Chanticleer Book Reviews

Category: Reviews

THE INSANE GOD by Jay Hartlove – Cosmic Horror, Paranormal Mystery, LGBT+ Fiction

Sarah, a transgender schizophrenic teenager, has spent the past seven years in a psychiatric ward. When all her symptoms of schizophrenia disappear after receiving a special necklace from a nurse, she must learn to live in a world that moved on without her, in The Insane God by Jay Hartlove.

She receives strange visions of two opposing gods in battle with each other, which Sarah and her brother Nate work together to understand. The reality of these visions threatens to endanger the lives of everyone on Earth unless they change the course of an eternal battle.

The Insane God touches on topics such as mental illness, mental health, gender identity, and racism.

While the author tells a complex story with these subjects, he doesn’t fully address them all to a satisfying degree.

What Hartlove does well with The Insane God is create a surreal horror novel. Sarah and Nate quickly accept their strange new reality, contending with surreal visions of these monster-like gods in a cataclysmic struggle of the cosmos. The Insane God will appeal to readers who like their expectations subverted.

Sarah shows remarkable strength in keeping herself together despite everything she has to endure. Because she is dealing with present and past struggles, her character development suffers within the confines of the story’s length and pace. The chapters that focus on Sarah generate the most interest through strong emotional engagement. Her gift is given by the necklace she wears; Sarah can just take it off and walk away from the conflict, but she chooses to face the gods, hoping that she can make a difference.

The Insane God is fast-paced, driving readers on with an excited curiosity to know what strange thing will happen next.

As the story reaches its climax and Sarah’s dreams are rapidly defying the laws of time and reason, it seems the threat is insurmountable. Will Sarah be able to fulfill her part in the workings of the universe? A strong current of humor balances this horror, even until the end.

Jay Hartlove’s The Insane God is a surreal science fiction journey that struggles at times to find its rhythm, but nevertheless tells an enthralling story like none other. Readers will be left wanting to see Sarah continue to grow, hoping that her story does not end here.

September 23, 2022
TOO SOON The NIGHT: A Novel of Empress Theodora (The Theodora Duology Book 2) by James Conroyd Martin – Historical Fiction, Eastern Roman Empire, Women Leaders

Too Soon the Night by James Conroyd Martin shows the thrilling heights to which Empress Theodora rose and the crushing depths to which she fell, in the latter half of her life. This story picks up from Fortune’s Child, the first volume of this epic duology.

This half of Theodora’s incredible journey opens at its close – as she succumbs to the cancer that drove her to dictate the record of her life. She left the task of recording her meteoric rise from actress to empress in the hands of the scribe and historian Stephen, even though she imprisoned him for several years out of fear that he would reveal her greatest secrets.

But as much as Stephen should hate her for her cruelty, he has his own axe to grind against the man who would slander Theodora after her death with a scurrilous character assassination disguised as biography. So he takes up his pen and continues his recording of – if not Theodora’s unvarnished truth – at least something closer than whatever her enemies would conjure to blacken her name.

Where Fortune’s Child focused on Theodora’s early years and her rise to power with Emperor Justinian, Too Soon the Night follows her many attempts to consolidate power, protect Justinian, and secure their legacy – even with no direct heir for their throne.

In spite of the chasm of time between the mid-first century A.D. and the early 21st century, Theodora’s drives and fears are easy to empathize with and understand, even as her complex machinations push the story forward.

The story is split between Theodora’s history as she tells it to Stephen, and Stephen’s perspective of Theodora as he carries out her will.

He provides insight into Theodora’s motives and the court and city in which she lives, allowing the reader to see the Empress both as she wants to be seen and as she truly is.

The story’s setting shows people jockeying for positions in Justinian’s court, unrest among the populace, and the Emperor’s unrealistic dreams of turning the Mediterranean back into a Roman sea. These struggles and desires give the story its tension, framing the life of a singular woman, uniquely powerful for her time.

This is a long and complex journey, befitting an equally long and complex saga. Those who start at the epic’s beginning will be rewarded with an utterly compelling immersion in a fascinating life.

Too Soon the Night by James Conroyd Martin won Grand Prize in the 2021 CIBA Chaucer Awards for pre-1750s Historical Fiction.

September 19, 2022
DEAR BOB: Bob Hope’s Wartime Correspondence with the G.I.s of World War II by Martha Bolton with Linda Hope – WWII History, Letter Collections, Inspirational

During World War II, Bob Hope traveled almost ceaselessly to outposts large and small, entertaining US troops – and inspiring them; Martha Bolton brings the extent of this work to light in Dear Bob.

