Reader Views

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)

Tales of Deserts and Demons

“Tales of Deserts and Demons” by Faiz Kermani is three fantasy stories. “The Demon and the Three Beggars” was my favorite.  It was about three disfigured beggars.  One was purple from head to toe, one had half the face of a monkey, and the last one had a snout instead of a nose. When three friends were once again kicked out of the town that they had been visiting, they wandered into the cave of a demon who said that he would kill them unless they told him their stories about how they were disfigured. Will they live to see another sunset or will they die in the cave?

Even though the title “Tales of Deserts and Demons” sounds scary, it is really more funny and clever than scary.  I would not classify this as a scary book, but many of the characters are demons or creatures.  All the stories had elements of trickery and just rewards.  I think even my mom might like this book!

I would recommend “Tales of Deserts and Demons” by Faiz Kermani to people who like short stories.  It is nice to pick up a good book and finish an entire good story in way less than an hour.  The entire book is less than 80 pages – but a very enjoyable 80 pages!


Tales of Deserts and Demons
Faiz Kermani
Faiz Kermani/Lulu (2012)
ISBN 9781105499937
Reviewed by Evan Weldon (age 10) for Reader Views (4/12)

The Longest Walk

Article first published as Book Review: The Longest Walk by Kirk Marty on Blogcritics.

Author Kirk Marty’s first novel, “The Longest Walk,” is an independently published book, but it reads like the work of a seasoned veteran. Marty’s highly creative and compelling tale offers a rich tapestry of the history, legend and lore that made baseball a beloved sporting pastime and an American icon. The author has a passion for the institution and he has clearly done his research. But it’s not the book’s meticulously told history, behind the scenes insights into minor league life and intriguing trivia that make this book stand out. Rather, it’s Marty’s ability to capture baseball’s mercurial magic and almost spiritual quality that makes “The Longest Walk” a special story. And the magic that Marty conjures is powerful stuff!

Kirk Marty’s writing acumen, knack for storytelling, and active imagination make wonderful creative collaborators. In some respects the storyline of “The Longest Walk” seems familiar. It is. But unexpected twists and deviations from the familiar very quickly begin to pique the reader’s interest and draw them into the uncharted waters of the author’s tale. The finely drawn characters populating the book make the reader eager to follow them throughout the story.

Without giving too much away, the book’s central character, Don Olgilvie, an alcoholic minor league coach with an intellectual bent, makes a deal with the devil to trade his life for the life of his unlikely best friend, the terminally ill seven-year-old son of one of his own players. Once the deal is done, the action on the book’s pages and on the field at the mysterious Limbotown ball park begins. To close the deal Olgilvie has to put together a team of dead Hall of Famers and beat an opposing team fielded by the colorful and charismatic Death Personified. An appealing side story is that of the coach’s new, dead love interest.

An intellectual attribute of the book on a higher level is the commentary it offers on the impact of the integration of the sport. Marty uses the assemblage of dead Hall of Famers, who are both multi-racial and multi-generational, to frame the issue. Collectively the team provides a microcosmical perspective on the perpetuation of race inequities in our society throughout the twentieth century.

Kirk Marty is the pen name for Kirk Grossman, an attorney and dedicated Dodger fan. “The Longest Walk” will lead many readers to wonder why we haven’t heard from Marty before now. Clever, fun and seriously relevant, “The Longest Walk” is an out-of-the-park, out of this world first novel.


The Longest Walk
Kirk Marty
Strategic Book Group (2011)
ISBN 9781609116613
Reviewed by Joseph Yurt for Reader Views (2/12)

The Foundlings

Article first published as Book Review: The Foundlings by R.M. Garcia on Blogcritics.

“The Foundlings” is a perfect mix of vampires, Christianity, and Native American religion, but don’t let that mislead you into thinking that nothing but preaching lies between the covers of this book because Garcia brings us a vampire story with a new sense of depth.

It turns out that not all vampires are created equal. All members of the undead belong to a specific Bloodline, with each line granting different powers and affecting vampires in different ways. Thrown into this world of bloodsuckers are Donnie and Abbie, two people who exemplify the very definition of soul mates with the strength of their love for each other. I have to give Garcia a lot of credit for being able to create two characters that are so hopelessly in love, without crossing the line into being sickly sweet or so perfect that the illusion of reality is undone.

