danger as the brothers continue their quest, putting their new skills and determination to the test.

You can purchase Land of the Giants via the following

Amazon

Amazon Aust

CreateSpace

All Your Bits and Pieces Needs

Facebook

Twitter

Website

Goodreads

Tour Schedule

Author Bio:

D.M. Almond has been working in the restaurant and IT industry for the last 19 years. Over the last two, he has made time to focus on his true passion, writing stories. D.M. grew up in the small Upstate NY city, Utica (home to such rare delicacies as Tomato Pie, Utica Greens, Pusties, and Chicken Riggies) and attended “Buff State” in the amazing city Buffalo NY, where he would eventually return to run his bakery café, meet some of the best people in the world, and fall in love with his wife Julie. D.M. currently lives in beautiful Monkton, Vermont and would love to hear from you…

The Simulations by John Forelli

15 Apr 2015 Leave a comment

by Amy in 3 Stars, General, Science Fiction Tags: , , ,

Published: 20th April 2015Goodreads badge
Publisher: Self published
Pages: 194
Format: Ebook
Genre: Science fiction
★   ★   ★  – 3 Stars

When Ray Ality arrives for a job interview at Simulations Inc. he’s immediately drawn to Delilah, the cute receptionist. Only one problem: she’s engaged.

Ray soon concocts a plan to win Delilah over, as he and his new, eccentric coworker Bob use the company’s software in an attempt to simulate the process of courting her. Ray soon discovers that the simulations aren’t exactly what he expected, and as he sinks deeper into virtual reality it becomes harder to distinguish real life from the imaginary.

This novel is Office Space meets The Matrix–an existential discourse told among keyboards and cubicles. 

Note: I was provided with a copy of this book from the author for review.

From the moment he began working at Simulations Inc, Ray’s focus has been on getting the attention of building receptionist, Delilah. He goes to a lot of trouble just to work out how to chat to a woman who is just downstairs, and one he knows has a fiancé, so if anything he isn’t the most moralistic of people. But while there are some issues with what he is doing, Forelli creates a curious story about the lengths a man goes to trying to date a woman and his escape into the virtual world rather than the real one.

There is not much to this story aside from following Ray’s quest to get Delilah, and most of his colleagues offer little extra to the story but they play their roles and aide with novel progression. The characters are eccentric, making for a very strange work environment where it seems nothing ever gets done, and Ray spends a lot of his time critiquing and finding fault with those around him; not in any malicious way, but he does judge them rather frequently.

Snippets of information are revealed about the characters that make them quirky but they still have little to no depth. Their roles are one dimensional and they are single-faceted at times which makes you have little concern about them. Bob is the one that gets the most attention of all Ray’s colleagues and he is quite crass in his behaviour and conversation. Admittedly he made me cringe with his behaviour but you take him in your stride and just bear with it.

The writing is good and the language is knowledgable and detailed and Forelli uses descriptions of characters and the environment well to bring the story to form. There are numerous pop culture references throughout and while the humour is a little offensive and childish, it is attributed more to character traits rather than the novel overall.

I did think Forelli was going to take a different approach with this story than he did, more complicated and detailed rather than the sole focus it took. I didn’t get the sense something was going to happen exactly, but after awhile the repetition takes its toll and you realise the narrative is not going to get much more complicated. There are discussions about what is real and what is not, and whether virtual reality and what’s inside your mind is any less real than the actual world, but these insights did nothing but offer justification to Ray’s quest.

From an essentially repetitive story, the ending comes along quite quickly, as if the story suddenly speeds up to finish. This was unexpected but it was good in a way because it thrust the story into action and brought to light Ray’s obsession which had been developing quietly in the background. From here the end is kind of confusing and inconclusive and while you can make assumptions on its meaning, they seem farfetched without any basis or solid indication in the story to cling to. If there is a deeper meaning or revelation to be had then it hasn’t been made clear and if there isn’t then the ending just seems out of place. Overall this was an enjoyable story with a curious concept that makes you wonder about the capacity of the virtual world.

