C.A. Gray's Blog, page 57
September 2, 2019
Review of Jane Eyre
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This is probably my third or fourth time reading “Jane Eyre,” but my second time in the last couple of years–and I also just finished the miniseries on Amazon with Timothy Dalton concurrently as I listened.
Man. Definitely up there with my top five books of all time, if not #1 (though I would have ranked it #1 for several years.) The Bronte sisters are very much like Jane Austen, I think, except that they’re gothic and bittersweet, where she is tongue-in-cheek and happily ever after. I love both, and I do think bittersweet can go too far, nor am I huge into horror. But “Jane Eyre” straddles the line perfectly, I think.
The story follows Jane, orphaned at a young age, and adopted by her Uncle Reed, who then passes away and wrests a promise from his wife to raise Jane as her own. This Aunt Reed definitely does not do–and Jane’s earlier life is basically a Cinderella story, where everyone is cruel to her, including at her aunt and cousins, and even their servants to some extent. But unlike Cinderella, Jane isn’t cowed by their treatment into submission; she has an innate sense of self-respect that enables her to come to her own defense. Her directness leads Aunt Reed to send her to Lowood School, a charitable institution where the children are at first equally abused, and religious instruction is legalistic to the point of cruelty. But then we skip on ahead: things improve, and Jane stays at the school until she is eighteen, first as a pupil and then as a teacher. When her only friend marries and moves away, having no resources of her own, Jane advertises for another situation. She is hired as a governess for a little French girl at Thornfield Hall, thinking that she is the daughter of a single wealthy woman, Mrs. Fairfax.
But it turns out that Mrs. Fairfax is just the housekeeper. Instead, Adele is the ward of Mr. Rochester, whom Jane doesn’t even meet for months, because he is traveling. This is where the story really begins–everything until this point is back story. The dynamic between Jane and Mr. Rochester is incredibly compelling, because they are both such unique characters, and would be so poorly suited to anyone else. Mr. Rochester is physically ugly, sharp-tongued, abrupt, and prone to soliloquizing in hard-to-follow metaphors… but he also seems to fixate upon Jane. Jane is plain, obscure, poor, and his servant–but again, that innate sense of self-respect causes her to respond to him with equal frankness. She falls in love with him, and despairs, because not only does the match obviously appear impossible to her, but he and everyone else soon leads Jane to believe that he is to marry a beautiful and titled lady. We later find out, though, that Mr. Rochester loves Jane too, but believes Jane to be indifferent to him, so he has spread the rumor of his impending marriage in order to incite her jealousy.
Meanwhile, a strange wailing woman wanders around Thornfield, eventually attempting to burn Mr. Rochester in his bed, and attacking a visitor to the home. Jane comes to the rescue both times, believing the wailing woman to be one of Mr. Rochester’s servants. But Mr. Rochester will tell her nothing about why he does not dismiss her, and Jane later comes to suspect that the wailing woman is not the servant at all, but someone else entirely. Mr. Rochester’s secret comes back to haunt them just on the brink of their happiness, causing Jane to flee penniless and attempt to start her life over elsewhere. But a series of coincidences and minor supernatural occurrences conspire to bring them back together in the end.
In less skillful hands than Charlotte Bronte’s, some of these occurrences would seem too convenient–and in the miniseries version, they did come off that way. But in the book! Oh, the prose is just so gorgeous, and the characters so insightful, and the pacing so perfect that I can easily suspended all my disbelief. We do get our happily ever after in the end, though everything is not too perfect… and in a story like this, it really can’t be, or it wouldn’t seem to belong to the same universe as the rest of the tale. “Jane Eyre” is by far the best of the Bronte novels, at least the ones I’ve read–though I’m rereading the others again too, hoping to find other hidden gems.
My rating: *****
Language: none, obviously
Sexual content: none, obviously
Political content: none
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August 30, 2019
Billion Dollar Whale, by Tom Wright and Bradley Hope
Today’s podcast review comes from this blog post review of Billion Dollar Whale.
The post Billion Dollar Whale, by Tom Wright and Bradley Hope appeared first on C.A. Gray.
August 29, 2019
Elements, the Biodome Chronicles
Author: Jesikah Sundin
Narrator: Sunil Patel
Length: 21 hours 8 minutes
Series: The Biodome Chronicles, Book 2
Publisher: Forest Tales Publishing
Released: July 2, 2019
Genre: Science Fiction
“Feelings are real. They often become one’s reality. But they are not always based on truth….”
