Patricia Hamill's Blog: I read too much!, page 9

It's Been a While, Here's What I'm Up to

Today I've decided to post a little status update instead of a book review. Primarily, that's because I don't have any book reviews lined up. Continue reading...

Harry Potter Fan-Fic Review: James Potter and The Morrigan Web by G. Norman Lippert

James Potter and The Morrigan Web by G. Norman Lippert

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


First impression: Wow, this book is long! Second impression: Wow, this book is awesome!

Ok, now that I've got that out of the way, this is the fourth installment of G. Norman Lippert's fan-fic continuation of the Harry Potter series, which focuses on Harry's son, James. If you've not read the first three books and don't want spoilers, I recommend you go and read those first. Still, I'll try not to give away too much.

The world has been turned up on it's head, but life goes on. James returns to Hogwarts for his fourth year, haunted by what happened at Alma Aleron and New Amsterdam (NY City). Soon, he discovers that no one believes him about the Lady of the Lake, and the entire magical community has marked Petra, his soul-mate and long-time crush, as undesirable number one.

This book quickly takes on the oppressive feel of book 5 in the Harry Potter series, the one that features the overbearing Umbridge as head master. However, this is not a rehash of that book. The ministry, faced with the aftermath of the previous book's epic ending, has come up with a plan to foster cooperation, not only between the magical schools, but also with a muggle school. Students are required to sign up for at least two classes at one of the four other school. Meanwhile at Hogwarts, teachers who are against Headmaster Grudje's policies are summarily dismissed and replaced, punishments and restrictions are on the rise, and even Filch begins to feel the pressure.

I really enjoyed this book, but it is incredibly long. It took me three weeks to get through it, and I tend to devour books in only a couple of days. I'm not complaining, though. I like books that keep me busy for a while, and this one doesn't drag on. It's entertaining, action-packed and full of intrigue, like a book based on the Harry Potter series should be. Again, I enjoyed it, but was surprised every time I checked my progress and discovered that I'd barely made a dent.

The quality of this book is excellent from an editing standpoint as well. Even though this is fan fiction, the book feels polished and the plot is purposeful and solid, while still existing in the greater realm of J.K. Rowling's creation.

As for what comes next, who knows? The book ends with an author's note where he says he cannot commit to writing the fifth book, though he does have a plan for it. I really hope he finds some time to finish the series, but I must say I am happy for these four novels he's already provided. I have no complaints.

Overall, I loved this book. I recommend it to fans of the Harry Potter series, particularly those who were left wanting more when that series ended.

This book is available for free on Goodreads.com.



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Middle Grade and up Sci-Fi Review: Cave World by John Cosper

Cave World by John Cosper

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Loved the story. Original, yet familiar. A bit bloody in places. Funny and exciting, too.

Cave World is a fantastic journey into the sci-fi creation of Donny, a kid who spends his days dreaming up a complex, interconnected galaxy. When a bully takes his notebook and tosses it out a window, he finds all but the map of the world that links all the planets together, Arrax. Of course, he's drawn the map many times before, so he decides to just draw it again. Things take an interesting and dangerous twist when he decides to label a spot on the map (just a flaw on the paper) as the portal to Earth.

I am surprised to see that no one else has reviewed this, so I guess it's on me to give the first opinions.

First, let me say I related strongly to the hero, Donny, who doodles and daydreams about his sci-fi realm and hopes to one day publish it. As I read the story, I found that Donny (and likely the author of Cave World) loves the same movies and books I do, and it comes out in the plots and even some of the locales in Donny's worlds. Not a rip off of those works, but a nod to greatness. Cave World is supremely original, even with these familiar elements embedded.

The idea that a real world (or in this case, worlds) could be generated from the imagination of an author intrigued me. That his creations could become sentient and take their own paths, despite his plans for them, that they would develop prophesies of him, their creator, and dream of his arrival, couldn't help but capture my imagination. The story asks us to imagine god, the supreme author of all we know, as a middle school kid. As Donny joins the forces of good, he must come to grips with the reality of his creation, realizing that his plot twists, evil empire, and nearly indestructible foes (all created to make an interesting story) are more horrifying than even he imagined.

The themes of religion, fate, and free-will are intertwined into the story in a realistic way, even in the fantasy of one being drawn into a made-up world. The characters, not just Donny, are well-drawn and interesting. The worlds are unique and varied, and even those that take on the familiar aspects of stories like Star Wars are original in their own right. I love how this book made me think and I enjoyed trying to link what I was reading to the real world and to the imaginary worlds of other stories I love. The connections are subtle in places, more obvious in others.

