Fraterfamilias by Judith Doloughan and Paula R. Stiles

Article first published as Book Review:Fraterfamilias by Judith Doloughan and Paula R. Stiles on Blogcritics.

Dr. Alan Kedward was in disbelief as he and the world learned about the shooting of his only family member, shot by police as he was intercepted in JFK in New York, for multiple vicious murders in Paris. Paul Michel Farrell got off the plane and then waited for the police. Interpol was on its way, and yet as an officer began talking to Paul, he admitted to the killing, got up and walked towards the police while reaching in the back of his coat. Believing he was reaching for a gun, he was shot to death.

Alan headed directly to the airport, he needed to be there when Paul woke up, it was his only thought. As he reached the terminal, he passed an ambulance leaving. Knowing Paul was headed to the hospital, Alan stopped to complete a small errand. He is interrogated, but since he was not at the airport until after the murder, he was allowed to leave.

Dr. Kedward then called his assistant and asked her to meet him at the hospital with her van. He needed her help rescuing his “cousin” from the hospital; he believed that he would be the only one that could save him. As Bobby shows up, they find Paul, dead in a room in the hospital awaiting transport to the morgue. He assures her that Paul has a rare condition called catalepsy, a conditions somewhat like hibernation where the body shuts down with too much stress, and tries to convince her that Paul is not dead. Bobby does not believe but does not argue. They move the body to an old beat up hotel, out of the main stream, and it is here that Bobby leaves them.

All is not as it seems, as Alan begins to circle the room in salt to help keep the ghosts out. He sees them everywhere, and wants to make sure Paul has some time on his own to heal. Alan finds himself very short of breath, which has been a normal condition for some time now; his asthma has continued to get worse. His age is beginning to catch up with him, but he is not ready to give up. It is here that he uses every bit of his knowledge to bring Paul back, once again to this world.

As the police and Interpol compare notes and try to track down a missing body and solve the mystery of the Paris murders, the information begins to twist in strange and unbelievable ways. Paul appears to be someone who had disappeared many years ago, an artist of great renown, but that would be impossible. When he disappeared, he was at the same age that Paul was now. And not only that, but Dr. Alan Kedward bares a remarkable resemblance to the brother of that renowned artist. However, that would also make his age wrong. It will take all the resources of Inspector Thierry Ballard of Interpol, his assistant Jonah Parker, an avid fan of the missing painter, and an NYPD Homicide detective Charlie Rains.

Will they find the answers? Is Paul Farrell really the multiple murderer, of the group in Paris, or did he take the fall for Dr Kedward? Is it possible that Paul Farrell is alive regardless of the information to the contrary?

Judith Doloughan and Paula R. Stiles have written in intense and very interesting book dealing with several individuals born of a lineage that live an extremely long life, and have other interesting capabilities as well. While the style of writing was a bit difficult to get used to, the story is amazing. The narrative is as written as though the characters are writing comments to each other, and was a bit distracting, but the story made up for it.

In Fraterfamilias, Doloughan and Stiles have put together a wonderful group of characters. They are interesting and exciting, and yet each of them is flawed in ways that make them so human. Each character is well developed and was easy to picture as the story evolves. The book was fast paced with a unique story line, written with a plausibility that helped make is seem real.

Charlie Rains is at the end of his rope dumped by his wife, into some deep problems and yet is able to transform himself, while Inspector Ballard just wants answers. If he can tie Dr. Kedward into the picture that he will be happy, to him Paul just seems to be a very good man, and he cannot understand the killing and the way it happened. He is also very open to the odd things that he finds and keeps searching for even more information.

Jonah Parker is in over his head, and when he learns things about himself that he did not know, he does not know where to turn for advice or answers. He must make some decisions on his own, and yet he has mixed feelings. Not all is what it seems, and he is just beginning to understand what this means.

I would recommend this book for anyone interested in a story of fantasy, an unbelievable way of life and just some interesting and thought provoking questions. I enjoyed the fast pace, and think that this would be wonderful for a book club. There would be a great deal to discuss and analyze.