New Eden Township is more than a dungeon for Fillion Nichols. Sealed inside the experimental Mars colony, there is no escape from anyone, especially the young woman who has haunted his life for nearly six years. To preserve his sanity, he focuses on one goal: decoding the mystery behind the Watson deaths.
Meanwhile, to prove his worth to the Daughter of Earth, a young nobleman ventures beyond the walls of the biodome and experiences the Outside world for the first time. But his quest takes an unpredictable turn when he meets Lynden Nichols and Mack Ferguson, who draw him into their world – an underground community also confined and isolated by society.
As worlds converge, each young man faces a choice that will affect the survival of an entire community. And to save the generation they fight for, both men must defy the boundaries of everything they know.
Cultures collide as The Biodome Chronicles continues in a compelling quest for truth, forging an unforgettable story rich in mystery, betrayal, and love.
Jesikah Sundin is a multi-award winning Ecopunk SciFi (eco / pagan scifi) and Forest Fantasy (faerie tale / historical fantasy) writer mom of three nerdlets and devoted wife to a gamer geek. In addition to her family, she shares her home in Monroe, Washington with a red-footed tortoise and a collection of seatbelt purses. She is addicted to coffee, laughing, and Dr. Martens shoes … Oh! And the forest is her happy place.
Website ⎮ Twitter ⎮ Facebook ⎮ Goodreads ⎮ Instagram ⎮ Pinterest
My name is Sunny Patel and I am a professional British male Voice-Over artist. I was born and bred in London, UK, and woke up with a deep, rumbling voice when I neared adulthood. As a result I have pursued the lifestyle of a Voice Actor / Voice-over artist, not wanting my unique voice to go to waste. I have recorded for multinational companies like Herbal Life, and organisations like The Billy Graham Evangelist Association. I am also narrating a critically acclaimed, award-winning trilogy book series called The Biodome Chroncles by Jesikah Sundin. I have already narrated the first book in the series – Legacy: The Biodome Chronicles – and the audiobook is currently on sale on Amazon and Audible. I can also do voice-overs in other languages, which includes Hindi and Gujarati.
I have been voice trained by coach and mentor, Gary Terrza (https://www.vomasterclass.com), a successful and and well-known voice actor who has been doing his craft for over 25 years.
Website ⎮ Twitter ⎮ Facebook
I received this audiobook as part of my participation in a blog tour with Audiobookworm Promotions. The tour is being sponsored by Jesikah Sundin. The gifting of this audiobook did not affect my opinion of it.
Author Jesikah Sundin’s Top 10 reasons to listen to this book
Forbidden love
Medieval / Pagan world
Close male friendships
Murder mystery
Elemental themes
Near-future society inspired by japan
Dystopian with social commentary
Strong faerie tale feels
Eco and sustainability themes
Snarky and witty banter
LEGACY- BOOK 1
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August 27, 2019
Review of The Victory Garden
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I love Rhys Bowen’s “Royal Spyness” mysteries, and I also really enjoyed “In Farleigh Field,” which was a much more serious historical novel set in the WWII era. So I’m now pretty much just following her as an author. “The Victory Garden” is also a serious novel, though it is set in WWI. It’s also either quite episodic, or else about 3/4 of the book is backstory for what turns out to be a very different sort of tale in the last quarter. I still enjoyed it, but it didn’t hook me the way a more cohesive story might have done.
The story follows Emily, who comes from a wealthy British family. Her mother hopes that she will marry well and take her place in society, but she has become intolerably controlling ever since Emily’s brother Freddie died early in the war. Very much against her mother’s wishes, Emily falls in love with an Australian pilot named Robbie, who considers many of the British cultural values silly. Emily has to go to great lengths to see Robbie without her parents’ knowledge. Wanting to do her part to help in the war, she volunteers to be part of the “Land Army”–essentially as a farmer, since all the men are off to war, and somebody has to plant and harvest the crops so the nation doesn’t starve. Her parents heartily disapprove and threaten to disown her if she doesn’t come home. She defies them; she and Robbie become engaged; she falls pregnant, and then finds out that Robbie has been killed.
