The Secret of Ka By Christopher Pike

Sara Wilcox is spending the summer with her Father in Turkey, What she finds is that she is on her own most of the time due to his job at Bectar, a hydroelectric construction site. Sara finds the language difficult and loud, it is hot and crowded, no fun at all. She has just turned 15 years old and looking for something to do.


It is then that she meets Amesh. He also works for the same company as her father. She finds him very attractive and really likes him. He is missing and arm, injured at his work he explains to her, and is now a delivery boy. He is able to get her to the job site where they discover a carpet. There is something about it that has them both excited, but especially Sara. She can feel some sort of power in it. They find a way to sneak it away without being seen, and take it back to the hotel. It is beautiful and seems to be made of some material that they had never seen before. Sara decides to see if she can cut a small piece off, and finds that it will not cut. She puts a lighter to it and it flies across the room.

Wow! They have discovered a flying carpet. While they discuss how they can keep their secret, they order up food, and clean up. As Amesh is in the shower, Sara surfs the internet and finds several articles about flying carpets. One of them talked about ley lines, magnetic lines that surrounded the earth, as being the fuel that helped them to fly. Sara learned the information as quickly as possible. They decide to see if they can find these ley lines, and if so, would they be able to operate the carpet. The compass should react abnormally when they were within the ley lines, so that is what they look for. Curiously enough, they found some ley lines and laid the carpet upon them. As they did several of the tassels folded and stood straight up looking like possible driving apparatus’s. They climbed on and off they went for a ride.

The carpet has its own agenda; it works for Sara and seems to communicate with her. She feels close to it almost as though it is a part of her. Amesh is very jealous and petulant, but refuses to leave her side because he is having trouble trusting her. His family is extremely poor and he sees the carpet as a way to riches.

The carpet takes them to another place, and even possibly another time, where they are guided by the carpet onto an island. It is here that Sara finds she can communicate with it. She also learns from the carpet that she is of the ancient lineage of the Kala, and is in fact a Royal Princess. This is why the carpet responds to her. It is the carpet of Ka, and is very important. While it communicates and answers many questions, it leaves many unanswered that she will have to find out for herself. There is something happening in her world and she will have to be the one to save them.

On the island they find a beautiful city consisting of towers. They find that this is where the Djinns are located. As they learn about these beings, they find there is good and evil involved. They can grant you three wishes, but there is a price. The first wish is for free, the second one requires something of you and the third makes you a thrall, or slave of the Djinn.

Amesh becomes enamored of this thought and at the first actual wish he surprises Sara by asking for a wealth of jewels instead of his arm. As he sees how his wish comes true, he becomes besotted with the Djinn, giving it even more power over him. He feels in control of the Djinn, instead of what is really occurring. The Djinn is gaining control over him. Thus emboldened he makes a second wish, that to get his arm back. Amazingly enough his arm is returned to him. As Sara protests and tries to let him know what he is getting himself into, his jealousy takes over. He feels that she just wants what he has. He and the Djinn take the carpet from her and head back to Turkey leaving her there on the island.

Sara is on her own, but finally runs into a very kind older man and a young woman. They put her to work on their farm, where she learns milking as well as pottery. As she learns the pottery she also learns more about the Djinn and how to control them. She feels responsible for Amesh and therefore must save him. One more wish will destroy him and it is up to her to keep that from happening.

How will Sara get home? Will she return and really be able to save Amesh from his own weaknesses.

This is a fun and fast paced story that keeps you guessing at what is going to happen. Just when you think you know where it is going, the story takes a twist and sends you into an entirely different direction.

While Sara is only 15 years old, she seems far older then she is. She is smart and caring, and just a bit of a handful. Amesh is a lonely young man, hurting and bedeviled at what life has thrown at him. He is very close to his family, but has allowed his weakness to guide him and become someone else. He is looking for revenge and puts his family at risk as he looks for answers.

