Reader Views

The Storyteller

Having lived her life as a slave, Maryan has hopes that things will change for the better when her world is invaded by beings from another planet.  She dreams of being freed.   Unfortunately, the invading aliens have a taste for human flesh.  Captured by Vendan, a high ranking officer from the starship Xarlot, Maryan has to learn how to adapt to his physical demands so that she can survive.

Vendan comes from a race of strongly built, hairy, unattractive beast-like creatures.  They travel through the universe harvesting humanoid forms from other planets for the purpose of ravishment and food.  When Vendan sees that Maryan survives his initial assaults, he begins to feel drawn to her.  Considering herself to be one of the Zai race with whom she was captured, Maryan does not realize how much she stands out as being special.  Zai females are bred solely for the purpose of being docile slaves. Unlike Maryan, they have fair complexions, blonde hair and are not very bright.  Vendan recognizes that Maryan must come from another place than these people.

Desperate to help the Zai survive the assaults of Vendan’s men, Maryan shows that she can be useful with teaching them what they need to do to live.  Showing skills as a storyteller, she helps entertain them and train them to be of use to their alien captures.  She also discovers she has other gifts, such as quickly picking up alien languages, telepathy, and soothsaying.  Maryan continues to use her abilities to show that she is worth more alive than dead.  She and Vendan also discover that they have fallen in love with each other.

When other forces intervene and cause an uprising, tragedy strikes the ship. Maryan finds herself traveling through the universe still seeking to help the Vai, and hoping to find a way to bring peace to Vendan’s people and others.  Since most life forms do not appreciate being harvested for food, her task will not be easy.  However, along the way, Maryan learns more about whom she is and where she comes from.  Unfortunately, in spite of her freedom, she still has to deal with others who want to use her gifts and her knowledge in their war against Vendan’s people.  So her story continues.

“The Storyteller” is a wonderfully written science fiction type fantasy novel.  I loved how Maryan managed to see the best in others, and she also helped to bring out the best in them.  Of all her gifts, that is probably the greatest one of all. I also appreciated that wherever she found herself, she did the best to accept her circumstances and make the most of them. I think there is a huge lesson in that for most readers, including myself.  I highly recommend this book and look forward to reading more by this author in the future.


The Storyteller
Kathryn Hilliard Klos
CreateSpace (2011)
ISBN 9781461090663
Reviewed by Paige Lovitt for Reader Views (5/11)

The Smile of the Cat

Article first published as Book Review: The Smile of the Cat by Kathryn Hilliard Klos on Blogcritics.

“The Smile of the Cat” takes us back to planet Kansas.  As the people continue to move on with their lives in this new world, the Zaiuni people still have to deal with the trauma that they suffered through while they were enslaved.   Being peaceful people, they are very forgiving and able to live in peace among their formers captors, however, some events occur that force some of them to have to rehash former abuses from the Banlite people.   In this book, which is the fourth one in the series, healing and forgiveness play a huge role in helping the whole community.

When Juliet is attacked and violated by a man from her past, she and Spencer suffer through a huge loss that has a serious effect on their relationship.  As a result of this, Juliet chooses to take the high road and rather than having her attacker killed, she allows him to be punished in a way that will make him know the pain that he brought upon her and her family. This punishment will also offer him a chance to redeem himself.  Little does she know how much healing will come about for her whole family because of her rational decision.

As the story progresses, Maryan also has a man from her past visiting her from his place in the stars. This would be her Banlite lover Vendan.  Convinced that he is mostly a comforting figment of her imagination, Vendan begins to prove that he is not. Wanting happiness for his love, he works on ways to make her happy.  When Kansas is selected as a safe haven for people from other worlds, like earth, interesting relationships develop and many people of the planet are able to find true healing and happiness.

I loved reading “The Smile of the Cat.” As with other books in this series, I always feel like I am visiting with old friends.  While most of the story takes place on the planet of Kansas, after painful events, we get to see great changes happening for people who have been through so much.  As I journeyed through the story, and saw wonderful things begin to happen, it felt very reassuring to know that the people of Kansas are in a wonderful place.  Yet still I hope there will be more books forthcoming from this wonderful author!


The Smile of the Cat
Kathryn Hilliard Klos
CreateSpace (2011)
ISBN 9781466361812
Reviewed by Paige Lovitt for Reader Views (1/12)

Tourist Trap: A Novel of the Jarnian Confederation

At the end of my review for Bowling’s first novel of the Jarnian Confederation, “Homecoming,” I said that Roi’s story had a conclusion that nicely wrapped up everything that had happened up to that point in his life, but that I hoped to see more of him as an adult. The author has granted my wish because “Tourist Trap” brings us back into the life of former slave Roi shortly after he turns eighteen. While the author does a good job of providing some backstory, this is a sequel and the personal conflicts and interactions will make more sense if you’ve read the first book in the series.