In this society, unwed mothers are frowned upon. Emily tries to go home, only to discover essentially that her parents would shun her if she told them her secret. So instead she goes back to the home of a titled lady, whose garden she had worked in as a Land Girl, and asks for room and board in exchange for continuing to work her garden and fields. Two of Emily’s good friends from the Land Army come with her, one as a maid in the grand house and the other helping at a nearby pub. Emily finds diaries of previous women who had lived in the cottage on the property centuries before her, and begins to hear of rumors that the cottage is cursed: every woman who had lived there in the past had come to a bad end. She also hears that the women were witches. When she finds the diaries, she realizes that many of the herbs growing around the cottage are medicinal, and they were “wise woman” or herb women to whom villagers would come for healing. Emily begins to experiment with herbs, reading the diaries as she goes. She finds that both of the previous inhabitants were accused of witchcraft because of their trade, and were falsely accused of murder.
You can probably see where this is going, though it doesn’t get there quickly. Emily has her baby, meets Lady Charlton’s estranged (and presumed dead) grandson, and attempts to reconcile the two. The war ends. She saves the village from the Spanish Flu. She is accused of poisoning Lady Charlton, and history looks like it might repeat itself. This precipitates events that lead to her reconciling with her family (sort of). In the last 2-3 pages there is a twist that is unnecessary and a little too convenient, and it also honestly adds nothing to the story other than to add a nice pretty bow on top of the apparently parallel stories.
“The Victory Garden” is a nice, calm read with a happy ending… good for unwinding at the end of the day, if you don’t want a thriller that might keep you turning pages to find out what happens next.
My rating: *** 1/2
Language: none
Sexual content: present but mild (as in, premarital sex is present and not portrayed as a bad thing, but it is a fade-out: you don’t see it happening)
Political content: none to speak of (the setting is WWI)
The post Review of The Victory Garden appeared first on C.A. Gray.
Modern Royals
Author: Aven Ellis
Narrator: Andrea Emmes
Length: 10 hours and 1 minute
Series: Modern Royals, Book 1
Publisher: Tantor Audio
Released: Aug. 14, 2018
Genre: Romantic Comedy
When art-history student Clementine Jones receives a message complimenting her latest internship project, she doesn’t hesitate to answer it. She never dreamed this decision would not only change her life, but the future of the British monarchy as well.
Her response leads Clementine to the mysterious CP Chadwick, a British man studying history at Cambridge. Clementine finds CP charming, smart, and unlike any man she’s ever met. Most of all, when she confides her medical past to CP, his perception of her doesn’t change. He doesn’t treat her as fragile like her parents do. CP sees her as normal, which is something she cherishes.
Clementine, however, has no idea CP is actually Prince Christian of Wales, who has never had a “normal” life. Christian is at a crossroad. His destiny is to be a working royal, but he is desperate to fill that role in his own way. Wary of others, he’s kept himself closed off from the world – until he lets Clementine in.
A royal romance is never a fairy tale, but Clementine and Christian are determined to write their own version. Can they overcome their own fears – as well as the constraints of a royal life – to reach their own happily ever after?
Aven began her publishing career in 2013 with her debut release, Connectivity. She currently writes hockey and baseball romances as well as a modern royal romance series.
Her books are designed to make readers laugh out loud and fall in love. Happily-ever-after endings and good-boy heroes are guaranteed.
Aven lives in the Dallas area with her family. She is a huge fan of both the Dallas Stars and Texas Rangers. Aven loves shopping and fashion and can spend hours playing with fragrances in any department store. She can be found chatting it up on social media, eating specialty M&Ms, and crushing on the latest outfit the Duchess of Cambridge is wearing.
Website ⎮ Twitter ⎮ Facebook ⎮ Goodreads ⎮ Instagram ⎮ Pinterest
Best Selling, Award Winning Audiobook Narrator, Andrea Emmes was born in Hollywood, Florida, grew up in both Tennessee and Rhode Island and started her career in musical theatre. She’s enjoyed an eclectic career as a singer, dancer, Vegas Headliner, Magician’s Assistant, a Recording Artist and a Video Game Designer.
A total book nerd, Andrea, now enjoys narrating all genres of audiobooks, especially YA, LitRPG, Mystery, Romance, and NonFictionat her professional home studio in San Jose, CA.
Her wide range of character voices and dynamic/emotionally invested performances has reviewers and listeners alike commenting on how she effortlessly pulls listeners in and has versatility and charisma.
Fun Facts: Andrea has a Bachelor of Science in Game Art and Design; was a game designer for Disney Interactive; and gets her gamer-geek on playing games of all kinds!