Rating 4/5
Fraterfamilias

This book was recieved free from the publisher. All opinions are my own based off me reading and understanding of the material.

Tyger Tyger by Kersten Hamilton

Article first published as Book Review:Tyger Tyger by Kersten Hamilton on Blogcritics.

Teagan Wylltson is a typical young teenager. She has her best friend Abby Gagliano, and she loves working in the clinic with the animals.The training with the chimps requires sign language, and Teagan is very good at it. After her usual Thursday at the clinic, she heads home, with no clue of what is in store for her or her family. She is met by her best friend Abby Gagliano, Abby considers herself psychic and has had a dream where Teagan is being hunted by goblins. They have been best friends forever, but Teagan finds the whole story silly and makes sure Abby knows it. Abby is well aware that Teagan’s mom is an illustrator and writer of children’s books featuring the very same goblins. The illustrations are so well done it feels as though the goblins are alive, so Abby’s dreams are no surprise.

At home, there is company, Ms, Skinner is from social services and is here about Teagan’s cousin Finn Mac Cumhaill, he needs a place to stay, and the Wylltson’s appear to be the only ones available.

Teagan’s younger brother Aiden is special, he does not speak and he has an amazing way with direction. He is afraid of many thing but Elvis impersonators are the worst. As her parents go to pick up Finn, Teagan settles in to play with Aiden.

When they return with Finn, she finds there is something dark about him, the way he looks deep at everything, identifying all the ways in and out, he seems dangerous. But there is more, much more, Aiden likes to him, and welcomes him to the fold. Aiden is not good with others but Finn is the exception. She too finds an instant attraction. So she is cautious, but at the same time excited that he is here. He is also different, more edgy, seeing things that no one else seems to see.

When this difference starts affecting Teagan, first with her job and then with the things she herself begins to see, she is afraid. Finn makes a decision to leave the family before the danger finds them, but it is too late.

First Teagan’s mother dies mysteriously, and then her father disappears, and it is up to Aiden, Teagan and Finn to find the answers. First, they must find Mamieo, and she will help them find their way. But will they be able to get to her before it is too late?

Teagan is a funny and likeable character, she has great interplay with her friend Abby, and she is a typical teenage girl. She is actually a bit more mature then some, with her job at the clinic and her closeness and care of her younger brother. The main problem is that she has begun to see things that others cannot, and she has found herself in a position that a young girl should not have to be in. It is up to her to save her family.

Aiden is a special child. He has some great depths, and yet he has some strange fears. He is smart but is not very socially developed. Nevertheless, he has a love for his family, and his innate directional ability is a wonder.

Finn is a handsome young man, too long on his own. He has been hunted and has learned the streets in the hard way. His presence has put the Wylltson family in danger although he is the only one that can help them.

Tyger Tyger is a fast paced and interesting book. It is hilarious in many of the interactions, and yet has a sad and haunting quality as well. The characters are very well written, and easy to identify with. Ms. Hamilton has done a wonderfull job of building a world within a world that only a very rare few can see, the imagination and storytelling is both bold and exciting.

I would recommend this book for the older YA. It is fun and yet it is also very dark, and may be too much for the young teen or pre teen reader. I believe that it is also a great book for anyone who loves a good story filled with fantastical creatures. You cannot get any better than this.

Rated 5/5
Tyger Tyger

This book was received as a free e-book from Net Galley. The opinion is my own based off my independent reading and understanding of the material.
Cover courtesy of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt publishing company.

Jihad-Britain by Jack Everett and David Coles

Article first published as Book Review: Jihad-Britain by Jack Everett and David Coles on Blogcritics.