Writer Martha Bolton worked with and for comedian Bob Hope. Now, with Hope’s daughter Linda, she has gathered and organized the letters written to Bob by the soldiers he helped.

Hope, English born, and born to entertain, once said he could not retire and go fishing because “Fish don’t applaud.” Among his sizzling lines – and there are hundreds recorded here – he told one audience that he’d gotten a wonderful welcome when he arrived at their camp: “I received a 10-gun salute… They told me on the operating table.”

His performances could have been forgotten were it not for the letters from soldiers of every stripe, and those soldiers’ families – who did not forget him.

One such letter recounts to Bob, of his visit to Sicily in 1943, that “It was something more than a show- it seemed to lift us spiritually.” Another soldier tells him, “Your humor leaves a wake behind you which lasts longer than the wake behind a ship.” One man, “merely a lonely Private” sequestered in a hospital after a grenade blew up in his face, heard Bob on his radio show and said that from it he, “derived my only pleasure during my blindness.”

Hope for his part, responded to as many letters as he could, injecting more of his humor for his admirers: “Give all the boys my best and tell them I’ll take care of the girls until their return.” To the folks back home, he praised the soldiers, “We know them as the finest fighting machine and the finest audience in the world.” He would insist on making as many show stops as possible on every tour, diligently hunting out remote camps far from where he was initially invited.

Post-war, he continued his mission to present material in honor of these fighters. President Truman gave him a Citation of Thanks, and President Clinton named him as the first Honorary Veteran.

Hope had indeed served in the armed forces in a way that used his abilities to their best effect. And yet, as many recall, he was also just himself, doing what he knew how to do, and sharing that gift unselfishly with thousands of others.

Bolton offers an in-depth look at Bob’s shows and the people around him.

Dear Bob includes a multitude of photographs and written input from others in Bob’s cast, lists of his singular honors, and the names of organizations and people who worked beside him and behind the scenes to keep these memories safely stored away.

His enthusiastically delivered humor gave hard-working, battle-weary soldiers the few hours of relaxation they needed. Laughter is a medicine, and in that way, Bob Hope was a medic as well as an entertainer. Bolton’s collection will be read by a new generation and by the few fighters left who might have seen him, heard him, and had the impetus to compose a letter beginning with, “Dear Bob…”

Dear Bob by Martha Bolton won Grand Prize in the 2021 CIBA Military and Front Line Book Awards.

September 16, 2022
MISSION: ANGOLA: Xavier Sear Thriller, Book 1 by Randall Krzak – Global Thriller, Action, Suspense

Rescuing the son of an Angolan official turns convoluted and deadly in Krzak’s latest thriller, Mission: Angola.

Peter Mwanga, the son of Angolan cabinet minister Colonel Mwanga, is a doctor at the Christian Aid Mission DRC (Democratic Republic of Congo). While he converses with foreign missionaries at a village hospital, a raid nearly overtakes the area, and Congolese Marxist Jonah Alimasi and his rebels kidnap Peter.

Almost four thousand miles north in Lisbon, Portugal, government official João Regaleira calls Xavier Sear—an American ex-CIA operative and the best man in his wedding—inviting him to celebrate their twentieth anniversary. Soon afterward, he receives word from an old friend that Theo Mwanga, Peter’s father, is asking for assistance in negotiating his son’s release. Hours later, the first sign of danger surfaces when João and his wife are accosted by a pair of thugs.

The attackers are apprehended, but the threat is clear. Further conversation with Theo convinces João that he should go to Angola only with Sear by his side.

João heads out first to meet with Theo, and Sear leaves a day later. Each experiences dangerous situations en route to their rendezvous point. Regrouped, the troupe encounters a heinous scene—a sign of more involvement from perilous political factions, including Russians and a diamond mine.

Sear has no choice but to devise an alternative strategy to locate Peter, one that comes with significant risks. He readies the group, outnumbered by their enemies, their chances of survival from the rescue mission slim at best.

Award-winning author Randall Krzak introduces a new thriller series featuring a spunky yet brusque ex-CIA operative.

Mission: Angola opens with sharp contrast as scenes morph from the horrific massacre of a poor village to the serenity of João and his wife discussing plans for their upcoming 20th anniversary in posh surroundings.

