K.J. Simmill's Blog
December 5, 2023
Book review: Daniel Burke’s Red Screen
In Daniel Burke’s Red Screen Parker Reid knows monsters. Not just because he is a renowned profiler, but because he faced one and lost everything. It took a lot to claw himself back, but he did. Now, with only his job left, he works hard to find the monsters so others don’t have to experience what he did. The thing is, by the time they call him in, there is already loss and suffering. This case, however, promises to reopen the thin scar tissue covering his wounds. A murderer roams the streets, killing and taking trophies in such a way it stumped everyone. The answers could lie within an anomaly, or should that be The Anomaly, the one who roams The Land of Might and Magic destroying all within its path as it hunts. The developers know there is a problem, but admitting it could be their downfall. With so many secrets, with the company wanting to keep their problems quiet and using their own players as bait, Parker must fight through red tape and questions to seek answers no one wants to give him before the killer strikes again.
A perfect combination of murder mystery and thriller meets LitRPG. The worlds and plot run parallel, their overlap becoming clearer as the in-depth plot continues to explore events in the ‘Real-Real’ that mirror those in Metaverse, or more specifically, in The Land of Might and Magic. Daniel Burke sets a perfect pace, combining the exploits of Shea, our resident LMM player, with those of the FBI’s Parker Reid and those working for Xperion, all unfolding and combining pieces of the jigsaw for the readers to slot into place and build the bigger picture. Character development, both in-game and in the Real-Real is brilliantly handled, the attachment gamers have to their avatars is something only a true gamer understands, and perfectly summarized. The threat is real, the gamers have livelihoods being wiped out by the Anomaly when their game is red-screened. But in the Real-Real, people are losing their lives. I loved the character development, and the leg work put into overcoming roadblocks and obstacles to uncover the truth. Secrets, lies, hidden agendas and threats hide in every chapter of Red Screen, creating a story you won’t want to put down.
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November 24, 2023
Boook review: Oceans of Sand – Jessica Flory
Norah prayed for a sand gift. Every day the same prayer. As the only person ever born without one she was helpless, mocked, shunned, and ridiculed by all but her best friend and little sister. She was worthless, could contribute nothing. There was only one time when she hadn’t felt like a failure, and that was when she rode the oceans of sand with her father, but when he died, so too did her taste of hope and freedom. With famine spreading across the land, and the threat of war on the horizon, she’s never been more desperate to prove she isn’t someone to be thrown away, which is why when the opportunity to save the village and restore the balance is presented she jumps at the chance. The statue of the goddess has haunted her with its missing eye since she was a girl. Now as times turn bleak the talk of the missing eye being the hope of salvation calls to her. Maybe if it can be found things will change. But she’s helpless. If she has any hope if finding it she must rely on the one person who makes her feel more love than she should. Her best friend. How she’d love for him to feel the same. But as the village’s strongest Shaker, he can’t afford to. Love weakens their gifts, it’s an emotion to be repressed and denied, but she can’t just cut off something so integral. Maybe that’s why her gift never awoke.
I absolutely loved Jessica Flory’s Oceans of Sand. I’m a big fantasy fan and this book ticks all the boxes with vivid engaging characters, a dramatically unique setting, a great character-driven plot, and high-risk drama. I loved the multiple-perspective character arcs, and how they pull you into so many different perspectives, fleshing out the world, history, and providing a balanced perspective between countries destined to be at war. Jessica Flory effortlessly captures the reader’s imagination and hearts in an emotional struggle for survival and discovery. Epic fantasy meets friends-to-lovers romance in a whirlwind adventure that will leave you hungry for more. The action, adventure, romance, chaos, suffering, and strife will have you hooked in an instant, while the magic system and world building will leave you in awe. This book has skyrocketed its way onto my exclusive recommended books list and is easily one of the best books I’ve read all year. Definitely an author to watch. I read this on Kindle Unlimited, but had to buy a copy too, I just couldn’t bring myself to return it.
Why not check out the author Find her here:
Twitter: @JessFloryAuthor
October 21, 2023
Book review: Jason Meares, Paladin: The Scarlet Mace
In Jason Meares, Paladin: The Scarlet Mace, when a young lady from the university turns up with a pouch of gold for a two-day job, Joh just knew it was going to be trouble. But two days was hardly the end of the world, especially when the pouch of coin far exceeded his normal rate of a Merc-for-hire. Joh knew he could easily follow the leads and pad out the work to earn his coin. The thing was as he started looking into the disappearance of Jeremiah Hargrove, things just weren’t sitting right with him. There was that annoyingly familiar itch in the back of his skull telling him something far larger was afoot. His instincts were never wrong. As he digs deeper, he may as well be digging his own grave as the mysteries and coincidences unfold painting a target on his own back. Can he uncover the secrets, before the truth buries him for good?