In a number of incidents sure to shock the world, a group known as the Black Knights, who have declared Jihad, attack Britain in a well-planned and set up maneuver. On a chill morning just before noon, at landmarks throughout the area, a series of bombings break the silence of January 1, 2012. These include a newly commissioned Cruise ship, Majesty, carrying 5000 passengers and being observed by a large crowd at Mayflower Park; Ibrox Stadium; an underground station, carrying 80000, for singing and fireworks; St Paul’s Cathedral, holding Thanksgiving services; a similar event in Trafalgar Square; and Millennium stadium for the Welsh National Choir slated for 74,000 attendees. These atrocities result in 15,000 deaths and 20,000 more injuries.

The Prime Minister calls a meeting of the COBRA committee, to assess the situation and to set a plan to find those who were guilty of such heinous acts. He also chooses to set a General Election against the advice of his party. The P.M. wants action and needs the backing of the public.

Another group of members have broken away from the old parties and decided to form a new different party. It is felt that this would be what it would take to protect British citizens from further attack and to find those who had accomplished these horrible deeds. Francis Raike, considered to be one of the brightest sparks in government, is elected to be the head of the party by the other constituents.

They call themselves the Independents and have a radical platform, ready for change for Britain, and their place in the world. Some of those ideas consist of the repeal of the Human Rights Act, secession from the EU, continued UN membership, immigration policies and conscription to name a few. Many of these are very controversial — and yet because the public is looking for safety, the Independents win the election by a landslide. The new government is then assigned the brightest stars in each field and made ready to find those responsible.

As every lead is followed and the culprits found and arrested, two remain invisible. They are the most ruthless of killers with plans that make even the madness of 2012 look like child’s play. In addition, as the new Prime Minister, Francis Raike digs deeper into the quagmire, he puts himself and those he holds dearest in danger from this group killing in the name of Allah. Will he succeed in his plan or will he lose all he holds dear?
Jack Everett and David Coles have put together a story of nightmarish proportions. In a post 9/11 world where terror once again raises its head, they have written a story of Jihad, a war against the British by those most extreme. In Jihad-Britain, they have taken the extremism to an ultimate place. However, they have also found a hero, or a group of heroes, willing to challenge the status quo, willing to make changes unpopular with many to rebuild a stronger county.

They have shown a bleak and challenging situation and founded a group of characters, capable of bringing it home. Each of the different characters, including the Prime Minister, Francis Raike, have a boldness and strength needed in this time, and yet they have their human side, which shows up, often in awkward times and places. They are human and very likable, but also give you a solid comfort that they are there on the scene.
At the same time, they have a formidable foe, two men with their own twisted beliefs, but with the charisma to build an army of thugs, those who enjoyed murder for the act itself as well as those fanatics just following their belief.

I had difficulty at the beginning of the book. It started slow, but within the first few chapters, an understanding of the story emerged, building a pace that was then both quick and interesting. I would recommend this book for those interested in this genre, and while it is a novel of war, it is also a novel of people. I found it quite fascinating. This would be a very interesting book for a reading group or book club.

Rating 4\5
Jihad-Britain

This book was received as a free e-copy from the authors. All opinions are my own based off my reading and understanding of the information.

Cornerstone Deep by Charlen A. Wilson

Posted first at The Romance Reviews

Charlene A. Wilson has written a fabulous fantasy, filled with imagination and beauty. From the beginning you are hooked, the male characters are interesting, charismatic and yet flawed, making them very likable. The prose is quick and the fantasy fun. The story is well developed, with an ending that is sure to surprise.


Cole Shilo and his brothers, James and Vince, have been on this world for thousands of years. They came from another dimension when their parents first settled here, hoping to help settle the new inhabitants of this place. They remember their home world with fondness and love, and above all else, they are each seeking their soul-mates here in this dimension.

Four hundred years prior, Cole had found such a love, and in their home world, souls returned time after time. Looking for his one true love Mianna, but for centuries, he has been doomed to disappointment time after time. It is all he has ever wanted and he yearns to find her soul reborn here in this dimension. His brothers think that he is unrealistic. After all, their father too had searched for years to find the soul of their mother, and they did not believe that the regeneration of souls worked in this time and place. Cole though is a romantic and knows that she is out there, waiting for him to find her, and he has never stopped looking in all the years since her death.

