Ryan McSwain's Monsters All the Way Down Makes You Question Everything.

Imagine being accused of serial murders

That you know you didn't commit.

Now imagine questioning 

The veracity of your own knowledge.

Today we have science fiction Horror for Halloween!

Monsters All the Way Down is a science fiction horror novel written by Ryan McSwain.

So what's it about?

All Brennan Wade had planned for the day was a simple DNA check that was required for the job he had finally landed. It's all he had planned, that is, until his DNA results pinged a crime database that showed him as the lone suspect for multiple grotesque and unsolved murders spanning decades. 

Now he's on the run, determined to prove that he's not the killer. It's strange, though, that his DNA was lifted from one of the crimes scenes. Even stranger that he truly was at each location at the times the murders were committed... 

 But how could he have committed murders that he has no recollection of? And who is this strange group that's hunting him down for them? Most importantly... who did murder all of these people?

I'm going to start by reminding you not to judge a book by its cover. 

This is definitely not my favorite cover art. I don't think it really gives a good impression of what's inside... but the story within is something worth treating yourself to.

See, one of those cardinal rules of humanity is to never, never, never, NEVER sympathize with a serial killer. So what did I go ahead and do?

Yep. I totally did that.

And who is the serial killer? Well, you won't know that until a long way through... and I'm not giving any spoilers.

But the story was written in such a manner that I repeatedly questioned what I thought I knew. I questioned who the 'good guy' was, and who the 'bad guy' was. I even questioned my own ideas about what good and bad truly mean.

In the beginning, I thought I had made a poor decision about this ebook.

You see, at first, it seemed more like a psychological thriller. It didn't seem to have the markings of a traditional horror novel, and definitely didn't feel sci fi or paranormal. It was quite good, but didn't fit in with my pre-conceived idea of what horror is.

I'm glad I kept reading.

Turns out, this ebook can be classified as both sci fi and paranormal. It has technology that one would expect from near-future sci fi, yet still produces some mind-boggling what-the-heck-is-that-strange-entity thrills. The blend of the two was well done, and allows the reader to have that "what if?" feeling throughout the story.

Brennan Wade, the protagonist, is a particularly interesting - and frustrating - character. When he decided to go into hiding while uncovering the truth, I often saw him do things that seemed absolutely ridiculous. Many times, I thought, "Oh, come on... how could they not catch him after that?"

Yet I kept reading.

Turns out, I was right to ask that question... each time I did. You see, Brennan isn't a criminal. He's the average, everyday guy. The average guy just doesn't know how to run from the law. So even though I wanted to strangle him for his ignorance, I kept reading. I kept wanting him to come out on top. To prove that he wasn't the murderer they claimed he was.

So how did he manage to elude law enforcement while making poor decisions about it? Well, you'll have to read the story to figure out how.

Ha!

(I'm kinda mean, aren't I?)

Seriously, though, this one was worth every moment I spent reading it. While I think I may have made plot discoveries before the author was ready for me to do so, the story ran with fluidity, and I happily read it to the very last word.

Monsters All the Way Down can be found on Kindle.

D.L. Denham's Reho is an Apocalyptic Blast!

Forget the Zombie apocalypse.

Nuclear holocaust? Scratch that, too.

But don't clear out your emergency stash...

Because today we're talking Alien Apocalypse!!!

Cover Art by Pavel Sokov.

Reho is the first installment of The Hegemon Wars, an apocalyptic science fiction series written by D.L. Denham.

So what's it about?

During the Hegemon invasion, the powerful alien race took over a human society that had already torn itself apart through nuclear warfare. Radiation levels are high outside the safe zones, and humans can't survive away from those boundaries for more than a few minutes without protective gear. The world did this to itself, but the Hegemon invasion created a new - and even more immediate - danger. Most humans live in fear and poverty... exactly the way the Hegemon want it.

But then there's Reho. He's never been like everyone else. He's stronger, faster, and he can survive outside of the safe zones. He's been living away from society for the last few years, but finally decides to return. He has family that he misses. When he finally returns home, however, events propel him away from his hometown again, this time placing him at the epicenter of a rebel plan that could change the world. But will he have the ability to do what's required?

Ok, so there is a bit of nuclear holocaust thrown in... but this centers on the evil green men that arrive in the midst of it... doing even more damage to the human race... so it's not quite the same. 

So, there!

Reho is a character centered novel that takes place within the heart of a future ruled by cruel alien overlords.

You know... the kind of ebook that makes me a happy girl!

See, we all know that anything post-apocalyptic gets me pretty excited: it gives me plenty of fuel for my "what to do in case of an emergency" file cabinet that I keep in a nice, easy to access part of my brain. Adding aliens to my list puts me in seventh heaven.

Yeah... I'm a little weird. I know it.

