Zephyr: Phase One by Warren Hately Review

Title: Zephyr: Phase One

Author: Warren Hately

My Rating: 4/5

Part of a series? Yes

Genre(s): Superhero, Adult, Fantasy, Science fiction 

Description/Blurb:

Zephyr phase one isn't exactly an average book, it's from a prose web-comic series to find out more look here.

It's 2011 on the eastern seaboard of the United States. The place is Atlantic City: a sweeping longitudinal metropolis rebuilt following widespread devastation in 1984. Superhumans are not only real, they're human. All too human, as Nietzsche would say.

Zephyr is a "novel" alt.superhero adventure influenced by postliterary writing and Sturgeon's law. The style is cynical, cinematic and systematically against standard expectations of the genre. Imagine if Bret Easton Ellis's American Psycho was about costumed vigilantes rather than stockbrokers and you have half an idea.

Zephyr tells the story of a major, if somewhat jaded superhero in an alternate universe where New York City has been abandoned and the Beatles were a superhero team. Zephyr is a regular guy, but with powers, and it's easy to wonder if his life might have been better without them as supervillains and other problems that only superhumans can deal with derail his efforts handling life.

In Phase One, Zephyr tackles the pressure to reform his old Sentinels superhero team for financial gain, saves his best friend Twilight, endures sexual blackmail, reconciles his daughter's expulsion from high school and deals with a close betrayal, all as the star-god Hariss as-Sama prepares for its assault on Atlantic City.

My review: 

Finally a superhero story for grown ups! There's the super powers, the villains, the slightly ambiguous in betweens (I'm having to really try to avoid spoilers in this review). We get to see our hero Zephyr deal with the press and trying to keep his normal identity secret which isn't something comics really touch on too much. Warren Hately also manages to include all the battles and plots that comic readers tend to love, there seems to be something going on around every corner, I really feel for the poor normal people living in that world who have to deal with all the supercharged criminals without any powers of their own.

There's a fair bit of adult content in this, well I'm not sure how to describe it, novel? comic? so even though it's great and at certain points quite witty writing I would avoid letting children or anyone a bit on the prudish side read it.

The idea that Zephyr is a veteran in the superhero world at just 35 is quite an interesting point, especially in the youth obsessed world we live in ourselves where older celebrities tend to get less press. Though really it’s more likely that he’s a veteran because of how dangerous the superhero world is, I mean how many of us would survive in a world where people can control pretty much any element I could easily see myself accidentally injuring myself with my own powers if they were decent ones.

Anyway to cut away from the weird rambling in the last paragraph I'm seriously recommending this book to someone who likes the whole superhero thing, you don’t even have to be the greatest fan. I've never read a ‘proper comic’ and most of my superhero experience comes from films like The incredibles or Batman and I really enjoyed this book.

The Caregiver by Astrid 'Artistikem' Cruz Review

Title: The Caregiver

Author: Astrid 'Artistikem' Cruz 

My Rating: 3/5

Part of a series? Yes

Genre(s): Crime, Thriller

Description/Blurb:

Scarlett Lang always dreamt of becoming an Interpol agent. When her hard work pays off and she's given the chance to work as an undercover agent with London's biggest drug lord, Armand Sayer, she can't help being ecstatic about it. She's employed by Armand's sister (to aid in his recovery from a gun attack) as both caregiver and bodyguard. Her resourcefulness in both areas helps her win much more than Armand's trust, to the dismay of both his right-hand man and her ex-boyfriend / colleague. As she makes her way into the business she swore to help tear down, she's faced with the dilemma of choosing between being loyal to her profession or her heart. And we all know it can't be both.

My review: 

This book deals with more violence than the average crime novel with a female protagonist  Scarlett isn't an investigator really she's more of a hit-man (hit-woman?) which made a nice change. There's not really an overly complicated plot or loads of detail for the reader to get bogged down in which makes it a nice light read, easily readable in an hour or two.

I did have a couple of issues believing that the book was set in London though, it felt a lot more like some of the American cities I've read about. I'm not sure if it's because I'm more familiar with London than cities in the U.S. so it's harder for me to just go with the flow of the plot or something along those lines. I felt that maybe there was a bit too much gun crime going on, normally you read of more stabbings than gun crime in the papers so that didn't really feel right with me. There also weren't many landmarks mentioned so you could easily have been in any generic city. 

Anyway despite that little niggle I still found the book enjoyable, it was good for a quick read. I might even end up reading the sequel to learn more about Scarlett's past as I don't think we learnt enough about it in this book, I love to know what motivates a character when I'm reading but I appreciate that because this book is a rather short one an in-depth run down of Scarlett's history would have felt out of place and slowed down plot development massively.

