Chanticleer Book Reviews

Category: Reviews

The SPIRIT SHIELD SAGA: SEER of SOULS by Susan Faw – Epic Fantasy, Mythology & Folklore, Coming of Age Y/A

Be ready for Susan Faw’s grand adventure, where she serves up a world in which humans and the not-quite-human Primordials must make peace and work in harmony against a common foe. This young adult novel, liberally seasoned with mysticism and magic, incorporates themes from mythology, folk/fairytale, and legend, with an Adonis-like hero, a battle between good and evil, and the restoration of a monarchy to its rightful ruler.

Seventeen-year-old Cayden Tiernan, a seemingly simple shepherd boy, lives on a farm with his twin sister and father in far reaches of the kingdom of Cathair near the Land of the Primordials, somewhere between the sea and the capital city. These demi-god twins are blissfully unaware of their true identities and their pre-ordained destiny. They take their supernatural gifts and abilities for granted, never questioning their purpose or station in life – or the prophesy proclaiming a savior will appear to free the kingdom from the unholy grasp of Queen Alcina. They only know they have a special bond, a psychic connection, and perceive their differences from other people in their world – although, the perception is small at this point, and not clearly defined.

The spurious Queen Alcina seeks to circumvent the prophesied appearance of the savior destined to free the Cathairians from her onerous rule by drafting all young men from seventeen to twenty-five to serve in her legions. Her edict loosens the winds of change. Unrest and rumors of treason begin to blow across the land.

The story takes off when Cayden volunteers for the army to deflect being arrested for the justified murder of an evil soldier. By doing this, he triggers events that take him on a hero’s journey into a dangerous world where mystical beings and abounding magic rub shoulders with the familiar world of his youth.

Faw’s alternate world echoes the medieval period in human history and utilizes a coming-of-age plot structure with an engaging and adept storytelling sensibility. Fans will be thrilled to learn that Seer of Souls is the first book in The Spirit Shield Saga. Faw shines brightly as a keen, larger-than-life storyteller and deserves the praise and accolades she is receiving for this series. Seer of Souls contains epic villains and courageous heroes, hints of burgeoning young love, graphic violence, and mind-stretching magic, a promising read that will draw a strong audience from Y/A readers.

December 26, 2017
The INNOCENT DEAD, Sam Dyke Investigations, Book 7 by Keith Dixon – International Crime Thriller, Hard Boiled Mystery

Award-winning English author Keith Dixon creates another scary scenario to add to his Sam Dyke Investigations series. This time, he tackles terrorism and makes it personal.

When private eye Dyke gets a call to the home of businessman Mark Ware, he has no idea he is going to visit an enormous mansion. But the secrets hidden there are even more incredible than the décor. As told by Mark and his stunningly beautiful wife Bobbie, their ten-year-old son has been kidnapped. Yet, there is no demand for ransom to date, and the crime took place several days before.

So why was no one called until now? And what was the role of the evasive housekeeper who would have known the whereabouts of everyone in the house, or of the chauffeur who, though an ex-cop, did nothing to stop little Luke from being dragged from the family limo?

And if the kidnappers want no money, what exactly are they after?

To ferret out the answers to these questions, Dyke calls on his son Dan and his faithful assistant Belinda. Dan’s a computer wizard and Belinda, well, Belinda is a one-woman deadly weapon. Although the two don’t appreciate the expectation that they will be available to assist Dyke whenever he calls–day or night—they always are there to help.

The deeper they delve, the more questions arise, leading to a bloody murder, an international drug cartel and a very mysterious character named Church who spends his days voluntarily leading discussion groups on religion. But which religion? And what else does he do with his time? Once nearly every clue has been uncovered, Dyke realizes he may need to pull the plug on the operation and get his backup to safety. Then Dan disappears, and Sam knows he’s in for the long haul, do or die.

Dixon’s somewhat surly, often cocksure crime fighter, Dyke, is a marvelous creation. His investigative skills rival that of any intellectual British parlor sleuth, while his tendency to get in the face of dangerous characters shows he is no stranger to backroom brawls. Throw in a few sarcastic zingers to add humor to some otherwise very tense moments—and you have the essence of Dixon’s anti-hero. There’s no word out of place in this practiced writer’s prose; he knows how to pressurize a plot to the point of near explosion, then reins it all in and sweeps up the loose ends. Recommended.

December 26, 2017
MISTRESS SUFFRAGETTE by Diana Forbes – Victorian Historical Fiction, Suffragette Movement, Political

Against a backdrop of the Gilded Age, Mistress Suffragette follows a young woman as she fights with society and herself to find genuine freedom.