Sear’s entrance comes at the invitation of João, and the remaining cast follows. Krzak envelopes his characters by carefully accentuating nuances of culture, food, and political strife. Using appropriate terminology, Krzak captures the sights, sounds, and smells befitting both Portugal’s beauty and Angola’s rough and hot terrain.

Krzak’s writing style is nothing less than sure.

With a cast covering an array of personas—from well-developed to highly elusive characters, Krzak’s storytelling naturally flows to create short, concise, cliffhanging chapters. Chapters identify locations, such as Fortaleza de São Miguel, Luanda, Angola; Lisbon, Portugal; and the rebel camp in the DRC, to name only a few. Those sites provide readers with behind-the-scene segments between the various factions and Sear’s rescue plan, which build unrelenting tension up to the story’s apex and beyond.

Mission: Angola has enough twists, turns, and suspense to satisfy thriller fans and feed their expectations for the next in the Xavier Sear series.

Mission: Angola by Randall Kzark won First Place in the 2021 CIBA Global Thriller Awards for High Stakes Suspense.

September 14, 2022
INNER TREK: A Reluctant Pilgrim in the Himalayas by Mohan Ranga Rao – Travelogue, Personal Transformation, Spirituality

A disinclined traveler journeys into the heartland of the revered Mount Kalash Parikarma in Tibet. Inner Trek by Mohan Ranga Rao follows a voyage that culminates in self-discovery and spiritual enlightenment.

Mohan Ranga Rao, a retired Indian businessman, finds himself between a rock and a hard place when a ruthless Bangalore mob boss threatens him to sell his land at a throwaway price. The situation escalates when he discovers that his trusted lawyer has joined forces with the enemy. He can only turn to his wife for solace.

With nothing for him to do about his land, Rao vows to trek around Mount Kailash, a holy Tibetan Mountain. This travel memoir traces his and his wife’s journey to the deified Himalayas, the land of Lord Shiva. Rao shares intimate details of his experience, including the spiritual transformation that he went through during his challenging high-altitude trek.

Like a medieval troubadour, the author writes with keen precision and finesse.

Deriving his inspiration to visit the holy mountain from his wife Mamatha, Rao is candid in spelling out the reasons why he was initially reluctant towards prayers and their healing power. In tandem, he deftly careens through the emotions he experienced upon catching sight of the mountain along with the noteworthy aspects of the journey. This swiftly culminates into a very colorful and informative insight.

Further, Rao examines what it is about Mount Kalash that has compelled so many people to take the plunge. He studies why travelers would willingly put themselves through such risk and adversity for the pilgrimage to Tibet. He does not shy away from sharing the sacrifices that they made – financially, emotionally, or otherwise, but does it in a witty and heartening tone. The chapters are a refreshing respite from the monotony of daily routine that at times threatens to envelop us.

Written with emotional lucidity and propped up by his relaxed aura of reporting, Rao’s eyewitness account of the arduous journey is an outstanding win.

Buoyed with remarkable photography, each picture tells a story of its own. This makes Inner Trek: A Reluctant Pilgrim in the Himalayas a captivating read for both ardent and armchair travelers. Rao shares his indelible account and experiences in a riveting manner that pulls the reader into these mountains.

Every line in this travelogue runs truer than any ornate prose could, creating a well-layered and tightly braided portrait. Some illustrations invite the reader to laugh, apprise, and reflect, while others spur the urge to travel. Far more than an adventure tale, Inner Trek by Mohan Ranga Rao deftly balances escapist entertainment with wisdom as it morphs into a spiritual lesson about human life and the importance of staying true to one’s faith.

September 12, 2022
OPERATION MOM: My Plan to Get My Mom a Life and a Man by Reenita Malhotra Hora – YA, Romance, Comedy

Master storyteller Reenita Malhotra Hora’s YA romance Operation Mom: My Plan to Get My Mom a Life and a Man takes us on a charming journey through the life of one teen, Ila Isham.

Hora introduces Ila and her best friend Deepali, two boy-crazy teens on a summer quest. Readers will fall in love with the smart, sassy, angst-filled, rebellious Ila. A typical teenage girl, Ila lives in Mumbai with her mom and Sakkubai, their house manager. Ila’s mother calls her obsessed, but that seems unfair. Is she obsessed just because her every waking minute is spent thinking of Ali Zafar, famous pop icon, singer, and heartthrob? Or is she obsessed with fellow classmate Dev?