You can purchase The Simulations via the following

Amazon

Hunt for Valamon by D. K. Mok

14 Apr 2015 Leave a comment

by Amy in 3 Stars, General Tags: , , ,

Published: 7th April 2015Goodreads badge
Publisher: Spence City
Pages: 400
Format: Ebook
Genre: Fantasy
★   ★   ★  – 3 Stars

When Prince Valamon is impossibly taken from the heart of Algaris Castle, the only clue as to motive or culprit is the use of unknown sorcery.
Reclusive cleric Seris is happily tending to his book-infested temple when he finds himself recruited to the politically compromised rescue mission. His sole companion on the journey is Elhan, a cheerfully disturbed vagrant girl with terrifying combat skills and her own enigmatic reasons for seeking the prince.
Venturing into the wild, unconquered lands, Seris has no fighting prowess, no survival skills, and no charisma, as Elhan keeps pointing out. Armed only with a stubborn streak and creative diplomacy, he must find a way to survive outlaw towns, enchanted tropical isles, and incendiary masquerades, all without breaking his vow to do no harm.
Chasing rumours of rising warlords and the return of the vanished sorcerers, Seris and Elhan soon discover a web of treachery and long-buried secrets that go far beyond a kidnapped prince.
As enemies rise from beyond the empire and within it, Seris and Elhan realise that the key to saving Valamon and averting a war may lie in their own bloody pasts, and the fate of their fragile friendship.

Note: I was provided with a copy of this book from the publisher for review.

Mok starts the story with the drama of abduction and proceeds with a story filled with the threat of war and a complex web of armies, revenge, ancient curses, and a fight for a kingdom. With varying points of views each character’s voice can be heard, which is a great opportunity to see things from multiple sides and makes for a more rounded story. There is humour in the story, it is never over the top and it is sprinkled throughout to make it seem natural, always managing to bring a slight smile to your face.

When Valamon is abducted, a cleric called Seris and tournament champion the feared Kali-Adelsa are sent to discover who has taken him and bring him back. It’s an unlikely pairing with Seris and the Kali-Adelsa, named Elhan, but it works, and they both bring something to their mission. Seris is inexperienced but he has compassion and a useful skill set, and his honesty and nature is rather charming. He is a likeable character and while there is no one character that you noticeably dislike more than others, Seris was one who is hard not to enjoy. Elhan, on the other hand, is tough and skilled in fighting, but she is also weighed down by having to deal with the curse placed upon her and having death and destruction follow her around. She is not dislikeable though she does take a while to grow on you, but once you understand her more she is much more appealing. The curse makes her fierce and feared but teamed with Seris she learns to control herself and realises she is not the monster she has always thought herself to be.

During their search for Valamon the pair gets caught up in a whole manner of things and each of their skills come to their aide and makes their journey that little bit more adventurous. The curse itself is quite interesting and Mok uses it in the narrative cleverly. It is explained and demonstrated at various times but there is still an air of mystery in it that needs to be uncovered. The struggle Elhan has trying to deal with it is touching and it adds another dimension to her character and brings something extra to the story.

Valamon himself is intriguing because other characters mention numerous times that he isn’t the brightest and he is not leadership material, but he seems smarter than people give him credit for and it makes an interesting side to the story. He is different and therefore mocked, and while not smart in the sense others want him to be, he is still intelligent and observant, which he uses to his advantage.

Mok’s writing captures the sense of a quest and the world she’s created is intriguing and detailed. Seris and Elhan meet a range of characters on their hunt for Valamon and their journey covers much of the land which allows a great sense of the world to be discovered. This also introduces a range of characters and Mok makes an effort to ensure their voices are distinguishable and unique. Each character has their own voice and the dialogue suits them well, aiding their representation and helps understand who they are.

The story has nice surprises that are unexpected and helpful without being too grand. These little surprises perk up the story without being large twists and shocking revelations but still work extremely well and fit naturally into the narrative. There is also a political nature to this story but the fantasy component and clever writing balances this well and while it is a major feature it doesn’t feel too heavy handed.

As you read there is not a feeling of build up or anticipation per se, but the journey and quest to find Valamon is enjoyable and the looming threat of war ends with an action-packed conclusion. Mok does not rush the ending but brings it steadily to a close, making sure everything is explained adequately and the novel ends nicely leaving no questions unanswered. Overall this is an interesting story set in an intriguing world and one that is humorous, well thought out, and enjoyable.

You can purchase Hunt for Valamon via the following

Paperback

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | QBD

eBook

Amazon | Nook | Amazon Au

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