Death Mask: A Tale of Vengeance

Death Mask: A Tale of Vengeance by Nora Delzelle
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A well-crafted sci-fi fantasy...

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.

Death Mask: A Tale of Vengeance by Nora Delzelle is a wonderfully written and richly descriptive novel with brilliantly drawn settings and characters. The author weaves a well-crafted sci-fi fantasy that will captivate the reader’s attention from the start. Skillfully constructed, this exciting and thrilling sci-fi will have you turning the pages from beginning to end. There’s also 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: ‘Ghosts, gods, and cursed relics are at the heart of this thrilling debut by Nora Delzelle. Death Mask is a modern re-imagining of the battles between Horus and Set, ancient Egyptian deities that represent order and chaos. It is a story about a young woman, Alex Kincaid, who gets caught in their deadly feud by placing a bid on an eBay auction for a golden mask. This relic confers protection and ageless power to the owner. Alex has to contend with angry gods, prophetic dreams, and ghostly guides imparting knowledge to discover that the ancients still walk among us. If Alex can survive, there is a steep price for her new-found power... her very soul.’

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's a solid read that benefits substantially from a raft of better-than-average elements. Highly recommended.


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IS THERE NOT A CAUSE?

Is there not a cause? by Nathaniel Terrell
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

An excellent debut collection of poetry and other musings...

If you are somebody who prefers to experience life and savor its moments, sacred, painful, and true, you will find several of your own favorites in this collection that you will return to for sustenance, for pleasure, and for wisdom, and you will never be disappointed. It touches you wherever you are in your own particular way, just the way poetry should.

Each poem conveys important messages about being connected with our soul and with our true nature. The poet uses the power of poetry and its capacity to pry open our hearts and minds in a gentle and welcoming way. It’s in the unanticipated moment when the truth of the poems are realized, do we have an experience that for some of us, becomes like a prayer.

IS THERE NOT A CAUSE? by Nathaniel Terrell is a collection best taken one page at a time. Each poem holds enough wisdom and enlightenment that will remain with you long after you’ve read them. These are poems that will stir the soul. This poetry is truly an invitation to mindful presence where the words and artistic expressions will initiate you, ‘wake you up’ so to speak, and guide you home.

This is a beautiful collection of poems, written by a very talented poet. It is a collection to savor and reread. You will find yourself coming back to it over and over as life changes happen, each time gaining more wisdom, advice, and peace from the words within. The poet invites the reader to slow down, read and enjoy each poem, while reflecting on how it relates to your life.

If you are looking for the poet inside the poem, look for the undercurrent he has left, the continuous hint of feeling can be found everywhere throughout this work. It’s powerful and strong, yet delicate and descriptive His pictures of emotional moods are painted beautifully. He has captured the essence of what a poet is. It’s only on the rare occasion that I get the opportunity to describe a poet in this way.

This is a powerful debut collection containing songs, stories, personal reflection, fiction and scenes of life. ‘Written from the perspective of a passionate, creative black man facing midlife and working hard to share his voice with the world, each poem paints a vivid picture of the soul of an artist… Touching on topics such as life and death, racism, faith, anger, social injustice, division in the nation, and getting up after failure, Nathaniel Terrell's IS THERE NOT A CAUSE? is meant to encourage and to provoke and will take you on a journey that starts fast and dives deep.’

Nathaniel Terrell will make you fall in love with literature again. If you've never liked poetry, you'll love IS THERE NOT A CAUSE? If you haven't read much poetry, this is an excellent place to start. A highly recommended read and a well-deserved five stars. I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.

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In Sickness and in Health: A Journalized Account of Coping with Multiple Myeloma

In Sickness and in Health: A Journalized Account of Coping with Multiple Myeloma by Demetria Alexander Grissett
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

An inspirational faith-based journal that will inspire...

‘Multiple myeloma is a cancer of certain cells of the bone marrow called plasma cells. Multiple myeloma is a form of bone marrow cancer. Plasma cells normally produce our antibodies. Multiple myeloma features abnormal proliferation of plasma cells in the bone marrow, destructive bone lesions, and the production of abnormal proteins, specifically antibodies. Multiple myeloma is also referred to as myeloma.’

In Sickness and in Health by Demetria Alexander Grissetta is a journalized account of coping with multiple myeloma. Sharing the personal benefits experienced from keeping a journal or diary is a wonderful way to see how someone else has used the power of journaling. Reading about someone's journaling experience reveals what journaling has meant to them. What it has provided. What they have learned about themselves or the world that surrounds them. In this wonderful book the author shares her journey not only in dealing with the cancer, but with many other life-changing situations.

In Sickness and in Health has a transparent and practical style. The author shares personal life illustrations that will, no doubt, transform other reader's lives. The faith-building dimension of her journey is a dynamic ingredient of this book. I have had personal experience with this type of cancer in my own family, so I thank the author for sharing hers.

Very highly recommended and a well-deserved five stars from me.

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A Man Out Of Time (Phil Allman, P.I. Book 7) by Brett Wallach

A Man Out Of Time by Brett Wallach
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Thoroughly enjoyed it, and highly recommended it.

A Man Out Of Time (Phil Allman, P.I. Book 7) by Brett Wallach is a superbly written and richly descriptive novel with brilliantly drawn characters and settings. The threads of storytelling are expertly woven in this vigilante style narrative that it guarantees the attention of the reader. Skillfully constructed and set against the backdrop of the online dating world, this excellent moral quandary will have you turning the pages from beginning to end. In addition, the characters are drawn with great credibility and conviction. It's a solid read that benefits substantially from a raft of better-than-average elements.