At this point in his life, Roi has accepted his new heritage and seems to have finally put his past as a slave behind him, allowing him to finally enjoy his place with his newfound family that consists of Lai, Marna, and Derik. The one person Roi still can’t get along with his half-brother, Zhaim, who still views Roi as a slave and an intruder that stole his rightful place in the social hierarchy.

Roi and his friends have travelled to the planet of Falaron for a challenge journey, which is basically like an extreme vacation that includes camping, white-water rafting, dog sledding, and other tests of endurance. Unfortunately for Roi, his vacation is about to become more extreme than planned because Zhaim, who knows he can’t just outright kill his half-brother, decides an outdoor adventure would be the perfect place for Roi to suffer a fatal ‘accident.’

I really enjoyed seeing Roi as a confident young adult, with the shackles of his past no longer affecting him as strongly as before. He’s still polite and thoughtful of others, but the slave mentality that kept him from taking charge before has diminished so he’s able to take on the role of leader when he needs to, but he still must occasionally be forced into the role, usually only accepting the responsibility when lives are in danger. I also liked the fact that we get to see more of Roi’s fear of becoming like Zhaim. He continually studies himself to see if he’s reaching a point where he actually enjoys the power he has over other people, and his resolve will be tested in surprising ways.

Tour guide Penny is a new character that allows the reader to really connect with and see the unique relationship Roi has with his friends. Amber, Flame, and Timi were slaves with Roi in the early years. Now, the three are Roi’s slaves, but Roi has them as slaves only to keep his friends from falling into the hands of abusive owners. Penny is against slavery and initially allows her views to color her opinion of Roi, but she eventually learns to respect the young man who frequently makes sacrifices for the safety of others.

One character from “Homecoming” becomes more of an integral character in “Tourist Trap,” and I was glad to find out more about him. Xazhar is Zhaim’s son, and he is his father’s son in more ways than one because he also shares an animosity with Roi. In the past, Xazhar has been allowed to do whatever he wants because of his heritage but events transpire that make him realize there are hard choices to be made and he must decide if he wants to be his father’s son or his grandfather’s grandson because it’s impossible to be both. I know how weird that statement sounds but it will make sense when you learn more about Xazhar and his family.

“Tourist Trap” is a great read for anyone that wants motivation and feeling to accompany the action in their sci-fi adventure. Alien beings and super powers are an integral part of Roi’s story but what makes this novel really shine is the heart. Nobody is good or evil just because that’s their assigned role. Just like in real life, everyone has their own motivations and desires, and Bowling does a great job of letting the reader see what it would be like to walk in the shoes of Roi, Xazhar, and even madman Zhaim.

I said it before and I’ll say it again because once again Roi’s adventure has a solid ending but I hope to see him again in the future because the end of “Tourist Trap” reveals that more changes are in store and I would love to see how Roi faces these new challenges.

Tourist Trap: A Novel of the Jarnian Confederation
Sue Ann Bowling
iUniverse (2011)
ISBN 9781462029587
Reviewed by Marty Shaw for Reader Views (11/11)

On the Strangest Sea

Following closely behind “The Storyteller” and “In the Chillest Land,”  “On the Strangest Sea” tells about Derres, Spencer and Mardan’s adventures as young adults.  Each has reached the age where they desire to find love.  Knowing that his soul brother Mardan would be well matched with Derres, Spencer tries to take a back seat so that their relationship can evolve.  This is very hard for him because he is in love with her.  While Derres is genetically human, being raised among the Banli has given him many of their traits. When he starts feeling himself synchronizing with Derres, he knows that it is time to leave the planet. Deciding to go undercover and work in WorldGuard, Spencer quickly leaves the planet of Kansas and those who are dear to him.

To the employees of WorldGuard, Spencer’s father died a hero in “The Storyteller.”  While he was a hero at heart, they did not know the whole story.  Spencer would prefer to keep his true identity a secret as long as possible.  Since his father’s death, many of the Banli have come a long way from being seen as cannibalizing rapists.  Throughout the series of books, non-military Banli people who have lived in secret have been discovered to be able to live amongst each other without having to hurt their loved ones or others.  The main reason that they can continue this way and control their impulses is because they kept their connections to the universe, which allows them to live according to their true nature. The Banli who began annihilating others developed their aggressions based upon separating themselves from who they really were meant to be.
          
