King's Envoy by Cas Peace (a review)

This book, the first in a series, is the fiction debut of Cas Peace but you wouldn't know that - the writing and descriptive ability of Ms. Peace are those of an accomplished author.
 The story is set in a land of 5 realms, all different and all seperate but the main setting here are the 4th and 5th realms of Albia and Andaryon.
 At the start we meet Journeyman Artesan Taran Elijah. In an effort to increase his knowledge and further his Artesan abilities he crosses over from Albia to Andaryon but while there he stumbles on a plot (although he is unaware of just what it is). He barely escapes back to Albia with his life, and carrying an artefact.
 Taran and his apprentice Cal try to send the artefact back but are unable to so go to the military for help - and this is where an already good book really picks up!
 At the Manor, where the army are based we meet the characters of Bulldog, Robin and Major Sullyan - characters so well fleshed out you feel like you know them personally. The interaction between all the characters comes across really well and sits comfortably with the reader. Major Sullyan is, in my opinion, one of the best female characters in fantasy fiction today.
 The nasty characters also come across as exactly what they are - the plots, machinations and general downright nastiness all hold up well.
 The magic system is an interesting and clever one but also believable.
 The book ends on a cliffhanger that will leave you aching for book 2 (King's Envoy - available soon).
So, short version - a beautifully told tale with characters you will want to go adventuring with again. An amazing talent with a lot of promise for the future. I will be following the career of Ms. Peace with interest.

Paladins of Shannara by Terry Brooks (a review) and going back to The Four Lands

First off, my review of Paladin's of Shannara: Allanon's Quest -

How did Terry Brooks manage to fit this much story into so few pages?
This book covers the story of Allanon the Druid's quest to find someone of the Shannara bloodline and is set in the time just before and leading up to Mr. Brook's first novel Sword of Shannara.
In and of itself the story is well told and an enjoyable short read but as a prelude to the original story it is oh so much more.
Worth every penny.

Which got me remembering where all the magic of fantasy fiction started for me. As a youngster, way back in the distant past of the early eighties I remember going to the library and seeing the cover of Sword of Shannara (a boy, a man and a dwarf with a cauldron in the foreground if I remember rightly) and being totally enthralled. I just had to know the story behind it.
I also remember the disappointment of not being able to finish it (it was pretty terrible if i recall correctly). Still to this day I have not managed to get to the end of it.

For some reason as soon as the next book in the series (Elfstones of Shannara) came to my attention I whipped it up and to this day it remains one of my favourite fantasy books of all time. It was probably because Mr Brooks had stopped retelling Lord of the Rings and was now doing his own stuff. The characters in this book and the place names all seemed to have a proper sense of the magical and the storytelling was all I wanted and more.
This was followed by another favourite (Wishsong <I'll drop the "of Shannara" now - I'm sure you get the drift>) - another trip into another part of The Four Lands and more wonderfulness.

After a while Mr. Brooks started a new series with the title Heritage of Shannara comprising of 4 books - Scions of , Druid of and Elf Queen of - which I loved, and Talismans of, which I never finished.

More series followed but much as I loved the lands and peoples of these books I've struggled to get into the books. Now though, having read the 40 page short story that serves, more or less, as an extra 1st chapter to Sword  of Shannara I feel the urge to return to The Four Lands again, to visit the Silver River, to stand in the shadow of  the Druid's Keep at Paranor, to be once again entranced by the people and places with the odd names. After 30 years, maybe it's time to finish Sword and move on through the series, time to put on the old travelling gear and head on down to Shady Vale..........
I may be a while ;D

Perchance to Dream by Peter Lukes (a review)

An enthralling mix of science fiction and fantasy with a touch of horror and romance thrown into the mix. This book draws heavily on the ideas of The Matrix and Inception but is not a clone by any means.
The story starts with Officer Manuel Corr of the Boston Police Sub-Net Division starting his shift. He travels in what is though to be the dreamworld but officers have been going under and not coming back.
It turns out all is not as it seems, there is a lot of corruption and mis-trust. Not everybody is what or who they seem.
The story, the first part of a series, reads well and keeps you on edge right to the end. When Officer Corr first steps into the dreamworld there is a sense of wonder that rarely lifts.
Take a chance on this book - it really is all that and more.