I would quite happily recommend this book to anybody who wants a short, fast paced thriller or somebody who fancies a break from traditional romance novels. 

Misery Loves Company by Rene Gutteridge Review

Title: Misery Loves Company

Author: Rene Gutteridge

My Rating: 3/5

Part of a series? No.

Genre(s): Christian fiction, Mystery, Thriller.

Description/Blurb:

Filled with grief, Jules Belleno rarely leaves the house since her husband’s death while on duty as a police officer. Other than the reviews Jules writes on her blog, she has little contact with the outside world.

But one day when she ventures out to the local grocery store, Jules bumps into a fellow customer . . . and recognizes him as her favorite author, Patrick Reagan. Jules gushes and thoroughly embarrasses herself before Regan graciously talks with her.

And that’s the last thing she remembers—until she wakes up in a strange room with a splitting headache. She’s been kidnapped. And what she discovers will change everything she believed about her husband’s death . . . her career . . . and her faith.

My review: 

This book threw me off for the first few chapters; a blogger who reviews the odd book gets kidnapped not long after posting a negative review… I really don’t want any authors who read my reviews to get inspired from that little idea. So yes, I was a little thrown off but luckily I don’t need to write a negative review for this book. I have tagged this book as a piece of Christian literature, mainly because a few characters in this book question their faith throughout the course of the plot leading to a few mentions of God, Jesus and Heaven. The references aren't too heavy though, I'm not a Christian myself and I didn't feel like the book was trying to preach to me which can sometimes happen when a book has characters who find faith important.

 I don’t want to go too deep in reviewing the plot as it would be so easy to give something away, the author keeps adding little points that may or may not be important to the main plot. For example; was Jules kidnapped because of that bad review or was there something else behind the kidnapper’s actions.

I’d like you to trust my judgement on this one rather than listen to me ramble on and on about the description and strength of the plot whilst trying not to give anything away.  I gave this book a 3/5, meaning that in my opinion this book was above average but was a fair way off being my perfect read. I found some of the switching between scenes a bit unnecessary and almost distracting at times, usually I seeing the story through the eyes of different characters but sometimes the writer changed character in a way that was far from smooth leaving me feeling like maybe I’d missed a paragraph out somewhere. That’s not to say that the book wasn't enjoyable, it was, there were interesting concepts and as a Psychology student I do enjoy looking at how authors take on mental health. Here Gutteridge takes on grief and shows us people reacting to it in different ways, we get to see how the characters’ development is affected by their mental state while still treating the matter delicately. 

Letters From a Murderer by John Mathews Review

Title: Letters From a Murderer

Author: John Mathews

My Rating: 5/5

Part of a series? This is book one of the Finley Jameson & Joseph Argenti series.

Genre(s): Mystery, Historical fiction, Crime, American literature.

Description/Blurb:

New York, 1891. A prostitute is found brutally murdered. The victim bears the same hallmarks as a notorious recent killing spree in England. Could it be that killer has crossed the Atlantic to fresh killing grounds? Or is this simply a copycat murder? Fear spreads through a city already rife with cut-throat gangs, corruption and vice. Aristocratic English pathologist, Finley Jameson, is teamed up with Joseph Argenti, a streetwise New York cop, to solve the case. But as the body-count rises and the killer taunts his pursuers in open letters, Jameson and Argenti find themselves fighting not just to prevent yet more victims, but also to save the city’s very soul.

My review: 
I know this is jumping right into things but I need to say it, I really hope the author carries on with this series. The plot is based on the notorious murderer 'Jack the ripper', a mystery that has gripped people since the time of the murders in Victorian London, so it's something a lot of readers will go into already being comfortable with the setting. The idea of the ripper going to the U.S. and carrying on with his work isn't exactly a new one but Mathews explores it well. The author provides the reader with well fleshed out characters and the reader gets to see parts of the story from the points of view of different characters, allowing the reader to know more about events than the characters but not enough to get too far ahead and sit around waiting while the characters play catch up.

I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this book to fans of literature set in the 1800’s particularly those who also enjoy mysteries. Fans of Conan Doyle may also find this book to be of interest. The answer to the riddles aren't obvious and at many points in this novel the characters find themselves having to face more than one adversary and question exactly what can be trusted. All in all a good read, there’s nothing in there likely to give you nightmares so I’d suggest this one as a good bedtime read. 

The Hard-Boiled Detective Series by Ben Solomon Review

Ok, I know I don't normally put a whole series up as a review, and  I'm not really doing it here either as I'll be reviewing "No. 3: Simeon Von Runck" rather than the series itself but as the series is an on-line subscription rather than a traditional book it makes sense to use the series as the post title rather than the story itself.