New York debutante Penelope Stanton is on the verge of marrying Sam, a business acquaintance of her father, but when her father’s business endeavors begin to fail, Sam drops her. Her family will soon be in dire straits if they can’t marry Penelope off or find her a good job. At a dance, she meets Edwin Post, an older, married man, who forces himself on her—and she must admit, his kisses drive her wild.

Torn by so many conflicting options, Penelope impulsively runs off to Boston with her old school chum Lucinda, to look for work and break free from obstructive social custom. In Boston, they meet Verdana, a brawny bloomer-wearer who draws Penelope into the movement for women’s rights. Soon Penelope finds that Verdana has forged an unconventional relationship with none other than her ex, Sam.

Then Penelope’s mother joins them, and a strange ménage is formed. Verdana and Penelope get work as speakers for women’s suffrage, demonstrating the freedom of Verdana’s “rational” trousers contrasted with Penelope’s “irrational” corsets and flounces. On a bicycle ride, they run, literally, into a radical Jewish artist, John Sloan, who moves in with them while recovering from his bruises. Penelope is attracted to John, while fearing he may be a fraud.

Meanwhile, Edwin is still pursuing her, driving her half mad with lust and indecision, and the whole gang is being stalked by a menacing neighbor who hates suffragettes, forcing Penelope to prove her secret skill with a pistol. All the chaos turns out to be good for Penelope, who is increasingly able to separate her negative feelings from her positive convictions, learning to say no—and someday, perhaps, yes.

Diana Forbes is a New Yorker who writes historical fiction with gusto. She has clearly researched the era, adding details about the styles, current events, medicines and other small but enjoyable touches. But her central focus is on leading her heroine through the bends and switchbacks of a well-devised plot. While all her characters are intriguing, Penelope will be especially recognizable and appealing to modern females as she grapples with the strictures of a time when women were the virtual chattel of the males in their lives. Penelope experiences love, lust, and everything in between, balanced by a strong sense of reason unusual in one so young.

December 18, 2017
SONG MAGICK: A SONGMAKER NOVEL by Elisabeth Hamill – Science Fiction/Fantasy, Y/A, Sword & Sorcery

Exiled from her beloved home and her family, seventeen-year-old bard, Telyn Songmaker, starts a journey of mystical proportions that will test all that her spirit and strength can endure. Ultimately, she will become the only hope for the return of magick to the realm, if she can fulfill the hidden legend through her Song Magick–it’s a novel of adventure and love by Elisabeth Hamill.

The stakes are high; this is not rabbit-out-of-a-hat magic. Magick spells will harness energies that change people and their environment. Using her songs to spin magick, Telyn learns from experience the brutal consequences that accidental spells can bring.

When she meets up with a group of the King’s dedicated Tauron, guardians of the enchanted woods, they band together in a desperate quest to restore love and enchantment to the realm. The future depends on changes that only magick can deliver. But has Telyn honed her skills to achieve the required magick of the legendary seed-voice? Is this young bard really the legend that the realm has been waiting for?

When the mysterious Mithrais, Westwarden of the Tauron, is drawn to Telyn’s campsite by her beautiful harp playing, there are more sparks in the air than just from the campfire. When Mithrais takes his leave and returns to his vigilant guard watch within the woods, Telyn is attacked by three assassins. She fights valiantly, yet one of the swordsmen holds her down and another raises his weapon to slice off her hand.

Hamill weaves her lyrical language as a master musician, and the effect is magic, bringing her readers on a soulful quest, through a budding romance, and witness cherished friendships in the midst of impossible dangers. Suspense artfully builds along the journey, the fast-paced hand-to-hand combat scenes thrill, and the description of the final challenge is breathtaking.

Fans will be pleased to learn that Song Magick is the first book in the Songmaker two-book series. Truthsong is the second and well-worth the read. Hamill also writes adult science fiction and fantasy.

Heroic Science-Fiction/Fantasy at its lyrical best as the fate of the realm rests on one young bard’s ability to bring back the mystical, magical music of long ago. Even though Telyn Songmaker is young and powerful, can she muster the strength and courage to reclaim the Song Magick of Legend and vanquish evil from the realm?

December 18, 2017
The ONE APART by Justine Avery – Metaphysical & Visionary, Literary, Family Saga

A perfect blend of realism, fantasy, and deep spirituality awaits those who open Justine Avery’s novel, The One Apart. It is what readers bring to the novel – faiths, belief systems, philosophical dilemmas – that will influence and shape their perceptions of this fascinating and compelling read. Avery’s book, like life, is full of instruction for those who want to be fully aware.

