The Outside Intervention

The Outside Intervention by Andrew Orange
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A must-read dystopian sci-fi...

The Outside Intervention by Andrew Orange was a fascinating and captivating read that had me immersed from the beginning. The story flowed from scene to scene with ease, and the author shows exceptional ability when it comes to storytelling. There are plenty of attention-grabbing moments in this page turner that will take the reader on a truly mesmerizing journey.

The book description gives only a sneak preview: ‘Kier, a young out-lord, gets involved in a dangerous political game where ancient and modern secrets are closely intertwined. To save the largest city in the world from destruction, Kier leaves the Northern Heartland in search of a legendary artifact, created by the Founder of the Empire almost a thousand years before. Much more depends on the results of his search than is known to Kier.’

I enjoyed the story, character development, and dialogue. There were plenty of plot twists that I didn’t see coming and that added to the book’s mystique. When I stopped reading to work, I found myself wondering what happened in the book, and replaying parts of the story in my head to see if I could figure more out. It has been a while since I enjoyed a book this much. It’s a well written sci-fi with perfect pacing.

If you are looking for an exceptionally written dystopian novel with amazing characters and a gripping plot then The Outside Intervention by Andrew Orange will not leave you disappointed. Recommended to all fans of dystopian science fiction and gets a well-deserved five stars from me.

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A Dreidel of Wonders: A whimsical Hanukkah story with a twist for kids Ages 3-8

A Dreidel of Wonders: A whimsical Hanukkah story with a twist for kids Ages 3-8 by Edith Naaman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A very special dreidel full of wonders and surprise!

More often than not children relate themselves with the characters of a good story. In such circumstances, reading fiction can help them to get inspiration from the characters. These stories often portray real life implications through anecdotes, and as such makes it easier for them to understand the complex aspects of life. Moreover, reading these stories at regular intervals can actually help them to develop a positive outlook towards life, which eventually proves beneficial for good character development.

A Dreidel of Wonders by author/illustrator Edith Naaman is a playful Hanukkah story for the younger reader. It’s a delightful and charming book and the author writes in a wonderfully entertaining and rhyming style that will guarantee the attention of young minds. It’s a picture book that kids will love. If you ever wanted to bond even more with your children or grandchildren, this would be a very enjoyable book to share with them.

The second part of the book is aimed at parents and utilizes the NLP ( Neuro Linguistic Program) which incorporates techniques that are designed to help change your child’s perception of physical pain, fear of darkness, and frustrating situations. For this to work, the author suggests the importance of the adult to also flow with the attitude and believe in the ability to make a difference and project that belief to the child. Thus, this book becomes developmentally valuable for both parent and child.

A well-deserved five stars from me. I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.

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Five Flavors King and Queen (Grandma Rina's Stories)

 

Five Flavors King and Queen: Finding balance, support and adjusting to a new situation by Rina Barkan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A fun and developmentally valuable story for young readers...

More often than not children relate themselves with the characters of a good story. In such circumstances, reading fiction can help them to get inspiration from the characters. These stories often portray real life implications through anecdotes, and as such makes it easier for them to understand the complex aspects of life. Moreover, reading these stories at regular intervals can actually help them to develop a positive outlook towards life, which eventually proves beneficial for good character development.

Five Flavors King and Queen by Rina Barkan is Book 4 in the Grandma Rina's Stories and this time it’s about finding balance, support and adjusting to new situations. It’s a delightful and charming book for the young reader. The author writes in a wonderfully entertaining and rhyming style that will guarantee the attention of young minds. It’s a picture book that children will love. If you ever wanted to bond even more with your children or grandchildren, this would be a very enjoyable book to share with them.

It seems to me that this book was created with a lot of love and joy and it’s clear that the author really enjoys creating such wonderful stories. Thank you for sharing with us the gift that you have obviously worked so hard to refine. Special mention also to Neta Ga'ash for the excellent illustrations. A well-deserved five stars from me. I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.

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It Gives You Strength

It Gives You Strength by Philip Raymond Brown
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A well written and witty page-turner that’s full of memorable characters...