But Denham gave those of us that do this sort of thing quite a bit to work with! He gave us an advanced alien race (of course) that breathes a different atmosphere than our own, made it humanoid so that we can relate, then gave us funky mutations that spring up amongst the humans. He did all of this while giving us danger zones that can physically annihilate us.

Ah, the sweet smell of total destruction!

Oh, wait... No, that's actually the scent of Reho, who spends so little time around human society that he rarely has the opportunity to bathe. Add the fact that water only runs for about five minutes when he does get the chance, and... yeah. It's ugly.

His personality, on the other hand? I love him. Every choice he makes, every action he takes, is filled with purpose. He doesn't do anything 'just because it's fun.' He sees the world through different eyes than the rest of us. And that's not just because his eyes appear to be different from the human norm.

Kind of like the eyes of a Hegemon, in fact...

See, he knows there's something different about him. He simply doesn't know what that is. He does discover the truth, however, after he joins a ship's crew. He thinks he's simply there to protect the delivery of some important goods to New Afrika.

Soon, though, he discovers that his part to play is much bigger than that.

What part is that? Well... SPOILERS! Yep. Totally not telling you. You'll have to read it.

And you'll enjoy doing so. Denham has written a novel that keeps you turning the pages. Even moments that should be dull end up keeping your eyes plastered to the page. He paints a vivid picture of a world gone wrong, continually making you think, "Yeah, I can see that happening. We humans are really messed up, aren't we?"

There were a decent amount of mistypes, but I found them easy to overlook, since both dialogue and narration were extremely well done. Reho didn't quite achieve Treasured Tome status, since my heartstrings weren't tugged hard enough for that, but it wasn't far off.

And Denham has also published a short prequel to Reho, called Red Denver... something I'm very interested in. The future of our world felt realistic, and was obviously well researched. Reading something that deals with what happened before Reho would be quite a treat!

If you have a thing for apocalyptic sci-fi that deals with alien invasion, you'll want to read this one. You'll also want to wear an AIM. Because AIMs are cool. I'm putting one in my "what to do in case of an emergency" file cabinet.

But you have to read Reho to understand why.

Reho can only be found on Kindle.

Chris Farnell's Dirty Work is WILD!

Today we have another short story collection.

It's wild. It's crazy.

And I'll never look at video games

Or time travel

The same way again.

Cover design by Phil Cooper.

Dirty Work is a fantasy/sci-fi short story collection written by Chris Farnell.

So what's it about?

A broker negotiates a demonic deal. A soldier fights for her life during the dolphin apocalypse. An unemployed man searches for a job in a future where sponsorship means everything. A food and drink industry consultant tries to avoid a PR disaster when fingers start showing up in soda cans. A man repeatedly travels back in time for a length of ten-minutes each. A caller discovers that it's always important to read an insurance company's fine print - even in a zombie infested society. A man discovers that an 8 bit childhood video game is more than just a game. A ninja has an "average" day at the office.

So... this one is... wierd.

I guess that's kind of obvious, though, right? Dirty Jobs takes the reader on a wild ride, and doesn't hold back. There's absolutely no sense of the author saying, "Well, gee... maybe I'm going too far."

Nope. 

Chris Farnell opens up his imagination to the rest of us, inviting us through not one, but several different alternative realities. He doesn't hold back at all.

And I'm afraid I'll never look at my favorite childhood video games the same way, again. As if that's not enough, I'm now wondering what it'd be like to experience kissing myself. Would I be any good it it? And why in the world am I even considering that possibility?!

Darn you, Farnell!

This one is well worth reading. It set my imagination on fire, hit me with a blast of confusion on a few occasions, and amazed me with its possibilities.

The stories are very short, and are something that I could have easily used in a National Forensic League competition when I was in high school... and won it. Reading this aloud would be quite easy, and would entertain any Oral Reading judge.

I would have blown through the competition.

I would have gotten all the way to the State level.

And maybe even into the semifinals, from there.

Sorry... I got a wee bit nostalgic for a second. But that's what this short story collection did to me. It was wild and exciting. It got my heart beating. My eyes leapt from one word to the next, transfixed. 

It brought back that buzzing sensation I used to have when I found that one perfect story to use for competition. The one that was fast paced, full of twists, and easy to draw people into. Something that brought me back a couple of decades into my past.

That's something that's worth reading.

It's very likely that a few of these stories will cause gigantic question marks to form above your head. You'll hit a couple of points where you'll think, "What in the heck just happened?"

Just go with it. It's worth it.

And read the acknowledgements. They won't give you any amazing eruptions of insight. They won't impart any special knowledge. But they will entertain you. The acknowledgements really feel as though the author is sitting across from you at a pub, amusing you with a great conversation.

This one is a bit pricey for its length, but it's worth every penny. 

Chris Farnell has done something different with this collection, even going as far as to change the format between stories. That's a bit of a risk, of course, but I feel that it works, giving this not just entertaining words, but visual appeal, as well.