This is a YA book and at times that is obvious. However as the story twists and turns it also makes for fun reading for book lovers of all ages. A rollercoaster of fun, enjoy.
The Secret of Ka available at Amazon

Rating 3/5

This book was recieved as an e-book, free though Netgalley. All opinions are my own based of my reading and understanding of the material.

Restored Hope by Brenda Youngerman

Article first published as Restored Hope by Brenda Youngerman on Blogcritics

At 10 years of age Camilla Lynn Miller died. She had lived just seven days longer then her twin brother Sammy. Her death was hardly noticed because she was an invisible child. Her life was fractured by the death of her twin and Camilla was no more. Her place was taken by a fragile little 10 year old girl, who now went by the name of Samantha.

Camilla’s family consisted of her Mom and Dad, her twin brother Sammy, and her older brother Jason. He had been watching over Sammy when he fell from the tree and died. Because of their bond Camilla had absorbed Sammy and now there was only Samantha.

As Samantha begins to heal, and the family attempts to come together, Jason struggles with his guilt over Sammy’s death. How much can a family deal with when another child dies, this one self inflicted.

Sam’s Mom Tara, shattered by the suicide, the unimaginable death of yet another child, retreated into a shell. Sam was placed in the background once again, and became a prisoner in her own home. Every thing revolved around her Mom and as Sam grew she planned on escaping. As she moved away from home for college she found the first very real family she had ever known in her friend Tracy.

This is a heartbreaking and tragic story of the damage inflicted through the total disconnect of a family. Will Samantha find what she is looking for? Will she learn to love and trust again?

As I read Restored Hope, I tried to gage my feelings about this book; I realized that when Brenda Youngerman wrote her character Camilla, she really is invisible. As I went back I could only find a shadow of the little girl. Jason was very much front and center and his interaction with Sammy was certainly well written. Through it all there was just this sweet little girl that only looked on. She was just a vague figure in the background, curiously fading in and out of the story.

Camilla lived vicariously through Sammy and they communicated almost telepathically at times; with Sammy’s death she had actually felt him die. She could feel herself, falling with him, flying to the ground as he fell from the tree. The pain is palpable and you feel it, as Camilla deals with his death in the only way she can, by becoming someone else.

The whole story was surreal, somewhat like having a dream. I could have been watching from underwater the scenes rippled and surged moving in unexpected directions, not at all clear.

While the story is a tragedy, it is also a story of hope and dreams, and how love can heal even the deepest wounds.

Sam was so disconnected that while I could feel her pain and see where it came from, I found myself somewhat impatient that she struggled so much with trust. I would imagine that you would have to walk in her shoes in order to really understand.

I would recommend this book for book club reading as well as discussion groups. It touches on so many of the issues of today.
Restored Hope
Rating 4/5

I Recieved this book free from the author. The opinions are my own based off my reading and understanding of the material.

No Greater Sacrifice By John C. Stipa

Article first published as No Greater Sacrifice By John C. Stipa on Blogcritics

An unexpected summoning to France for the reading of a will draws together a strangely damaged group of individuals. Renee d’ Arcadia an archaeologist, recently diagnosed with terminal leukemia, David Arturo a war veteran with a troubled past, Paul Meehutch an extremely large, overweight man with a chip on his shoulder, but full of knowledge, and Gerard Tremblay assistant curator of the church where the reading is to take place, elderly and yet strangely spry.

This is just the beginning of a journey that will send them into the past, and involve them in a 100-year-old mystery resulting in the death of Father Berenger Sauniere, the parish priest of the Rennes-le-Chateau.

It will take all their wits and experience as well the hidden clues only hinted at in different works of literature, to find the truth. They must race against the clock to find the answers before a sinister group of individuals bent on evil and the destruction of the church, discover them. Gerard Tremblay has many of the answers and as he begins to fill them in, he too is brutally murdered. With danger and death at every turn will they find the answers in time?


What they find in each other will give them the strength to overcome evil and find the truth of the murder at the Rennes-le-Chateau.