Spencer realizes this, and when he is sent on an assignment by WorldGuard that might involve harming innocent Banli, his goal is to help obtain a peaceful resolution.  Initially he has great difficulties because he feels his body and soul being called back to Derres.  While she is resolving these issues on her planet, Spencer struggles to overcome deceptions being planned against innocent people and himself.

While all of this is happening another woman’s story is being told. This woman is able to use her words to help connect all Banli back to “the All.” She is so talented, that she is even able to help some of the remaining Banli who still control the harvester ships. Underneath all of this, including the reconnection is the theme of love. This includes romantic love, and familial love.  By helping the Banli men realize that they can be with their bond mates, true happiness and love can be experienced by those involved.
          
As with the first two books, Kathryn Klos has written another wonderful story that can just be enjoyed as a great fantasy novel or if the readers choose to look deeper into the story, they will find themselves being able to relate much of the lessons within, into their own lives.  I personally found myself reflecting a great deal on how much I could learn from the lessons that were being taught in this story. There are also some beautiful invocations included at the end of the story.  Once again I highly recommend “On the Strangest Sea,” and I also suggest that you begin reading the first two in order so that you will have a greater understanding about how special these characters truly are.

On the Strangest Sea
Kathryn Hilliard Klos
CreateSpace (2011)
ISBN 9781463647049
Reviewed by Paige Lovitt for Reader Views (8/11)

In the Chillest Land

Having read and loved “The Storyteller” which is the first book in this series, I was pleased to discover that “In the Chillest Land,” was even better.  It was also a treat to revisit characters who had felt special to me.  In this story, the focus is mostly on Garet, who leaves the safe planet Kansas to work for WorldGuard Warranty Insurance Company as an agent.  She doesn’t do this because it is her life’s dream; she does it so that she can keep an eye on what they are up to. It is fortunate that she does this because she discovers that they have a plan which will annihilate all Banli from the universe. 

While working on a spaceship, Garet is assigned to watch over some Banli women and children.  The WorldGuard Warranty Company has hideous plans to use them in research.  Assigned to this task with Garet is Ani Kamala from planet earth.  Garet is surprised to discover that Ani and she were chosen for this assignment because they both speak Banli.  Because the Banli race is known for harvesting planets they are hated. Harvesting to them involves murdering, kidnapping, raping and eating humans. This does not make them popular with the people of the universe, however, both Ani and Garet have seen a different side to them and Ani is even able to offer more information that explains the history of these people and how they became this way.  She also knows a way that they all can live in peace together.

Forming “The Legion of the Feather,” the two women work towards finding a solution which will prevent the total destruction of a race and promote peace.  Some surprising characters join up with them.  Their plan is not easy, and their lives are in danger from Banli people who do not trust them.  But they also make friends and find love along the way.

“In the Chillest Land” is a story that will be enjoyed by all fans of science fiction.  The depth of feelings that the author inspired within me while I was reading was much more complex than in her first book, and I felt she did an excellent job in that one! While reading this one there were times that I found myself with goosebumps covering my arms because of fear, and other times I found myself laughing.  I recommend reading “The Storyteller” first and then this novel.  It will help the reader to understand what happened in the past and who these special people are.  I look forward to reading “On the Strangest Sea,” which is the third book in this series.

In the Chillest Land
Kathryn Hilliard Klos
CreateSpace (2011)
ISBN 9781461195160
Reviewed by Paige Lovitt for Reader Views (7/11)

The Incendiary Man (Kindle Edition)

When a newsman stops a man on the street to ask him a celebrity related question, the man takes the opportunity to inform the newsman about the Incendiary Man who he believes is currently roaming the streets burning people up.  This man and a group of eccentric people have been on the run for about five days trying to escape from this creature.  Believing that there is no way to stop him, they feel it is best to keep running.  They can feel his heat when he approaches and he cannot move very quickly.  

Strangely enough, the newsman knows nothing about this fiery being who the group believes has burned up many people and places.  As they are talking, a group appears with signs that deny the existence of the Incendiary Man.  The interviewee takes this to be positive, because it means that people are hearing the stories about him, even if they do not believe it yet.

“The Incendiary Man” is a fun read.  Bob Frey takes us into the mind of a man who might just be totally crazy, and imagining everything. But in his world, it is 100% real.  So in his reality, the Incendiary Man does have an existence. As for his friends, perhaps they are only real in his world as well.  Reading this story lets you step into someone else’s world for a moment.  Not only does this give you a break from your reality, but perhaps it might also make you appreciate your reality more, unless of course you have a supernatural being running around burning people up in your world as well.