No, Ila couldn’t be taken with Dev because he’s one of three young men that her best friend Deepali is juggling in her summer experiment of exploring her “feminine mystique.” This turn of phrase becomes just one of many opportunities for Hora’s humor to shine as Ila remarks, “That’s a book by Gloria Steinem . . . no Betty Friedan.” Deepali’s response? “Yaar. Don’t be so literal.” The delightful balance between Ila’s book smarts versus Deepali’s street smarts carries us through Hora’s expertly crafted story.

The two girls decide to help each other conduct their “summer experiments,” but for Ila to achieve her goal of meeting Ali Zafar, they must find a diversion to preoccupy Ila’s mom, Veena, a successful journalist, author, and intellectual.

The way to do that, they both decide, is to introduce her to a man who will sweep her off her feet. So sayeth the boy-crazy girls, and thus begins the antics of Ila and Deepali. Ila trusts and admires her best friend’s knowledge on the subject of romance, which is her biggest mistake, and with Deepali in charge, the two find themselves in constant mix-ups and fantastic situations.

To top it off, Dev, Deepali’s boyfriend “number three,” helps them create a dating app profile for Ila’s mom, but they give her the unlikely moniker “Venus” because no one uses their real names on these apps. When Ila begins fielding replies from prospective suitors, she finds she is out of her league—big time.

Enter Dev to aid and assist our hero. Ila’s attraction to the “unachievable” Dev is an impetus for her attraction to Ali Zafar, a more attainable target according to Ila. But Dev’s physical presence nags on Ila. Dev is there, and Ali is not. Yet, Dev was Deepali’s, so Ila, out of loyalty to her friend, pushes him away. The more he helps her, though, the more difficult that becomes.

Hora’s tale showcases what it is to be seventeen with a protective Punjabi mom – or any mom for that matter.

She captures the sometimes-difficult relationship between mother and daughter, friend and friend, husband and wife, and boy and girl. Her exploration of coming of age in a world filled with imperfect people is both humorous and heartfelt, and from beginning to end, we love her for her innocence, stubbornness, and intelligence.

This book will have you laughing out loud. It will keep you reading into the night to see what life has in store for these lovable characters who leap off the page and capture your heart and your imagination. Reenita Malhotra Hora’s novel, Operation Mom: My Plan to Get My Mom a Life and a Man, is a highly recommended and delightful five-star read.

September 9, 2022
THE KISSING RABBI by Andy Becker – Small Town Fiction, Jewish Community, Contemporary Social Issues

Based on a true story, Andy Becker’s tale The Kissing Rabbi is a smart, witty, and engaging novel that takes readers into the heart of a Jewish community in the Pacific Northwest.

Here a young, self-serving rabbi sets a town on edge when his salacious desires and personal financial agenda are brought to light by the people he was brought there to serve.

Rabbi Mishegas Dreidel, a young orthodox leader, arrives in the quiet town of Destiny, Oregon. His intentions seem noble as he opens up a synagogue in his basement and establishes a flock of dedicated followers.

Over the next decade, the ever-present counselor builds friendships with his congregants, invites them to dinner, and shows concern for their spiritual well-being. With a wife and nine children to support, he encourages donations from his believers and secures a monster loan to build a beautiful house of worship. He becomes the central cog in a world that he sculpted.

Unfortunately, this rabbi is not the wholesome spiritual leader he claims to be.

Dreidel pushes his unwanted advances on several of the women in the community, seeking to explore his sexual proclivities under the guise that he wants to improve his own marital relationship.

This proverbial wolf in sheep’s clothing also involves himself in several secretive monetary dealings. These reach the point where lawyers and the high Jewish court system must get involved to decide whether this narcissistic religious principal must be ousted from his position.

Becker’s absorbing and evolving storyline is well-paced, with a central character whose unstable and remorseless responses to these accusations keep readers invested.

With a colorful cast of characters from rabbis and congregants to attorneys, victims, and investigative reporters, we witness Dreidel’s fall from grace. Comments like “…a half-truth is still a whole lie,” and “You can’t put a black hat on a pig and call him a rabbi!” show the anger of this wronged town.

In a nod to the recent “Me too” movement, Becker delivers a timely cautionary tale, yet infuses the story with touches of wit and humor.

The sprinkling of Yiddish words used throughout brings cultural flavor to the narrative. The appearance of a rabbi group that goes by the moniker TUCAS, (Torah, Understanding, Compassion, Atonement, and Solidarity), an acronym reminiscent of the Hebrew word for butt (tuchas), and other humorous touches bring a balance to the dark clouds invading this suburb.