Their job on this world was to continue to help settle the land, and as such, they used their magic to take away unhappy memories of those in pain or with nothing in their life. They also did jobs for Kyle Dressen, current Grand Marshall of the courts. Some of those jobs included finding these unhappy souls and helping to bend their wills, then delivering them to the Marshall, with him as their master.

Anna Sinclair, a designer of glass, is one of the young women noticed by Kyle, and he must have her. She is a beautiful young woman, in the prime of her life, and unbeknown to Cole and his brothers, the Marshall has set her up to miss curfew, so that she would be delivered to him and put into his power.

As Cole and his brothers round her up, Cole loses control and binds her soul to the Grand Marshall. As he looks deeply into her eyes, he recognizes that soul, the very one he has been searching for. Too late, he realizes he has just bound the very love of his life to another man. Will he be able to break the binding or has he doomed himself to a life without true love?

The fantasy is marvelous and well written. The brothers are like siblings the world over, they argue, they fight and they disagree. But when one is threatened, they come together and stand for each other. The dialogue with each other is at times heartwarming, and sometimes just interesting. The anger is bold and described in such terms that you can feel the tension. Cole is such a romantic, you want to forgive him almost anything and yet you are also horrified by his actions, and hope and pray that his brothers can help him come up with a solution.

Anna is lost in a world not of her choosing. Her free will is gone as well as much of the memories that have made her who she is. She is almost like a puppet, and the situation has a very creepy feel. She is there, in a place that while comfortable, is also unknown. She is complacent and not at all the same girl she has always been, and it is imperative that Cole find a way to release her.

The love that Cole and his brothers look for is tender and beautiful, and when he finds his mate again, but then binds her to another, he is lost. The scenes play out over and over, can he save Anna?

This is a well-written world, with a cast of characters that bring it to life. Cole is the bad boy, the one that tugs at your heart, but makes so many mistakes. His brothers are a great foil to his personality, both well written as well with stories of their own. Anna is a fun and feisty young woman, also looking for love, but with her will taken from her, making her an entirely different character. Cornerstone Deep is fast-paced and hard to put down. I look for Ms. Wilson to follow this up with stories on each of the brothers. I would enjoy reading more about this fascinating family.
 
Rating 4/5
Cornerstone Deep

This Book was received from the publisher through The Romance Reviews. All opinions are my own based off my reading and understanding of the material.

I Hate Chicago by Nick Vandermolen

I usually do not read non-fiction books, although I have read a few recently. I Hate Chicago is about the life and times of the Author, Nick Vandermolen, once he graduated from College and moved away from home, Small Town USA.

The book is somewhat fragmented and threw me off a bit, and I would have to admit that it took me much longer to read for this reason then is my want. The beginning for me was a bit slow, I had difficulty understanding where the author was going. It really threw me initially when the book went from how and why he ended up in Chicago without a job, to the evils of coffee.

As I continued to read, I had to admire the jargon used and how he set up the very evilness of the drink, how it lulls us into thinking that we are enjoying it, when in all reality, there is much more happening then we are aware of. I found myself smiling at the antics.

This time when the writing went back to the author and his second 30 days in Chicago, I was more prepared. I began to enjoy the way he poked fun at himself, and began to realize what he was missing from the small town and how he was now realizing that his father was a hero. I enjoyed reading his take on some of the absurdities of life and how he seemed to be able to make his way with his humor intact.
I enjoyed hearing about his friends and their antics.

As the book moved from Nick and his problems again and into the reality of the metropolis, I was intrigued by his thoughts and perception of what it is all about. I enjoyed the part on the metropolis being more fast paced when in fact as Nick states in his comments, it is the people who are faster, it actually takes more time to move a shorter amount of distance in a metropolis than it takes to move three times that much in a small town. It was a very insightful bit, and quite illuminating.