The Incendiary Man (Kindle Edition)
Bob Frey
Van Fleet Books (2011)
ASIN: B004IE9XPW
Reviewed by Paige Lovitt for Reader Views (6/11)

Remnant: An Anthology

Roland Allnach’s “Remnant: An Anthology” consists of three stories within the science fiction genre. The stories are linked in theme by characters seeking self-truth and redemption through finding their true moral center.

The first of the three novellas, “All the Fallen Angels,” is the story of Stohko, a convicted war criminal and his attempt to make peace with his past. He is filled with paranoia, guilt, confusion, self-deception, hostility and hate.

In the second novella, “Enemy, I Know You Not,” a military officer, Lieutenant Hovland, is assigned a group of recruits for simulated training exercises. He is tortured with corruptive thoughts of rebellion, order, and the illusion of control while he tries to find his loyalty in paranoia of suspicion and mistrust.
 
The final novella, titled “Remnant.” continues with the theme of behavioral research and centers around the conflicted emotions of Peter Lowry, the survivor of a global pandemic. Peter is confronted with the prospect of making peace with past memories when, Jim MacPherson and Emily Lewis, two other survivors attempt to bring him back from self-imposed isolation.

Influenced by the writing of mythology and classical literature, Allnach follows a pattern in his writing using character driven themes. Although he writes primarily in the Science Fiction genre he develops depth and substance to his characters in situations outside of the realm of our “common world.”

Each of the three novellas in the anthology follows a pattern of a nightmare of “tangled, convoluted confusion.” Stohko experienced Hermium euphoria, chaotic eruptions of jumbled moments in time in “All the Fallen Angels.”  He was plagued by a trance-like weaving in an out of a delirious dream moving from guilt of the past, the realities of the present, and the hopelessness of the future.

Lieutenant Hovland lost his sense of purpose in “Enemy, I Know You Not.” When a malfunction at the simulator turned a training level exercise into an actual lethal fight for survival, Hovland found himself suspected of subversion. This created a feeling of paranoia, suspicion, exhaustion, futility, betrayal and retribution. In “Remnant” Peter Lowry becomes a prime example of traumatic stress syndrome as he works through the negative characteristics of blind obsession, mistrust, suspicion, guilt, and the positive qualities of genuine empathy, concern, discipline and loyalty.

I especially appreciated Roland’s literary style:

    * His vivid word pictures
    * His insights demonstrated through character driven dialog
    * His creative imagination
    * His use of foreshadowing

Allnach’s writing in “Remnant: An Anthology” is haunting, begging for an interactive response from the reader in an honest self appraisal; asking the “what if” questions created by identifying with the protagonist in well written literature. Roland Allnach is destined to become recognized for his contributions in whatever genre of writing he may choose.

Remnant: An Anthology
Roland Allnach
All Things That Matter Press (2010)
ISBN 9780984629701
Reviewed by Richard R. Blake for Reader Views (6/11)

The Palomar Paradox: A SETI Mystery

Following on the heels of “The Oortian Summer” and “The Omega Point,” once again we step back into the life of Luper Beauchamps.  The year is now 2028 and thirty-five-year old Luper has become the Assistant Director of the Palomar Observatory.  He is currently involved with the SETI project (Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence).  Assisting him with monitoring signals through the Berkeley Open Infrastructure for Network Computing (BOINC) are Leila Keiler and Linus Shannon.  Leila is a nineteen-year-old young lady who is recovering from leukemia.  While she was going through her treatments, she acted as a volunteer to monitor signals that might be extra-terrestrial in origin.  Her intelligence and enthusiasm earn her the opportunity to go to work for Luper.  Linus Shannon is a middle-aged man who is a faculty member in the Information Technology Department at the prestigious UC Berkeley. 
          
When Luper, Linus, and Leila discover an unusual signal that appears to be originating from outer space, they get very excited.  They also realize that there are other individuals attempting to discredit this information.  This realization dampers their excitement over the potential ramifications of their discovery, however, it also peaks their interest and they become more determined to investigate if the signal is real and they seek to find out why efforts are being made for a cover up.
          
Once again, Richard Rydon has created a novel that displays his enthusiasm for science and allows him to share a fictional story in which he can both entertain and educate the reader.  Interspersed in between his mystery, he also includes scientific information and data that relates to the scientific search for extra-terrestrial life in our universe.  For people who really enjoy science, they will find this information a plus. For others who just want a good science fiction type mystery, they can skip this part and just read the story. For myself, I found that my interest was even further stimulated by this additional information. I also really enjoyed the part of the story that took place near that Salton Sea at the Wister Mud Pots.  This location is actually near where I live; I having been there and seen this unusual phenomena, and I really enjoyed that Rydon incorporated the area into his story.
          
