Strength of a Giant by Tony Passarelli

In the never ending war of good and evil, often the fighting is here on this earth or in an earthly realm of some type. In The Strength of a Giant, a novella by Tony Passarelli, he chooses to set his final battle in the stars and heavens amongst the planets and galaxies that surround us. Giving us a complex and disingenuous character with great intelligence in the form of Emanuel, who chooses to involve himself in the battle along with one of the most fearsome of the angels, the Arch Angel Raphael.
The evil comes in the form of a character known as Jovian, the amalgamation of fallen Angels, carrying both their strengths and weakness, along with any good or bad features. Utilizing these characteristics he has strength and agility that could very well bring about death and destruction. Will Emanuel and Raph as he is known, be able to stop him in time and save the solar system and our way of life forever?

Not only must Raph fight this battle he must also protect Emanuel from Jovian and possibly even from his own intricate ways of dealing with problems as he sees them. As this strangely intense battle reaches epic proportions, who will be the victor?

Passarelli has given us an interesting look at the heavens and its characters. He does a great job of creating a certain amount of flaws that make them easier to relate to and given the amount of danger involved he delivers a bit of human element. Yet there is no doubt that the battle is between titans of amazing abilities and proportions. The battle is well written the story quite bold.

If you are looking for an interesting and slightly off kilter look at the characters we know from religious and spiritual texts, you will find this an interesting twist.

Rating 3/5

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

Notes from An Alien: A Message for Earth by Sena Quaren and Alexander M. Zoltai

Finding a way to make history palatable and taking a new and interesting perspective on life as we know it, Notes from An Alien by Sena Quaren and Alexander M. Zoltai takes you on a wild ride. Beginning with what this history classifies as the 500-year InterWorld War, it then moves on to ecological disasters of epic proportions that destroy more than is imaginable. The history moves further to the decimation of the population, and then on to the formation of a World Government dedicated to world peace.

Through it all, we follow the lives of an interesting family beginning with Velu, the daughter of Rednaxela. Rednaxela is the leader of the first expedition to another world. He along with his AI companion Morna do what they can to keep much of their thoughts private from the Corporate Mesh as they transport the settlers to their new home. One of the settlers in particular is in demand by the Anlans. His name is Akla and they know him as a profit. Upon reaching planet-side, Rednaxela disappears along with his Al and the religious prisoner Akla. The area they disappear to is known as the Unholy lands. Velu and her stepfather are conscripted to help search, and find the man that is her biological father.

The initial ship boasted 95,000 settlers headed to Anla. Prisoners and convicts were the main characters just as we have used as settlers in many places on Earth in earlier times in history. Written as told by a descendant of Velu, Sena tells her story through Zoltai, were we learn of the deaths and struggles as the World Government comes into being, and each successive wave of civilization and history unfold. We follow the decedents of Velu as they work through the different phases of government including the disasters that preface them.

I enjoyed the premise of the book and the characters were admirable, although I felt as though we moved through the times at a break neck speed. The very alien types of existence and characters where will written and quite imaginative. To read this as a possible verification of alien existence in our world puts a different spin on the possible reasoning for the very detailed description of the search and evolution of a lasting peace.

Each successive group of characters had abilities that exceeded those before them and the detail and dialogue that went into the telling made them seem like friends and colleagues. It was heartbreaking as time flew by and their deaths left an indelible impression each time.

This is a heady and interesting read, and if you enjoy alien life, science fiction and history written very like that detailed in a scholastic session, you will enjoy this work. It is thought provoking and makes you search your own thoughts on the very realistic types of damage and decimation that precede the final peace. Is it possible to have a similar outcome? That is just one of the questions I had as I finished my reading.

This is a short read and yet an in-depth history, full of stops and starts. Do not let the size of the story sidetrack you, it tells and reads as a book twice its size. Sometimes large things come in small packages. The read is not always smooth and the information is sometimes difficult to digest, but the direction it heads offers the look at a peace we all dream about.

Rating 4/5
Notes from An Alien

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

Intoxication by Tim Kizor

Paranoia and jealousy are the backdrops of this story, where we travel a detailed and slightly crazy path of Leslie as she slowly seems to sink into madness.


In Intoxication by Tim Kizer, we begin with a scene in the office where Leslie’s boyfriend drinks her coffee while she has left the room. He immediately takes ill, and the stage is set. Leslie is now convinced that one of the other workers is trying to poison her. When she confronts the other worker, Leslie is quite sure that even with her denial, that Helen must be guilty. After all, she is the one who delivered the coffee.

Sharing her fears with her boss, he is already aware of her thought process. Helen as gotten to him first and now Leslie is convinced that he thinks she is paranoid. As her decent into this dark void continues, she begins with how she can get back at Helen.

