The Return of the NY Villains for Justice

The Return of the NY Villains for Justice by Marta Nater
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Thrilling action with thought-provoking themes...

Marta Nater's novel The Return of the NY Villains for Justice is the second in the series. It tells the story of each villain and their various social justice fights. Nina Dansk and Cora Rollins along with the beast Shadow Claw fight for harsher punishments for pedophiles and rapists, and Jerico Raven and Danny Rojas fight for order in their precinct, while Amadou fights for black lives and prejudice within the law enforcement system in the Bronx and across the country. The villains are zealous for justice and will go to any length to obtain it, no matter the cost.

The authors writing style is honest, real, and emotional, reflecting how passionate she is about the topics. Her enthusiasm is captivating, and she has the ability to elicit an emotional response from the reader. The tales contain surprising twists and plots that will keep readers guessing.

As the author states, many people may take offense to this book, but that was not her aim. The book is merely a fictional novel about virtuous individuals who, when justice fails, take the law into their own hands. In this sequel, the villains carry on with their earlier deeds in order to be heard by those with the legal authority and power to create changes for our children's safety when it comes to child abusers, pedophiles, and rapists, as well as better changes regarding racism concerns.

Thoroughly enjoyed it and highly recommend it. A well-deserved five stars from me. I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.

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2036 The Proof: A Thrilling Science Fiction Novel

2036 The Proof: A Thrilling Science Fiction Novel by Zvi Speiser
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

An amazing Sci-Fi roller coaster ride!

Whatever flaws we might identify or frustrations we might feel are trivial in comparison to a reader's pure joy in losing himself/herself in a narrative. When all the elements come together: an intriguing plot, thoughtful, profound themes, complex, troubling, characters, and language that make us shudder for its honesty, clarity, and confidence; we gratefully set all analysis aside and give ourselves up to the sheer magic of a great book. And for me, 2036 The Proof is such a book.

The story had every element a good story should have. An exciting plot, attention to detail, but best of all fleshed out, well-written and well-rounded character development. There’s an abundance of well illustrated scenes that really make you feel like you are right there in the story, and that's something I look for in a good book.

What do a gigantic space rock rushing into earth, human DNA going ‘insane’ in a lab, detonating stars and an ancient sect have in common? Author Zvi Speiser has astutely woven together all of this in an arresting sci-fi thriller. Chicago police Detective Rick Heller and investigative journalist Will Thorne attempt to make sense of why researchers linked with these revelations are nearly killed and a security guard is murdered.

Detective Thorne discovers a mysterious link between the asteroid, the human DNA, the exploding stars and the ancient sect. Meanwhile, US President Emily White attempts to utilize this top-secret tinder box, revealing the unearthing of the most profound secret of the human race, seeded millions of years ago, for a peaceful message to humanity. However, her initiative has consequences that result in hostile and violent religious turbulence with the purpose of threatening all of humanity.

“Can an ancient, secret sect be the key to human salvation? In 586 BCE, soldiers of the Sect of the Guardians gave their lives to secure the hiding place of the Ark of the Covenant, which they had removed from the Holy Temple in Jerusalem. What is the ancient secret, more than 3,300 years old, that the Guardians are ordered to hide at any cost?” Well, since I’m not one for giving spoilers, you’ll have to turn the pages for yourself to find out!

This captivating and commendable work had me engaged from the beginning. The story flows from scene to scene with ease, and the author shows exceptional skill when it comes to storytelling. There are attention-grabbing moments in this page turner that will take the reader on a fascinating and intriguing journey!

It’s one of those stories that come along once in awhile 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 certainly be looking forward to reading more from Zvi Speiser in the future. I would definitely recommend this book. Five stars from me.

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Butterfly Fairy: Coloring Book For Teens & Adults

Butterfly Fairy: Coloring Book For Teens & Adults by Píaras Ó Cíonnaoíth




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Bamboo-Scented Love: A year in China

Bamboo-Scented Love: A year in China by Vered Kaminsky
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Love is the power of life...

Bamboo-Scented Love: A year in China by Vered Kaminsky is a narrative about women ‘who make sacrifices for their partners' careers, people who live on the other side of the world, crises, longing, and happiness.’ At its core, it’s a story about unattainable love. Skillfully constructed and set against the backdrop of the city of Qingdao, China in the late 90s, this wonderfully written story will have you turning the pages from beginning to end. In addition, the characters are drawn with great credibility and conviction.