"No Greater Sacrifice" is an intriguing book that is full of depth and extremely captivating. I am generally a quick reader, but because there was such an array of beautiful and interesting places and things, I took my time and savored the story. The characters were flawed and yet dynamic, demanding your pity or anger at times, and yet drawing your admiration in situation after situation. The interaction between them is funny and down to earth, displaying a real and human face that makes you miss them when they are gone.

Even with the immense amount of background surrounding the story, it was easy to follow. The clues were ingenuous and created a kind of “Indiana Jones” feel, with our friends ducking and dodging the dangers as they manifested.

John C. Stipa has created a fiction that makes you laugh and makes you cry; it is full of ugliness and beauty, and at every turn of the page, anticipation builds. There is a ribbon of hope weaved throughout the story, so while it is sometimes a bit dark, the hope ads a lightness that keeps the evil, which also twists its way though the story, at bay.


This is a great story and I would recommend it to anyone who loves mysteries, romance and danger. John C. Stipa has created it all and set a pace that keeps you moving. This is a book quite reminiscent of the Da Vinci Code in the complexity of it’s theme.

This would be a great book for a book club or reading group. It is definitely one for your library, to be read and savored periodically when you are looking for a story full of hope.

Rating 5/5
No Greater Sacrifice

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

The Strangers Outside by Vanessa Morgan

Article first published as The Strangers Outside by Vanessa Morgan on Blogcritics.

On a beautiful, idyllic day by the Belgian seaside, Jennifer and Louise enjoy their unfettered time together. It is a wonderful weekend, and they are staying at the remote cabin where they used to stay with their parents for years. Wrapping up their conversation prior to making their way to the cabin for the evening, Louise ponders where they will be and what they will be doing a year from now.

Jennifer, never very sure of herself, feels as though she would like to have a new boyfriend, although she does not see that happening. She is awkward around people and Louise is always the one helping her through life.

As they head to the cabin, one of several in the group, Louise reflects on their good luck on getting such a great deal on the place due to the season. Other then the caretakers they have the place to themselves. They will have some girl time. Playing the tune that they both love on Jennifer’s phone as they exit the car they are silly and dancing their way to the cabin. Suddenly Louise stops, the hair rising on her neck. Slowly she looks around and sees two men standing on the grounds just looking at them. She can not see them clearly but it really creeps her out. Jennifer wonders if they could be burglars, but neither of them is comfortable as they hurry to the cabin and lock themselves in.

This is only the beginning, a night of unimaginable terror. Do they have the will to survive? Only the morning will know the answer.

This is a very intriguing yet creepy story. In “The Strangers Outside”, Vanessa Morgan has truly brought to life an evening of terror. She has taken the nightmare out of the closet and moved it front and center in such a way that it can not be ignored. As I read the story I was not really sure what my feeling was, maybe that crawly feeling you get when you know something is changing, or seeing a movie you may have watched, that seemed to come right out of a corner of your mind. As I read further it took me back to some of the first scary stories I heard or even saw on TV.

As I thought about the story and how it came together, it reminded me of many of the short Hitchcock movies of that earlier era.

This is a short story, but packed with a large amount of punch. Truly a book that sends a chill up your back. If you enjoy spooky and creepy things you will enjoy this story. And better yet, it is currently being made into a movie.

This would be a great book for reading around the fire with your friends. What could be better for the month of Halloween then to find a great new spooky tale to share.

 

Rating 4/5

The Strangers Outside

 

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

Ghost Huntress 4: The Counseling by Marley Gibson

Ghost Huntress 4: The Counseling by Marley Gibson is a fun book full of supernatural challenges and a bit of danger. Kendall Moorehead is on her way to an enlightened youth retreat in Oakbriar California to help hone her abilities. She can see and hear ghosts and has just recently learned that she is adopted. She is struggling with these abilities because her spirit guide has just passed into the light. To make that even a tougher problem, she has also just found out the Emily, her spirit guide, was also her birth Mother. She is hoping that if she can hone her abilities she may be able to find her real father as well as her grandparents. Her best friend and fellow ghost huntress, Celia Nichols is headed off to Chicago at the same time with her dad, and has agreed to dig information up about what they have found out so far on Kendall’s real family. In the meantime the institute she will be attending in California is being run by Oliver Bates, a paranormal investigator that has his own television show and also helps the police solve cases. Kendall hopes that he will be able to help her.