As the story wrapped up with the next thirty days of living in Chicago, I was sorry to see it come to a close. What I admired is how he faced his fears as a child and found that it is not so easy as you become an adult, the same things do not work that may have worked as a child.

I found the book to be fun and yet just a bit difficult. It was definitely thought provoking and I felt myself smiling at the antics of Vandermolen and his friends several times. If you enjoy non fiction and are interested in the process of growth and learning as well as the absurdity involved, you will enjoy this work. It is distributed by Nan Bu Nan Publishing. If you are interested stop by his site and check it out. A very interesting man indeed.

http://www.nanbunan.com/

vandermolen.tumblr.com (Blog)


Rating 3/5


This book was received as a free e-book from the Author. All opinions are my own based off my reading and understanding of the information.

The Girl Who Ran with Horses by David Michael

Article first published as Book Review:The Girl Who Ran With Horses by David Michael on Blogcritics.

Stevie Buckbee dreams about horses. She is just thirteen and has been living with her Aunt and Uncle in the city, going to school. She is ready to go home and spend time on the ranch with her beloved horses. Things have changed so much in her young life. Her brother Edwin was killed the prior year. Just thinking about it brings on tears. Then her mom left, leaving her and her brother Blake with their father on the Horse Ranch. These are really the situations that have brought her to this place and she is ready to be home, on the ranch and with what is left of her family and horses.

As she finally reaches the area of ranches near her own home, she feels an odd feeling, as though she is being watched. Looking out the window, she notices that the horses are all looking at her. At first that seems silly, but as she continues passing the pastures and farms, the horses are all looking her direction, their heads turning as the car passes by, keeping their eyes on her until she can no longer see them.

When they finally reach McAlester, she forgets about it as she sees her brother Blake waiting for her. They have always been close and she runs to hug him. Her warm hug is returned but she is bothered to find that he has brought his girlfriend Shannon. She is not ready to share her family yet, but what she finds when she reaches the Ranch disturbs her even further.

Her father is not as she remembers. He drinks more and sleeps more, he does not get up as much and the Ranch has gone down hill. There is only a semblance of what used to be, there are even less horses then there were when she was home before. The Ranch is a mess, and Blake assures her that they will be cleaning it up before she is able to do any racing. Even with that, Stevie is happy to be around her beloved horses. What she is not ready for is to find that they can communicate with her. And stranger yet, she can communicate back.

David Michael has taken a time in a young girls life, already rife with change internally. He has added external changes of such disruption and turmoil, that it almost makes the family come apart. With first the loss of her brother in death and then her mother leaving, she is sent off to live with relatives away from the comfort of her family and her beloved horses. Her life is turned upside down.

In The Girl Who Ran With Horses, he has given Stevie something new to believe in. A new kind of belonging, one where she is never left out. She gains control in a way that she does not have in her actual life, a life that is changing, becoming both more and less then it was before. He has built his characters from real life, with both the hurts and frustrations that are often in our every day dealings. Stevie is a fun and loving child out of place, and feeling it, acting out in her own abilities. Both her father and her brother, deal with the life and heartaches in their own way. And yet it takes a very traumatic circumstance to help them draw together and become a family again.

It is a heartwarming book, with just a bit of the paranormal thrown in. The communication she has with the horses is fun and frivolous, and at times painful.
This would be a fun and unique story for the young adult reader. It deals with real issues and problems that face many families, and the pace is steady, easy to follow. A great book for old and young alike.

Rating 4/5
The Girl Who Ran With Horses

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.

