Review Tales
Trusted Reviews and Author Features Since 2016
South of Main Street by Robert Gately (Book Review #376)
I particularly liked how off Henry was. Sometimes in life, we get scolded for being different, and I did feel that Henry was one of them. His character and personality were created in a very unique way, and it was very easy to feel for him.
The story had a division amongst the people living on each side of the street. I enjoyed this contrast and believe that it brought more diversity towards the storyline.
The ending was foreseen, but that did not take away from enjoying this book. I believe anyone that likes to read fiction would appreciate this one.
Written by Jeyran Main
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The SilverFox’s Guide to Cocktails: A Spiritual Journey by Luke Thorpe (Book Review #143)
The Silverfox’s Guide to Cocktails is a non-fiction book written about everything you need to know regarding alcoholic beverages.
This book is, in fact, a collection of recipes for anyone that is looking to entertain and make excellent drinks. It discusses the techniques and types of drinks that are out there. It also informs you of what you need before you can even start making these alcoholic beverages.
The author even takes a step deeper and offers a more in-depth understanding towards the various types of glasses used for these drinks. Every type of drink has a historical reference to it, where it originated from and what the general norm is towards the subject. I found that to be very interesting and enjoyable to read. I believe in adding this kind of attention and depth towards a recipe book, provides the reader an education as well as enjoyment. The work also consists of drawings and illustrations, which I found to be another great example of the author demonstrating his care and love towards his book.
I think this book would be very suitable for people that drink and like to experiment, making their own Cocktails. The flow of relativity in retrospect of the content was easy and to the point. I look forward to reading more from this author.
Written by Jeyran Main
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Complicated Blue by P J Whittlesea (Book Review #140)
Complicated Blue is a fantasy novel based in a world where all witches are not created equal, and the dead roam the streets. It is a witch’s job to help the dead find what their purpose in life was so that they can finally rest and leave the world to the living.
Our lead character Anais Blue is a witch who is trapped in the body of a five-year-old girl. As frustrating as this sounds she is given the task of helping a ghost regain their identity. Anais needs to discover her companion’s secret and true purpose before it is too late. This story leads us on an exciting and sometimes comical journey inside the witching world.
I particularly liked how the prologue explains the witching world and lets the reader know some of the truths and fallacies that surround what duties and services witches actually provide in this world. Anais’ character is developed through time, and as the book continues, we learn more of our beloved witch. It is really hard to weave together a great story with both adventure and comedic intervals, but this author leaves us both spellbound and laughing in our seat.
I found the literary standard of the work to be of good quality. The chapters and the layout of the book were well put together, and I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a well-written fantasy novel.
Written by Jeyran Main
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Antitheus by G. A. Minton (Book Review #375)
The story is filled with a thriller, horror, suspense and an overwhelming amount of violence. It is the perfect recipe for someone that enjoys this particular genre. I found the literature to complement the several plot lines that were built into the story. There was a particular detailed descriptive writing, complementing the storyline which made it to be an excellent choice for a thrilling story.
I particularly enjoyed the cover of the book. The story reminded me of some of these games that are out there like “Diablo” or demons that are after nothing but destruction. It was very exciting to read and an enjoyable experience to encounter. I believe the author has a special touch in creating dark stories and is one to look out for.
It is definitely a good versus evil kind of story, and the ending does not disappoint. I trust fantasy readers would find this book to be very suitable.
Written by Jeyran Main
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We Won’t Forget You Mr. McGillicuddy by Ira L White (Book Review #157)
“I rate this book 3 out of 4 stars.”
This book was an “OnlineBookClub.org Book of the Day.”
We Won’t Forget You Mr. McGillicuddy is a fiction thriller story about Robert and his family. Robert’s wife has passed away. His father Gil is sick, and Robert retires to take care of him. The money he receives for retirement is not enough, and that causes stress and emotional strain on Robert. To make things worse, his daughter, Ruby drops a bombshell at his door. She is pregnant. Robert now has to take care of Ruby and his other daughter, as well as everything else. He begins to write a blog and by doing so reveals many insightful things about his life and his past. He does not realize that his blog becomes flagged and that is when their lives change.
I struggled at the beginning to get into the story. The pace was extremely slow, and I kept asking myself if it is going to get any better. Halfway through, the pace picked up, and that is when the plot was revealed. I then began enjoying reading the rest of the book.
The character building was written very well. The relationships between the family members were, I think, the best part of the book. The struggles a family faces were all authentic to what happens in real life. There were hardly any editing issues, which I found pleasing. The fact that a simple blog or in reality the content of a blog could cause so much friction in someone’s life was an intriguing proposition.
The ending of this book somewhat leaves you hanging and wondering what’s going to happen next. I am assuming that there is a sequel to this book. However, I failed to see a mention of it anywhere.
I recommend this book to people that like to read on political thrillers.