When she reaches California and is headed to find her ride she trips over a guitar case, and has the occasion to meet a very rude young man. When she spots her ride she is happy to realize that she will be leaving him behind and not have to deal with his smart mouth or rudeness any further. At the Briar Rose where the camp is being held she begins her day, first meeting the owners, and then meeting the unlikely group of kids that are attending. She is rooming with Jess, a petite girl about her age that loves to surf. All in all there are six girls and six boys and each of them have come into some paranormal abilities that have put them into bad situations with their families and friends. Many of them are currently prescribed medications by the psychiatrists that they have been to, when their parents could not understand what was going on. For them this camp is necessary because they are here unable to really get their life together without being able to control their abilities.

As dinner is finished and they are all getting to know each other, the owner of the home, Chris mentions that she will need to change the music. Kendall lets her know that she will do it and as she enters the main room she trips over …… a guitar case? How pleasant, it looks like Mr. Personality is also a member of the group.

Each of the students has a story and Patrick is no different. He too hears and sees ghosts like she does, and he only recently came into his powers through a near death experience. He almost drowned while diving with his father, and now has an overwhelming fear of water. His abilities are so intense he wears gloves on his hands and keeps his eyes covered most of the time. As they work together with their leader Oliver Bates and his helpers, they get to know each of the others and their abilities as well as their fears. When Kendall finally sees Patrick for the first time without his sunglasses she realizes that not only is he someone that has been in her dreams, but that they have a strong connection.

When she is approached by the ghost of a young girl asking for her help, she finds that this same spirit has also talked to Patrick. She is lost and hoping they can help find her. When they realize that she may have been murdered they get the help of the rest of their camp as well as Oliver and his police connections to find her and to give her parents closure.

Marley Gibson’s characters are fun and full of zest. They are exuberant and very in the now. They are techno geeks, up on current trends and just like many of the kids we see all the time. Of course they all have paranormal abilities, which they are each struggling to understand. Kendall is a very smart young lady and has been hurt by both the most recent knowledge of finding her birth mother only to lose her and she is single since her boyfriend had moved to Alaska. She is out of sorts but still snappy and brave. She is very attracted to Patrick from the first, even though she really did not like his attitude.

Patrick is just picking up his life after a near death experience. He is unsure of himself and it appears to make him standoffish. He no longer feels secure in the world and is dealing with having abilities that make him even feel more out of his element. He is very attracted to Kendall and is able to communicate with her telepathically.

This is a very fun and vibrant read, where a group of kids get the opportunity of a lifetime. They learn some life lessons as well as how to take control of their abilities and form some lasting friendships. This is a wonderful YA book. I would recommend it to anyone looking for that fun and something different read for a free evening or weekend
 
Rating 3/5

Ghost Huntress 4: The Counceling
This book was recieved as a free read from Netgalley. All opinions are my own based off my reading and understanding of the material.

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A Circle of Souls by Preetham Grandhi

Article first published as Book Review: A Circle of Souls by Preetham Grandhi on Blogcritics.

When a little girl is found brutally murdered, the local detective is in over his head. Leia Bines from the FBI is called in to help find the murderer. At the same time, seven year old Naya Hastings is having horrifying nightmares, which in turn set off a series of alarming events in Newbury Connecticut. These events bring together a group of individuals with little in in common short of finding a murderer, and preserving the innocence of the children of Newbury.

Little does Dr. Peter Gram realize the turn his life and beliefs will take, as he becomes involved with little seven year old Naya. His only goal is to find a solution to her somnambulism, which almost leads to her climbing over a second story railing during one of her episodes. What he finds is strange and almost impossible to believe. Naya appears to be communicating with the murdered little girl, during her sleeping episodes. The perceptiveness of the hand drawn pictures she draws from her dreams, as well as their accuracy, put Peter and Naya in the sites of a cold blooded killer.