While the accosted women, both young and old, initially sympathize with the young rabbi’s plight, his phone calls, texts, and unwanted advances force them to recognize the troubled zealot for what he truly is. These shocking revelations divide a community that ultimately hopes for truth and redemption.

In the tradition of Jewish storytellers, Becker’s narrative voice provides a glimpse into orthodox traditions but also examines the nature of human foibles and frailty.

Here that duality is clearly showcased in a patriarchal enclave and the man who holds power over it. Greed, hubris, and narcissism appear as the root of his evil undoing.

Against the backdrop of a warm and welcoming environment, Becker delivers a world turned upside down by their beloved leader, and readers will see that inevitably “the kugel hits the fan!” within this thought-provoking, entertaining story.

The Kissing Rabbi by Andy Becker won First Place in the 2021 CIBA Mark Twain Book Awards for Humor and Satire Fiction.

September 7, 2022
ACCOUNTANT’s APPRENTICE II: The Return of the Fifth Horseman by Dennis M. Clausen – Spiritual Fiction, Contemporary Social Issues, Political Fiction

Justin Moore fights for the survival of his homeless Mission – and potentially the world – in Accountant’s Apprentice II by Dennis M. Clausen

As the reader catches up with Justin in this sequel, he now directs the East Side Rescue Mission in San Diego. The mission sits far from the clean streets and tourist attractions of downtown. As a homeless shelter, East Side Rescue provides temporary beds for as many as possible, homes for a few workers – including the director himself – and as many hot meals as they can afford for their residents and regulars.

But the tide of homelessness and the desperation that follows in its wake is rising all over the country. San Diego especially struggles, with winters and summers that people can still survive even on the streets.

Corrupt forces array against Justin and the Mission.

These rich and powerful people will do anything to reduce if not eliminate the struggling homeless. They see them as only interruptions to their flow of commerce and tourists.

Even Justin doesn’t always see how truly awful the situation has become. Not until he’s called back into service by his old friend and mentor, the late “accountant” A.C. who just might be literally on the side of the angels.

Or, has Justin’s weary, depressed and downtrodden head merely created an illusion of his old teacher?

Justin is an unreliable narrator. Even he can’t decide whether he’s hearing A.C. giving him a mission to save the world, or whether he’s deluding himself in order to feel a bit of hope. What if he just wants an escape from everything wrong with the world?

But Justin doesn’t even know the extent of the trouble. When he dreams that the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse are literally barreling towards Earth, how literally should he take the vision? Neither Justin nor the reader knows for certain, but Justin, at least, has to try.

Justin strives to save the world or at least stave off the inevitable.

His quest will take readers on a compelling journey with roots in the allegories of Good Omens and American Gods. Along the way, they’ll find a fascinating puzzle hunt like The DaVinci Code – only with much higher stakes.

Accountant’s Apprentice II explores everything from Renaissance art to ecological destruction. Political demagoguery and corruption frame the philosophical questions about how things got to be this way. Justin’s journey to hope and just a bit of enlightenment will keep readers guessing until the very last page – and after.

Read our review of the first book in the series, Accountant’s Apprentice here.

September 5, 2022
EMOTIONAL MAGNETISM: How to Communicate to Ignite Connection in Your Relationships by Sandy Gerber – Self Help, Communication, Life Goals

Emotional Magnetism: How to Communicate to Ignite Connection in Your Relationships is a self-help and marketing book in one—in fact, it’s a self-marketing book.

A seasoned marketing professional, author Sandy Gerber uses common elements in marketing theory to aid those who wish to enhance their communication skills and ability to get along with people around them. It’s easy to be misunderstood or unheard, and it’s even easier to be at cross-purposes, leading to frustration and animosity. But using Gerber’s SAVE technique, understanding what we mean and what we need becomes clear.

In this work, we learn what emotional magnetism is, and how well we can communicate when we learn how to harness it. We also learn about how emotional magnetism can be repelled when it’s not done right. But in order to use emotional magnetism, we must first learn what the emotional magnets are, using the acronym SAVE—short for safety (S), achievement (A), value (V), and experience (E)—and how they are reflected in our personalities.

Which individual magnets reflect who we really are? What’s most important to us?

Gerber points out that the magnets that represent us change as we change, and understanding that goes a long way to understanding ourselves and communicating with others. Say, for example, you love to travel to new and unexplored places, you want it to be worth the time and money spent, and you also want to make sure it’s as safe an experience as you can possibly make it.

