Far Shore, Book Three of the After Series by Traci L. Slatton

Posted First on Blog Critics as Book Review: 'Far Shore' by Traci L. Slatton.

'The heart wants what the heart wants' seems like such a redundancy. Yet there is that simple truth to the adage where there often seems to be no real choice in the matter. We can ignore it and yet there will always be that ‘what if?’

In Far Shore by Traci L. Slatton Book Three of the After Series
takes us further into the devastation of earth and the causes, yet it also creates a sort of yearning.  With the damage, the abilities that follow seem strange, yet without them the suffering is even more extreme. Emma is home again and with her family, and yet her heart is not whole. Her friends are far away and she has no idea what is happening to Arthur.
When a sudden appearance of a small group of friends appear, only then does she learn of the danger Jeannie faces with her upcoming birth, and worse, Arthur is a prisoner of their worst enemy.  Having unknowingly caused the death of Alexei’s wife, he has been tortured to near death.  She must ride out to use her skills in Jeannie’s upcoming birth, and then she must go to Arthur’s rescue.  Her husband Haywood does not see it that way and offers an ultimatum.  Still, she has no choice, she must choose the path that can save the world and the man she loves beyond all reasoning.

Are her healing powers strong enough to bring him back from the brink of death? Can she arrive in time to save Jeannie’s unborn child. The outcomes of each act have far reaching consequences.  The results can go either way, reducing the earth to rubble, or driving the mists away for good.

Slatton continues to give us a heart rending love, one that can tear apart a family. Yet she somehow imbues the situation with all the right reasons, so where the outcome could be tragic, there is somehow a bit of magic.  The empathy and pain leap off the pages as you suffer with the characters. As some of Emma’s past comes to her in dreams, you miss the characters that have moved on. They are like friends and family and the loss creates a somber atmosphere.  The horror of the acts perpetrated against Arthur creates anger, making you want to hate Alexei. There is much at stake with all the characters that comes into play with the telling.

The heat and passion that sizzles between Arthur and Emma does not abate even when they are at their wits end.

If you enjoy mystery, science fiction, heated romance, adventure and dystopia stories this is a shining example. Book Three of the After Series, you can read stand alone, but even better with the rest of the series. The amazing backdrop and dangerous situations will keep you enthralled and asking for more of these exciting characters.

Rating 5/5

This book was received free from the author. All opinions are my own based off my reading and understanding of the material.

Cold Light; Book 2 of the After Trilogy by Traci L. Slatton

Posted first on Blog Critics as Book Review: 'Cold Light; Book 2 of the After Trilogy' by Traci L. Slatton.

Love is an emotion that is often difficult to understand. While deep and abiding, love doesn’t always dwell with one person. Love of a family member, love of a friend and love of that one special person meant just for you, often get twisted, especially when making choices in youth.

Such is the case for Emma, who in the beginning, Fallen: Book 1 of the After Trilogy, she hooks up with a team of ruffians to rescue herself, her daughter and a group of orphans. When she is finally rescued by her husband and returned to her own home, she finds she has lost a piece of her soul, held captive by the man she sought for help. In Cold Light: Book 2 of the After Trilogy by Traci L. Slatton, Emma has come to terms with her loss. She loves her husband and her children need her. Yet she knows deep in her heart, the love is different. The yearning continues. Yet life decides to intrude and throw her another obstacle. Her oldest daughter Beth is kidnapped during a raid, and she knows that if she does not go after her, Beth’s life will become a nightmare.

Because of her prior experiences and the strange gift she has received from the mists, she is more capable then her husband to mount the charge. Haywood must look after Mandy, she has already been through much and they both understand one of them must stay. The safe zone were they have made their home is no longer safe. The mists have been coming nearer, and the people are afraid. Emma has a strange feeling about the returning mists, only one person seems to hold the key and she left him on another continent. Beth is only nine and her main concern now. She must go into the unprotected zone, there is no one else. Can she find her before it is too late? Can the strange sighting of the mists have something to do with her other life and Arthur?

Slatton has given us another stellar example of life after the fall. Emma is brave and bold, and attracts people due to both her personality as well as her power. Yet she must be careful, she does not want to be known as a witch. The characters that begin to surround her are gregarious and mysterious. When she runs into her old nemesis and love Arthur, tension only gets stronger. Slatton brings in all the heat and heart that keep you warm, even as danger and darkness descend.

