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The Bane of Yoto

Article first published as Book Review: The Bane of Yoto by Joshua Viola on Blogcritics.

After the destruction of their home planet Ajyin, the peaceful Numah race are captured by General Vega of the violent Olokun’s and taken to live on the planet’s moon of Neos.  So begins “The Bane of Yoto” by Joshua ‘Josh’ Viola.  Living in bondage, the Numahs are enslaved so that they can mine Aegis which is a material used to create a shield over the moon to help hide them all from the feared Arbitrators which are a god-like race of beings that disappeared ages ago.  It is believed that the Arbitrators shed their physical forms to be able to transform themselves into a higher level of energy beings.  One particular person, a witch named Lagaia knows the truth, and she has no intentions of sharing it with anyone.
            
Two brothers, Eon and Yoto, have their childhoods ended the night that they are forced to watch the brutal deaths of their parents in an arena that was created purely for the entertainment of the Olokun’s.  Their friend Celeste, who has also won the heart of Yoto, is with them to witness this tragedy.  Eon is the older and braver brother.  As he grows into adulthood, he becomes the leader of a rebellion against the Olokun’s.  Yoto, while fearful and timid, is also intelligent.  He uses his wits to form alliances with the enemy so that he can sell drugs on the black market.  Celeste becomes a healer and distances herself from Yoto because of her distaste for his actions.
            
Previously refusing to join Eon’s rebellion, Yoto suddenly involves himself to help rescue his brother when Eon is arrested during an uprising.  The witch Lagaia has plans for Eon that involve him becoming very powerful with the magical strength of the Arbitrators which is hidden in a supposedly vanquished blade.  Everybody wants the power from this blade including the insane General Vega and his favored son Cadoc.  When the power is mistakenly given to Yoto, it transforms him into a giant of incredible strength.  He now has Olokuns after him to try to steal back the blade so that they can harness its incredible power. 
           
As the story progresses, Yoto has to find his inner strength so that he can stay alive and decide to do what is right.  In spite of his disagreements with his brother, the two share an incredible bond that they need to help them overcome the trials that they have to face.  Yoto must also turn his love for Celeste into a strength instead of something that weakens him. Time will tell which side is the most powerful.   
           
“The Bane of Yoto” by Joshua Viola totally captured my attention. I hated having to put it down so I could do the mundane things in my world like eat, bathe and go to work.  I really wanted to read it in one sitting.  The author Josh Viola did an excellent job of holding my imagination captive.  He also created some incredible characters that have both physical and mental obstacles to overcome.  Writing the scenes in vivid detail really brings them to life.  Fans of both fantasy and/or science fiction will love reading “The Bane of Yoto,” and, along with this reader, they will look forward to future adventures in the series.


The Bane of Yoto
Joshua Viola
FiXT (2012)
ISBN 9780985559007
Reviewed by Paige Lovitt for Reader Views (9/12)

Chrysalis - Trepidation (Book 3, Chrysalis Series)

Article first published as Book Review: Chrysalis: Trepidation (Book 3, Chrysalis Series) by M. L. Lacy on Blogcritics.

In “Chrysalis - Trepidation,” by M. L. Lacy, the story of Bree continues.  Bree’s story begins in “Chrysalis - The Awakening,” where she first becomes aware of her destiny. She learns she is not a mere mortal; she is a Chosen One.  Being the last of her people, she will also be the most powerful of them when she finally completes her transition.  “Chrysalis - Tribulations,” the second book in the series continues with Bree’s story as she starts to come into her own.  She also has to deal with people who are opposed to her and who want to take over the world.
 
“Chrysalis - Trepidation,” continues the saga.  In addition to her chosen life mate Steven, Bree also has a group of men called her “Special Seven,” with whom she is involved. In this tale, she realizes who the fifth male of her seven is.  She has definitely become much more comfortable in assuming her role over these men.  Initially, the idea of more than one love seemed strange to her, but now she not only accepts it, but she totally enjoys it.
 