Will the cumulative information and the strange yet terrifying drawings by a child, lead Leila and Peter to the killer before he can kill again?

Preetham Grandhi has written a horrifying yet hope filled book, and filled it with a cast of well written, real and extremely likable characters.

Dr Peter Gram is a child Psychiatrist that is assigned to Naya when she is brought into the hospital. He is kind and extremely attuned to children. He talks to them on a level they respond to and gains their trust. He is a workaholic and follows up on the background of Naya on his time off, and while in the beginning he does not believe what Naya is telling him, he is able to listen to her and keep the communication channel open by just paying attention. As pieces start coming together and he gets pulled more into the story, he moves from a person of trust to a sort of hero.

Leia Bines is with the FBI, and has worked with the CIC, the FBI’s crimes against children unit. She has gone through some tough times and while very good at what she does, she is open and caring. She has concerns that she will not be able to find the killer. When she finally takes Dr. Peter Gram off her suspect list, she is open and willing to look at other alternatives, rather then leaving the crime unsolved. She is fearless and sometimes jumps before looking at all the possibilities, which makes her very human.

Naya is a wonderful little girl; she is adopted but has only ever known her adoptive parents. She is very well loved and is often sad and lonely in the hospital where she is being evaluated. She is open and trusting, and very bewildered by the behavior she encounters during her stay at the facilities. She is funny and caring and everything a little girl should be.

This story is a look at the dark side of humanity, and how both nurture and nature often both have a hand in the making of monsters. It also gives a glimpse into a world of hopes and dreams, of innocence and childhood. This is a great story and well written. It is somewhat graphic and may not be suitable for some readers. If you like a story with a different twist this will be right up your alley.

Circle of souls

Rating 4/5

This book was received as a free book through Goodreads.  The opinion expressed is my own based off my reading and understanding of the material.

Harvest Moon by Mercedes Lackey, Michelle Sagara and Cameron Haley.

Article first published as Book Review: Harvest Moon by Mercedes Lackey, Michelle Sagara, and Cameron Haley on Blogcritics.

Harvest Moon is an anthology of stories, each with a very strong female lead, and all are in fantasy based worlds. Each of the stories' heroines has to overcome an obstacle to grow into her potential. In most cases those obstacles, if not handled correctly, could end in their death. They are three different and unique worlds, and what bind them together are the unique challenges they overcome. Each are set to occur under the phase of the moon called the Harvest Moon.

Persephone, our heroine in "A Tangled Web," is a young woman, daughter of Demeter, a Goddess of Olympus — and she is in love. The problem is that her mother is the Goddess of Nature who refuses to believe she has grown up. When Persephone falls in love, she is ready for the next step, but she knows her mother will not approve her choice. Not only that, she will make it downright impossible for them to be together. She and her true love, Hades, have come up with a foolproof plan that will force Demeter into accepting their marriage. What they forget to take into account is the tradition, the power that shapes everything in the Five Hundred Kingdoms.

In an unexpected twist, Brunnhilde and her husband Leopold, visitors to Olympus, become a part of the plan. Brunnhilde is mistaken for Persephone and kidnapped by the God of death. Leopold must convince the Gods of Olympus to help him save her.

I love the setting of Olympus and that the Gods and Goddesses are also affected by the tradition. It adds a satisfying twist to the myths we grew up with. Mercedes Lackey's characters are well thought out, and both Persephone and Brunnhilde are set as the heroines. I am not sure that Persephone is developed as strongly as most of her leads, she does seem a bit weak. She is pushed around by her mother, and she seems to lack the sharpness that is usually instilled in her other female characters. On the other hand, Persephone's mother is exactly what I would expect. She is spoiled and reckless, and in her anger and grief she forgets all that is important. Leopold is a brave and noble Prince and adds a warmth to the story. He is a human in a land of immortals.