Forty-some years ago my uncle gave me a science fiction anthology. It was a thick red hardback that I read from cover to cover. It inspired a lifelong love of the genre. The stories in that book made me think outside the box. They filled me with awe for the imagination it took to write them. That book still remains in my collection today. The title is OMNIBUS OF SCIENCE FICTION, edited by Groff Conklin, a well-known and prolific editor of the genre. It was published in 1952, the Golden Age of Science Fiction. It’s a substantial volume, 562 pages, with 43 stories divided into sections relating to a common theme. Some stories are fun, some are thought-provoking, and some are adventurous. I love them all.

It Gives You Strength by Philip Raymond Brown is a brilliantly written and richly descriptive novel with brilliantly drawn characters and settings. The author weaves a well-crafted Sci-Fi Fantasy that’s packed to the rafters with plenty of mystery, action and adventure. Skillfully constructed, this exciting and energetic novel will have you turning the pages from beginning to end.

Set against the backdrop of New York city during the prohibition era, the story follows an alien anthropologist, Tashan Zho, who is on a rescue mission to Earth of the mid-1920s. What makes the story even more interesting is that the characters interact with actual historic figures, including mobster Jack “Legs” Diamond, heavyweight boxing champion Jack Dempsey, and World War heroine Edith Cavell.

The book description further explains: ‘Zho, is transported into the dying body of bootlegger Ryan Costello. Immediately following his death, Costello’s body is reanimated by the alien. Unfortunately, Zho’s new “host body” is so damaged from a decade of alcohol abuse that the alien’s memory and vital files are corrupted. All that remains of Zho’s mission plan is one phrase: “Find the one called Mike Kelly.”

Complicating matters, the alien soon discovers that Kelly is, himself, the leader of a criminal gang of World War veterans, who are battling mobster Jack “Legs” Diamond for control of the lucrative Canada/New York rum-running market. Upon recognizing Costello’s enhanced abilities and physical strength, Kelly forces the alien into the mob. Since Kelly is his only chance of discovering and completing his mission, the alien agrees. Costello soon recalls his critical task - to free an alien child from the Craig Colony, which they interpret to be a prison camp, before his home world, Dagan, dispatches its “rescue armada.” A force so massive and clumsy that its mere entry into the Earth’s atmosphere would devastate the planet.’

I enjoyed the story, character development, and dialogue. There were plenty of plot twists that I didn’t see coming and that added to the book’s mystique. When I stopped reading to work, I found myself wondering what happened in the book, and replaying parts of the story in my head to see if I could figure more out. It has been a while since I enjoyed a book this much. It’s a well written sci-fi fantasy with perfect pacing.

It Gives You Strength was a fascinating and captivating read that had me immersed from the beginning. The story flowed from scene to scene with ease, and the author shows exceptional ability when it comes to storytelling. There are plenty of attention-grabbing moments in this page turner that will take the reader on a truly spellbinding journey.

The contrast between tone and content is a characteristic talent of only a few authors. Philip Raymond Brown pays as much attention to his sentences as he does to his plots, shifting or consolidating meaning with the use of a single word. His writing is impeccably honed, full of juxtapositions and qualifications that help to create a humorous atmosphere that will leave you laughing out loud.

There is something very magical about reading fantasy fiction. It speaks to the very thread of my imagination, jolting it to life and transporting it on an exhilarating journey. This book did exactly that. Fans of the Sci-Fi Fantasy genre will not be disappointed. I’ll be looking forward to reading more from this author in the future.

As a lifelong fan of science fiction, this for me was a phenomenal read. For sci-fi fans looking for an interesting, three-dimensional and stimulating read, this would be a great find. I’m giving nothing further away here. And this, I hope, will only add to the mystery and enjoyment for the reader.

Highly recommended and a well-deserved five stars from me.

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SLEEPING WITH THE BLACKBIRDS by Alex Pearl

Sleeping with the Blackbirds by Alex Pearl
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A wonderfully written teen and Y/A novel...

SLEEPING WITH THE BLACKBIRDS by Alex Pearl is a wonderfully written and richly descriptive novel with brilliantly drawn characters and settings. The author weaves a well-crafted philosophical narrative that serves as an allegory for the pains of being. It’s a unique work that will captivate the reader from the opening chapter. Skillfully constructed, this well-written mystical tale will have you turning the pages from beginning to end. There’s plenty of imagery in the writing style that makes you feel you are right there in the story, and that’s something I look for in a good book.