This is a wonderful second part to her series, keeping you looking and hoping for more. There is such difficulty due to her depiction of characters; you root for them both to be the final winner of her love. This is a difficult task, yet she does it with aplomb.

If you enjoy end of the world novels full of adventure and romance, this will be the work for you. The characters are likable and the story holds both romance and loss. Slatton has found the key to lock the two together.

Rating 4\5

This book was received free from the author. All opinions are my own based off my reading and understanding of the material.

Frozen: Heart of Dread, Book I by Melissa De La Cruz and Michael Johnston

Posted first on Blog Critics as Book Review: Frozen: Heart of Dread Book I by Melissa De La Cruz and Michael Johnston

Las Vegas has always been a Mecca to draw those who look for the high life, and enjoy the bling and lights of the city. What if Las Vegas became New Vegas, a city covered in crystals of snow and ice instead of the usual glitter.  In Book one of Frozen: Heart of Dread by Melissa De Las Cruz, New Vegas is the new frontier, the major city left after destruction of the world.  A city that plays 24 hours a day, it still draws the crowds looking for a stake.

Stories of sorcery and the rumors of a paradise called the Blue abound, drawing those who are looking for something different. Natasha Kestal, a blackjack dealer, with no evidence of a past is one of those seeking to find this land of sunshine, or ready to die in the process. If anyone one finds her secret she knows she will not survive. She carries a voice of death and destruction in her mind, urging her to pursue the rumors of this magical city.

She must find a way to leave the city, and has unearthed the name of one who may help. As with all mercenaries, there is a chance this Ryan Wesson will take her money and turn her in for the reward. Yet is it a chance she must take. Handsome and bold, he heads a ragtag crew that makes a living through protection as well as thieving. 

Nat and Wes (Ryan) are drawn together by feelings they can’t control, but there are too many lies between them. Can their love survive the deceit of others and the anger of evil men as they try to destroy all that is beautiful in an effort to control a world gone crazy?

De La Cruz has a knack of bringing you heroes and heroines that are strong yet flawed. Their unusual beauty is offset by darkness or past that creates a crossroads to making them more malleable as well as good. Her worlds are uniquely interesting, often vulnerable or dangerous, much like the characters she peoples them with. With an ever escalading volume of books De La Cruz has kept her imagination in check, dredging another fascinating work of fiction and fantasy. Never far from romance, this tome sparkles with the beginnings of a powerful attraction, another hook to draw you into the fold.

If you enjoy mystery, magic, dystopian worlds, fantasy and romance, this is a great find. As usual from the work I have followed she has penned another volume that doesn’t disappoint.

Rating 4/5

This book was received from the authors publicist. All opinions are my own based on my reading and understanding of the material.

Days of Love and Blood by R.S.Carter

Article first published as Book Review: Days of Love and Blood by R.S. Carter on Blogcritics.

Can there be a post-apocalyptic world in stories these days without zombies being the force of our enemies. With the popularity of the zombie horde I found it refreshing to find a story just a bit different.

In Days of Love and Blood by R.S Carter, the world is changed in short order. A virus with quick acting damage moves swiftly killing or transforming those infected making them much different than who they were. Cognizant of life they seek only to maim and kill, with no other focus. The virus is still in play yet slow acting, creating creatures out of your nightmares. Not zombies, for this new danger of lost souls are still thinking and have brains, yet they have a single purpose and that is to kill.

As Carson, a young woman escapes with her son Ronan, she is grief stricken with the brutal death of her husband. Looking for a new life, she heads for the only safety she remembers––her parents farm.  Can they have survived the Demon virus that has decimated the entire world? As she makes her way, she uses all the skills she has learned to fend off and kill her attackers, as they track her mercilessly.

Protecting herself and her son, she finds a group of uninfected people very close to where she is headed. Warning them of her pursuers, she helps to fight and protect the group. Here she finds the human interaction she needs. Can she find love again, in a world that has gone crazy?

Carter has put together a dangerous and unique love story, filled with feeling and hope. Using characters that you can relate to, he draws you in to the world, where you experience anger, fear, friendship and love. Carson is strong and her shell is tough from her experiences, but she also has cracks in her armor that make her likable. Her son gives her that human touch that would be missing without his presence. She has skills with a sword and yet is helpless with a gun, so the interactions are sometimes brutal. She is also somewhat callus due to her experiences, but when the thaw comes you are enchanted.