Aware of what?

Everything—including awareness itself.

This is certainly the case for the main character, Aaron, a remarkable boy who lives with his mother, Sancha, and his grandmother, Maria. Although she’d planned to give Aaron up for adoption, Sancha bonds so deeply with her son at birth that she can’t fathom life without him. His grandmother realizes his uniqueness, too, as the newborn communicates with her through blinking his eyes. He makes astonishing progress through developmental milestones, walking and reading within the first months of life.

As a toddler, he speaks with the wisdom of a timeless soul. Maria suspects that these physical and mental feats indicate that her grandson is chosen for a special purpose, but she hopes he’ll live as normal a life as possible. He’s distracted, however, by a malevolence that only he can see. As Aaron comes of age, he strives to act normal and blend in, but his very few close friends and girlfriend notice his preoccupation, his never being fully present in this world.

There’s a reason for Aaron’s constant distraction, for his never feeling a part of this life; he is connected to “the Apart,” the other-worldly dimension that is both removed from human existence, “corporeality,” but ever at hand. Since childhood, he has sensed that his true name is Tres and that his existence as Aaron is somewhat play-acting. His hyper-awareness alerts him to his “OnLooker,” a sort of guardian angel who’s a liaison between Aaron and the sagacious luminary beings of the Apart that consult and advise on Aaron’s tutelage.

Much of the book involves Aaron learning, with the instruction of his OnLooker, how to fully experience awareness, to understand that every moment is this moment despite previous lives and the variety of life’s experiences. At a critical juncture in the novel, Aaron is given a choice, one that will impact his own existence dramatically but also that of all other beings. The author adroitly merges Aaron’s worldly existence and his relation to the realm of the Apart in a poignant and satisfying conclusion to the novel.

This is a quiet book, one that allows the reader the time and space to experience life with its main characters. The stillness is at times deeply peaceful, at other times eerie and ominous. The novel illustrates the power of compassion and empathy, but also the chilling consequences when power is exercised for self-serving purposes.

While the character of Aaron has similarities to various religious and mythic figures, the author has also imbued him with a uniqueness and a relevance to our times. This book will stay with you long after you finish it, a hallmark of excellent literature. Justine Avery’s The One Apart inspires deep contemplation of self, community, and individual and collective purpose.

December 13, 2017
SACRED RIVER: a HIMALAYAN JOURNEY by Debu Majumdar – Mystery, Literary, Multicultural, Spiritual Journey

A tour de force of India’s history, religion, culture, philosophy, anthropology, sociology, and politics are neatly packaged as a mystery, await the lucky readers of Debu Majumdar’s latest novel, Sacred River: A Himalayan Journey. All elements of this foundational novel are experienced through a well-developed cast of characters, wealthy and poor, educated and illiterate, as they make pilgrimages to the source of Ganges River.

The River itself is a character in that it exerts the greatest influence on those who travel to its origin in the Himalayan mountains. In its waters, truths are revealed, and those who ponder its depths must acknowledge how they have lived their lives. The Ganges is the great equalizer; she washes the indigent and the affluent alike. Characters learn that money cannot buy enlightenment, and those who have lived the simplest lives may be much further down the spiritual path than those who’ve had every material advantage.

Majumdar does a splendid job of giving each character a complete history before individual plots merge into a full and rich narrative. It’s as if he has taken tributaries of a river and studied their routes before entwining them with the flow, force, and beauty of a majestic river. From bonded servant to landed gentry, foreigner to outcast, all will be deeply affected by their journeys.

This is the set up to a fascinating mystery. It unfolds as the reader learns about the SMS, the Sarva Mangal Society, a philanthropic organization that advocates education for all Indians and the removal of social barriers. Its staff believes that implementing the ancient ideals of India will lay the foundation for a new society, one in which the constant injustices done to the poor will finally halt. Its chief financial officer, Sevanathan Chetti, despairs, however, as to whether enough funds can be raised to continue its important work. He and his associate wonder where the wealth of India has gone. As speculation of a golden hoard hidden in the sacred temples arises, Chetti and his associate scheme to locate and plunder treasure for a noble cause.

An engrossing and tense subplot unfurls, one that will ensnare a temple swami along with some of the pilgrims to the Ganges. This adventure, which culminates in an enormously suspenseful climax, is an effective counterpoint to the serene and meditative aspects of the novel.