In this third novel, Bree’s powers have multiplied, even though she hasn’t completed her change yet.  She has her allies teach her how to use them. She knows that in the battle against her foes, especially the witch Esmeralda, she will need to be fully in control.  The enemies of her people and of humans have learned to bring back dragons by joining demons with people. The more magical power that the person has, the more powerful a dragon they will be.  The war with dragons begins.  Bree desperately wants to defeat them as quickly as possible but during this time she also has to try to avoid being kidnapped and destroyed by her enemies.  Her presence as the last of the Chosen is very threatening to them and their goals.  She will be much more of an adversary when she completes her change; however, there isn’t enough time for them to wait. So the battle continues.
 
I love this series! M. L. Lacy truly has a gift for creating wonderful, complex characters that make you feel like you personally know them. As you continue to read on in her series, you will feel like you are visiting old friends. She also does a fantastic job of making the “bad guys” really bad, and truly unlikeable.  The heroine also has to handle people who want to use her to serve themselves. Even if they aren’t truly bad people, they want to use her to elevate their family’s social status.  Watching Bree try to evade these overtures is entertaining.  She also has enough to handle with the men in her life.

 Readers who enjoy paranormal stories with vampires and werewolves will love this series.  If I was just starting out, I would get all of the books so I could read them continuously!  The sensuality betweens the characters also resonates through the pages, so you might find your face burning as you get to enjoy watching Bree’s men fully appreciate her!  “Chrysalis - Trepidation” by M. L. Lacy is a great read.


Chrysalis - Trepidation (Book 3, Chrysalis Series)
M. L. Lacy
CreateSpace (2012)
ISBN 9781477506998
Reviewed by Paige Lovitt for Reader Views (9/12)

The Realms of Animar

In “The Realms of Animar” by Owen Black, Thane, as a polymorph, can change from human shape into an animal shape like all the others in his village.  He soon realizes, however, that his form is not like the other herbivores in the village.  It is something more powerful than anything anyone has ever seen before - a power that he must learn to embrace even though he doesn’t understand it.  Word of Thane’s power quickly spreads throughout the land, and finds the evil and powerful ruler Fatalis, who will do anything to gain control of Animar.  Fatalis gathers a great army of carnivores to march to Arvyndale with plans to destroy Thane.  Hearing of this impending doom, the villagers try to create a defense that is powerful enough to stop Fatalis.  As time is running out, they turn to others not of their realm but have an unusual bond with those in Animar.  Will this be enough to stop Fatalis?  Can they all survive this pending battle that seems destined to unleash a war of all the realms?   
 
“The Realms of Animar” by Owen Black is a story of a courageous young boy who embraces his calling in order to protect his people.  The story is unique and very creative and full of various characters and sub-plots.  The author does a good job in creating the world with various realms: Herbivore, Carnic, Avian, Aquan and Reptilian and creatures.  There is action, plenty of battle scenes and even a love story or two. Though it does have some violence, this book could be appropriate for middle-school age children and up.


The Realms of Animar
Owen Black
Outskirts Press (2012)
ISBN 9781432786595
Reviewed by Tracey Rock for Reader Views (9/12)

The Keya Quests: The Staff of Dionysia (Volume 3)

“The Keya Quests: The Staff of Dionysia” by Glenn Skinner is the third volume in “The Keya Quests” series.  As Queen Keya begins laying the foundations down for restoring the morthos fairy race, she never anticipated the new challenges and adventures that await her:
 
Two-thousand years ago, a gold-wing fairy named Queen Dionysia created a staff as a way to guard a powerful stone that resides inside it.  The stone possesses the same powerful magic that is found in the black sword that her father wields.  In the wrong hands, the stone can be very powerful.  High priestess Tanryth has hidden the staff in the Pennbrygg fortress and has guarded it with her life.  A powerful and evil wizard named Cynog has seized the fortress and is battling Tanryth to claim the stone.  Can Keya and her army get to the fortress before Cynog takes control?  Will Keya’s powers be enough to stop the wizard from laying claim to the stone?
 