Dirty work can be found on Kindle. 

Stefan Bolz's The Fourth Sage Makes Us Ask "Why"

Is it science fiction? 

Or maybe fantasy? 

Perhaps it's a blend of both? 

Nope. Definitely sci-fi. Though it did seem like a genre blend for quite some time. After all, "Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic."

Ok, ok... that Arthur C. Clarke statement doesn't quite fit, but it's one of my favorites, so I'm using it anyway.

Why doesn't it fit? What in the world am I going on about now? Well... just keep reading!

Cover design by Jason Gurley, who happens to be an author, as well!

The Fourth Sage is the first installment of the sci-fi Circularity Saga, written by Stefan Bolz, who, by the way, has a spectacular author page. So be sure to click on the link in that last sentence!

So what's it about?

In a world where every move a person makes is watched, every word is guarded, and every independent action is punished, Aries Egan is an anomaly. She has discovered how to steal one hour of freedom every night, evading the cameras that lurk everywhere.

But freedom comes with a price, and one mistake can mean re-education and pain, as Aries discovers. Forced to flee, knowing that her life as she knows it is gone, she finds herself on a quest to topple the Corporation and bring freedom to others, as well.

And did I mention that one of the main characters is a hawk?

That's right. A hawk. Bolz breaks free of the standard definition of sci-fi, giving personality and complex communication skills to a bird. An awesome bird, of course, but still a bird.

You see why I thought he blended genres with this ebook?

Turns out, there's a valid reason for this communication. It has nothing to do with technology, but rather with genetics. Still, he placed it in the realm of science, rather than magic.

So... dystopian sci-fi it is!

The environment Bolz created was absolutely stifling. This was a vast city in which the inhabitants have no free choice. There is the semblance of choice, but nothing more. People are reasonably content with that, though, because that's all they've really ever known.

Cameras are everywhere: hallways, bedrooms, common areas... everywhere. The Corporation is watching at all times. Anything construed as veering from the norm, even the smallest gesture, is flagged.

A red flag action is cause for immediate removal and imprisonment. Or death.

People are told the truth that the Corporation wants them to believe. If the Corporation says something is true, it is. Period. The Corporation's word is not to be questioned. Everything the corporation does is done for you.

Well, Aries does question it. And she suffers because of that.

But she's also set free, in a sense. Questioning the Corporation brings her one step closer to true knowledge. She constantly asks that one question that is always needed:

"Why?"

She becomes a leader. Others who have the ability to question what's around them recognize this, and soon she meets a ragtag group of gifted children who have the ability to help her fight the corporation.

The philosophies and creativity this ebook was filled with were absolutely amazing, and the situations were intense. There wasn't a single break for Aries, who was met with adversity at every turn.

And the technology?

Riveting. I could clearly see each drone, each android. The strange flow of electricity was beautiful. The strange readings on Aries' tablet as she sought answers to electrical problems? Fascinating.

There were a few things that didn't quite feel right to me, however.

I felt an emotional disconnect at a couple of points in which I should have felt like my heart was being crushed. Some of the characters' reactions to events didn't feel true. Rather, they felt controlled, reined in. This jarred me from the story on occasion.

But this wasn't common.

In fact, I felt a connection to a few of the characters, and when one of them appeared lost, it upset me. I love when I have those horrid feelings, as contradictory as that sounds!

So this ebook is definitely worth reading. Heck, it even has a well thought out (and rather cool) book trailer!



Awesome, right?

The Fourth Sage can only be found on Kindle.

Robby Charters' Pepe Examines the Meaning of Truth

"the smell of solvent

sounds of youthful street wisdom

working kids live here"

As you can tell already, today's review covers an ebook that makes you step back and think about the world.

Pepe, by Robby Charters, is a stand-alone science fiction novel that takes place in the year 2020 in an alternate reality.

So what's it about?

Pepe is a young boy living in the dockyards, the lower class community in the Republic of Cardovia, where people struggle to simply survive day to day life. His primary focus in life is to care for his sister, Po. 

But when the small home they live in with their grandmother burns to the ground, Pepe and Po must take to the streets where their lives change dramatically. Pepe discovers that his very existence is a threat to national security, and the president of Cardovia will stop at nothing to remove him from the picture. 

Pepe wonders what it is that makes him, a boy from the slums, so dangerous to the leader of Cardovia. In the race to flee those that would eliminate him - and harm Po in the process - Pepe discovers more than he ever expected.

I've gotta tell you, this ebook was far more engrossing than I dreamed it would be!

The technology in Pepe is a bit more advanced than our current technology... but not by much... only a hair's breadth, actually. It's very believable that we could see these advances in the near future.

Magnetically controlled, "floating" train? Very believable. Neural interfaces that can 'read' a person's thoughts and convey them to others? Yep. Small, armored robots equipped with heavy weaponry? Heck, There are drones out there, already... right?

Every chapter begins with a haiku. 