Majumdar’s prose is rich and spectacularly vivid. Locations are very important in this novel, and his descriptive writing is superb. Readers will feel they are in a marketplace, on the side of the mountain, in a temple, and bathed in light and water. Especially lovely are the passages noting religious rituals and the spiritual significance of the Ganges. The author weaves in Indian legends and morality stories, artfully juxtaposing parallels between ancient tales and his characters’ modern lives. There’s such a breadth of consideration for every aspect of Indian culture that it’s easy to imagine this novel being included on college syllabi for classes related to Hinduism.

This book is a must-read for anyone with interest in Indian life and culture. Indeed, the author joyfully admits that one could read the book as a travelogue, and we agree! When readers finish this novel, we predict they will experience a deep longing to journey to the Himalayas to see “the maiden in the mountains,” that most sacred river, the Ganges.

“Money cannot buy enlightenment, but for those who struggle to reclaim one nation’s equality, gold is the currency that will drive two overzealous men on a journey to uncover hidden treasure for the benefit of all. A rich and spectacularly vivid, multi-faceted literary mystery for seekers and skeptics alike.” – Chanticleer Reviews

December 13, 2017
TWISTED THREADS by Kaylin McFarren – Thriller/Suspense, Steamy Romance, Action/Adventure

Interested in a holiday cruise? Surround yourself with luxury, romance, secrets and multiple murders while traveling through the Caribbean with author Kaylin McFarren in her new sexy, action-packed book, Twisted Threads. There is only one assignment for a Japanese crime lord’s favorite assassin: take out a dastardly couple in less than ten days. But can Akira Hamada complete her mission without losing her head and heart during her most steamy and complicated hit thus far?

It isn’t part of the assignment to fall in love with someone close to murder suspects, Sara and Paul Lyons, but then Akira has never been bound by rules. Devon returns Akira’s feelings with all his being. However, there are notorious secrets between them, and now this surging romance is putting his life at risk as well. With no avenue for escape, multiple disappearances and murders increase the onboard tension. And that’s not all. Descriptions of the steamy scenes behind closed doors are beyond intense, with exhilarating adult situations and language.

So, will Akira successfully hit her assigned targets? Will she find out who is murdering cruise guests before becoming the secret assassin’s next victim? If Devon and Akira survive this murder mystery and the truth is revealed, will their hot romance flounder? There is only one way to answer these questions, and we are confident readers will be delighted in picking up Twisted Threads and finding out for themselves.

There is only one assignment for Mitsui-san’s favorite assassin, but can Akira complete the mission without losing her head and heart? Get on-board for Kaylin McFarren’s most steamy and complicated assassination suspense thriller so far!

December 4, 2017
The VITRUVIAN HEIR by L.S. Kilroy – Y/A Steampunk, Fantasy

It is the 23^rd century. Eighteen-year-old Lorelei (Lore) Fetherston lives in Vitruvia. This area, once known as the United States, is under a monarchist regime that dictates Victorian and Edwardian principles, including the subordination of women on various levels. One issue that greatly affects Lore, is the custom of parents to arrange their children’s nuptials. Lore is earmarked to marry Gideon, a man she does not love, in three weeks time. If she were to have her way, she’d marry Fallon, a man her parents have dismissed. Added to this, Lore’s talent for writing is summarily squelched under the iron hammer of Vitruvian’s laws against freedom of speech.

While trying to figure out how to escape her upcoming marriage, Lore becomes the recipient of her grandmother’s tiny music box that contains information on Artemis Klepes. Meeting with the supposed crazed scientist, Lore receives from him a journal, which transforms into a suitcase filled with her grandmother’s controversial book collection. Although the banned literature is nothing less than eye-opening, it doesn’t change her current situation. Lore still must find a way to escape her arranged marriage.

Kilroy’s futuristic realm, replete with a repressive quasi-Orwellian setting, is riddled with everything sinister. Among her mix of developed and elusive characters and creatures (i.e., yoctos, minuscule beasts; galateans, humanoids), Kilroy keeps readers wondering who can be trusted.

While punctuating her narrative with cruel and brutal scenes, Kilroy weaves in Lore’s gift for story writing. Amid oppressive situations, Lore collects the personal accounts of repressed women—stories she hopes one day will be made known to the world. It is in the shaping of this heroine as a lover of humankind that makes Lore such a unique and appealing character.

A natural storyteller, Kilroy engages her audience on a deeper reading level from the get-go through inferencing. This powerful tool enables readers the opportunity to create the necessary puzzle pieces that will aid in completing the plot.

Balancing familiar with unexpected description and a smooth narrative voice, this is a Y/A classic in the making and has the power to develop a loyal readership.