In "Cast in Moonlight" by Michelle Sagara, we meet an amazing thirteen year old girl, Kaylin Naya. She is captured trying to kill Lord Grammayre, the commander of the Hawks, one of three groups in the city of Elantra that enforce the Emperors law. The Hawk lord, as he is known, sees something in this girl that is worth saving. She is small for her age, dirty, bruised and covered with some type of runes or marks, covering her body. She is in rags and looks like she has not had a meal in some time. He makes a decision that will change the way investigations are done in the city.

Kaylin's first day sets the course of her life with this group of enforcers, that will forever set her apart. She is present during an autopsy where three children her age have been killed. Prior to the actual autopsy, a mage is often called in to make sure magic has not been used. Ceridath Morlanne is that mage, and as he casts his spells to search for magic, Kaylin's runes start burning. She is able to see the magic sigil of the mage whose magic is used. The problem begins when Ceridath claims no magic was used. During the resulting investigation, we find that Ceridath's granddaughter has been kidnapped and he is blackmailed into giving false information. Kaylin is convinced that she must help save Ceridath's grandaughter but little realizes that her abilities put her at risk, as she herself is persued by a murderer.

Michelle Sagara has put together a new and unique world in Elantra. She describes the city and the dangers with great verve, and it is easy to picture the view.

Her characters are strong and each is well developed with distinct personalities. Kaylin is brave and strong, a child in a world she does not understand. She does not read and does not understand the different languages. She is bewildered by much of what she encounters, but because of her background she does not back down. She fights her fear and faces it down. She is also just learning that she has magic and is not yet sure what to do with it.

Teela, the Barrani, is initially irritated that she has to “baby sit” Kaylin, but as she sees and learns more, she begins to have a respect for Kaylin's innate knowledge, as well as her developing abilities. Each of the supporting characters are unique and blend into a story that drags you along. It is a glimpse into a dark and unusual place where the innocent are often targeted.

It is a wonderful, but dark story and I was sorry to see it end. I look forward to seeing more of her work in Cast in Shadow and Cast in Ruins.

In Cameron Haley’s work, "Retribution", we meet a cynical and jaded Dominica Riley, known as Domino. She killed her first man at twelve years of age; it had became rather obvious that a young sorceress is not the best choice of a victim for a child predator. While killing him was easy, getting rid of his ghost was not. That was one of the first things she learned when she joined the gangsters and later became the lieutenant for Shanar Rashan.

Her meeting with Benny BenReaven, an Israeli gangster was going as she expected, well, except the part where he tried to use a gun to kill her. She is too good of sorceress to let that go. She uses her magic to kill Benny but not before he unleashes a Curse on her. And apparently this was not just any curse; he was able to use the power of his death to give it extra force.

She finds that Samuel, the angel of death, will be responsible to fulfill the curse. He made a visitation in the desert and assured her that she would have just three days before he carried out the curse, and that those three days would be her most miserable. As bodies begin to pile up and the gangsters begin to fight amongst themselves, she looks for a way to stop the curse. Will she find a way to stop the curse or will she perish?

Cameron Haley has made Domino a tough and smart mouthed character.She tries to find the humor in every situation. She also has a bit of a foul mouth so be aware that there will be some cursing. She is a self made sorceress with a little training, but just enough to make her dangerous. She has worked her way up to second in command of the gangsters and that has put her at risk in the splintering of the crew.

Her nemesis, Samuel is manifested as a tall good looking guy and while his entire part in this story is to kill Domino, he is alternately funny and coy. He is also terrifying and can manifest himself in other forms and her three days are fraught with more danger and death as he continues to keep her miserable till her time is due.

I would recommend this book as a fun read after a hard day at work or even possibly curling up in front of a nice fire. Be aware that the second and third stories are a bit graphic, and that the third one also has a small amount of foul language. Thay are great stories and a satisfying read.

Harvest Moon
Rating 4/5

I received this book as a free copy from NetGalley. All opinions are my own based off my reading and understanding of the material.                       

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