A perfect combination of fantasy and intrigue unfolds in Paladin: The Scarlet Mace, taking the reader on a gripping journey of peril, discovery, and danger, as what should be a simple quest burrows down into the very foundation of faith and society. The tale is rich with lore and faith intertwined with a failing magic system, fantastic world building, charismatic characters, and questions that only a few know the answers to. Jason Meares writes in a smooth, gripping, and engaging style that is sure to captive the reader’s attention as they are thrust straight into the core of happenings so dark, so twisted, that any stumbling upon the truth cannot be allowed to live. One thing is for certain, you won’t want to miss where this story takes you.
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September 30, 2023
new website
Hi everyone
be sure to check out my new website
It’s a great place to find my work, and iIhave a great range of notepads, journals, and trucker logbooks available too.
Hope to see you there
Book review: G.P. Robbins’ Dead Weight
In G.P. Robbins’ Dead Weight (Magic, Mayhem, and the Law in Precinct #153 Book 1) Precinct 153 was the place weird and weirder came to look normal. Sometimes, however, there are just events that take the cake, like the fearsome and respected ruler of New York City almost being assassinated by eggs. But that is the least of Jace’s worries. With a recent spur of brutal, stomach-churning crimes, organ theft, and kidnapping, the rookie detective has really been thrown in at the deep end. Can he prove his mettle and piece together a case that has everyone scratching their heads? This will certainly be a baptism by fire, especially if his new roommate is allowed anywhere near the kitchen.
The writing style of G.P. Robbins reminds me a little of how it would be to read a collaboration created by the writers of RIPD, Bright and Happy. The combination of playful antics and humor is perfectly offset with the darker themes of ongoing investigations. There has clearly been a lot of thought put into not only the characters’ development but the world building and the mythos of the magical hierarchy. Dead Weight really focuses on the issue of large cases with next to no leads and the troubles thereof, which also allows ample time for all the characters to have their time in the spotlight in a slow-burn mystery. You get to see the inner workings and frustrations of Precinct 153 as they put together their case based on clues and instinct unraveling the threads and slowly building a bigger picture, and getting that picture is one Hell of a challenge as everything seems to pile against progress. Character-driven, this book is a must for those who love deep and developed characters with their own personalities that shy away from cookie-cutter expectations. The interactions and challenges are priceless, and you’ll be grinning, cringing, and looking on in horror right along with them.
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September 23, 2023
Book review: Tiffany Kahapea’s Unknown Legacy
In Tiffany Kahapea’s Unknown Legacy, with Danielle’s secret heritage uncovered and the truth behind twisted prophecies uncovered, Lucy thought the worst thing she had to worry about now was the apprehension of the newly awakened, and often uncooperative Mutane Sihiri. She thought wrong. When demons descend on Orchard Landing they have one thing in mind, apprehending her. But why? She’d lived a simple life, born and raised here, her friends and family were all here. She’d never stepped out of line, but for the mischief she and Danielle excelled in creating. She certainly had done nothing to warrant the full force of one of the most violent demon races. Or so she thought. But the truth can always be twisted, remade and edited to fit the needed narrative. As Lucy uncovers the truth about her past, instead of answers she finds only questions and danger. She survived once, can she do it again?
As if this series couldn’t get any better, get ready for a heart-pounding, fast-paced descent into secrets, lost heritages, betrayal and war as Tiffany Kahapea takes epic to a whole new level of world-hopping, secret uncovering chaos. Three best friends set on a mission to uncover the truth, while war once again looms on the horizon. The bonds built by friendship are tempered as anger flares and danger draws ever closer. The tension building in Unknown Legacy is perfectly executed, and the way secrets unravel like a pulled thread is perfect, just when you think there are answers, more mysteries and questions appear, and as a reader you can’t help but be invested. Tension is paramount in this book, and like the other books in the Magic and Prophecies series it is the perfect combination of action and character development. The growth show by all the characters since we met them can be seen as a direct result of the trials and challenges they have overcome. With focus more on the training and solder side, part of this made me think of Naruto, as they hone and draw out their skills that have such a vast range and unique uses that it is a credit to Tiffany Kahapea’s imagination.
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book review: Tiffany Kahapea’s Hidden Magic
In Tiffany Kahapea’s Hidden Magic: The Call of the Prophecy (Magic and Prophecies Book 1), Mary and her sisters had thought their mother’s descent into madness and her ramblings about magic were the worst things they’d have to deal with. But that was before the prophecy; before the turning awakened powers that made their mother’s apparent madness questionable. The six sisters never knew their father, as strange as that was, and he never gave them a single thing, except, it seemed for the powers woken in an event their best friend and honorary sister called the turning. They are the Fated Six, and, according to prophecy, the future lies in their hands. But where there is one prophecy another always follows, and one thing is certain, magic always comes with a price.