This haiku foreshadows what will be found within that section of the book, and does it perfectly. I'm not one for verse, very often skipping right over it. I know, I know... people shouldn't do that. Verse is important, and the author worked hard on it, darn it!

I do it anyway.

In Pepe, though, I looked forward to each haiku. Every one of them was well written, meaningful, and thought-provoking. I mean... I even began this review with one of them (taken from Chapter 3). I enjoyed them that much.

And the theme!

Oh, gosh, the theme. I found myself swept away within the philosophies of this novel. Basically, it all comes down to one central concept: Only through Truth will you find freedom.

I know, I know... we've all heard that before. What makes it so special this time?

Well, we see this transformation in just about every character within the book. This is especially seen with Pepe, as the protagonist, but this change occurs in the most depraved, as well. We see that through recognizing the truth as it is, rather than how we think the truth is, we become more than who we were before. We're stronger. We're free.

And Charters does this without "preachiness."

I never once felt that he was bashing me over the head with the concept. Not once did I roll my eyes. It was all done through showing, rather than telling. I wanted to transform, to see things as they really are... just as Pepe did.

This is an ebook that I strongly recommend to those that enjoy a novel that makes you think, but also gives you a storyline that flows quickly and fluidly.

Pepe can be found on Kindle, Nook, and Smashwords, as well as on Scribd.

Steve Umstead's Wrinkled Shorts Are Intense!

Let me tell you, doing a search for 'wrinkled shorts' can bring up a lot of giggle worthy images. 

And don't get me started on the number of times I had to rewrite my title to keep the tongue in cheek humor to a minimum!

I'm sure you know where I'm going with this one... It's time for another short story collection. This one is a collection of 5 short-shorts written by a single author.

Wrinkled Shorts is a sci-fi-/horror/suspense collection of short stories written by Steve Umstead.

So what's it about?

A boy helps defend the planet against ruthless alien invaders. * A man ferries cargo to an island and discovers that all of its buildings are gone. * A mysterious, unwanted package shows up at a woman's door. * On their anniversary, a woman gives her love the chance to do something great for humanity via an organization she found through social media. * A college student takes part in a sleep study in order to make some extra cash.

A great smorgasbord of scenarios, right?

Each short is unique, even though the narratives all clearly come from the same beautifully twisted mind. I had no qualms about switching from one genre to the next, lulled into compliance by the author's silver tongue (or should that be pen? Keyboard?).

It's not often that an author can lead you from one story into a vastly different second one without making you pause and take time to examine a whole new world, but Umstead did exactly that.

No breaks needed. 

The intensity of each story propelled me into the next, my mind seeming to transform, accepting each new world with no need for explanation. What I mean is that the environment within each story was exactly right for the scenario within its pages from word one.

Not once did I think,

"Where the heck did that come from?"

Umstead could have created a world in which cotton toasters swam through lava propelled by the currents within hippopotamus venom and I would have believed it... I would've even demanded more.

Interestingly, my favorite story was not the one that I was most interested in reading when I downloaded this title. Incursion (sci-fi), the first of the stories, was the one that originally caught my attention, yet Opt-Out (suspense), the fourth story, was the one that caused my heart to beat wildly, sending shivers down my spine. The impact of that short lasted far beyond the length of time it took to read it.

How long was that?

About thirty minutes. Maybe forty-five. See? I told you I couldn't put it down... my eyes raced across each page as though they were running a marathon. I could. Not. Stop.

Now, this wasn't perfect, of course. I had a vague idea of what the ending of story one would be, so the twist wasn't quite as twisty as I'd like. The third story, likewise, wasn't quite as chilling as I think it could have been.

On the flipside, however, the first story didn't need to wow me with a spectacular twist. It was amazing even without a mind-blowing surprise at the end. And the third story? If you ever watched episodes from Tales From the Darkside, you'll love it unconditionally.

And Opt-Out? My favorite within this collection? Let's just say that it does a very good job of reminding us about the importance of reading the fine print. Always.

Always.

Don't forget that.

If you're looking for a good collection of short-shorts to make your lunch break more fulfilling than usual, you'll want this one. A lot. Like, really a lot.

Wrinkled Shorts can be found on Kindle, Nook, and Smashwords. It's also available on Scribd, which is where I got it.

The Sword of Agrippa by Gregory Lloyd Has Me Excited!

Today, I'm doing something vastly different from the norm.

After being contacted by the author, I've elected to review a sampler of his soon to be released novel. That means I've only read the prologue and the first two chapters.

The Sword of Agrippa is a yet-to-be-released, metaphysical sci-fi novel written by Gregory Lloyd.

So what's it about?

Ever since the death of the woman he loved, Roy Swenson has searched for a new energy source: something that will make the world a better place for everyone. He has also self-experimented with lucid dreaming as a way to find complete freedom of thought. He does find a type of freedom... by viewing the ancient past through the eyes of Agrippa, a soldier that journeyed within Emperor Caesar's entourage trip during a journey to Alexandria.