The book description gives a sneak preview: ‘The story takes place in 1998 in China, which recently opened to the West. It interweaves markets, rituals, cultures, superstitions, and historic sites, before reaching its inevitable dramatic ending. When Mira’s husband is sent to work in China for two years, Mira relocates there, with him and her two young children. For Mira, this is meant to be a two-year timeout from her work and studies, a time she has been anticipating eagerly yet apprehensively. As the plot becomes increasingly more complicated, Mira finds herself at odds with her own self, with those around her and with her love for a stranger…’

The story had every element a good story should have. A solid plot, attention to detail, but best of all fleshed out, well-written and well-rounded character development. There’s an abundance of well-illustrated scenes that make you feel you are right there in the story, and that’s something I look for in a good book.

Thoroughly enjoyed it, and highly recommended it. A well-deserved five stars from me.

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The Dragon Storm - Gates

The Dragon Storm - Gates by Anthony DiPaolo
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A lengthy but worthwhile read...

THE DRAGON STORM – GATES by Anthony DiPaolo is a superbly written and richly descriptive novel with brilliantly drawn characters and settings. The threads of storytelling are expertly woven in this supernatural thriller that it guarantees the attention of the reader. This book had me turning the pages from beginning to end. In addition, the characters are drawn with great credibility and conviction.

The book description gives only a sneak preview: ‘Join Alexander Storm as he leads a diverse team of would-be-heroes around the world in search of the Twelve Hours of Night. The fabled Ancient Egyptian papyrus has been split into twelve parts and secreted around the globe at major archaeological sites. With only a set of intricate riddles as their guide, the team must face all manner of supernatural nemesis as they race against time and a duo of enigmatic demons who are hellbent on acquiring the Twelve Hours and opening the gates to Hell on Earth.’

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 novel 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 supernatural suspenseful thriller with perfect pacing. Not much is as it appears here, which is just the way fans of the mystery, thriller and suspense will want it.

THE DRAGON STORM – GATES had every element a good story should have. An intriguing plot, attention to detail, but best of all fleshed out, well-written and well-rounded character development. It’s one of those stories that come along once in a while 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 this author in the future. Highly recommended to all fans of paranormal suspense and a well-deserved five stars from me.

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Harvesting Earthlings for Fun and Profit

Harvesting Earthlings for Fun and Profit by Philip Raymond Brown
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Highly entertaining mashup of history and sci-fi!

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.

HARVESTING EARTHLINGS FOR FUN AND PROFIT by Philip Raymond Brown is the hilarious sequel to the authors first book in this series, IT GIVES YOU STRENGTH. Again, this is another mashup fiction of history and sci-fi and the result is nothing short of pure nutty fun! It’s a classy, clever and cockle-warming novel that will have you turning the pages from beginning to end. It really is that good.

The book description gives a sneak preview: ‘In “Harvesting Earthlings for Fun and Profit” it is 1934 and Dr. Zho’s once idyllic planet Dagan is ruled by a brutal dictator. Zho is now a refugee hiding on the primitive planet Earth to escape Dagan. Of course, in 1934 the United States was in the throes of the Great Depression and Dr. Zho experiences a very different America. The book examines those differences while also building the world of Zho’s home planet Dagan, where the Dictator Arixn is using a modified version of the Roman Coliseum to divert the attention of Dagan’s citizens from the fact that their civil rights have been severely eroded. Running low on gladiators for its New Coliseum, the dictator Arixn decides to send a force to “Harvest Earthlings” to fight to the death on Dagan. Zho elicits the help of old friend Major Mike Kelly to stop the Harvesters.’

HARVESTING EARTHLINGS is well-written, satirically lighthearted and exactly the right length to give you excitement and laughs with many surprises along the way, and then it's over, leaving you feeling good but eagerly anticipating more. There aren't many books I'd describe as perfect, but Philip Raymond Brown’s time travel yarns fit the bill. This is a series that also has a distinctly cinematic feel to it. Very highly recommended and a well-deserved five stars from me. Looking forward to reading more in this series.

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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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