Special Agent Martin Bernard has arrived in Orrendale to investigate the murder of one of Lord Foster’s bodyguards.  Since Keya is not present during the investigation, she has become the lead suspect in the murder investigation.  Can Orren and her friends keep her secret and still protect her from being charged with the crime?

Someone from inside Keya’s circle is leaking secret information to her enemies.  This type of inside information can do more than harm, it could destroy her.  Only a fairy would know the type of details that could do this much harm.  All of the fairies have sworn their life to protect Keya, so who would want to betray Keya, and why? 

In his desperate attempts to destroy Keya, Lord Foster has learned the secret about Keya’s father and the curse of the sword.   Is this the key to destroying Keya once and for all? 

In this third installment of “The Keya Quests” series, “The Staff of Dionysia,” fate has set in motion a destiny that is beyond anyone’s control.  Can Keya help save the powerful forces that are trying to destroy both worlds while still saving herself from the evil destruction that awaits her? 

If you adored Keya in the first two books, with all of her quirky nuisances, you will find that she continues to reign supreme in this book.  Now queen of the fairies, Keya is ready to fulfill her destiny.  “The Staff of Dionysia” picks up right where the last book ended, but now, with an army behind her, Keya is even more powerful than ever.  Even seven-year old Jenny is stronger  than ever as she steps up to take on a more prominent role.  There are many new surprises in “The Keya Quests: The Staff of Dionysia,” as writer Glenn Skinner tries to expand Queen Keya’s quests and give her character more depth.  Knowing that this is the third book in the series, I was caught off guard by the amount of new quests Keya was tasked with as I was expecting some closure to some of the challenges she faced in the first two books.   Rest assured, Keya will continue on to save another day.


The Keya Quests: The Staff of Dionysia (Volume 3)
Glenn Skinner
Outskirts Press (2012)
ISBN 9781432773625
Reviewed by Tracey Rock for Reader Views (9/12)

Cuquita

Article first published as Book Review: Cuquita by Thomas Matthew on Blogcritics.

“Cuquita” by Thomas Matthew caught my attention because the summary sounded somewhat intriguing, with me being interested in a visitor from another planet being looked at as a visitor from another country. The book does actually maintain that point-of-view reasonably well in the beginning, with a lot of attention focused on Cuquita learning how to blend in with humans and keep her true origin a secret.
 
Unfortunately, a decent premise was hindered by the author’s preference to tell rather than show, with frequent intervals of lengthy text that spell out exactly how a particular person feels, without giving any actual examples or letting the character show those feelings through action. The first few pages of the book deal with Wilson explaining how he met his wife and how much he loves her, and that’s basically how it’s put on the page, with absolutely no emotion at all attached to the words. This is a handicap that exists through the whole book, making it almost impossible to feel any connection with the characters because they don’t seem to have any connection with each other.
 
Long before the book ends, the author seems to lose interest in the ‘stranded alien’ angle of the story and gets a couple of the characters involved with organized crime. There seems to be little connection with the story of Cuquita at first but she is eventually drawn into the same circle as the crime boss, Big D, and decides to eradicate crime. This part of the story is as devoid of excitement as the family part is of emotion. Any possible believability is destroyed by the bad guys frequently referring to the ‘powdered stuff’ they sell. Eventually, the author actually uses the word ‘cocaine,’ but by then, it seems like he is too embarrassed with the subject to give it any real weight in the story. There is also a part where someone uses a ‘cellphone-like device,’ which really bugged me. That term would be fine if the alien used it but I myself, and nobody I know, would ever say I was going to make a call on my cellphone-like device, and I would never think of my cellphone in those terms. There are way too many awkward phrases throughout the book that constantly knock the reader out of the story, which is already hard enough to get into.
 