Characterization was handled very well, with the main characters and supporting characters having a lot of depth to them. I was also impressed with the attention that was paid to some of the finer points of the story, such as how Donnie and Abbie handle leaving their lives behind after becoming vampires. As is pointed out at one point in the book, technology makes it very hard for someone to just disappear and it was refreshing to see that aspect of being a vampire addressed.

I also loved the idea of different Bloodlines having different attributes and tastes. All members of the Reich have blonde hair and blue eyes, even if they didn’t when they were alive, and one group of vampires is made up of children that only feed on children because they can’t handle the blood of adults. Amongst all these other Bloodlines, comes Donnie, a vampire who seems to have all the strengths and none of the weaknesses of vampires… but Donnie is unique for a reason, and it’s a reason that will test him in more ways than one.

If you’re a vampire fan, then you should try “The Foundlings.” While the book works well as a standalone, an opening is left for a sequel and I really hope Garcia continues the story because the upcoming confrontation that’s hinted at sounds just as good as the one that takes place in this book.


The Foundlings
R.M. Garcia
CreateSpace (2011)
ISBN 9781463630515
Reviewed by Marty Shaw for Reader Views (2/12)

Embraced by Darkness Book One: Sacrifices

Article first published as Book Review: Embraced by Darkness Book One: Sacrifices by Tarah L. Wolff on Blogcritics.

Author Tarah L. Wolff has said about her first novel, a fantasy genre entry titled “Embraced by Darkness Book One: Sacrifices,” that she wanted to write a book that she felt the genre was lacking. This book is unquestionably “adult” fantasy for a mature audience, prominently incorporating three literary elements – adult language, strong sexual content, and horror – which have not been present in popular, mainstream, adult fantasy books heretofore. These elements, in combination with a strong undercurrent of human emotion, make me confident that most readers will concur that Wolff has hit her mark!

“Sacrifices,” the first book in her fantasy series “Embraced by Darkness,” tells two distinct stories simultaneously. One is the story of an imaginary place where humankind had risen to power after some period of enslavement. The rulers of the humans, known as Wards and blessed with the power of will, built a new empire with its capital cities secure and its people safe. But early on, Wolff begins to provide signs to both the Wards and the reader that something dark and horrible is poised to shatter their imaginary world.

The second story Wolff weaves and intertwines with the first is that of three very distinct female characters who are portrayed with realism and possessed of human emotion in a way not typical of the genre. The threads which bind their tales together are the longing for love and their own human inclination to allow their emotions and passion to push them toward making poor choices and decisions. Each shares the same pain and anguish of their shortcomings. Collectively, Wolff’s stories have historical, social, and political relevance for today.

The author professes “to have always been a huge fantasy fan,” and she took years to craft her novel. The result of her passion for the genre shows in her writing.  Her imaginary world is vividly described in great detail and her female characters are rendered with delicate sensitivity and an empathy that seems to suggest that the emotions she attributes to her characters are emotions she herself has felt. But while Wolff’s painstaking descriptions paint beautiful images, I found them to often be detailed to a fault in terms of the story’s pacing and ability to hold my interest. And despite the plights of the books characters, the clear apparentness of their recurring poor decisions sometimes resulted in my simply not caring deeply about the outcome of their struggles.

“Embraced by Darkness Book One: Sacrifices” offers a realistic and graphic spin on the already murky discussion of just what constitutes an adult fantasy. Author Tarah L. Wolff wanted to write a book that would push the genre’s envelope and she has.  It remains to be seen if adult fantasy fans will embrace “Sacrifices,” but given the genre’s wide audience today, my guess is that there are those who will.


Embraced by Darkness Book One: Sacrifices
Tarah L. Wolff
Tarah L. Wolff (2012)
ISBN 9780985022808
Reviewed by Joseph Yurt for Reader Views (2/12)

A Greater Monster

Article first published as Book Review: A Greater Monster by David David Katzman, and Caitlin Drake McKay (Illustrator) on Blogcritics.