December 4, 2017
AIR of VENGEANCE: WINDHOLLOWS, Book 1 by Trayner Bane – Children’s Book, Action/Adventure, Fantasy & Magic

Fantasy takes you to worlds that never were or never could be. Good fantasy lets you live in that alternate reality while linking you seamlessly to the realities, the frailties of the human condition.

Air of Vengeance is the first of a series of novels for middle-graders and young adults and succeeds on both levels.

In a faraway land called Windhollows, two races live side by side, symbiotically producing different gasses, or Essences necessary for sustaining their lives together. The ability to produce Essence also determines everyone’s place in society. As the book begins, with no ability to produce Essence, nine infants become pariahs or Bare Pants literally from the moment of their birth.

Their inability to produce Essence is no accident. Rip Stinker, a brilliant but twisted scientist, invents a weapon that destroys the babies’ ability to produce Essence as revenge against the father of one of them for acts he felt destroyed his life.

What is fantasy soon becomes tragedy. Billy, one of the children, grows up in a household where his mother all but despises him for being who he is. She divorces his father, who loves his child despite his issues and sustains him through his miserable childhood.

The other eight are all abandoned by their parents at birth and shuffled off to an orphanage. The fateful eight band together at the orphanage and form a friendship that protects them from the worst societal prejudice yet still suffer the effects of their parents’ abandonment because they were different. They call themselves The Spent.

When Billy finally meets The Spent, he discovers the love and friendship circumstances denied him, even as they are jealous of him because he actually had parents. What they cannot foresee is the reappearance of Rip Stinker into their lives, whose plan is to take control of these emotionally and physically fragile young beings and turn them into monsters who will wreak havoc on society at large while staying under his control. Billy, who is initially overjoyed to join with them, sees Stinker as a Pied Piper and refuses to go along with Stinker’s nefarious plans.

Following the geography and the terminology of The Land of Windhollows is made easier by a map of the land, which resembles a bear claw, and a full glossary explaining the customs and languages of the various peoples who live there.

Bane treats his readers to various monsters, sci-fi weaponry, and a unique story that delivers an impact as its characters find themselves, variously, as outcast, then friends, and finally, divided by their version of what constitutes a better life: a path of goodness or a descent into darkness.

The novel ends on a cliff-hanger, with everyone’s destiny hanging in the balance.

Follow the links to read our reviews of Darkness Falls, and the third in the series, Axe Breaker.

November 29, 2017
The ART of ENCHANTMENT by M.A. Clarke Scott – Contemporary Women’s Fiction, Heartwarming Romance

Are you ready to be whisked away to a romantic Italian villa? Seduced by a brilliant – and sexy – architect? Not doctoral candidate Clio Sinclair McBeal. The red-haired beauty is nose down, struggling valiantly to complete her Ph.D. thesis and has no time for a social life – even with a gorgeous Italian lover. But here’s the great news, she finally has a topic for her dissertation, one that will give her project momentum: passion, ecstasy, bliss as portrayed in religious art of the Italian Renaissance.

Armed with a fresh idea and an adorable Fiat 500, Clio zips down a provincial Italian road anticipating meeting with her thesis adviser to share the updates. Instead, she finds herself in a roll-over accident that leaves her sans car, stuck in the mud and in need of assistance. Readers will swoon at who comes to her rescue, the dashing Guillermo Gabriel d’Aldobrandin. Clio recovers fast but can she resist his charms? How will she be able to handle this interesting and oh-so-handsome man in her life at the same time she’s attempting to complete her thesis? And holy cow – are her parents in town?

M.A. Clarke Scott’s The Art of Enchantment starts at a low simmer but rises to a body-searing burn as Clio and Guillermo find themselves pushed together repeatedly by both fate and the desire to save Guillermo’s family villa. Clio, however, must also cope with her own family legacy, one of academic excellence. Satisfying her dominating parents seems to be an uphill battle, however. And to complicate the situation, Guillermo mistakes her intense desire to meet with her thesis adviser as evidence of a deep love of scholarship.

Clarke Scott delivers fine, white-hot love scenes along with the opportunity to pick up some random Italian swear words that are fun to say, like stronzo! Aside from sex and swearing, Clarke Scott uses archetypes to woo her audience: the destructive rock star, the sexy, bold Italian, the shy, studious American attempting to please her parents. And these archetypes work well in this story, giving readers much of what they come looking for in romantic fiction.

M.A. Clarke Scott is an artist with words and paint. She writes women’s fiction as well as steampunk and science fiction, screenplays, novels, and essays. White walls, blank canvases and the empty page are all invitations for her to fill them with her exceptional creations.

A well-paced escape for those hungering for art, history and a hot ride with a handsome Italian hero.

November 28, 2017