Red in the Flower Bed By Andrea Nepa

Red in the Flower Bed is a insightful and whimsical children’s book creating a fun read with the singsong type of rhyme that makes for an engaging reading process. Andrea Nepa has risen to the challenge of making the confusing and unsettling process of adoption into a story of search and discovery. In a more difficult setting where the adoption is interracial, she has found just the perfect way to help an child feel comfortable in a new place surrounded with differences. This would be insightful with any adoption and not limited to interracial, I believe there is always a bit of that feeling, of not belonging, and this book, takes that difference and shows how all parts make a whole. The story, beginning with the seed being directed and finding just the best and most special place to grow, shows a love and a welcoming that is difficult to miss. The beauty of the new color coming up in a bed full of other colors all different and unique blending into a rainbow shows how each entity is of itself  unique and yet a part of the whole, creating a family. I felt the book had a light and genuine touch, making a difficult theme beautiful. You will be charmed by the prose, and the beauty of the concept is well illustrated with beautiful colors and themes, sure to capture the imagination.

Andrea Nepa is the mother of an adopted Vietnamese daughter named Leah. In 2001, Adoptions from the Heart assisted with the international adoption. Andrea dedicated her book to her daughter: "For my dear Leah, whose journey in her young life has already taken her to far away and unexpected places." In 2006, Leah was diagnosed with cancer. She is currently in remission. Andrea lives with Leah and her husband, David, in Haddonfield, New Jersey. The author is a registered dietitian for the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.



 Buying Links
 Tribute Books Online Bookstore
 Red in the Flower Bed Website

 Andrea Nepa FaceBook
 Tribute Books
 Tribute Books Face Book


Watch youtube trailer here

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y9mnYJ6mdv0&feature=player_embedde









                                                      

Ameriqaeda by Markus Kane

Article first published as Book Review: Ameriqaeda by Markus Kane on Blogcritics.

In a post 9/11 world, when anger and excuses seem to have waned, a new type of terrorist organization has begun to seep into the very consciousness of the United States. Years in the making, working on and manipulating those most in need, an organization yet unnamed, makes its entrance into the landscape. The entire fabric and planning is both masterminded and directed by one man, Dr. Oberon Crevan. He has both the means and opportunity to create an apocalyptic scenario. His intelligence is off the charts and he is well respected in his field. And yet there is something off, something about him that makes him think in a different realm, he feels as if he is more than human, more then his fellow man. And as such he has the right to decide both life and death of a global scale.

Special Agent Ian Gray has been in the FBI for some time. Undercover assignments were his strong point and he had just completed his most recent. As he is debriefed and ready to get his next assignment, he finds that his Section Chief, Donald Crowhurst has concerns with his mental fitness. He is ordered to stand down for some rest. Taking the time to make his own decisions, he unwinds with his son. This time is precious, his son born with downs syndrome, is a joy and helps to center him. With his wife’s death, this is his one anchor, that which keeps him working,helping keep the world safe.

As he unwinds, he receives a call from Dr. Amanda Fuller, a prior colleague of his wife. He agrees to meet her not even beginning to understand the sequence of events that will be set in place by this visit. She is reaching out because she has a story, no one believes her and he is her last hope. Gray thanks her for thinking of him and gives her some suggestions of people to talk to and forgets her almost as soon as he leaves the meeting.

When Dr. Fuller is found murdered within hours of talking to him, Ian is contacted by another faction of the government, by another man he once worked with, Harold MacMillan, DDI of the CIA. Known as Mac, his group has been following the information as well as the deaths reported by Dr. Fuller and have grave concerns. In order for the information that she reported to have been covered up, by both CDC as well as government agencies, there is high expectation of a mole. Knowing and prior working experience with Gray makes him a person of interest to help investigate further. Being on leave from the FBI gives him some time, but it also creates some conflicts.

As Gray investigates for Mac, he is drawn into the very depth of the organization of Dr. Crevan, named by the CIA as Ameriqaeda. He is teamed up with another operative, Special Agent Lynd. As information begins to flow, the FBI and Gray’s Boss Crowhurst a pulled in, in an effort to put an end to this organization.