Set in post-apocalyptic times, this story takes the reader on a vividly detailed journey in which a man, sometimes called “Last Man,” goes on a quest for a meaning and a reason.  His search takes him to places where the creatures are colorfully exotic, and invoke an incredible array of feelings in the reader. Some of these feelings include nausea and revulsion. Curiosity also reared its head many times. The way the author does much of the formatting of text and the pictures included in the story also invoke these feelings. I felt like I was on an acid trip that lasted longer than a typical dose on a tab.

Through much of the tale I could hear The Grateful Dead singing, “What a long strange trip it’s been,” running through my head. As the Last Man forays into different scenes, he encounters some very strange beings such as a sphinx and demi-gods.  He has to try to unravel the meanings behind these encounters through the confusing clutter of his thoughts. His thoughts transform and evolve into some hallucinatory visions in which he experiences all of his senses. Much of which I would imagine one would see if they were looking through a warped mirror while engaging in psychedelic substances at a Funhouse. However, much of what he sees and experiences is not fun. He has to dig much deeper for meaning, while trying to avoid getting lost in the convolutions of his thoughts.

Intelligently written and displayed, “A Greater Monster” is truly like no book that I have ever read before.  While visions of “Alice in Wonderland” strayed through the back of my thoughts, this book is so much more. I admire David David Katzman’s creativity and the amount of work that must have gone into creating such an exotic literary gift for readers who like to read beyond the lines of contemporary fiction.


A Greater Monster
David David Katzman
Bedhead Books (2011)
ISBN 9780983864400
Reviewed by Paige Lovitt for Reader Views (1/12)

The Return

I have previously read Maggie Allen’s “The Revival,” which was actually a sequel to “The Return,” so I was extremely curious to see the beginning of the story of Virginia Wilson, her visit to the fictitious country of Totoba, and her relationship with Nick Oskar. “The Revival” left me somewhat confused, which I’ve attributed to the fact that I jumped into the story in the middle, and was therefore lacking knowledge of the basics of Totoba and the Totoboan religion, and I was hoping that “The Return” would enable me to understand the story better.

“The Return” begins with Virginia, who is about to start college, persuading her parents to go with her on a trip to Africa, mostly because she is so keen on seeing Nick again. Nick was the trip leader on the previous year’s trip to Costa Rica, and Virginia definitely has feeling for him.  Shortly after their arrival in Africa, Virginia starts getting really weird vibes from their local guides, and just after meeting Nick the entire group gets kidnapped by some very mysterious and evil force. While in captivity, most of their group members begin to behave in the worst possible ways, and mayhem and violence quickly follow. Is there a way out?

Once again I enjoyed the author’s vivid imagination and the way she captured how young people speak and behave, but I simply could not get myself to care for the heroine or really understand the story. Virginia’s unending teenage angst and her manipulative ways simply did not endear her to me. To quote Virginia herself, “I thought about all the times this week I was contemplating how to manipulate and control him, how I promised myself that now that I had controlled all my friends into liking me that I would move onto Nick.” The story was confusing, dragging along at a very slow pace with the exception of a number of extremely violent scenes, and it made very little sense until the last chapter in the book, which dealt with the Totoboan religion. There the matters did not get much less confusing, since for some strange reason the author decided to call people who committed the crimes against their religion “the punishers,” which would lead one to believe they were the ones inflicting punishment on others, and not being punished themselves. This was just one example of confusing writing style, which included mixed metaphors, wrong words, sloppy punctuation, and a slew of other issues.

I am certain that a younger reader would have probably had more fun reading “The Return” by Maggie Allen, but even they would have probably preferred a more streamlined and better edited story.  There are a couple of explicit sexual scenes and comments about sexual activities, as well as extremely graphic violence throughout a large portion of the book, so I would not recommend it for a very young audience either.


The Return
Maggie Allen
Outskirts Press (2010)
ISBN 9781432762605
Reviewed by Olivera Baumgartner-Jackson for Reader Views (2/12)

Return of the Legacy: The Portals of Destiny, Book 1

Article first published as Book Review: Return of the Legacy: The Portals of Destiny, Book 1 by KH LeMoyne on Blogcritics.