The book description gives a sneak preview: ‘Like a latter-day Don Quixote, a delusional Phil Allman harkens for a time when men were chivalrous and brave. and women were virtuous and circumspect. With Dan Lee, his own Sancho Panza-like sidekick, he ventures into the wilderness, which in twenty-first century America is the sordid world of online dating. There they set forth to save damsels in distress and punish evil-doers, whether real or imagined…. A Man Out Of Time is the seventh book in the Phil Allman, P.I. series, and it finds our hero's already deteriorating sanity at its nadir. Dan Lee, a successful, retired IT professional, assists in his quest, to save Phil from himself, and to finally engage with the world outside of his cloistered and lonesome bubble. Along the way, they find a damaged but resilient young woman; does she really need saving, and do the men who have allegedly abused her deserve retribution? Such is the moral quandary of our adventurers who try to preserve innocence in a corrupt world.’

This 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.

There’s no doubt that A Man Out Of Time is an exceptionally well written book. The contrast between tone and content is a characteristic talent of only a few authors. Wallach 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 an authentic atmosphere throughout.

If you are looking for a well-written satire where PC has derailed the train ever before it left the station, then A Man Out Of Time by Brett Wallach will not leave you disappointed. Thoroughly enjoyed it, and highly recommended it. A well-deserved five stars from me. I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.

I’ll be looking forward to reading more from Brett Wallach in the future. Although it must be mentioned, for those who are fainthearted or linguistically sensitive, profanity and graphic sexual scenes are infused throughout the book.

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The 'GREAT' Kickin' Dog: a family tree

The 'GREAT' Kickin' Dog: a family tree by Kenneth Crutchfield
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A must-read captivating family saga...

The 'GREAT' Kickin' Dog: a family tree by Kenneth Crutchfield is a superbly written and richly descriptive novel with brilliantly drawn characters and settings. The threads of storytelling are so expertly woven in this family drama that it guarantees the attention of the reader. Skillfully constructed and set against the backdrop of the housing projects on the south side of Chicago, this enthralling emotionally charged drama had me turning the pages from beginning to end.

There’s no doubt that The 'GREAT' Kickin' Dog is an exceptionally well written book. The contrast between tone and content is a characteristic talent of only a few authors. Crutchfield 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 an authentic atmosphere throughout.

Above all else, The 'GREAT' Kickin' Dog gives us great insight to the push and pull of familial bonds. Thanks to exemplary work by Kenneth Crutchfield, that exploration of the home feels vital and vivid, never mundane. If you are looking for a well-written family saga with amazing characters and a gripping plot then this book will not leave you disappointed. An accomplished playwright, this first novel is loosely based on the authors own family. Highly recommended.

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UNSCRAMBLED EGGS By Nadia Brown

Unscrambled Eggs by Nadia Janice Brown
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

An inspiring collection of poetry...

UNSCRAMBLED EGGS by award-winning author and poet Nadia Brown is a fine debut collection of inspirational poetry.

The poems in this book were written over a five‐year period and reflect the authors own experiences, those close to her, and issues that she feels very passionately about. UNSCRAMBLED EGGS, she believes, is an honest and thought‐provoking book that deals with everyday life issues. It’s a compilation of poems about living your dream and finding purpose. An example of the poetry to be discovered here is as follows:

BLUEPRINT
Life is a peculiar play,
an amphitheater of prose.
I am mindful of my part,
of rudimentary scripts
that no one fathoms.
On this regal stage lives a story,
a defining blueprint.
Here, we are all characters portraying our elected roles,
living like the puppets we are.
Some ill prepared
for the proclivity of plots
that comes with dramatic years.
I close my stanzas knowing
there is always something
learned from fiction
that time shows its foresight
so we do not become an untimely act
and reprise the role of tragedy.

This is a beautiful collection of poems, written by a very talented poet. It is a collection to savor and reread. You will find yourself coming back to it over and over as life changes happen, each time gaining more wisdom, advice, and peace from the words within. The poet invites the reader to slow down, read and enjoy each poem, while reflecting on how it relates to your life.

If you are looking for the poet inside the poem, look for the undercurrent she has left, the continuous hint of feeling can be found everywhere throughout this work. It’s powerful and strong, yet delicate and descriptive. Her pictures of emotional moods are painted beautifully. She has captured the essence of what a poet is. It’s only on the rare occasion that I get the opportunity to describe a poet in this way.

Highly recommended collection for all poetry lovers and a well-deserved five stars from me.

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Becoming: The Life & Musings of a Girl Poet

Becoming: The Life & Musings of a Girl Poet by Nadia Janice Brown
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

An inspiring collection of poetry and articles...

BECOMING: The Life & Musings of a Girl Poet by award-winning author and poet Nadia Brown is a fine collection of inspirational poetry.

Poetry has lost a lot of its flavor in this new age. When time moves past the current age, the next generation are always influenced by the previous generations even if that influence manifests as a rejection of the values of those who’ve gone before. BECOMING: The Life & Musings of a Girl, however, lacks the awkward self-consciousness of post-modernism even when it compliments it, and that is its beautiful defining element. An example of the poetry to be discovered here is as follows:

TOMORROW

Tomorrow stands tall amidst doubt
how she eagerly awaits
to seep through the cracks of dawn
fresh flowers she lifts from her coat
as she walks the aisle of sky
like a bride in her evening gown
touting the rising of hope
a promise only she can bring
kindly wiping away the ails of yesterday
and beginning anew

What I took away from this wonderful collection of poetry is that life is a wonderful combination of difficult experiences that are paradoxically intertwined with experiences of happiness in our lives. The difficult experiences are usually surprising, and we will never be ready for them. However, they make us resilient and make us appreciate what is there. Therefore, even with difficulty, one must not forget to be grateful. Because showing gratitude is a source of power that connects great faith and hope.’

Highly recommended collection for all poetry lovers.

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