The plot is intricately carved, as the synopsis suggests: ‘Eleven-year-old schoolboy, Roy Nuttersley has been dealt a pretty raw deal. While hideous parents show him precious little in the way of love and affection, school bullies make his life a misery. So Roy takes comfort in looking after the birds in his garden, and in return the birds hatch a series of ambitious schemes to protect their new friend. As with the best-laid plans, however, these get blown completely off course - and as a result the lives of both Roy and his arch tormentor, Harry Hodges are turned upside down - but in a surprisingly good way.’

This was a captivating read that had me immersed from the beginning. The story flowed from scene to scene with ease, and the author shows exceptional ability when it comes to storytelling. I enjoyed the story, character development, and dialogue. There were plenty of interesting moments that I didn’t see coming and that added to the book’s mystique. When I stopped reading to work, I found myself wondering what happened in the book, and replaying parts of the novel in my head to see if I could figure more out. It has been a while since I enjoyed a book this much.

There’s no doubt that SLEEPING WITH THE BLACKBIRDS is an exceptionally well written book. The contrast between tone and content is a characteristic talent of only a few authors. Pearl pays as much attention to his sentences as he does to his plots, shifting or consolidating meaning with the use of a single word. His writing is impeccably honed, full of juxtapositions and qualifications that help to create ‘a magical allegory about fears and anxiety, about the place of the sensitive person, the thinker, the human, within modern society’s current social order, in a world in which human beings are the only animals who despair of their lives.’

It’s one of those books that come along occasionally that makes you want to read it non-stop until you get to the end. I’m giving nothing further away here. And this, I hope, will only add to the mystery and enjoyment for the reader. I’ll be looking forward to reading more from Alex Pearl in the future. I would highly recommend this book and would add that it has a distinctly cinematic feel to it. A well-deserved five stars from me.

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Superior by Andrew R Williams

Superior by Andrew R Williams
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

An action-packed sci-fi thriller...

Superior by Andrew R Williams is the follow-up novel to Jim's Revenge. It’s a well-written sci-fi crime thriller with perfect pacing. The settings are nicely described, and the characters are well well-defined. This is an action-packed thriller you won’t want to miss. It’s a novel that kept me engaged from the opening chapter.

Superior unfurls in small acts, at first feeling slight to touch, then building in emotional substance. Into the spaces between the words, the author breathes a pulsating intensity that rolls like a motion picture camera. With an abundance of imagery in the writing style, it makes you feel like you are right there in the story, and that’s something I look for in a good book.

If you are looking for an interesting, three-dimensional, and stimulating read, this would come highly recommended. I’ll be looking forward to reading more from Andrew R Williams in the future. A well-deserved five stars from me.

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Good Cop

Good Cop by Jim Alexander
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A well-crafted dark and gritty police procedural set on the streets of Glasgow...

Maintaining the pace of excitement, drama, and thrills author Jim Alexander artfully continues the general storyline from the first book. Good Cop (A sequel to GoodCopBadCop) intricately layers its plot with precision and has the forethought to humanize it's characters as much as possible, leaving you completely engrossed in the outcome throughout. The author has created an intriguing storyline that demands the reader keep up with each twist and insertion of new information in order to comprehend fully what the main protagonist is up against.

There’s no doubt that Good Cop is an exceptionally well-written book. However, it must be said that this story is not for the faint-hearted or easily offended. The author’s script at times is razor-sharp. There are scenes of graphic violence with language that may not be suitable for the linguistically sensitive. Nevertheless, the themes and outcome are just as affecting in the arresting contemporary landscape.

This for me was a phenomenal read. It’s one of those stories that stayed with me long after I finished reading it. The vivid descriptions of the settings, situations, and the people were stunning and the author’s use of genuine dialogue further added to the overall atmosphere of authenticity.

The contrast between tone and content is a characteristic talent of only a few authors. Alexander pays as much attention to his sentences as he does to his plots, shifting or consolidating meaning with the use of a single word. His writing is impeccably honed, full of juxtapositions and qualifications that help to create a genuine and realistic atmosphere throughout.

Highly recommended and a well-deserved five stars from me. I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.

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