There is a religious theme, but I didn't feel like the author was trying to convince me to convert to any particular religion. I would rank this one in the realm of middle-grade or pre-teen readers, but I must caution that there is a great deal of violence in the story, often bloody. Like with any story told for a younger crowd, parents may want to read this one first. Still, as an adult and as a parent, I would not mind my son reading it. After all, if you look at the Harry Potter books, for example, they have quite a bit of danger and violence in them as well.

Overall, I highly recommend this story to fans of fantasy and sci-fi (particularly the latter). The book presents an interesting take on religion and an equally interesting take on the power of the human imagination.

I found this book for free on Amazon.



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Fantasy Review: Witch Song by Amber Argyle

Witch Song by Amber Argyle

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Action packed and magical.

Witch Song is about a young girl, Brusenna, who has grown up sheltered from who and what she is, a witch. The term in this story defines a woman gifted with a powerful song, which allows her to control the flow of nature and the seasons. But the witches are in trouble. Mistrusted by some, hated by others, they are the target of one of their own, a former witch who captures them and steals their songs. When Coyel comes to call Brusenna's mother away in one last effort to free the witches, Brusenna is left alone and waiting until a witch hunter forces her to leave her home behind.

The story follows Brusenna first on her quest to find the haven her mother told her about, where she will be safe from hunters, and later to track down Espen, the evil witch, and rescue the witches she's taken captive. Every move Brusenna makes is followed by adventure or tragedy, and the pace is harrowing, until she reaches Haven. Then she takes a year off to try to teach herself everything she doesn't know about being a witch by reading the books in the library. She only leaves when impatience wins over prudence, and she decides she'd rather finish the quest, for better or worse that wait around any longer.

What I liked most about this story were the action scenes. They are the backbone of the story. There's not a lot of down time as Brusenna is chased, found, ambushed, or attacked at every step of her journey. I also thought the magic system was interesting, though Brusenna seemed a little too good at it for someone who was supposed to have been sheltered from it her entire life, supposedly untrained.

The romance was ok, and at least Joshen was likable, but I had trouble feeling it. It seemed a little like Brusenna falls for him simply because he's the first boy who has ever paid any attention to her. At least there is no love triangle.

Overall, I thought this book was ok bordering on good, and I enjoyed it. Still, I found it easy to put down and forget, which I did the first time at about 14% in, only to come back a few months later to find that I had indeed started it. After that, I came back to it and finished it. It ends on a positive note, but in a way that sets the story up for additional books. I'd recommend this story to fans of fantasy, coming of age stories, particularly those who enjoy a lot of action and who don't mind a little incongruency.

I found this book for free on Amazon.





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YA Fantasy Review: The Iron Butterfly by Chanda Hahn

The Iron Butterfly by Chanda Hahn

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Pretty good book. I finished it up in a couple of days.

The Iron Butterfly is the story of Thalia, a young girl who has no idea who she is. She awakens in a dungeon to torturous experiments by an evil cult and narrowly escapes with the aid of a warrior. When she finds herself alone, she's soon taken in by a couple of men on their way to the Citadel, where the younger of the two, a denai (or magic user), is going to be a student. The leaders of the Citadel allow Thalia to stay as a servant while they investigate the cult and try to find her family. This is when Thalia learns that the Septori are not interested in letting her be, and their experiments were more successful than they had imagined.

This is a pure fantasy, featuring magic, evil cults, warring clans, a benevolent council, and a magic school. I enjoyed the character arc of Thalia, as she goes from terrified, weak prisoner, to confident warrior. She is the epitome of a strong female character as she meets (or attempts to meet) each challenge thrown at her, but she's still flawed. Despite her strength, the forces against her are immense. She tries and fails, over an over, but she never gives up. This is why I consider her strong. The fact that she is not all-powerful or all-knowing, as some fantasy heroes are, is what makes her relatable.

In addition to the good vs. evil plot, there is a budding romance (or two) as well. I'm not sure whether it will become a love triangle in later books, but it seems to be going in that direction. Still, Thalia seems steadily attracted to the main love interest and acts accordingly, even though that love interest just happens to have competition. She doesn't flip flop between them, which I found refreshing.

The only thing I didn't especially like was the catty denai girl who tries to rile up all the students against Thalia, but I think that was intentional. She's jealous, snobby, and mean-spirited, an archetype I've seen in many stories set in schools. I was reminded a little of the rivalry in The Masterharper of Pern and in the Harry Potter books. Outcast, young prodigy put upon by heartless, overindulged enemies, it's not exactly a unique feature of stories like these.

Overall, the story left me satisfied, but eager to read more. This is the second Chanda Hahn book I've read, and both have been like this. I must say she's a great storyteller. I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it to fans of YA fantasy.

I found this book for free on Amazon.



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Fairy Tale Review: Unenchanted by Chanda Hahn

UnEnchanted by Chanda Hahn

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Nothing unfortunate about this book.