As they are drawn deeper into a world of technology, complete with nano particles and diseases, they must find a way to follow the trail of an intelligent madman, one who has developed a secret and deadly following, charismatic in the way that may fanatics are. Will they find the answer to the final plan, and if they do will they be able to pull the plug? Death and secrets follow them at every turn, and Gray finds that their nemesis is ahead of them in every respect. Can they get the drop they need, and will Dr. Crevan make a mistake, one that will give them the opportunity to shut down his plan and save the world?

Markus Kane has written a novel full of possibilities and realities. By using the anger and angst created by the terrorism of the current factions, and turning that about and against them in such a way as to create credible circumstances, he has created a fast paced and intelligent read. He has written his characters and given them dimension, finding both their strengths as well as their character flaws. Ian Gray is an excellent hero for the time, and Dr. Crevan makes a very credible protagonist. I found the technology and information systems informational as well as interesting. This area in many books seems slow and bogs you down and yet while I did not understand everything it was just a part of the backdrop, necessary to the story but not so overblown as to trip it up.
Ameriqaeda is written with an eye to reality, creating a haunting look at possibilities of the ever increasing terrorist actions perpetrated in our world today. It has characteristics of the day and yet is also creates a hero in the way of The Last Boy Scout, that one guy that will stand between terror and safety, someone to count on in time of need. I really enjoyed the story and yet it also disturbed me on many levels.

I would recommend this book as a great read. It will be appreciated by those that really love a good spy story, and while there is a realism that sets your teeth on edge, there is a also a little family and romance that lightens it up, making it more then just another spy story

Rating 4/5
Ameriqaeda

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

Unearthly by Cynthia Hand

Article first published as Book Review: Unearthly by Cynthia Hand on Blogcritics.

Clara Gardner is just sixteen when she begins having visions. She was expecting it every since her mother explained her background to her when she was fourteen. That was when she first learned about angel-bloods. Her Mother explained that all angel-bloods have a purpose in life and they are all different. How they receive them however, is the same, they always come in the form of visions. The angel blood makes them heal faster, they are better at dance, and most sports,and they pick up languages quickly. They also have wings, invisible for the most part unless called forth. Clara’s mother is only half angel or Dimidius, and her father is human, so that makes both Clara and Jeffery quarter bloods or Quartarius.

As Clara’s visions increase, they put her somewhere in a wooded area,where all around there is fire, and in the midst of the clearing is a boy about her age. She only sees him from the back, but she is sure it is no one she knows. As she shares this with her mother, she describes the smell of smoke, the overwhelming feeling of sadness and that somehow she knows that she has to save him. Because it is her first vision, it is only a taste of her purpose which will get stronger as the time for her to act gets closer.

They both realize that what she has seen in her vision means they will have to leave California. The clarity of her vision gives them the information that they need, this vision, this purpose, is the reason that she was born.

They will have to relocate, using the information gleaned from the vision to put them in the right place. She is not ready for that, and yet she knows there is no choice. Her family will be uprooted because of her vision, it will affect them all. Her younger brother Jeffrey, also angel-blood, has no say, they go where the purpose is.

Jackson Hole, Wyoming is where her vision leads. They find a comfortable home and a great new school. As her power gets stronger, her hair begins to glow whenever she feels intense emotions. Because of the effect that has on most normal human beings, her mother has helped her to die it red to dampen the glow. The red however mixes with the gold of her hair and becomes an orange color. Nothing they do will change the color so that is how she must present herself to her new school. Her brother fits in instantly and makes friends quickly. She however struggles, having to overcome the orange hair, but finally makes friends with two different girls in her various classes. Through it all her purpose becomes the focus, building and expanding, putting her at odds with both her new friends and her family.

Cynthia Hand puts together a wonderful insightful story, full of fun and danger. Her characters leap right off the page, with humor and human feelings. In Unearthly, she has put together a cast of characters, born with angel-blood, on earth for a purpose. She weaves together a story full of feelings and emotions. She has incorporated a unique form of lineage, mixed it with teenage angst and fears, coming up with a story sure to pull at your emotions.