When she finds that Helen actually did not get her coffee but it was another worker, who was on her way to the break room instead, Leslie further descends into that world where strange and maddening things begin to take on perfect sense.

Can she find out who is responsible, or will she begin to realize her thought process has led her into some strangely odd behavior. Is the other worker guilty of trying to poison her, or has Leslie just gone off the deep end?

Kizer has written a creepy piece of work that has some strange and yet just a bit compelling characters. He has done a good job of following the decent into madness evinced by Leslie. The ending is a surprise, and it would have made a bit more sense had I known just a tweak of what caused her to have such a terrifying fall.

I did wonder how Leslie jumped to the conclusion of someone trying to poison her, it seemed a bit over the top, and while I understand the surprise element, it would have been easier to follow what was happening if just a hint had been weaved in earlier. The story is intriguing and it is a great rendition of how guilt and association go hand in hand.

This is a short novella and yet it is full of strangely creepy and compelling voices of the characters that are willing to go to such lengths to make a wrong right in their own mind. Without giving away the story with the author was at pains to protect, I will not spoil the surprise.

If you enjoy suspense, the strange, and just a bit of creepy behavior, you will find this an interesting read. His perception of that decent is well thought out, and at the end, we see that Leslie has finally realized her madness.

Rating 3/5

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

Before the Witches by Karina Cooper

Posted first on The Romance Reviews

Karina Cooper brings us a story full of pain and suffering, yet exploding with sensuality and a searing sexual tension that takes your breath away. Ekaterina Zhuvova known as Katya is one of the many young women forced into a life of depravity, giving her body to men with little care for where or who these young women are. Nigel Ferris is an undercover officer trying to bust the man behind the human slavery ring ready to rescue these women from their fate. But Katya has another secret as well, one that could very well get her killed.

As tensions increase, all hell breaks loose when an earthquake begins to shake the building. Having been through a few in the Seattle area in the past, Nigel is nevertheless surprised. Using his own body to cover Katya, trying to save her from harm, further fuels the flame of their desire. Leaving the building for his own sanity as well as further instruction, the land continues to rumble as the fault continues shifting. Creating traffic difficulties and deaths, the danger surrounds the area, creating hazards and casualties at every turn. Finally making it to the station, Nigel reports his recent finding to the department. Looking for the kingpin in this organization, he is having trouble with the Station Chief. She does not necessarily believe they will find the man behind the atrocities.

Finally getting agreement, he heads out to find further clues when he is directed to an area of disaster. It appears to be coming from the very brothel where he had just left Katya. As he approaches the building, he finds that the structure is crumbling, and all the young women are outside, all that is, except Katya. Hearing a gun shot, he enters to find Katya in dire shape, and even as he begins her rescue, the earth continues to shift. The quakes are coming faster and destruction more wide spread. The whole area is set to implode and they must make their escape. Knowing he must not let her out of his site, he allows the others to go their own way, but Katya must remain.

Karina Cooper builds a story of destruction that is eminently believable. The landmarks are real and the possibilities of volcanic eruptions in the area are not without some background. The Characters are very strong and exciting. The young women in the brothel are not yet beaten down by their profession and yet they are used to the expectation of pain. It is both uncomfortable and unnerving.

The passion and sensuality are riveting, the heat between Nigel and Katya, is a force of its own. She has weaved in an endearing quality in both characters, making them very likable and extremely human. The story is quite wonderful; it builds and creates an unbelievable tension. As friends and family, begin to die in the endless madness, you look for answers. What is happening and where will it all end?

The buildup is exceptional and quite creative, and yet I was disappointed on how it all worked out. Confusion seemed to ensue, and the story did not bring the pieces together for me. The story line was a good one creating high hopes from the beginning. It began with an explosion and yet did not hold true to the ending.

Rating 3/5
Before the Witches

This Book was received as a free down load through Net Galley. All opinions are my own based off my reading and understanding of the material.

Life Seemed Good, But ... by Richard Bell

Article first published as Book Review: Life Seemed Good, But... by Richard Bell on Blogcritics.

A group of short stories, somewhat in the style of an anthology, Life Seemed Good But … by Richard Bell is a funny and compelling compilation of stories sure to get you laughing. Reading the first few stories, I was not sure what I thought but as I continued on my journey, I began to see the ties that seemed to connect this set of stories and make it into hilarious continuing work of comedy.

Each of the stories is unique and of itself and yet if you pay close attention you can seem they are not random but very precise in the lineup. I found myself laughing out loud so many times at the different types of word usage and famous sayings that are changed up to fit the story and yet you still get the gist of the original. The comedy is sometimes sophomoric, absolutely slapstick, and while the author states his influences as being Dick Van Dyke, Bill Cosby, and Jonathan Winters, I saw a bit of the humor that would have fit brilliantly in episodes of the Three Stooges.