The rapport between the sisters is brilliant, giving the reader a full sense of their close bonds. With a very Charmed/Umbrella Academy vibe, Hidden Magic pulls the reader into a world where magic is pitted against darkness, corruption, and manipulation in an attempt to ensure that the Master of All is foiled in his attempt to rule the mortal realm. But that is not their sole purpose. As they are drawn deeper into the world of magic, they learn more about their true purpose, what it means to be the Fated Six, and the cost. I loved watching the sisters’ trials by fire as they’re rapidly immersed in a world where it seems everything wants to kill them, and powers they don’t understand surface, needing to be mastered and understood if they have any hope of surviving. Tiffany Kahapea has woven an intricate tale of magic that truly tests the bonds of sisterhood, pushing the characters to and beyond their limits. This is a gripping tale that tackles prominent issues that would arise should magic be exposed to the world of humans, and the chaos that would ensue. Brilliantly crafted with attention to detail and a plot that just keeps giving.
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Book review: Tiffany Kahapea’s Secret Prophecy
In Tiffany Kahapea’s Secret Prophecy, Danielle is the daughter of Mary, one of the Fated Six. And what should happen on the day of her birth but for the prophecies that once tormented her family to return to haunt them, or more specifically, her? She is destined to destroy either the Mutane Sihiri or the demon race. Refusing to kill the newborn child, they bind her powers. But it’s an act that may cause more harm especially when the power laying sealed is triggered threatening to unleash the very destruction that was prophesied. Birnam of two worlds there is a darkness inside her, dark urges and thoughts as her demon half tries to vie for control. She thought she was cursed without magic but now it has awoken the real trouble has begun.
I loved the relationship between Danielle and Lucy, you can feel the comradery and friendship blooming and growing as they support each other. The setting feels as though Tiffany Kahapea drew inspiration from the best bits of Harry Potter and Fate: The Winx saga, creating a vast and fleshed-out magical school environment fraught with trials, training, and cliques. Emotions run hot and furious as the plot combines betrayal and secrets with prophecies of destruction, damnation, and personal agendas. Challenges, peril, and madness await our heroine as she embarks on her own coming-of-age journey down a rabbit hole —or should that be through a demon portal? —to discover who she really is and what she can be. Secret Prophecy is an amazing progression from the first book in the Magic and Prophecies series and excels in combining fast-paced action with character development and an engaging plot.
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September 16, 2023
Book review: The secrets Inside- Katherine Tirado-Ryen
In Katherine Tirado-Ryen’s, The Secrets Inside, Connie had everything mapped out. A promising future with a scholarship meant boys had never turned her head. She’d much rather have a new project to fully immerse herself into. Chemistry was her passion, her love, that was until a different kind of chemistry turned her head. The last few months have been rocky, her home is filled with drama from a sister who’s moved back in, a vibrant grandmother who doesn’t miss a thing, and last but not least, her father’s widowed friend. And therein lies the issue. He has been mourning for years. He was keeping to himself, until she pulled him from his shell and uncovered feelings she thought were best left to those who had the promise of a future. But her path looks rocky as choices and decisions descend and she must make a choice, which future path she should walk, and will she be willing to accept the consequences?
If you’re looking for a slow-burn romance with conflict and turmoil while providing fleshed-out characters and real-life drama then The Secrets Inside could be right up your alley. Connie is a plan-driven teenager who has never known love but for that she feels towards her studies. Paired with her best friend Dee, her polar opposite in every way, you will never be short of drama, add that to a house full of people, each with their troubles, and the unfolding events, and you have a recipe for an involved read. It was fun to watch the slow draw, the forbidden pull towards Nick, as Connie finally starts to look at something other than her textbooks only to find a lot more than she bargained for, especially since theirs is a love fated never to be, at least, not without driving a wedge between her and those she loves. Katherine Tirado-Ryen writes in a smooth style, paying attention to detail allowing the reader to feel fully immersed in the scene and scenery as the well-developed characters. This is a tale to pull at the heartstrings, a coming of age story which breaks free of the normal mould to offer the reader a new and emotional journey.
September 13, 2023
Book review:
The Accidental Education is book two in Kos Play’s System School series. To us, the Los Angeles Times is just an old newspaper building. But its age and history mean it has another use. Unknown to mere mortals, those of the non-magical world, the place is a front to the magic school called The Academy. Here Melvin and Kalli are about to embark on their newest adventure, learning to harness their powers. But secrets and discoveries lie in their future, they have much to learn, and the clock is still ticking.
Having not read the first book I did feel a little lost in why things were the way they were, but it’s written in such a way that a reader can just easily go along with it and some details become clearer as the plot progresses. I love how the magic world exists within the non-magical, and how Kos Play explained things such as train delays etc. as being when magical presence affects the non-magical. It was really well thought out. The mixture of development and action, discovery and adventure is perfectly paced to ensure the reader feels fully immersed in both the world and characters. Clearly, the magic system had a lot of consideration into how it worked, and discovering this through the characters’ trials and errors ensured it avoided the typical textbook descriptions some books can be guilty of. As a gamer, LitRPG is one of my favourite genres, and The Accidental Education hit a sweet spot between urban fantasy and Lit RPG. This book has so much to offer for gamers and fantasy lovers alike. Drama, insecurity and jealousy meet epic fantasy creatures, magic and adventure in a coming-of-age journey that will leave you wanting more.
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