The ending of “Cuquita” by Thomas Matthew could have been handled much better, in my opinion; but that could simply be because of the lack of emotional attachment. I had no feelings invested in these characters so the final scenes held no emotion for me.


Cuquita
Thomas Matthew
Outskirts Press (2012)
ISBN 9781432792015
Reviewed by Marty Shaw for Reader Views (08/12)

The Cry of Havoc: Part One, Life Descending

Article first published as Book Review: The Cry of Havoc: Part One, Life Descending by John Hennessy on Blogcritics.
 
Dystopian fantasies can make fun reading, especially as they deal with good, evil, and heroics. John Hennessy has entered into this realm with his new book, “The Cry of Havoc” a 426 page, self-published paperback, that promises to be the beginning of a series titled “Life Descending.” The author’s style is such that pre-teens, teenagers and adults will find it readable.
 
The story revolves around Tom Navo’s exploits in two realms of existence. Navo is initially met in our world - running from what he thinks is his murder of his boss. He looks to end his life, wrestling with voices in his head, one seeking to push him over the edge and the other trying to pull him away. After a confusing array of odd scenes, he ends up dying in the midst of a failed robbery. Navo then finds himself in a strange “waiting room” of glaring brightness. This room appears to be a departure hub where beings are called into different destinies as dictated by “the book” they have received upon entering the waiting room. Navo finds his book problematic and loses it. Then, still hearing at least one of the voices in his mind, he escapes the waiting room through a hatch in the floor that leads into the rest of his adventures.
 
From this point on, the vast majority of “The Cry of Havoc” takes the reader into a world that has been drastically changed by climate shifts and devastating wars. This realm of existence revolves around a leader named Alexandroz, who is either a savior or a tyrant depending on which side you’re on, and the shocking fusion of technology, magic, talking animals, trolls and leprechauns. The chronicle moves along through brain washing, fabricated personal histories, discovery, alliances, loss and finally a bitter victory against Alexandroz and his forces.
 
Though “The Cry of Havoc” has the potential of becoming a great story, the editorial glitches, occasional inconsistencies in the narrative, and the slow development of the plot, dim its glimmer of promise. This appears to be Hennessy’s first work, and with a little time, practice and editing, I expect readers will find his future works more enjoyable. But until then, “The Cry of Havoc” is a rather flat fantasy.


The Cry of Havoc: Part One, Life Descending
John Hennessy
John Hennessy (2011)
ISBN 9780615527284
Reviewed by Rev. Dr. Michael Philliber for Reader Views (5/12)

Secrets of Woodcrest: Escape from Levitius

Article first published as Book Review: Secrets of Woodcrest: Escape from Levitius by Diane Mayer Christiansen on Blogcritics.
 
Being institutionalized at St. Levitius for possessing strange abilities, Sam Schmealy and the lives of her friends are forever changed the day that an uprising occurs and they are all able to escape. Discovering that the people that she thought were her birth parents had actually adopted her Sam feels betrayed by them and unwilling to return to them at this time.  She is especially hurt that they didn’t believe what was going on at St. Levitius.  Children with unique gifts were actually being killed because of their special talents. 

Sam decides to move in with the Schmealy’s next door neighbors Howard and Hazel Hewett.  Howard also possesses unique abilities.  The Hewitt’s take two other special girls, Dottie and Jane, into their home.  They are all switchers, meaning that they can change into other forms. Sam turns into Whiskers, a black cat. Jane turns into a red and black skunk, and unfortunately for Dottie, she turns into a Madagascar Hissing Cockroach.
 
The girls left behind friends that had other gifts as well, for example, a Weather Sorter could control the weather. A Floater could float. A Traveler could instantly move from one place to another, and a Fader could just disappear.  Dr. Mason, Dottie’s father was at the heart of a scheme to destroy children with these special gifts.  Feeling that the world would be in fear of them in case they decide to take it over, the girls learn to keep their gifts a secret. 