While I enjoyed “The Palomar Paradox,” and being able to step back in Luper’s adventures, I felt that the story would be even better if tighter editing was done to correct some of the grammatical errors and the abrupt ending kind of threw me off.  Otherwise, I found it to be a really good read, and I truly hope that Rydon will share more of Luper’s adventures with us in the future.

The Palomar Paradox: A SETI Mystery
Richard Rydon
Lulu Publishing (2011)
ISBN B004UGDWK0
Reviewed by Paige Lovitt for Reader Views (5/11)

Finding Badger: The Evolution of Doing Nothing

The year is 2330, and the story begins on a dying planet that only has children for survivors.  Well, children and rats.  After destroying the environment on the planet, the adults have killed each other off.  Struggling to survive, the children have learned to be very resourceful. It is kill or be killed.  Living on rations, rats and whatever they can scavenge, they have only known this way of life. They cannot begin to imagine the concept of restaurants or grocery stores.

When two people are sent to rescue a child, they have no clue how much is actually involved, or that there are others on the same mission.  Armed only with the information given by a badger, they are in shock when they arrive on Planet X and discover how bad things really are there.  They also have to overcome mistrust from others to gain information about the whereabouts of whom they seek.

As the story unfolds, so does the history of how the people involved are connected.  When I mention history, I mean from generations ago.  Each person in the group has interacted in past lives.  They have always had the same mission to complete, and failed each time.  Now that their time is running short, they are desperate for everybody to recover their lost memories so that they can finish what needs to be done. They also have to overcome anger and hurt from their past lives so that they can work together and figure out who their real enemies are.

“Finding Badger” is an incredibly well written novel.  Not only are the ideas behind the story very unique, but there are also a lot of metaphorical and philosophical components interspersed throughout the writing that add a great deal of depth. Because of the different levels of complexity, “Finding Badger” is a novel that can be enjoyed by both teenagers and adults.  As I read the story, I felt that this would be an excellent tale for family members to read and to share. It would be interesting for both parents and their teens to discuss what their perceptions were of the events as they were happening in the story.  The underlying philosophical and metaphoric touches would also lead to some very interesting conversations that would give each person a chance to share their views. I highly recommend Ms. LaMora’s book!

Finding Badger: The Evolution of Doing Nothing
Holly LaMora
Jeanne D’Arce Press (2011)
ISBN 9780983106708
Reviewed by Paige Lovitt for Reader Views (5/11)

The Colleen Colgan Chronicles, Book 1: Flowers from Cannibals

“The Colleen Colgan Chronicles, Book 1: Flowers from Cannibals”  by Richard Phelan is the story of thirteen-year-old Colleen Colgan as she struggles to help find a cure for a rampaging disease in the far future.  When Colleen went back to school after summer vacation the last thing she expected was to actually make a good friend.  That was when she met Erin.  The two immediately took a liking to each other and were soon good friends.  Later, Erin revealed that she was actually from the future where a horrible disease was ravaging her already distraught neighbors.  Colleen did not believe her.  Can Erin convince Colleen to help save the future?
 
To save Erin’s world, the duo needed to find a rare flower that grew only on a remote island inhabited by a tribe of cannibals.  The flower only resided in a mysterious cave at the top of a mountain said to be haunted by evil spirits. 

To get there, Colleen and Erin stowed away on a plane.  They managed to get to their destination but were found out and imprisoned.  Thanks to some very good luck, the pair escaped, but their luck didn’t last long.  A slip landed them in the hands of the cannibals.  They were pronounced evil spirits by the cannibals and sentenced to dinner (not invited to dinner but served for dinner), is there any hope that Colleen and Erin can accomplish their flower collecting and save the future?
 
I would recommend this book to people who like adventure with a bit of science fiction thrown in.  Animal lovers would probably like this book, too, because throughout the book Erin and Colleen interacted with a number of animals including monkeys and polar bears.  The book kept me interested and I didn’t want to stop reading until I finished it.  “The Colleen Colgan Chronicles, Book 1: Flowers from Cannibals” is a fun book and I finished it soon after I started it.

The Colleen Colgan Chronicles, Book 1: Flowers from Cannibals
Richard Phelan
AuthorHouse (2010)
ISBN 9781452056180
Reviewed by Ben Weldon (age 13) for Reader Views (5/11)