If you enjoy the post-apocalyptic venue, and are looking for something beyond zombies, this is the book to take you there. If you enjoy romance and camaraderie, and the adjustments that come with finding a home and family in situations of daily struggle, you will enjoy the world created by R.S. Carter.

Days of Love and Blood is a step away from the usual, yet has the action and danger that keep you going. The challenges are tough and the feeling are tougher, so be prepared to find time to read in one sitting. You will find it difficult to put this down once you begin. You may find yourself checking your doors and looking out your windows, making sure your own safety is intact.

This would be a great book for a reading group, sending out shoots of spiraling discussions dealing with the different issues and choices that weave throughout the story.

Rating 5/5

This book was received free from the author. All opinions are my own based off my reading and understanding of the material.

Tears of Min Brock by J. E. Lowder

Article first published as Book Review: Tears of Min Brock by J. E. Lowder on Blogcritics.

Some of the best stories I can remember are those that take me out of my own existence and insert me into a world I have never known. I get to become a part of the story and the adventure and excitement also becomes a part of my own.

In Tears of Min Brock by J. E. Lowder, I have again found one of those fascinating epic fantasy worlds that are daunting and dangerous, yet broodingly beautiful as well. Set in a time after the Dark War, Lowder brings about an adventure that is frightening and visual. His captivating world is filled with the darkness and dread and full of the creatures that cause fear, and yet throughout the story weaves an intricate pattern of light. He takes his characters into untold highs and lows of problems and beliefs as well as concerns for their families. When the darkness fights the light, we often rely on the light to win, yet what happens when it doesn’t? In a world where a darkness rules, Lowder has brought us whispers of light, and a fierce young heroine. Can a young girl along with her best friend bring about the destruction of darkness, or is the light that whispers to her just a figment of her imagination?

In a deep and mysterious world where evil has appeared to win the war, Lowder brings us a story of hope and longing. His descriptions and embellishment’s are both enchanting and dangerous. His young hero, Elabea can hear the whisper of the lightness from the land of Claire that had been rumored to have been destroyed by the Ebon, during the dark war. Elabea is slated as a storyteller, one of the great magic users of time, but will she live to fulfill her destiny? She is young and yet malleable, but her belief is deep and profound.

Her best friend Galadin too begins her journey with her, but he has his doubts. He does not hear the whispers, but he does believe in her. Both of their fathers fought in the war, and were now different men from the proud warriors they once were. Galadin dreams of becoming something more. He knows he will follow Elabea where ever she leads, and soon he too finds his place in this story.

They are joined by others, an old storyteller from before the war, as well as a hero many thought had died during the war. But can they escape the false whispers of the cauldron. How to they decipher which are the true ones, and when they do, will it be too late?

I enjoy fantasy and I found myself unable to put this one down. The evil and danger are inherent, and yet the light finds a way to twist throughout in thoughts and actions. The whisper is exciting and the fight and chase scenes hold you spellbound. In a world where the very darkness seems to hold sway, brightness seems to burn through the pages.

If you love the power of words and enjoy epic fantasy this is a world waiting for you. Our heroine is a 14 year old girl and with her is her young best friend, so while this could be construed as a YA Fantasy, make no mistake, it heralds the themes and storyline that cross over into the adult experience. I found this to be one of my favorite books of the year, and am looking forward to the sequel. Lowder writes a story that does not disappoint.

This would be a wonderful work for your budding reader and one for your long-term reader as well. A wonderful book for your library, Lowder has ratcheted up a notch on the playing field.

Rating 5/5

This book was received free from the author. All opinions are my own based off my reading and understanding of the material.

The Deflated Generation by Christopher S. Bell

I find books that deal with the end of the world somewhat ironic. Obviously it has not ended or we would not be engaged in reading a story about the aftermath. Many do however; deal with the end of the word as we know it, which is an altogether different thing. In The Deflated Generation by Christopher S. Bell we follow the lives of two different groups who have somehow managed connect with others for short amounts of time, often to ill effect.