Website ⎮ Twitter ⎮ Facebook ⎮ Instagram
I received this audiobook as part of my participation in a blog tour with Audiobookworm Promotions. The tour is being sponsored by Aven Ellis. The gifting of this audiobook did not affect my opinion of it.
Q&A with Author Aven Ellis
Are you an audiobook listener?
What about the audiobook format appeals to you? Yes, I’m always listening to a book-when I’m in my car, and right before bed. I love the audiobook format because it allows me to read at times when I can’t. As a writer, when I’m done writing for the day, my eyes need a break. Audiobooks fill that need nicely!
How did you select your narrator?
The Modern Royals Series is produced by Tantor, and they gave me a couple of narrators to choose from. But I requested Andrea because I heard a clip of her British accent and I knew she was perfect to carry the series forward! Her accent is so good I had a British friend ask if she was British! There’s no greater compliment than that!
Were there any real life inspirations behind your writing?
I have been fascinated with the British royal family since I was a tween. People always come to me to talk royals and finally another author said, “Why aren’t you writing a royal series? You would be perfect for that.” So I thought about it and decided I wanted to create an alternate reality British royal family. I use the real palaces and traditions in the books, and it’s been a tremendous research project to get those details right, but I absolutely love telling royal stories.
What gets you out of a writing slump? What about a reading slump?
If I get to a sticking point with my writing, I bounce ideas off my critique partners and beta team until the story is back in the right direction. For a reading slump-I’m lucky, I’ve never had one.
How did you celebrate after finishing this novel?
I always treat myself to a bottle of perfume after finishing a novel, and that’s what I did.
If you had the power to time travel, would you use it? If yes, when and where would you go?
You know what? I wouldn’t. I’m grateful for the time I’m in and wouldn’t want to go back to any other time.
What do you say to those who view listening to audiobooks as “cheating” or as inferior to “real reading”?
If you are consuming a story, if you are enjoying escaping to another world, to me that’s all that matters. Personally, if you are listening to a one of my audiobooks you are consuming my story and that’s all that matters.
What’s your favorite:
Food: steak
Song: Poison by Bell Biv DeVoe
Book: Confessions of a Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella
Television show: MasterChef
Movie The King’s Speech
Band: Don’t really have one at the moment
Sports team: Dallas Stars
City: Dallas
Are any of those things referenced in appearance in your work?
My favorite foods appear all the time! I set a series in Dallas, too.
What’s next for you?
I’ll be releasing the third book in my Rinkside in the Rockies series-Outscored. That is a romantic comedy and yes, it will be in audio, too.
Aven Ellis’ Casting Picks for A Royal Shade of Blue
Katherine McNamara as Clementine Jones
Freddie Stroma as Prince Christian
Kate Beckinsdale as Queen Antonia
Laurence Nicotra as King Arthur
Francis Cadieux as Prince Alexander
Amanda Schull as Princess Elizabeth
Fabian Castro as Roman Lawler
Helen Mirren as Jillian Park
Giveaway: $25 Amazon Gift Card
Modern Royals Giveaway: $25 Amazon Gift Card
BOOK 1- A ROYAL SHADE OF BLUE
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August 23, 2019
The Great Hunt Duology by Wendy Higgins
This week’s podcast review comes from this blog post of the Great Hunt Duology by Wendy Higgins.
The post The Great Hunt Duology by Wendy Higgins appeared first on C.A. Gray.
The Biodome Chronicles
Author: Jesikah Sundin
Narrator: Sunil Patel
Length: 12 hours 30 minutes
Publisher: Forest Tales Publishing
Released: Dec. 11, 2017
Genre: Science Fiction
She’s from the past, locked inside a world within a world. He’s from the future, haunted by her death. A chilling secret binds their lives together.
A sensible young nobleman and his sister live in an experimental medieval village. Sealed inside this biodome since infancy, Leaf and Willow have been groomed by The Code to build a sustainable world, one devoid of Outsider interference. One that believes death will give way to life.
All is ideal until their father bequeaths a family secret with his dying breath, placing an invisible crown of power on Leaf’s head. A death Leaf believes is the result of murder. Now everyone in their quiet town is suspect. Risking banishment, the siblings search for clues, leading them to
Fillion Nichols, an Outsider with a shocking connection to their family. Their encounter launches Fillion into a psychological battle with his turbulent past as he rushes to decode the many dangerous secrets that bind them together – a necessity if they’re all to survive.
The Middle Ages clashes with the near future in an unforgettable quest for truth, unfolding a story rich in mystery, betrayal, and love.
