Kekaju and the Hidden Swamp by Robert W Sweeting
How would you react if your entire world was torn apart and the only friends that you can find are vermin set on die-hard quests of seeming nonsense? Wait, let me explain; in Kekaju and the Hidden Swamp by Robert W Sweeting we start by looking at the life of Zach Bonroy. He lives a normal enough life with his father in New Orleans.Yes his mother isn’t around (she ran off years ago for whatever reason), but he lives an ordinary life as a non-outstanding person. When his father is suddenly pushed to an unexpected death under a passing streetcar it is the last thing he could have expected! Attempting to chase down the little girl that pushed his dad for her explanation is unsuccessful.
Here Zach finds that reality starts to waver. The evil little girl had a white dress, and now the boy starts to run into noticeable whiteness everywhere. There are also several unexplained happenings, vanishings, disembodied voices, mysteriously appearing purple globes of light; It’s like the whole world has started to unravel. When Zachary tries to tell his great-aunt Astoria (who has arrived to take in the hapless orphan) what is going on, she disbelieves him. Surely the questionable happenings are nothing more than the wild imaginings of a grief stricken little boy!
Great-aunt Astoria who feels obligated to care for Zachary is a rather unlikable character. Had Sweeting focused more on her peculiarities that only fed Zach’s need to get away from her and find his mother, this may have been an interesting tale. Instead, we seem to be sucked even more into the boy’s imagination. Zach suddenly finds himself able to understand animal talk, and so makes friends with the nutria Kekaju. The entire direction of the story stops being about Zach and his life, and it picks up upon a great fight between the nutrias and the crocodiles for control of the magical hidden swamp.
Perhaps I missed something here, I can only say the new story is fun. It is even populated with a good number of Zachary’s magical relatives who do keep the action quite entertaining. Cheaply, the fighting could get to any level of intensity because of a powerful object known as the “gris gris” stone. Because this rock could perform virtual miracles, no action by anyone could effectively do anything. I think there were maybe 2 people in the swamp fight who weren’t actually dead at some point during the fight. Not only that, but this artifact was shattered so that everyone seems to have a piece of it.
The story at the beginning is good and the story at the end is enjoyable. It’s just the whole thing seems kinda disjointed. Going back to reread the start; I can now see that the white and purple colors that were focused on play their own roles throughout. Maybe something was intentionally left out for the ending says to be continued, but I’m not left with any confidence that a continuation will leave me less disappointed.
The Surrogate by C. J. Evans
Should the joy of a family to raise be as easy to obtain as a common unwanted pet? Why are there not more single parents who are fathers instead of mothers? After a collection of failed romantic relationships, Tristan in The Surrogate begins to fear that he will never find a woman to settle down with. As a man who finds himself comfortable in his bachelor life, this is no problem! At least it isn’t one until he finds himself becoming attracted to the idea of becoming a father.
Tristan’s friends all find the notion of their carefree single friend suddenly wanting a family to be something of a joke. Either some form of cynical self amusement or nothing more than fabrications designed to lure in unsuspecting women for a one or two night stand. When he actually goes so far as to hire a woman to get pregnant and have a child for him, nobody will believe it. Well almost no one. Marie McDonald, the hired surrogate mother insists that he respect her and treat their relations as nothing more than standard business.
Now at first, when reading this, I found the whole idea as somewhat ludicrous. The initial descriptions of Tristan, and the opinions that he states, almost make him seem to be nothing more than a shallow, self-centered, waste of a man. But as the story goes on, as we see how he reacts to others (and they to him); we start to gain a clearer understanding of how this deep thoughtful individual is reacting in the only way he can, to try escaping ways the whole world seems to be out to get him.
The characters within this book are gently brought to life until I wasn’t even aware of the exact moment when they stopped seeming to be something like cardboard caricatures. By the end of the book they had all come to be real people. I caught myself surprised by my own relief when a character I hadn’t even realized I was I was attached to was able to escape a bad situation.
This unusual relationship between expectant father Tristan and surrogate mother Marie develops on more levels than seems likely or possible while remaining just about platonic. So close the two of them are pushed together, it’s almost painful how far they hold themselves apart. As Tristan struggles to remain respected in his professional world, he can’t escape the need he finds to do what he sees as the right thing for Marie and her other young child.
Wrong Way Street by Joshua Merrick
Callaway has been a US Army Ranger for five years. He is no stranger to combat, having taken part in missions against terrorist cells in the Middle East and Africa. A helicopter jump as part of a mission to capture the Bin Laden ally, Yassaud Sharuff A’Danni, seems nothing more than normal business; at first. Unfortunately, A’Danni is hiding out in Lebanon, a country counted by the UN as ‘neutral.’ As the US government’s acknowledging its own responsibility for the Ranger’s actions becomes impossible when A’Danni escapes, the powers-that-be decide it may be simpler to just deny the fact that the combatants had even been taking action with any authority.
