****I received a copy from the author in exchange for an honest review**** “The Prophet of Marathon” is, at its core, James’s coming of age story. He’s 30 and waving in the wind, unsure what he wants to do with his life, or where he wants to go. The one thing he does know: he doesn’t want to return to his family in New York and face his father. He’s rather lazy, but has gotten really good at blaming others for his misfortune, so when his father allows him to take care of his grandfather’s estate in Florida, James jumps at the chance to live rent free on the beach for a few more weeks, avoiding real responsibility like the plague. Then one fortuitous meeting later, James is working for a once disgraced preacher as he tries to rebuild his church. But not all is as it appears with John Wainwright (I mean, is anything really how it appears, ever?) and James finds himself finally growing up, and growing “a pair” if you will.
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I am usually not big on apocalyptic books. Generally, they feel all too familiar for me to ever get the sense that I am reading a truly unique story. “Angelfall” wasn’t that for me at all! The last thing humans would expect to cause the end of the world, have. Angels have come to earth and turned Northern California (though really, it’s the whole world I’d assume) into a waste land. People struggle to eat, gangs roam the streets, but everyone knows to find shelter come dark; it’s basically like the TV show “The Walking Dead” minus the zombies. Driving the helm of destruction are the angels themselves, though not all seem to agree as they occasionally turn on each other, which is evidenced when Penryn comes across a group of angels attacking one of their own. All Penryn wants to do is survive, she wants to take care of her mentally damaged mother, and protect her paralyzed little sister. But after Penryn tries to help the fallen angel, those who attacked him have other ideas. Snatching Penryn’s sister from her pushes a human and angel to form an unlikely alliance in order to get her sister back, and return his wings. All while the world burns around them, how quaint. “The Immortal Circus: Act One” is not your typical story of a young woman who runs away to join the circus. The Cirque des Immortels is run by none other than Mab, as in, Queen Mab of the Winter Court, the same Mab that Shakespeare wrote about as his faerie queen of legend. So what would a circus run by such a legendary creature look like? Pretty incredible actually, as those that flock to her, and perform in her circus, are every manner of fey and paranormal creature, and they all make an appearance on Mab’s stage. So where does Vivienne, our main character, fit into all this? If only Vivienne could remember, then we’d know why Mab of all people, allowed her to join the circus in the first place… I love Shakespeare, I love this world of the faeries (I starred in a Midsummer Night’s Dream once upon a time myself), and I really enjoyed those aspects of the book when they took center stage (see what I did there?), but I was not overly a fan of our leading lady and her persistent amnesia throughout the book. ****I received a free copy from the author in exchange for an honest review**** “Intermediates: A Cuckoo for Mankind” is a unique science fiction story about the Intermediates, a type of alien race that coexists with humans in secret. Their survival as a species depends on sending their “breeders” out to sleep with as many men and women (because these aliens can shift between male and female, like gobies or clownfish) as possible. These breeders absorb male semen while in female form, insert their biological genome into it to create Intermediate DNA, then try to impregnate a human female with that altered genetic material. Their entire existence is all about survival, and creating the next generation. Those in their species who wish to truly live, to integrate with human society, are deemed as dangerous, and are often exterminated if they are found not to be viable to the breeding process. It’s a really interesting concept, and I enjoyed the scientific explanations for the Intermediates existence. But the cover really doesn’t convey how cool this book is, and by the end, I was hoping for more from the story. ****I received a free copy from the author in exchange for an honest review**** Growing up, I loved all things King Arthur and Camelot. I loved reading about the different iterations of Morgana from evil Fey Queen to misunderstood guardian Lady of the Lake. I loved reading the more young adult books focusing on Guinevere becoming a warrior queen rather than a damsel in distress. Then for some reason, that really isn’t witty or enlightening, I moved on from Arthur and his Knights of The Round Table, and went on to more Greek and Norse Mythology and on and on. But I am so glad to be getting back into Arthurian fantasy! It reminds me why I loved these books as a kid, and the first book in “The Legends of King Arthur” really hit the spot for a craving I had nearly forgotten about! I don’t know of a single person who hasn’t at least heard of the legends around King Arthur, so I don’t really need to say what this book is about. Suffice it to say, this story follows Arthur on those crucial few “steps” before he can covet his Kingly title, when everything goes wrong, and he has to prove himself worthy to lead his people. |
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