I know I probably explained that really badly so pop along to thehardboileddetective.com if you want to find out more about how that manages to work.

Title: No. 3: Simeon Von Runck

Author: Ben Solomon

My Rating: 3.5/5

Part of a series? Yes, this is part of the The Hard-Boiled Detective on-line sbscription series.

Genre(s): Retro detective, Crime. 

Description/Blurb:

The Hard-Boiled Detective Statement Series goes back to the school of old-school detective fiction. There isn’t really a set time period so in your head it could be anything from the 1920’s to the 1950’s as you follow the cases of the P.I. who “seeks truth, justice, and sometimes a living”. The stories are the detective’s statements to the police, in his own words of course.

No 003: Simeon Von Runck: "Have you ever planned a murder?" That's one hell of an opener. And it makes for one hell of a party game. Or is it a game?

My review: 

My first thought after reading this short story was, ‘well I’m guessing “Sometimes my line of work calls for it” might just be out detective’s catchphrase’ I admit that’s not the most useful first thought when I’m trying to write a review but the P.I. does say it a couple of times, it might even turn into some sort of joke.

Anyway, this was quite a good little story, it wasn’t dark or ‘heavy’ and it’s easily readable in a lunch break if you feel like escaping a little. The detective was the stereotypical old style detective though, with all of the language and mannerisms you’d expect from a 1940’s movie policeman, so bear that in mind if you’re thinking of taking out a subscription. If you don’t like that sort of character then this series really isn’t for you. However if you are the type who enjoys old timey detective novels where the crimes are of the traditional type rather like a condensed version of Sherlock Holmes where the clues are easier to spot and follow, then these stories might just be for you. So basically at times it feels a bit corny, but this story was a bit of good fun that could be easily read to assume yourself on a commute or lunch break.

The author has a couple of samples up on the Hard-Boiled Detective website if you want to sample some of his work.

Dukkha Reverb by Loren W. Christensen Review

Title: Dukkha Reverb: A Sam Reeves Martial Arts Thriller

Author: Loren W. Christensen

My Rating: 2.5/5

Part of a series? Yes, this is book two of the Sam Reeves series. 

Genre(s): Thriller, Martial arts.

Description/Blurb:

Up until six weeks ago, Sam Reeves, a respected Portland, Oregon police detective, martial artist, and teacher, had a good life. That is until a series of unimaginable events turned it upside down some good, some very, very bad. Still reeling from this maelstrom of fate, Sam takes a leave of absence and heads to exotic Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam seeking refuge with his family, and to reflect on his deadly past. Sam is captivated by the contrast of beauty and struggle of a country still recovering from war, and by the warmth of his newfound family his father Samuel, wife Kim, half sisters, and the beautiful enchanting Mai. But the grief-crazed mob boss, Lai Van Tan, seeks revenge against Samuel who he holds responsible for the death of his son. Ever the protector, Sam Reeves joins the fight to thwart Lai Van Tan s deadly attacks on the family. Dealing with a crazed mob boss is difficult enough but when the family learns that Lai Van Tan s people have kidnapped 27 young girls to be sold into the sex trade, and that the corrupt police and government won t help, Sam, Samuel, and Mai, along with a bizarre group of seemingly old and disabled Vietnamese soldiers with unique fighting skills, join forces to rescue the young girls. Enraged, Lai Van Tan strikes back with a fury that tests the mettle of these warriors. Before it s over, the family is forced to defend themselves again and again, including in a warehouse full of life-sized Buddha statues. The results well, if you re going to fight the bad guys you might as well make them really mad at you.

My review: 
Before reading this I'd never found myself reading a martial arts thriller before, I didn't even know a lot about the genre itself and I'm slightly ashamed to admit this but pretty much all of my (extremely limited) martial arts knowledge comes from watching films, so I apologise now in case my ignorance insults somebody.

This book had considerably less violence than I expected, that's not saying there was no violence as this book has its air share of fights, murders and distressing content at times, but the author concentrates on more than the violence, and he would be forgiven for doing so in a thriller book, instead he focused more on the chi, state of mind and energy required in a fight. This did lead to the book feeling a bit like a fantasy at times due to the frequent talks around chi, moving faster than the eye can follow, 'mind reading' and other skills displayed by Samuel and 'Sifu'. Other elements were a lot more realistic, Sam's post traumatic stress following the events of the previous book (which I have not had the opportunity to read) showed that the main character was in fact a human being, the post traumatic stress as well as adding some realism to the novel also allowed the reader to learn enough of the key elements if the previous book to understand this one without having read the first book in the series.