Throughout the stories, the Mystee Forest figures predominantly, and then our protagonist, whom I identify with the author, seems to find tinfoil some form of safety device. Often wearing a hat made of the material, he has some very ingenious and comedic interchanges with different and oftentimes inventive outcomes. Another quite important part of the story would be the clowns in a jeep that continue to show up periodically, but with their own little piece of the puzzle which usually includes running over or into something. And then there are the potatoes. Whats up with that?

While many of the characters seem to be written with children in mind, the story is not; often they deal with drugs and other formats not particularly suitable for children. Although from the laughter I myself experienced, maybe there is a reason to have characters a child would be attracted to, they certainly held my attention.

If you enjoy humor and better yet, outright laughter, this is an extremely fun and engaging work. Richard Bell’s sense of humor is intact and it seems he is also quite comfortable poking fun at himself as well. This would be a great book for guests, and in fact would be a particular treat for the Dr.’s office while waiting for an appointment, it takes your mind off the mundane and transports you into a sort of cartoon world, a “Calgon take me away” sort of place, where you can be anything you want to be.

Rating 4/5

Life Seemed Good, But ...


This book was received free as a Smashwords edition from the author. All opinions are my own based off my reading and understanding of the information.

Unsavory Delicacies by Russell Brooks

This book is a series of short stories full of suspense centered in either eating establishments or using food as a cover. An anthology of interesting and yet refined reading, Russell Brooks brings you a short novella that packs just enough punch to keep you looking for more. His protagonist shows up in several of the stories, but it is the suspense that ties them together. The individual stories are bundled together under the title of Unsavory Delicacies.


In Crème Brule, Brooks has used a dining experience to introduce his characters. Monique Beauvais is a beautiful young woman willing to use her looks to get what she wants. Working for the Arms of Ares she is more than willing to set up her date, collect the money and mark him for termination. As she completes the deal, she leaves him at the restaurant and as she walks away hears the rifle shot killing her patsy. However, everything is not as it seems. Her contact, Curtis, is not who she believed him to be, and everything she believes has just taken a turn. Her life now in danger and her cover blown, can she finalize the contract for her employers?

Things are not what they seem and Monique is taken aback at her naivety, believing and trusting in her ability to pull a swindle, she is trapped. Having always used her beauty to get what she needed she is at a loss when it is no long enough. Curtis too has his secrets, he is undercover and on to her tricks but will do what it takes to make sure she does not get her way. This is an interesting quick read with a twist to the ending.

In To the Last Bite, Russell Brooks brings us a bit of a creepy suspense, about a food critic. Dennis Kirby makes a living by giving terrible reviews to the restaurants he visits. Occasionally he will give a good review but the bad ones are the fodder that keeps his readers coming back. When he finds a French restaurant with food that he find quite palatable he is impressed. The owner is sweating bullets hoping to receive a rave review, and Dennis assures him he will receive it.

Even after leaving the restaurant, the food stays with him, but something is familiar to him about the owner. He cannot quite put his finger on it but it is there. Maybe he had seen him somewhere before but he is not sure. Calling his girlfriend, he again cannot reach her and begins to worry. He has been trying to reach her now for some time; she is always available so he is concerned.

After his eating experience at the French restaurant, he also finds that other food is not quite as good, but he is understandably surprised with the chef show up at his home with another meal. Something is not quite right, but the horror that unfolds will be so unexpected you will not see it coming.

This is a quick and quirky story with a somewhat creepy undertone. Brooks’ characters are bizarre and the chef is just a bit frightening. There could be a moral and yet it to too odd to list it as so. It is a strange and unexpected tale.

To wrap it all up, Brooks brings us another short but succinct story, Shashlyk and Morozhenoe, revolving around his hero Ridley Fox. Fox goes undercover with a few other CIA operatives, posing as inspectors looking for bad meat. Looking to find and expose some important documents from the Arms of Ares, Ridley realizes the safe is not set up as expected. He calls in his man Dobbs. Unaware of the circumstances, his team is caught in a tight spot when the Russian Mafia show up and inform them that they have been watched on camera.

Can they hold on until Dobbs show’s up. Ridley is not to be trifled with, yet can he get out of one more spot of danger?

This is a fun and fanciful set of stories with are suspenseful and interesting. They hit just the right tone to keep you reading. Each is just different enough to build the pace, and just intriguing enough for enjoyable reading. This is a quick and intense novella, put together with verve. The characters in each case are disingenuous and really keep you interested.

Rating 4/5

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

Unsavory Delicacies, and Pandoras Succession by Russell Brooks can be found at the following outlets.

Amazon

Amazon UK

Smashwords
B&N
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