So, which one of these magnets resonates with you? Of course, if you’re more of an achievement magnet kind of person, these others may not be as important, because you may have academic or monetary goals. Then again, maybe that trip to new and unexplored places may be an achievement in itself. So with all those in mind, which magnet resounds with you the strongest?

Let’s find out.

Gerber explains how to identify our emotional magnets by taking an assessment quiz, allowing us to focus on our main emotional magnet. Finally, the author gives us four steps with which to activate our individual emotional magnetism.

Gerber makes it clear that the magnets cannot “tell” you who to date; they don’t work that way. However, the magnets will allow you to get an idea of who is most likely to support your emotional needs, and vice versa. Once the reader understands the theory behind emotional magnets and starts viewing their relationships through the lens of these magnets, they may very well find that it becomes easier to “offer understanding, create rapport, and problem-solve like never before.”

Gerber’s writing reflects her marketing background in that it is clear and crisp, and knows how to communicate.

Emotional Magnetism is persuasive, and while the marketing concepts she brings forth are not new, she offers a novel approach to understanding them.

“Emotional Magnetism begins and ends with communication,” author Sandy Gerber states, and by using these techniques, our communication with others and understanding of ourselves can be all the clearer.

September 2, 2022
BOONE and JACQUE: Cytrus Moonlight by A.G. Flitcher – Urban Fantasy, Mystery, Psychological Thriller

A.G. Flitcher’s Cytrus Moonlight continues the Boone and Jacque series (book 4 of 4) with a thrilling journey through fear for the young characters – an exploration of psychological traumas and the uncanny manifestations in the surrealistic setting of Cytrus.

Disasters can stir up a society’s darkest fears, spurring suspicion and ignorance. Cytrus Moonlight grows and evolves from its character’s obsessive worries. Boone, Jacque, and Shammy have moved to Cytrus and are living reasonably normal lives until an inexplicable murder disrupts their peace. Jacque’s uncle Leon is killed by poison. As the evidence of the murder case is revealed, more underlying tunnels of unrest come to light in Cytrus.

The circumstances underlying Leon’s murder are unknown. However, Boone has a strange foreboding: he unexpectedly finds himself driving Leon’s car and feels a burning feeling on his neck. Boone begins to feel as if he is being watched – as if there are “a thousand eyes on him.”

Soon, a psychedelic drug is loosed on the town, driving its recipients to witness their greatest fears and embrace repressed emotions.

Mayor John Winterson invites the friends to a Christmas party, where the drug renders everyone into naked fools. The key suspect looks to be the eccentric, maniacal Dr. Button. However, the doctor’s own inexplicable death flips everything upside down.

Jacque notices a monster while detectives are trying to locate the key to the puzzle of death and fear. He is cautioned not to ask questions that draw the wrong kind of interest. Cytrus’ many secrets, and Jacque and Boone’s tendency to attract trouble, make them susceptible to certain people – people who want to prevent them from “causing history in town to repeat itself” just as they did in their former town Saddleton.

This story’s Magical Realism presents a farcical and satirical tone, with dark humor that never leaves the narrative’s surface.

There is a consistent appearance of a bathos element in the YA urban fiction – a quick transition from a serious topic to dramatic dry humor. This ambiguity in the gravity of certain events implies a reflection of the traumatic brains of characters, which manifest themselves much more in a bizarre and topsy-turvy Cytrus. The combination produces an unreal atmosphere throughout the story – much like Terry Gilliam’s Brazil (1985).

This thriller gently explores the idea of free will vs. fate.

Boone and Shammy want to live a calm existence free of the turbulence and trauma they tend to attract, but numerous circumstances lead them along a path that looks to take them to their fate.

Likewise, trauma remains an underlying theme throughout the story, as the novel sheds light on some of the characters’ psychological anguish. Be it Boone’s attempt to overcome past traumas, Jacque and Xantia’s explicit acknowledgment and embrace of their identities as pansexual and transgender, or Myamirah’s fear of Cytrus’ peace, the pent-up emotions spill out profoundly.

Boone and Jacque: Cytrus Moonlight introduces some new bizarre characters while recalling some old ones from the prequel. Flitcher fills the novel with scenes and an atmosphere that is visually and auditorily stimulating, letting characters voice up their innermost thoughts and feelings. The mystery persists till the end as Cytrus’ Pandora’s Box of puzzles keeps readers guessing about the whys of many events and what awaits Boone and Jacque inside.

The Boon and Jacque series achieved Finalist status in the OZMA Fantasy Fiction, 2021 CIBA Awards.

August 31, 2022