Unenchanted is about Mina, a young girl who finds herself the target of a family curse. The premise is simple. She must live through real-life fairy tales until either she survives them all or one of them claims her life. And, she must succeed or her disabled younger brother will become the next target of the curse.

I found this to be an excellent story. The flow is natural and the book is difficult to put down. I kept hoping for Mina to win, despite the ominious title of the series, and really felt a connection to her and the other characters. It helps that Mina has a noble soul and a likeable personality.

In places, the plot advances a little too easily, but not so much that I didn't enjoy it and want to read more. I also noticed some wrong-word errors, particularly near the end. These are the kind of words that spell check would miss, because they aren't misspelled, they simply don't mean the right thing in context. Still, I think many readers wouldn't even notice them. I just happen to key in on those things.

Anyway, Mina experiences the first terrifying and dangerous fairy tales of what is likely to be hundreds of them and the book ends with a glimmer of another of them. I look forward to reading more, but I wonder if this will be one of those neverending series. It seems like it could be.

Overall, I really liked this book, particularly because I related well to the characters and also because I enjoy twists on traditional fairy tales. I would recommend this story to people who like stories where fantasy invades the real world. The story is appropriate for middle-schoolers and up.

I found this on a free promotion on Amazon.



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YA Romance Review: Blane (Angels of the Knights #2) by Valerie Zambito

Blane by Valerie Zambito

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


A story that stands well alone, while fitting into the greater trilogy.

I must say I really enjoyed Blane, the second book in the Angels of the Knights trilogy. Like the first book, it's the story of warrior angels who come back to earth at a great price to protect humans from demons who cause havoc in the world. In the greater story that spans the trilogy, hints of a greater conspiracy among the demons build tension and put pressure on Blane to put a stop to their plot. But like in the first story, there is an underlying romance.

I thought the romance in this was great: two damaged people finding each other and making each other better. Marriage comes first, the author being true to her morals, no doubt, but I think the situation is a lot more interesting in Blane than in Fallon, where the main characters suffered from instalove. In this one, they feel the attraction, but don't lose their minds to it. It's a good mix and it helped me feel a greater connection to the characters and their budding relationship.

But the story isn't all romance. There's action, intrigue and danger. The little bit of foreshadowing is subtle and well-executed, keeping me up reading way too late looking for what came next.

I definitely recommend this book to those who like angels vs. demons with a clean romance that still gets the heart racing. Not too many details, and not too few either. A good book for young adult readers.

Received free after participating in a blog tour for Book One.





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Sneak Peak of Only the Cold Remains coming June 13

I am excited to bring you an excerpt from Curran Geist's soon to be released dystopian, sci-fi thriller, Only the Cold Remains. Last week, I shared the description of the book. Today, along with the excerpt, I'll share a little bit about the author. Continue reading...

Romance Review: Love & Freedom by Sue Moorcroft

Love & Freedom by Sue Moorcroft

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Pretty good romance novel, similar style to those I used to read from Harlequin when I was a teenager. It took me a while to finish it because it's pretty long, but it flows well and the pacing is good.

Recommended for those who like a bit of romance and drama. Not particularly realistic, but who wants that in a romance anyway? When I read something that's pegged a romance, I want to be swept off my feet with the heroine. I want the implausible, the lucky, and the tragic to all work out in the end and give me a warm fuzzy feeling. I also want to be able to like the two who are destined to fall in love. I got all that from this story. It's a nice escape.

I picked this up on Amazon during a free promotion.



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Upcoming Sci-Fi Thriller Release: Only the Cold Remains (The Sity #2) by Curran Geist

Only the Cold Remains by Curran Geist

I liked The Sity, particularly for its unique and well-executed storyline, and look forward to reading this one, which is set to be released this month (June 2014). It promises to be quite an exciting read, likely edgy and action packed like its predecessor.

Description (from Goodreads.com)

I was made for this... I was made a killer...

Victor's fate hangs in the balance as he awaits the games of the Death Night. The young man will have to face his fears if he is to overcome the trials of the arena and claim his destiny.

Revelations about the past threaten to derail everything Carina has achieved in the colony. Will she hide from the truth or will she protect the ones she most loves?

In this dystopian thriller, humanity’s existence reaches a crossroads. The streets of the metropolis are overrun with alien troops on the hunt for escaped slaves. Deep in the underbelly of the Sity, lurk shadows of a worse horror. With Medtronik’s hold on the city of sin growing tenuous, the only solution to the Kuljik’s “human problem” is extermination.

The lines between good and evil continue to be blurred in the struggle for survival. For the road home is long and bloody. When the forces of humans and Kuljiks clash, only the cold remains.

This is book two in THE SITY series by Curran Geist.

It is recommended for readers 17 and over due to violence, profanity, and sexual content.


About the Author

My Review of The Sity (The Sity #1)