I was a bit nervous about this one, having never reviewed a sampler before. I wasn't sure how I'd feel about reading such a small portion of an ebook. What if I truly like it? Can I recommend something I haven't read through to the end?

Those questions and more swirled about within my brain, threatening to suffocate me with my own anxieties. But then I realized something...

If you don't try something different, you'll always wonder what could have happened if you did.

And you know what?

I'm glad I did. Lloyd is an immensely intelligent person that has no fear of metaphor - and uses it with great effect. Adjectives, which have a tendency to slow down the action in most stories, are used aplenty... but they're all necessary here, adding to the story, rather than detracting from it. Not only that, but he's an author with the ability to make science seem like poetry.

Oh, wait... I'm biased. I have a degree in geology.  

But this wasn't geology that he wrote about - it was theoretical physics... something I'm not prone to getting excited about. Yet, I did. Dark energy became beautiful. A discussion about energy and sensors? Riveting.

Lloyd took a risk.

Sword of Agrippa is set in the very near future. The reason I call this a risk is that it could backfire. If specific social scenarios within the reality-based portions of the novel don't occur in the next few years, some readers may hold it against him.

Personally, though, I liked that.

It's a calculated risk, and it's very low-key. At the moment, the political and social atmosphere he created is very believable. Those of us with a more pessimistic worldview would even go as far as to say it's accurate.

In Sword of Agrippa, Lloyd makes a good case about the intellectual dangers inherent in our society. As various religious, political, or even scientific groups become more and more staunchly certain that their ideas are the only true and correct ones, we shove true creativity and innovation to the sidelines. Fitting in becomes more important than thinking independently.

If you're looking for easy reading, you won't find it in Sword of Agrippa. 

But! If you want a story that flows well and makes you think, you'll find it within these pages.

As I said previously, I've only read the prologue and the first two chapters. Having not read the entire ebook, I can't recommend it... but what I can do is say that if the rest of the book is as intriguing as the first few chapters, it'll be a great one!

The Sword of Agrippa sampler can currently be found on Kindle.

(Expect updates on links to the full ebook once it goes live)

Maree Anderson's Freaks of Greenfield High Was Freaking Awesome!

I discovered the latest ebook I'm reviewing 

by complete

and total

accident.

And I'm glad I did!

Cover Design by Rob Anderson

Freaks of Greenfield High is a YA sci-fi romance written by Maree Anderson.

So what's it about?

Jay thinks faster, moves more fluidly, and has more strength than any other person her age. Of course, that makes perfect sense when one considers that she's a cyborg. What doesn't make sense, though, is that after meeting Tyler she has had to struggle with unusual and foreign emotions. She's evolving, becoming more than a cyborg... becoming human. Jay needs to come to terms with these changes while navigating the halls of a high school, keeping herself as low-key as possible, and evading the people that seek to use her highly sophisticated body as a powerful weapon.

As I said, this one was an accident.

While navigating through recommendations for me after downloading an ebook, I found one that looked spectacular... then clicked on this one when my daughter hit my elbow, attempting to gain my attention.

"Crap." I thought. 

"Whatever... I'll go ahead and see what this is about. I might as well."

So I did exactly that after tending to my daughter, and I have no regrets.

You've probably figured out by now that I wasn't particularly interested. The title seemed a bit silly, and the cover art didn't exactly make me want to read it. It felt... blah. Even the blurb didn't do much for me.

But I really liked the idea of a cyborg love story. It's not something you read every day, after all. So I went ahead and read the first few paragraphs. Then the next few.

And then a few after that!

Aside from a few proofreading errors, this ebook was spectacular. Not just a little good. Not not even really good.

Amazing!

The story of Jay's evolution was meticulously crafted. Dialogue changed over time. Sentence structures changed, and her word usage became less precise and more conversational. The reader could truly witness her evolution into something more than just a cyborg.

In fact, I ended up loving this so much that it became...

The newest Treasured Tome!!!

Yep. It was that good.

I know what you're thinking. How in the world could this be a Treasured Tome if I had so much reticence about even reading it, right? I mean, I even complained about some proofreading errors.

But that's the thing.

This story was so powerful that I was able to forget those issues. Rather than nitpick about various technical problems, I found myself living and breathing the words within the pages.

And I cried!!!

That didn't happen until the last 25% or so of the book, but I cried for a decent amount of time when it did. Prior to that, however, this story took me on an intense, emotional whirlwind. How so? Well, I laughed, I became angry, then I became very angry. Anderson also threw in a heap of loss and social fear, then added in some new love.

The result was similar to tasting a favored dish for the very first time. You feel that same mixture of physical and emotional pull, complete with momentary sense of floating.

Or, at least, that's what happened to me the first time I tasted creme brulee...