Each set of characters is looking for a way to make sense in a world, mostly empty of adult guidance and an oddly energized yet laid back existence. Coming of age in such an empty world is difficult and deciding to move and find others offers a ray of hope. Each faction is aware of their own mortality, the aftermath of the destruction left them all with damages, those small invisible forces working from the inside and on chromosomes, leaving damages no one else could see. Knowledge of the damage and resulting aftermath creates a dangerous place to those who still maintain their sanity and care about living and moving.

Maggie Strayer is trying to patch her life together, and she is as amazed as the rest of the town when Mitchell Graft, one of the older residents, just ups and leaves without telling anyone. It is scary and out of the norm. Not everyone remembers the war, or the horrible things that happened after, but Mitchell was one of the survivors. We follow the life of these two survivors separately as they try to find purchase in a world torn apart.

Waiting at all times for something further to happen, alcohol and drugs including marijuana is the choice to help most of those left, through the day. Even those forms of refuge do not offer them any feeling of safety. After Mitchell leaves, some of the others decide to take a chance to see what else is out there, if there is a better place, with more hope. Rumors of other pockets of population are rife. Can Maggie and her friends find a new hope in a different city? And will they ever find out what happened to Mitchell?

I have read Christopher’s work before and found his humor to be quite amazing. I, however, struggled through this story. I had difficulty deciphering which group was interacting at the time, the changeover often happened a little too abruptly. I did not really get the gist of the story and found it to be a bit depressing. Murder, theft, drugs and alcohol seemed to be involved throughout. While hooking up and dating are common in our society, and will always be, it seemed a bit more desperate and oddly uninspiring in a world where most of the inhabitants lived under a cloud. Both of continued possibilities of further damage and the actual cloud of being high seemed way more eventful.

Danger was found just about everywhere, life did not seem to have much meaning. I could see where this could become a possible cult type of fiction, after all I did not really get Pulp Fiction either, but this was not the book for me.

Rating 2/5
 
This book was received as a free copy from the author. All opinions are my own based off my reading and understanding of the material.

Fallen by Traci L. Slatton

Posted first on The Romance Reviews

As the mists slowly rolled in, the beauty of the cloud like vapors belied the events that were soon to take place. As the poisonous gasses began to kill those encircled by the haze, those that had no chance but to breathe it in, there was no rhythm to when or how it moved to its next victims. From the beginning, I was enthralled with the story and Slatton’s voice. She has taken an end of the world scenario and created characters that are so real they make you feel. To arm such a story with the budding of a love of such heat and passion creates a crescendo of feeling that keeps you turning the pages to see what happens next.

Emma has escaped the destruction of the mist with her daughter Mandy. Trying to eke out an existence, she becomes a beacon to the other children who have lost their families. She has taken on the job of keeping them safe from further incidents of mist. While they have all become family, when her own daughter Mandy is threatened she is frantic, the pain is unbearable. Yet even as death begins to stalk her daughter, safety comes in the sound of the thrumming of horse’s hooves. The percussion of sound appears to drive off the mists temporarily. The rescuers are a group of rough men, and yet Emma has a feeling. This could be the safety net for her and her children; she is willing to do what it takes to find a place for them where they can be safe. Those that have survived the mists are fragile and yet each seems to have picked up a gift. Emma is able to heal with a touch, Newt can see the future, and Mandy can see shadows of things that have happened.

Following the leader into one of the homes where he is foraging she strikes a bargain for their safety. She will be his woman in return for the safety of his camp. Neither of them understands the ramifications of the impact this small promise will make. Even safety from the mist does not provide protection from the marauders that are also roaming the world. Can Emma and Arthur keep everyone safe in this world on the edge?

This is a remarkable story of the aftermath of the end of the Earth as we know it. The story itself and the world building are well thought out and quite descriptive. You find yourself in that place and that time as you become involved in the reading. The characters are amazingly well described; I could picture them and relate to them as though they were real.

What becomes so unexpected is the budding of romance that then grows into a consuming inferno of passion between Arthur and Emma. The heat is exceptional and you can feel the waves of passion as they dissipate from their bodies. The passion evolves into a love that reaches deep and connects in such a way that it will not let go.

This was an intense read and I found it difficult to put down. The premise of the story is intriguing, and there is longing and loss, romance and action, littered with just about every emotion you can imagine. Slatton has created an addictive read that will leave you looking for more.

Rating 5/5
Fallen

This book was received from the Author or their representative. All opinions are my own based off my reading and understanding of the material.