The troops of Callaway’s unit are rounded up and placed under experimental psychotropic treatment to take away their ability to even claim they had been ordered to take part in their mission. Jason Callaway (JC), understandably riles against this treatment; he demands to see his UN consulate. At this point he starts running into the lies that have been set up against him and his comrades. The UN won’t acknowledge JC’s predicament without proclaiming that he and his team were trying to assassinate peaceful diplomat Youseff bin Adashi (A man that JC now is able to recognize as A’Danni), so the US has ample reason to discharge these ‘offending officers’ from their military service.
The story is ready to begin as Jason finally is able to return home to his wife, Karen. Plagued by nightmares of his missions and the unsuccessful memory treatments he received, the two of them are managing to squeak by, reviled as JC finds that his dishonorable discharge has made him. Finding their dreams suddenly out of reach, man and wife look to each other determined to move on. Too bad that others can’t forget the past. Adashi/A’Danni and his connections in the US see it as prudent to attack the couple’s house and frame the publicly unpopular husband for the disappearance of his wife; and in this way Callaway becomes even less creditable so that no one will believe his claims of what is going on. This kidnapping of the now pregnant Karen can now be used as a further way to try controlling JC.
Wrong Way Street is a highly exciting book that is full of nearly non-stop action. It is also well thought out with delightfully intricate plots. Characters grow and change in a quite an understandable manner, like a great doctor who becomes willing to risk his job to save his patients, or a spy who finds herself willing to place her health on the line in an effort to right her own actions formerly taken through misinformation. Wonderfully, yet perhaps even scarily real.
Life in Death by Harlow Coban
Life in Death by Harlow Coban is a story that follows the investigation of two homicide detectives (Rudy Cobb & Rance Nicolet) as they are looking into a series of murders that seem possibly related. As they delve deeper into the investigation, they keep running into social worker Kari Marchant. With the high number of encounters, Nicolet can’t help but start to like her; Cobb however, begins to notice Kari as the only common human element in all the crimes.
There is no lack of unlikable evil characters involved in the individual crimes. Take, for example, the greedy foster parents that overload their house with children for the allowance they will receive from the state. People that never check back in when weeks have passed since they report that one child has run away, yet never get any response from the police. Or the unlikable politician who wants to silence an ex-lover that stumbled upon his kiddy-porn.
The actors of this story were all described quite fully, as long as they had some un-enduring facet of their personality. Kari and Cobb both were quirky, yet in almost a common/overused-by-writers way. They were somewhat irritatingly predictable. I suppose no character really clicked with me. Even those with possibly interesting pasts were left with a back-story that was hardly touched upon.
It may surprise you how the case finally works out. I myself, never predicted the ending as quite how it turned out to be. Coban did manage to keep me guessing up until past the final shootout.
Ties to the Blood Moon by Robin Waldrop
Ties to the Blood Moon by Robin Waldrop is the story of the young woman, Genevieve(Gen) after she has come to Alaska to live with her aunt Bev. Gen never knew her father, and when she first came to her aunt’s house it was simply for a visit. That changed of course, by the mishap of her mother sleeping back at home when the house burnt down in the middle of the night, leaving Gen with no parent.
Living among her classmates, she can’t help but hear local legends and be invited to ritualistic story-tellings. Tales that seem to speak of werewolves and even vampires can’t really be anything more than superstition, right? Except, Gen soon learns that her new best friend’s beliefs may stem from a reason close to heart. And it’s somewhat hard to ignore that in answer to a shaman’s request that the campfire darken in the wolf-princess’s presence, causes the flames to unexpectedly go black.
It just kind of irritated me when the outsider-girl almost seemed to be proclaimed princess of an Inuit tribe. So, perhaps she’s truly related through her seldom-mentioned father’s blood, that could explain some other factors in the story that I hope will come to light within the sequel. Whatever the case, blood is important here; because remember, as legend says, vampires live among us.
As the supposedly mythical becomes less ignore-able as if it were nothing more than fiction, we hear of the horrible monster, Zane. It seems now, in this story, a werewolf can be turned by a vampire. The result? A hybrid- a horrible creature that is to a vampire or werewolf what a vamp’ or ‘wolf is to a man. And, as the story plays out, Gen is left questioning whether Zane had something to do with the fire that took her mom.
I will say this book is not just a rip-off of Twilight; not any more than all stories about politics set in DC are all rip-offs of each other. It may share several of the same elements, but it has its own story and its own unique characters. Not to say that all Twilight-lovers will hate this or all Twilight-haters will love it; I just say it’s applaud-ably different.