But you get the picture. This ebook makes you feel as though you've just placed your hands on a glorious treasure. It gives you both the yearning to share it, and the desire to keep it only for yourself.

Anderson has mastered the skill of emotional manipulation, and I love her for it.

Freaks of Greenfield High can be found on Kindle, Nook, and Smashwords.



Special Note: The new cover image is far superior to the original that I saw:

Step Into Eden, Dawn and Experience Archer Swift's Beautiful, Deadly Paradise

Do I call this one horror?

Or do I say it's dystopian?

A thriller, maybe?

Perhaps I can call it sci-fi?

No, it's not any one of these... it has the makings of all three. Today's review covers a thrilling dystopian horror within a science fiction environment.

Take that, genre rules!

I'd like to introduce you to Eden, Dawn: The Chronicles of Paradise, by Archer Swift.

So what's it about?

The Earth's final days were sudden. Climate change, war, and the breakdown of society as a whole was all any of those chosen to board the Ark, a space vessel leading to a new chance for humanity, would remember. Thirty thousand people left on a pilgrimage to Eden, a new planet that could support human life. It was to be a new beginning for what was left of the human race.

Within 48 hours, however, a staggering number of those that made the journey were dead. Ten Earth years later, the number was down to under four hundred. Humanity was an endangered species. Eden was not the paradise they thought it would be, and every day since their arrival was a fight to survive. Their strongest weapon against Eden's perils was their strong sense of community, their willingness to work together.

But the strong unity of Eden's settlers is now breaking down, and extinction is sure to follow. This is because of them. They are picking off the colonists one by one, and nobody knows how or why. Nobody even knows who or what they are...

You can see why I added horror into the genre mix there, right?

But I have a confession. The truth is that horror is a very good description of the intensity and suspense that a reader is put through in the first third of the book... but then everything changes. I loved the horror aspect. The blend of fear, nervousness, and lack of knowledge about the enemy was quite gripping.

Normally, a change in mood that propelled me out of the realm of horror and into the realm of sci-fi thriller would feel jarring.

Here, though, it felt right.

Swift created a vivid world filled with complexity and loaded with intricate detail. This wasn't a fortuitous accident... a bestiary (written in a character's POV) can be found at the end of the book, and  the in-depth descriptions of Eden's wildlife adds to the reader's enjoyment. Swift took time on the research, and it shows.

Further, I was entranced by the descriptions of them. 

What did they look like? Well... I can't tell you that. See, I didn't know until midway through the ebook, and that added to the suspense and interest level. I refuse to take that from you. Suffice to say, they are very different from anything I've previously read about.

Eden, Dawn did a spectacular job of creating a society in ruin. It felt like a cautionary tale, warning us against narcissism and arrogance. It focused on empathy and community as the key factors toward a better future, yet came nowhere near feeling sappy.

In a word, awesome.

The only thing that kept me from landing headfirst into the center of the story and refusing to leave was some clunky sentence structure and a few grammar problems. I know this sounds nitpicky, but it was incredibly jarring... largely because this ebook was so finely crafted. Saying that somebody went passed a tree causes me to turn into a tooth gnashing grammar fiend.

Ok... maybe I am a bit nitpicky... but it still jarred me straight out of the story a few times.

However!

As much as I may complain about grammar and word usage, Swift wrote with a strong and active voice. Eden, Dawn was believable and engrossing. If my biggest complaint has to do with a few tiny errors in grammar - and I do mean few - I think it's safe to say that Swift is an author worth reading.

If you like intense sci-fi thrillers, I highly recommend Eden, Dawn.

Eden, Dawn is available on Kindle, Nook, and Smashwords.

Virus: Episode 1 Infected Me With the Desire For More

You know what I think?

I think it's time for a little fun with science fiction.

Digital archives displayed through holographic projection.

Cybernetic implants.

Religious fanatics that believe the Apocalypse is coming.

I mean, how can we possibly resist that?

What? That's not enough?

Fine.

In that case, let's throw in a lethal disease that rewrites people's DNA, turning them into literal monsters.

Ha! Now I've got you...

I'd like to introduce you to Virus: Episode 1, a cyberpunk themed sci fi novella written by Jac Van Wyk.

I've been a fan of cyberpunk ever since I first picked up William Gibson's Neuromancer. It was love at first sight. Technology's firm hold on society, humans interfaced with machines... it's a geek girl's dream come true.

So, yeah. Cyberpunk is one of my favorite sub-genres... and I got a nice taste of it here!

So what's it about?

Xavier Segrave is a man down on his luck. He's a petty thief that steals for his own survival. Choosing the wrong mark one day, he finds himself severely beaten and near death. He wakes up on a table to discover that he suddenly has a new neural implant... that's keeping him alive. During his botched theft attempt he was infected with a lethal virus. His life is now set to end in less than a month. Unless!
Unless he can find out how the virus was manufactured so that his mysterious new benefactor can produce a cure in time...