Written by Jeyran Main
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Rise of the Chosen by Anna Kopp (Book Review #156)
Rise of the Chosen is a young adult novel written about a girl named Sam. The world setting is in a way that when you die two things may happen. You either come back as The Woken, which have lost all sense of self and are driven by lust to kill, or you return as a The Chosen, gloriously selected with powerful abilities protecting the un-dead.
Sam’s father is a hero, so she has big shoes to fill. Sam works as a watch guard, which is a group, created to protect the living. Each category is identified based on the color of their eyes and most of them shine. People within the city are tagged and protected so that the woken do not get to them.
Something terrible happens to Sam, and that causes the general of the watch, to place her with the advanced team of the watch, lead by David. Sam begins to question things that she has been taught, and when she is kidnapped, things become even worse.
Although the book is not very long, it contained a full on, action packed story. The storyline is most spectacularly laid out, and the pace is fast. I found the literary standard to be pleasing and based on the content; it appeared to demonstrate that the author had done her research.
The main characters were developed with just enough backstory to allow the reader the satisfaction of bonding with them. However, the side players were not given enough room for growth. This did not harm any part of the book, however, if there is to be a sequel to the story then, the author may struggle including them. Sam was bisexual, and because of that, her dynamic relationships between the other characters generated an interesting edge to the plot.
I recommend this book to young readers and science fiction fans.
Written by Jeyran Main
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Carbon Run by Joe Follansbee (Book Review #374)
The living situation is not as easy. Most things are banned. People cannot leave their carbon footprint, have to recycle properly, and you most certainly cannot extinct a species. The situation is not as easy for Anne. However, Anne isn’t some helpless women. She is determined, and the love she has for her father is strong. The subject matter is on global warming and the effects of it. Environmental choices have consequences, and there is a whole governing body making sure that it is applied.
I particularly enjoyed the dynamic literature that existed within the content of the work. There is a special something with the way this author has cared for the environment and has created this sort of dilemma in his storyline, which in fact, is not so far from what is to happen in our near future.
The story isn’t just about Anne. There are other characters with their own environmental troubles, which happen to all meet towards the end. Justice is to be served but whether if it is the right way or not, is to be determined. The character development was sufficient in order to grab the readers emotions, and the world setting was believable since we currently are facing similar issues.
I believe anyone that enjoys good writing and a solid dystopian storyline would enjoy this book.
Written by Jeyran Main
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CIA Assassin And Other Stories by Benson Grayson (Book Review #151)
“I rate this book 2 out of 4 stars.”
This book was an “OnlineBookClub.org Book of the Day.”
CIA Assassin and other stories is a fictional book containing a collection of three separate segments. The first tale takes the majority of the space, and the other two are on a smaller scale.
In the first story, Ed Kramer is a CIA agent and is on the verge of receiving his pension, however; the agency tells him that he has to do one last assignment in order to get it. Once he is done with the task, he comes back to claim the pension only to realize that there is no one in charge with the name of the person who gave him the task in the first place.
I found this story to be very compelling, exciting and well written. Although there were plenty of editing issues and sentence structures that could have been fixed, I still found the plot to be plausible.
In the second story, the CIA director, James Collins informs the President that the Saudi King is planning to seize control over the oil properties. I began reading with interest, however, noticed that there were several empty pages towards the end of the story. I was not sure why this was the case since I had bought the book directly from Amazon. There were, even more, editing issues and sentence structures that needed fixing. The plot was well thought out but how could one really understand a book when the ending is none existent?
The third story consisted of a very confused set of pages. The plot kept jumping from one thing to another. There was no consistency of flow between each section, and so this made it very hard to understand what it was about. What I eventually understood was that a Russian chief of US operations was sent to the United States to rescue one of their top agents. He ends up making choices in order to benefit himself. The ending had no big reveal and didn’t provide anything exciting to finish the book off.
This writer has great potential in delivering; great action-packed thrillers, however, he needs to hire a professional editor and also double check what he has submitted to Amazon.
Written by Jeyran Main
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Legends of Perilisc by Jesse Teller (Book Review #139)
Each of these stories provides the reader with a more in-depth understanding of the history in the realm. The preface provides the kind of dark richness that is to be expected in the coming pages as we enter the realm of legend and myth. One character reappears in most of these stories, Simon the Bard. Simon is a constant in this ever-changing landscape of Perilisc.
Liefdom by Jesse Teller (Book Review #118)
The stories take place at the beginning of the Second Age and moves along swiftly to a King battling, attempting to save the only man who can keep humanity alive, only to find something he wasn’t expecting. The story fleshes out past events that form the future and continually has you wonder what happens next in the story.
Each of these stories can be read as standalone tales or read all together. They are all connected through the ages forming the time, just before the escape. This book does not contain any happy endings, fairies, or celebrations of good triumphing over evil. It is intense, dark and full of sensitive topics that may not be appropriate for a younger audience.
I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading dark fantasy stories. I believe that this book is well suited as part of the world of Perilisc and lays a solid foundation for future novels.
Written by Jeyran Main
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