Yes, I know, I’ve said this before and more than once. I’ve always loved mysteries, and I got to truly love fantasy after discovering it for the first time a couple of years ago. I am a little less keen on romance, most of it is way too sappy for my taste, or simply so predictable that I can’t seem to be able to justify spending my time reading yet another cookie-cutter romantic story, where the only things that ever seem to change are the protagonists’ names. So when I saw the description of the genre in “Return of the Legacy” listed as Paranormal Romance/Fantasy Romance/Romantic Suspense I did not get overly excited. Then I made the mistake of reading the first chapter as a short break after lunch...

Needless to say, dinner was very late that night. I simply could not stop reading. KH LeMoyne’s fantasy world was irresistible. There were three vividly described magical dimensions and two main characters from two exceptional mystical bloodlines, that were clearly meant to belong together. There was a lot of magic, a lot of strife, and even more sizzle. I was actually surprised that the pages did not burst into flames at times, since Briallen and Logan sparked and sparkled so brightly. I found the characters exceptionally well developed, the plot suspenseful and anything but predictable, and the entire magical world in the book totally engrossing. What surprised me most of all was the fact that I equally enjoyed the descriptions of magic, the fights and the sizzling love scenes. Very few authors are good at all of those, but KH LeMoyne’s writing captivated me in all of those segments.

While I truly enjoyed reading about the oh-so-charming and self-assured empath Logan, I was even more intrigued by his cousin, Robert, and I do hope that the next book(s) in the series will tell us more about him, as well as about Briallen’s brothers, the young Fiona, the dashing Connor and pretty much everyone else in the story. This is a book that is clearly meant as a beginning of a series, and I can only hope it will be a long one. I would highly recommend “Return of the Legacy" to those readers who enjoy very well-crafted fantasy worlds and unusual magic, and who are not intimidated by sometimes quite explicit love scenes.


Return of the Legacy: The Portals of Destiny, Book 1
KH LeMoyne
Black Opal Books (2011)
ISBN 9780983268185
Reviewed by Olivera Baumgartner-Jackson for Reader Views (2/12)

Imlich’s Tale: A Woeful Buffeting at the Hands of Fate, or Accident, or Error

Article first published as Book Review: Imlich's Tale: A Woeful Buffeting at the Hands of Fate, or Accident, or Error by Elizabeth Carroll on Blogcritics.

First and foremost if you’re not one to appreciate a good folklore or tale of tall tales, magic, and dragons, you won’t enjoy this book. This book is for those who still have a bit of child in their heart and loves the ideas of mythical creatures and the magic of those creatures.

This is a story of Imlich, one of a “baker’s dozen” whom his mother has hatched in her nest. She quickly takes a special liking to Imlich, much like you will as you read along with his story. Imlich was among those thought to have the ability to be an heir among the dragons and it seemed to be in the cards for the future as all could see and feel. While he had no clue what that meant, neither he nor his siblings really cared. They just knew that they were hungry often and were certain that they should fly, as all dragons do. Imlich seemed to be the first to comprehend at least the beginning steps to obtaining flight and he quickly helped those siblings that were interested to join him as he taught them the moves he found that brought them each closer to flight, showing he was a leader from the beginning. His father, the King, seemed to be very much in love with his mother; unlike so many others who had been brought to the King to serve him in bearing him children. Most made it as the companion to the King for less than two years, some not even close to that time yet his mother was quickly approaching the two-year mark and the comment was made to her by the King himself that it seem there may be an heir to his throne in their batch of little ones. The love seemed endless and true between the King and Imlich’s mother and the future seemed to be already written.