When the girls learn that people like themselves are called Uniquians, they become more intrigued about their history and how they became this way.  Discovering that all of them had once lived in a small village called Woodcrest, Sam feels drawn to the place. Learning that many of their family members had died when Woodcrest was intentionally burned down, adds to the mystery.  Sam is determined to find her way there.
 
Feeling that the girls’ needs would best be met at a private school that has others like them there, the Hewitt’s send them off to school.  While at the school the girls work together to try to find the answers that they are seeking.  While doing so, they also discover that bad things are afoot at the school.  As they search for their answers, they get pulled into what is happening on campus, because the outcome of this will affect Uniquians all over the world.
 
“Secrets of Woodcrest”totally captured my attention. Even though it is a story written about teenage girls, it totally held this middle-aged woman spellbound! I really enjoyed watching the girls find their way as they had to deal with people that ranged from being annoying and spoiled classmates, to a murderous psychopath who wants to take over the world.  This is definitely a book that will be enjoyed by readers of all ages, and I suspect that Harry Potter fans will be extremely excited when they discover that there is another magical book out there just waiting to captivate them.


Secrets of Woodcrest: Escape from Levitius
Diane Mayer Christiansen
Blackhawk Publishing (2011)
ISBN 9780982637814
Reviewed by Paige Lovitt for Reader Views (7/11)

The Island of the Seven Kings: Book I

Article first published as Book Review: The Island of the Seven Kings: Book I by Ken Stephenson on Blogcritics.
 
“The Island of the Seven Kings” takes us to a beautiful land.  A high god and seven servant gods beneath him are worshipped by the people.  This island also has a main ruler known as the Great Father and seven kings below him who are in charge of the cities located here.  The people of this place are relatively peaceful, and follow the rules of the city in which they reside.  Especially unique to this land are the dragons.  While they are still young and unable to produce fire, specially selected individuals are trained to ride them.  They develop a special bond with them until they have to release them when they start producing fire. This is to protect the rider.

 When visitors come to the island by ship, the peace is disturbed. Even though they initially pretend to be friendly, they are really interested in gathering information so that they can invade the cities.  At the arrival of the strangers, several of the best dragon riders team up to demonstrate their abilities with the dragons. They form a group called the “Sky Raiders.”  Pretending to be a military unit that has been in existence for a while, they practice incredible maneuvers over the arriving ships.  This definitely captures the attention and concern of the invaders. 

One of the team members secretly has a plan in which he thinks he can work with the dragons so that they can stay with their riders past their period of maturation.  It is heartbreaking to have to leave these wonderful creatures after having years of being bonded with them.  While all this is happening, several of the main characters are also dealing with affairs of the heart and coming into their own as couples.  As usual, complications arise that affect their progress.  This adds a great deal of depth to the unfolding drama. 

“The Island of the Seven Kings” tells a wonderful story.  I felt that it was the perfect mixture of fantasy, romance and suspense.  The author does an excellent job bringing both the human and the dragon characters to life.  Everything is described in vivid detail. Unfortunately, there is a great deal of errors with grammar and punctuation that could easily be resolved with proper editing.  Fixing these issues would really make it a perfect story.  I am happy to see that this is the first book in a series and think that readers will find themselves waiting for more books to be released so that they can revisit this incredible place.


The Island of the Seven Kings: Book I
Ken Stephenson
AuthorHouse (2012)
ISBN 9781468543704
Reviewed by Paige Lovitt for Reader Views (3/12)

Island Shifters: Book One: An Oath of the Blood

Article first published as Book Review: Island Shifters: Book One: An Oath of the Blood by Valerie Zambito on Blogcritics.
 
Valerie Zambito introduces readers to a new world of people filled with incredible powers as they unite to stand against an enemy from the past. The tone of “Island Shifters: Book One: An Oath of the Blood” is set perfectly within the first couple of pages as we’re introduced to Beck, a young man determined to not lose against the opponent he’s currently facing. We soon learn his commitment to victory lies with the knowledge that he will never live down the damage to his ego if he doesn’t stand victorious against Kiernan, a girl he has known for years. Unknown to Beck at this time is the knowledge that he and his friends will soon face a more serious danger.
 