As is obvious by my description, this novella is filled with high energy. While you could put it down and take a break, the chances of that are pretty slim. I read the entire novella in a single sitting.

Van Wyk has a talent for high pacing. 

He doesn't mince words, providing only the reader with just enough information to paint a full picture that drives the reader to continue at all costs. While this would feel exhausting in a longer work, the technique is exactly what is needed for a novella.

Even the end was written in this action-packed manner (Don't worry... no spoilers here). It ended on an especially exciting note, leaving me hungry for more...

Which was unfortunate, because episode 2 isn't complete. When I checked Van Wyk's progress via his webpage, he'd only finished about 78% of it.

Not fair!!!

I'm forced to wait. Kinda like I'm forced to wait for the second season of Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

Because that's exactly the feeling I had. Van Wyk's choice of calling this 'episode1' rather than 'part 1' or 'chapter 1' was well thought out.

For the most part, this novella was amazing. The only thing that held me back from giving it Treasured Tome status was that there were a few places in which the dialogue felt stilted, which took away from the overall intensity.

This was very rare, however, and so I still consider this one of the most entertaining titles I've reviewed. Read it, and you'll understand why I say this.

Virus: Episode 1 can only be found on Kindle.

Tight Within the Grasp of Insignia

I told myself I'd never review an anthology.

There are too many authors involved. How do you review the works of so many people, and still ensure that they all get the attention they deserve?

But then I found an anthology on Scrbd that I wanted to read. I figured I'd just read a story or two every now and then, while continuing on with the ebooks I intended to review.

But then I kept reading.

And reading.

After a while, I decided to change my mind. I'd review an anthology.

Artwork by Peter Serkov

Insignia, Volume 1: Japanese Fantasy Stories is a collection of short stories by Aislinn Batstone, Heather Jensen, Holly Kench, Chris Ward, Joyce Chng, Chris White, and Kelly Matsuura (who is also the editor and cover designer).

The Insignia series supports the need for diversity in literature, and each story is written by authors that have a passion for Japanese culture. The anthology is broken into two parts: YA and General Adult.

So what's it about?

Part I:
Ancient promises broken, resulting in pain and sorrow. A girl near the end of her life, guided by a spirit wolf on a quest to destroy a monster. A girl oppressed by a calculating beast whose true form only she can see. Friends separated by cruel circumstances, yet bound together through magic and love.
Part 2:
Death, persecution, and crime draw a father and son together. A man returns from war a shell of the person he once was, and brings a powerful gift back with him. A man discovers a bathhouse set apart from the brightly lit, constantly moving city life, and discovers it's more than it appears to be. A man watches his soulmate from the other side, yearning to bring her across the threshold to be with him forever.

Wow, right?!

I really loved this anthology. As in any collection of stories, I liked some better than others, as is to be expected. In most anthologies, there seems to be one story that I consider vastly inferior to the others. In this one, however, I did not have that reaction. I liked every single one, and could easily read them all a second time.

Of course, I do have my favorite. 

I found The Bakeneko to be particularly gripping. Read that one right before bed. The menace within The Bakeneko is particularly strong when you begin the story in the same way the protagonist did: wrapped within your blankets.

The stories within Insignia, Volume 1 were rich and engaging, and each author's voice was so unique that I had no problem switching from one to the next: I easily slid from one author's world into another.

I highly recommend this one.

You can download a copy of Insignia, Volume 1 from the Kindle, Nook, and Smashwords stores, as well as from Scribd.

Discovery of a Brilliant Work Concealed in the Shadows!

I'm adding works from small publishing companies to the list of Tomes to seek for review.

This does not mean that they'll be considered for Treasured Tome status. I reserve that distinction for authors that fit the indie description.

What does that mean, exactly?

If an author happens to publish under their own company name, they still fit the indie author description. If their manuscript was sent out to a company they weren't previously affiliated with, however, they no longer fit into my view of an indie author, and will not be considered for Treasured Tome status.

That being said, we've got an ebook that could have been a Treasured Tome on our hands. This one is set in the not-so-distant future: the 2030s.

Cover art by Marya Heiman 

Concealed in the Shadows is written by Gabrielle Arrowsmith. This one isn't actually an indie book, as you've already figured out. Rather, Concealed in the Shadows is published by a very small publishing company known as Clean Teen Publishing, which means I kind of bent my original rules a bit. How'd that happen, you ask? 

Well...

It was an accident, I swear!

I didn't actually realize my mistake until I finished this ebook, and I just couldn't pass up reviewing it. You needed to hear about it. It's a book well worth reading, and since Clean Teen Publishing is a very small company, I figured it would be okay to bend the rules a little...

...and then I decided to re-write them.

I did this partially because I like the idea of small publishing companies being highlighted on the web, rather than the big publishing houses, but also because I really wanted you to hear about Concealed in the Shadows. Like I said, it's well worth the read.