Tangled Ties to a Manatee (by Kalen Cap) - a review

A book with as many view points as this takes a bit of getting used to - but not much. This is a very confidently written story covering several plot strands - a criminal scam, an enviromental centre used as a scapegoat, the undercover detective trying to decide if the centre is a cult  threat ....... and the manatee of the title, pregnant in a zoo.
The characters are very well written (even the manatee) but where, in my eyes, this author really deserves praise is in the characters of Jerry and Caroline, two "developmently challenged" young people. Jerry is really the main lead for the story and he is portrayed in such a way that you really care about him and his life. Kalen Cap really catches the behaviour and interaction between Jerry and Caroline (and the other young people in the home) in an accurate and believable way. I came away from this book with a big smile and a feeling I'd just spent time with friends.
As I said at the beginning, this book, with its' many multiple view points may seem a bit hard to follow at first but as the characters meet, paths cross and the story unfolds you hardly notice and the story flows smoothly to a satisfying end.
Kalen Cap - definately one to watch.

Dangerous Temptation Preview (by Catrina Barton) - a review

First things first, please take note that this book is a preview of a book that will be published in full at a later date.
The story tells of two young people, Kaitlin Sinclair in America and Cadmon in Indonesia.
Kaitlin is living with her father's friend due to her mother having died and her father serving in the armed forces. She comes across as quite a "strong willed" young woman, but quite a likeable character.
Cadmon becomes the leader of his people after the death of the former leader. He is also a shapeshifter with the ability to take the form of a tiger.
The paths of the two lead characters cross when Kaitlin has to go to Indonesia and it is easy to see the potential chemistry early on.
Although this is a Young Adult book, don't make the mistake of thinking "oh, it's just another Twilight" - it is so much more than that.
The author has very good descriptive skills and this comes over especially well in the Indonesian section.
For me the complete version of this book cannot come out soon enough.

Dear Crossing (by Marjorie Doering) - A Review

A brilliant start to what has the potential to be one of the next big series.

The story starts with a high profile and horrific murder. The lead character, police officer Ray Schiller starts the story having spent the night in jail for brawling. On release he is straight on the case. His chief would rather be rid of him but Ray is the best they've got.
Throughout the book we meet a mix of chracters from High Flying Exec's to Small Town Folk and they are all a good fit for the story. Each possible suspect could be the murderer.
The author does a good job of making all the characters, and situations they find themselves in realistic and puts in two twists - one at the end which leads things towards the second book, and, more importantly, one in the middle that hits like a train and changes lots of things for everyone.
In Ray Schiller we have a leading character who doesn't hold back and who, due to being separated from his wife and children, is not in a good place in his life, but comes across as a generally good guy and a hell of a good cop.
I am looking forward to the next in this series and also to reading this book again.

The Other Side by Terry Tyler (a review)

I was unsure about this book before I started reading (thought it might be a bit chick-lit ish) but I'm glad I tried it, as I enjoyed it greatly.
 The story starts with four different characters (Katya, Cathy, Alexa and Sandy) each having a chapter which sets out where they are in their life now and the choices and repercussions that have led them to this point. The following chapters then go backwards through the timeline of their lives to life changing decisions.
 This is a story of 'what if' - what if you'd treated this person differently, what if you'd gone left instead of right etc - and works really well. All the characters were believable (so much so that I really felt like banging their heads together at times) and all their seperate stories are different enough that you don't forget who is who). A very clever story indeed and well told.
 It is not just a story for ladies, it is a story for all - so, ladies, pass it on to the man in your life when you've finished it.