She sprinkles in edgy characters, keeping the suspense strong, only hinting at their purpose and capabilities. As Clara tries to fulfill her purpose she is pulled, first by love and later by the visions, putting her at odds with her heritage. And through it all the danger pushes itself through, keeping the pace of the story moving quickly.

Will Clara make the right decisions, based off her visions and her purpose, and will she overcome the danger that is threaded through it all?

This is a charming story, written with the young adult in mind. It deals with friendships, and ideals, as well as making choices. The action is both suspenseful and fast paced keeping you reading till the very end. This is a great book for that young reader, but if you get it for that reason, take a chance and read it for yourself as well. It is fun and interesting, with just enough inherent danger to keep it interesting.

Rating 4/5

Unearthly

This book was received as a free ARC download from Net Galley. All opinions are my own based off my reading and understanding of the story.

The Venom of Vipers by K.C.May

Article first published as Book Review: The Venom of Vipers by K.C. May on Blogcritics.

In the year of 2023 humanity has come to a cross roads. With the human race slowly being eradicated by a disease known as molio, scientists are racing against time to control and destroy the disease and save the human race. Part of their progress has been the engineering of a new race, close to human in nature known as saphers, Dr. Katie Marsh is the daughter of the Nobel Prize winning Dr. Marsh, the scientist responsible for this remarkable engineering feat. After the death of her mother from molio, Katie has grown up at the institution, playing and making friends among the sapher. Her best friend from childhood is a sapher named Ryder Stone.

The sapher were man’s answer to the extinction of the human race, a engineering miracle immune to the molio virus. While they were somewhat human in nature and carried many of the human characteristics, there was still just enough that was alien about them that created controversy. There was a marked difference in their appearance, the claws on both fingers and toes instead of nails, the slitted eyes and the spinney ridge that ran down their back, made them stand out. They were still prisoner, albeit well taken care of ones in the scientific community.

Dr. Katie Marsh came back after graduate school to work with her father and try and find answers to the problems inherent to the sapher race. They were engineered to help save the human race, and yet there were problems inherent in their own genes. The young woman could not seem to carry a pregnancy past the seventh month and it was Katie’s job to find the problem.

Along with just the every day issues, there were also control groups outside the laboratory, one side feeling that the saphers should be free as all men were, and the other side which felt they were an abomination.

When it is discovered that there are factions within the facility that are willing to risk anything to bring it down, it is up to Katie and her lifelong friend Ryder to find the answers before it is to late. Who can the turn to for help when it appears that even the good guys have a hidden agenda. When Katie finds that Ryder knows the answer that holds the secret to life for both groups will she be able to use the information in such a way to not create and cause the deaths of those close to her? Who will be able to aid her?

In The Venom of Vipers, by KC May, May has developed a world of the future, easy to foresee and disturbing in nature. This world is so much the same as that we live in and yet moved forward to a future in which mankind sets the stage for their own distinction. The characters are well written and the new race of the sapher are unique and believable. As in our time, different factions fight over what is right or wrong and neither is willing to give ground. Science is all that is left to help save the race, and May as developed a interesting twist on the possibilities of genetic research and the possible outcome.

The sapher are an interesting race and in many cases more humane then the actual human race themselves. May has developed characters with depth and emotion, with abilities both unknown and unexplainable. While engineered to withstand and be immune to the molio that kills humans, there are secrets that even the most savvy scientist does not know. In a time and place in the future, smoke and mirrors are still the spotlight, as you are drawn down a dizzying spiral where all is not as it seems. Or is it?

This is a fast paced read with an interesting kick, the characters are exciting and the story unique. I really enjoyed the pace and the believability of a future time and place in our possible history. This is a great read, keeping you turning the pages, and following the characters. It is a interesting and bizarre twist in a futuristic thriller.

Rated 5/5

The Venom of Vipers
This book was received as a free e-book from the author. All oppinions are my own based off my own reading and understanding of the material.