So what's it about?

For some time now, Sydney Harter has been crossing the electrical barriers that surround Miles County, training herself to elude the authorities if the need ever arises. She's prepared to do anything to ensure her little sister Evvie's safety. On her eighteenth birthday, Sydney goes to court to legally request full guardianship of her sister. The request is granted, and Sydney at last seems to have the ability to protect Evvie from the dangers of Miles. But as she goes on a run across the barrier the following morning, Sydney is thrust into a strange new world. Her one thought? To protect her sister at all costs.

This ebook felt like a warning about what could happen in the future if we continue to live in our social media driven world without paying heed to what's happening all around us.

Of course, that could simply be because I'm a strong supporter of the Internet Defense League (Cat signal!), and believe we need to be careful to watch just what our government is doing at all times - regardless of political affiliation. So I could simply be drawing on my personal beliefs...

Which means the author made it personal!

Arrowsmith made me laugh, and she made me tear up... twice. I got angry at the characters, then forgave them. I longed to make them understand each other, and wanted to throttle them whenever they made dumb choices - especially the irrational choices that I would have made under the same circumstances.

The characters weren't just believable. They felt real. If I chose to read this aloud, I'd be able to do it smoothly and with proper inflection. Dialogue was perfect. I assume this has to do with Arrowsmith's experience with community/school acting - of which she has plenty. She understands the importance of vocalizing the dialogue she writes.

What about the flaws?

Honestly, there were very few. There were some clunky and mixed up sentences that caused me a bit of confusion, especially in the first four pages. There were also a few typos and incorrect word usages that caused me to raise my eyebrows a few times.

But that was it. 

Don't let those first few pages stop you from reading. Concealed in the Shadows kept my interest throughout. I didn't want to stop reading, and even lost a bit of sleep because I couldn't put it down. 

You can pick up Concealed in the Shadows on Kindle, Nook, and Smashwords.

Allie's War: Accidental Victory!

On my latest treasure hunt I accidentally discovered a great sci-fi oriented dystopian novella.

I say accidentally, because it was listed as an urban fantasy.

But even though it was a mistaken discovery, it was a good one!

This novella (of roughly 120 pages) was Allie's War: Episode 1, by J.C. Andrijeski.

Cover art by
Greg Jensen and AnneMarie Buhl

Initially, I was going to leave this one alone and continue my search for something within the fantasy or paranormal genres, but when I saw the page length on my Nook, I elected to read it anyway. It was short, after all. If I didn't like it, no time would be wasted.

Why not, right?

So I sat and read what turned out to be a great break from my normal choices.

So what's it about?

After finding herself holding a bloodstained, broken bottle while police scream for her to drop her weapon, Allie is forced to accept that she attacked the woman that her beau was seeing on the sly, even though she has no memory of the assault. Soon after, she's given a GPS tracking anklet so authorities can monitor her every movement. First offense or not, she's now a violent criminal.

Both of these problems are small compared to what she discovers next: She's not human, and she's being hunted... by different factions within an alien race which has been on this planet for a very long time.

I raced through this one.

Energy was high, and I found myself turning pages at a rapid rate. My eyes even teared up a bit during one scene. Granted, this is only because Andrijeski wrote something that hit me on a very personal level, but that's just it:

It hit me on a personal level!

The characters were all very well written, and believable. I sympathized with each and every one of them. Dialogue was spot-on and specific to each character.

I found myself frustrated by a society that was built and structured upon fear, but understanding where that fear came from, at the same time. I was shown a new view of the planet, as well as the lifeforms that live here.

There were a few problems that caused my to withhold Treasured Tome status, however.

The author gave the reader information at the beginning that was unnecessary, causing the story to slow down. It was only a few words within a couple of sentences, but even so, it detracted from the story's energy.

The other flaw had to do with the switching of tenses. Sometimes that can work, but switches between present and past tense within the exposition here had a jarring effect. Again, though, this is something that can be improved upon with great success.

And in truth, Andrijeski may have already made these changes.

The thing is, I found another piece written by J.C. Andrijeski with a nearly identical name: Rook: Allie's War, Book 1. This appears to be the same novella, and may be an updated version, but I can't be 100% certain... I didn't see this title until after I finished with the version I already downloaded.

Getting confused? Don't worry. I am, too.

Regardless, this is an ebook worth reading. Even when including the flaws with tense and with poorly timed information, this story flowed remarkably well, and kept my interest to the end.

And don't forget... I teared up a little!

Allie's War is available on Kindle, Smashwords, and Nook.


**Update 4/30: The confusion I spoke of has been cleared up. Rook: Allie's War, Book 1 is actually episodes 1-4 combined. JC Andrijeski was going through rebranding, and my download happened to occur in the middle of it. Check out her comment below for a more in-depth explanation!

...And now I'm off to download Rook!