Beck and his friends are known as shifters, people with the ability to wield magic. While there was a time when this was viewed as a gift, now it’s seen as more of a disease. By the random act of being born a shifter, a person is brought into the world owing a debt that must be repaid, and there are no excuses for not fulfilling this vow of servitude that requires all shifters to become defenders of the realm. However, an ancient evil has resurfaced and the role of defender takes on a whole new meaning as the heroes soon must make life-or-death decisions that affect everyone in the land.
 
I was swept away by the colorful characters and brisk pacing of the book, almost compelled to keep turning the pages as Zambito’s action-packed story carried me along. Beck, Kiernan, Rogan, and Airron are distinct characters that work equally as well together, or on their own, and I enjoyed seeing the camaraderie between the childhood friends as they supported each other through the challenges they faced. I was especially interested in Kiernan’s story as her history seemed to be the most detailed.
 
I’m a firm believer in the adage that a hero (or heroes) can only be as good as the villains they face, and Adrian Ravener, along with his sister Avalon, are the epitome of evil. It’s rare that I have so much fun with reading a story from the villain’s perspective but Adrian’s hunger for revenge and almost limitless power makes him an interesting character to follow.
 
Another thing I enjoyed was the fact that the author made sure to incorporate rules within the ability of wielding magic. Both the heroes and the villains might seem like unstoppable gods at first glance but power comes with a price and it was interesting to see how the limitations of each shifter’s abilities were used to help increase the drama and drive the story forward, rather than provide a quick-fix to problems that arose.

Anyone who enjoys action-packed fantasy with an ensemble of colorful and interesting characters will enjoy reading “Island Shifters: Book One: An Oath of the Blood.”


Island Shifters: Book One: An Oath of the Blood
Valerie Zambito
Valerie Zambito (2011)
ISBN 9780615495033
Reviewed by Marty Shaw for Reader Views (11/11)

Sagaria

“Sagaria” by John Dahlgren is the story of Sagandran Sacks, a teenage boy who suddenly finds himself holding the fate of the Earth and two other worlds in his hands.  When Sagandran went on a trip to his grandfather’s house, he just expected a normal trip.  But when his grandfather goes missing after telling Sagandran a tale about a portal to another world, Sagandran went exploring and found a whole new world, no, two new worlds of adventure awaiting him.  Will Sagandran ever see his grandfather again?

After entering Sagaria via an old well, Sagandran soon made company with a talking rat called Flip, a snotty princess named Perima, a frog knight called Sir Tombin, and a forgetful old wizard named Samzing.  With this band of oddballs from every corner of Sagaria, Sagandran learned that he was in possession of a powerful crystal that could hold the future of Earth and two other worlds, Sagaria included.  But Sagandran also knew that he had to save his grandfather.  So he went to the Shadow World to face the evil sorcerer Arkanamon and free his grandfather from the necromancer’s clutches.  Will Sagandran be able to defeat Arkanamon and save the world?

The book was a fun but rather long read weighing in at 582 pages.  One of the few things that I didn’t like about this book versus others like it was that it didn’t have a strong villain.  Also, the battle at the end of the book wasn’t as much a battle as it was a beat up the villain party.  Other than this, the book was rather entertaining and offered some good heroes such as a perpetually grumpy rat and a human-sized frog knight.

I would recommend this book to people who like adventure and fantasy books.  There is a prequel book titled “The Tides of Avarice: A Sagaria Legend” that was a very enjoyable read.  “Sagaria” by John Dahlgren book was a moderately engrossing read, but not always as interesting as the prequel.


Sagaria
John Dahlgren
Didier Millet, Csi (2011)
ISBN 9789814260527
Reviewed by Ben Weldon (age 14) for Reader Views (4/12)