Had Imlich known the ways of the King, he would have understood that the King had taken to his mother and brought her as close as she would ever come to becoming his Queen. She had been so in love with him and he seemingly with her but as was his custom he often wooed those he loved for a matter of two years and then sent them off; never marrying them. But this time it was different. This time the future was in the stars and in the eyes of the two who loved each other so very much. Imlich’s mother had been with her love for almost two years now when they called for a “Seer” to determine who the next in line would be to the throne. The Seer was called upon to give his great insight as to who the next in line to the throne would be. It seemed that both the Imlich’s mother and the King himself were both certain that it was one of her own offspring; but in particular she felt certain it would be Imlich himself. However the Seer instead damned her and turned her and her offspring away immediately in front of everyone from ever being considered the next in line to the throne. From that evening on she never again was acknowledged by the King and was thrown to live the life that she had never thought she would live, held captive in the castle area of the King to live with her guardian.

Each part of the story goes on to show you the life of both Imlich and his beloved mother as they move on through time. They face adventures and meet people much like those we have all met in life. The story telling ability of the author makes each adventure as magical as it is and the story of a dragon and his mother growing up in a world that can often be strange and unpredictable will warm your heart. A mishap with the King makes everyone wonder aloud if perhaps Imlich truly was the one who should have been the heir to the throne yet in their wonder they decide that instead he should be killed. As he and his mother are castaways of the rest of the Kingdom and nothing they planned to happen happens as planned, you join in the fear, the sorrow and the love of all those involved without having meant to be.

Perhaps you may even see yourself in many of the situations and enjoy the comfort of the magical creatures that you grow to love being an inspiration in the real world and what happens in it. It’s truly an amazing, magical book; filled with tender stories, frightening fears and somehow realities that are made magical. The real world intertwines with the magical one; showing you how sometimes we are caught in our own dreams only to be left alone against the world. Touching and amazingly well written, Elizabeth Carroll has a way of truly creating a world of fantasy that encompasses you the entire time you’re reading it.

If you’re one who loves to enjoy the magical wonder of the world of medieval dragons and the wonder of being lost in the magical world of a book, then you will love “Imlich’s Tale.” It allows you to cheer on the “good guys” and hope for the “little guys” in both the magical world of dragons and in the real world of humans. It’s definitely a wonderful way to escape into another world of magic. Keep it handy for any time you simply need to escape into a book of fantasy and a touching story of a dragon and his mother.


Imlich’s Tale: A Woeful Buffeting at the Hands of Fate, or Accident, or Error
Elizabeth Carroll
Outskirts Press (2011)
ISBN 9781432775391
Reviewed by Beverly Pechin for Reader Views (1/12)

Elements: The Beginning

“Elements: The Beginning” by Kate Fuentes is the story of twins Talon and Gage as they follow a difficult path to find their lost mother and defeat the dark Emperor.  Up against a powerful evil, two extraordinary kids with special powers must face their enemies and triumph.  If they fail, the world falls to the dark Emperor.  Born with the powers of fire and water, Gage and Talon Thorn must face Maradati, a powerful demon who longs to control the world.  Will Gage and Talon be defeated, or will they triumph against Maradati?

When Gage and Talon were born their mother died.  Soon after that sad event their father started to notice strange things around the house such as objects moving without anyone touching them.  But with an entire ranch to take care of in addition to the twins, Gable (the twins’ father) was forced to hire a nanny to take care of the brothers.  When the nanny also began to notice the twins’ strange behavior, she suggested taking them to her uncle in New Zealand who was an expert in magical activities.  After meeting the nanny’s uncle, Gable decided that he wanted to move to New Zealand.  Later, when the twins had a strange dream in which an evil boy tried to kill them, they were not sure what was in store for them.  Are Gage and Talon safe, or are they in mortal peril from an unknown evil?

When Gage and Talon were thirteen they were taken to meet a strange old man who would help them harness the raw elemental energy within them.  He gave them each a strange stone that created a feeling of power within them.  The old man also helped them learn to control their various powers.  But faced against a supernatural enemy will this be enough?

I would recommend “Elements: The Beginning” to people who like adventure and magic.  This was not the most well written book I have read, but was still entertaining.  It was a rather uneventful book until right near the end.  Nonetheless, I finished it soon after I started it.  This is the first in a series and left off on a cliffhanger.


Elements: The Beginning
Kate Fuentes
AuthorHouse (2011)
ISBN 9781456758943
Reviewed by Ben Weldon (age 13) for Reader Views (5/11)