RED by Steven Lytton
Raymond Redford, if seen working or spending time with his family, is clearly nothing more than an ordinary guy! If he were something normal; say, walking a dog down the street, you wouldn’t think a thing of it. He has a nice wife, two loving daughters; he might travel a bit with his job as a sales rep, but nothing to really make him stand out. Perhaps his entire past wasn’t perfect; but then again, who’s is? The present and all that he loves is wonderful! Neither Sutton nor anyone else can take that away.
Now Red is a smart enough man. He is quite aware of the investigation being led by investigator Sutton and psychologist Creswell. And although the two of them are working to keep the general citizenry calm, they are left with the uncomfortable knowledge that the quickest way to get a bee out of its hive is to somehow disturb the safety it is hiding in. Can they provoke Red into showing himself without getting stung in the process?
Willow the Vampire and the Sacred Grove by Maria Thermann
Now as the story begins, we see Willow living the life of a normal kid. At least as normal a life as one may have with a set of nocturnal parents (the father even doubles as a musician, for those times when being a vampire isn’t out of the ordinary enough). She goes to school every day. Has her own best friends (not to mention worst enemies), friendly neighbors, and even a happy cat! It’s just that this aura of safety and happiness begins to unravel when she finds secret letters for her vampire mother (who refuses to talk about her past) was trying to hide.
Willow’s maternal relatives include a good many who are willing to do what is horrible so they can ensure their own Greatness. It is known that the strengths of vampires were bestowed by ancient gods; with the powers of Willow, might these gifts not be seen more as a blessing than merely felt as a curse? How long can Willow maintain the pretense of an ordinary existence while those who have lived as villains for centuries decide they can blackmail her for what they consider her secrets?
The Adventures of Mrs. Browning by Marcia Carrington
The Adventures of Mrs. Browning by Marcia Carrington is a short story about an old woman who seems to have a rather unremarkable life. Ever sense her husband has died, Mrs. Browning lives alone in her simple house that sits in a quiet neighborhood of New York. With the seemingly boring routines she enacts, the old widow is easily ignored.
If one is to watch more closely, however, the quiet old biddy front becomes nothing but an act! Although she may seem prim and proper come Monday morning; every Friday night, Mrs. browning transforms into a party animal! With her seemingly extravagant luck, money is no object as Mrs. Browning has herself taken by limousine to casinos for a bit of fun.
Old and boring is the last way she would be described by her mysterious suitor, Conrad. Mrs. Browning may be nearly twice his age, but when Friday comes, there is no way he’d enjoy it more than to spend the time with her. Living this double life must be quite an effort, but she’d have it no other way.
Was Once a Hero by Edward McKeown
Now, the story focuses on the human ship captain Robert Fenaday, and the crew of his ship the Sidhe. These people are working as privateers or pirates, and stand in the perfect position to be hired by a grief-stricken Enshari who was caught off planet at the time of the incident and so happened to live. Help from the actual governments of elsewhere can’t be relied on because no one wants to possibly anger the unseen force. At the same time, those in power are more than happy to supply and lend forces to the Sidhe in hopes of learning about the unnamed evil so they can possibly keep it away from themselves.
As a pirate crew is not usually comprised of kind souls willing to risk themselves for the sake of helping others, much trickery, and ultimately unbelievable rewards must come about to get everyone to approach the unknown cause of unequaled calamity. Captain Fenaday is not surprised that his lying to outlaws in an attempt to throw them unsuspectingly against mortal danger can’t be taken without talk of a mutiny. Still, the ageing Enshari, Belwin Duna, is able to tunnel his way into even the darkest of hearts on the ship. What evil awaits on this planet that would indiscriminately wipe out his entire non-threatening people?
Vaalbara: Visions & Shadows by Michelle Horst
Awo, the being we call God, has trusted Alchera(Aislinn learns this is her true name) along with a few friends and family to collect the 10 chosen humans so they can be transferred to a new planet to ensure the survival of the human race. This task has fallen to immortals (people who live forever if not killed, they can still die fine if injured enough!) because the angels can’t be bothered to take time away from what they would be doing. There is a time or two that well known angels like Michael take the time to stop by, but they force the hurry of quite important decisions so much, that when looked at; angelic ‘gifts’ once given, can seem almost cruel.
What it eventually comes down to is that Alcherra(Aislinn), Raighne(Ryan) and a few others have only 10 days to travel around the Earth and collect the people they are counting on Alcherra’s visions for. It is a grand adventure with no time to be wasted, and the most terrifying villains attempting to prevent their success. The team can Magically travel through waterfalls, but that’s not much of a help as the destruction of the world begins through earthquake, tidal wave, and horribly destructive winds. Knowing death itself is racing against them, can the heroes find and secure everyone they need in time?