I loved the authors description of the traffic in Saigon, it was so easy to imagine the close shaves that I found myself gripping my e-reader a bit too tight whilst reading these passages almost as if I was gripping some car part for dear life. I didn't have such an intense reaction to the fight scenes despite them being equally as well written but it is much easier for me to imagine crazy traffic which I have experienced  than mortal combat, which I hope to steer well clear of.

Anyway, back to the point. I would recommend this to somebody who is interested in martial arts and interested in thrillers as they would perhaps appreciate the more spiritually components more than myself. I'd also recommend this to somebody who fancies a bit of escapism, there are plenty of points where you could easily put the novel down for a few hours making this a suitable read for a commute.

The Infernal Republic by Marshall Moore Review

Title: The Infernal Republic

Author: Marshall Moore

My Rating: 4/5

Part of a series? No

Genre(s): Fantasy, Anthology. 

Description/Blurb:

A lonely demon in a remote corner of Hell oversees a divine but rigged typing contest. A sentient house in San Francisco decides to become vacant once again... by any means necessary. A supernatural first date in Hong Kong goes hysterically, horribly awry. How did this become my life? And... now what? These questions recur throughout The Infernal Republic as a cast of characters you'd either love or run from confront the unlikely and surmount the impossible. The Infernal Republic is the new collection of short fiction from Marshall Moore, the author of The Concrete Sky, Black Shapes in a Darkened Room, and An Ideal for Living. 

My review: 
I know that I've reviewed Marshall Moore's work before (feel free to take a look at the review for Bitter Orange) so I did go into this book with a couple of preconceptions as I did enjoy reading his novel Bitter Orange but I've tried to only consider this collection of short stories in this review.  

Each of the stories in this collection could easily stand alone on their own merit. Although they vary in length with some being just over a page long while others are long enough to be divided into chapters, they were all well written (and edited). The stories flowed easily with no hang ups on grammar or unusual word choices and each story felt drastically different from the last.

This collection does have quite a few dark undertones to it and would probably be best appreciated by somebody with a slightly dark or twisted sense of humour. Some of the studies (betting on whether somebody will commit suicide and a superpower that can mess with the less than sanitary bodily functions are just some of the milder examples in my opinion) could be considered bad taste or offensive, but as you can tell by the rating I still found this collection perfectly enjoyable as a whole.

The only reason I didn't give this 5/5 was because not all of the stories were to my taste and I found myself wanting to skip over a couple, such as the one where a man hears a ‘shark’s’ voice in his head, it did have an interesting concept and I'm sure others would name it as their favourite story in the collection but it just wasn't the sort of story I would choose to read if it wasn't in the collection.

My Name is Dee by Robin Wyatt Dunn Review

Title: My Name is Dee

Author: Robin Wyatt Dunn

My Rating: 1.5/5

Part of a series? No

Genre(s): Science fiction

Description/Blurb:

My Name is Dee is a novel for the reader who enjoys noir action, intrigue and dark romance, for the child in all of us who wants to go on adventures, and for the fearful adult too who marvels at the terrifying scale of this universe.
Battling aliens, journeying between dimensions, exploring the
immensity of the human mind, and saving a woman are on the docket for John Dee in this noir adventure. 
He must choose what moral course his life is going to take: can he stand to still wear the grey hat?

My review: 

If I’m honest I have to say that I found this book difficult to read, which is probably why it’s taken me the best part of a month to read this. I found myself needing to go back over parts to make sure I was reading it properly and it was page 30 before I found myself really understanding what was going on.

The story itself was great, full of action and I loved the author’s take on magic. It was quite interesting to see magic as a more subtle force rather than the in your face form (think Harry Potter style spell casting when I say this) seen in quite a lot of books at the moment.  It seemed to be the writer’s style that wasn’t to my taste rather than anything else. Dunn would often change settings so fast that I was left unsure about whether that part was a flashback or if it really was a change of location, this left the piece feeling really disjointed, though this may have been a reflection of the main characters rapid descent into madness as he comes to terms with what he has done in his life. In a way the writing style reminds me of Kurt Vonnegut’s ‘Slaughterhouse-Five’ though ‘My Name is Dee’ felt more disjointed and didn’t have the same satirical air.

Although I wasn’t overly fond of this book I would still recommend it to a sci-fi fan who enjoys the whole disjointed writing style thing because I found the story itself to be very good. I really wouldn’t recommend anybody with a short attention span or somebody who prefers to speed read to read this though as I found that it does require a thorough read through.