Are you ready to discover what is real?
For fans of medieval fantasy, fairy tales, anime, eco-pagan science fiction, dystopian romance, and murder mysteries.
The Biodome Chronicles is sure to keep you on the edge of your seat!
Rerecorded and second audio edition released in March 2018.
Jesikah Sundin is a multi-award winning Ecopunk SciFi (eco / pagan scifi) and Forest Fantasy (faerie tale / historical fantasy) writer mom of three nerdlets and devoted wife to a gamer geek. In addition to her family, she shares her home in Monroe, Washington with a red-footed tortoise and a collection of seatbelt purses. She is addicted to coffee, laughing, and Dr. Martens shoes … Oh! And the forest is her happy place.
Website ⎮ Twitter ⎮ Facebook ⎮ Goodreads ⎮ Instagram ⎮ Pinterest
My name is Sunny Patel and I am a professional British male Voice-Over artist. I was born and bred in London, UK, and woke up with a deep, rumbling voice when I neared adulthood. As a result I have pursued the lifestyle of a Voice Actor / Voice-over artist, not wanting my unique voice to go to waste. I have recorded for multinational companies like Herbal Life, and organisations like The Billy Graham Evangelist Association. I am also narrating a critically acclaimed, award-winning trilogy book series called The Biodome Chroncles by Jesikah Sundin. I have already narrated the first book in the series – Legacy: The Biodome Chronicles – and the audiobook is currently on sale on Amazon and Audible. I can also do voice-overs in other languages, which includes Hindi and Gujarati.
I have been voice trained by coach and mentor, Gary Terrza (https://www.vomasterclass.com), a successful and and well-known voice actor who has been doing his craft for over 25 years.
Website ⎮ Twitter ⎮ Facebook
I received this audiobook as part of my participation in a blog tour with Audiobookworm Promotions. The tour is being sponsored by Jesikah Sundin. The gifting of this audiobook did not affect my opinion of it.
Fillion Nichols
Fillion Nichols is a hacker in the Anime Tech Movement’s computer underground, even though he is part of the Corporate Elite. At age 17, he is fluent in Japanese, can hack most Smart devices, websites (including government sites), and holographic computer technology. He also writes encryption software algorithms, same as his life-long best friend, Mack. Fillion works the communications night shift at New Eden Enterprises for New Eden Biospherics & Research, the companies responsible for the experiment at New Eden Township.
At age 20, he’ll come into trust majority of a large legal Legacy, an inheritance he resents. But, as he states, it never matters what he wants. Ever. Fillion sees himself no different than a drone, something programmable. Something his father owns to manipulate and use at will. A fate he fears he’ll never escape.
His sister Lynden is 11 months younger than him. The media scrutinizes his every move. When he had attended Academy, he was bullied regularly. For this reason, Mack and Lynden are the only two people Fillion trusts. He is known for his quick wit and sarcastic humor, analytical thinking, rambling thoughts, deep emotions and convictions, guitar playing, and his fondness for whiskey and cigarettes.
Willow Oak Watson
Willow Oak Watson, lovingly referred to as Oaklee by her father or the Daughter of Earth by the community, is nearly 16 years old when the story opens. She was born inside New Eden Township, much the same as others from the second generation. At age 8, she apprenticed with Mistress Katie, the head village spinner and weaver, and became a master spinner and seamstress at age 14.
Her fingers prefer to stay busy, even if to twirl strands of hair when her hands are not otherwise occupied. Quite often, she perches high above her community in the branches of her beloved willow oak tree, humming a merry tune while pondering the world around her. When grieved by offense, she feels the injustice whipping inside of her with gale force winds, earning her the family nickname Hurricane Willow.
Her father, Joel Watson, was the Earth Element, one of four head Nobility positions within New Eden Township. Her mother, Claire Johnston, died from childbed fever when she was 8 years old. Willow has an older brother named Leaf (age 19) and a younger sister named Laurel (age 8).
Willow is best known for her atmospheric personality, poetic tendencies, quick wit, deep and thoughtful emotions, and her connection to nature.
Leaf Watson
Leaf Watson, titled the Son of Earth, was the first child born within the walls of New Eden Township. He is the eldest child in the Earth Element house at age 19 and among the oldest members of the second generation. Since a small boy, he has found great pleasure in watching living things grow and flourish. Unlike most from Nobility, he was pushed through a rigorous education, which included additional studies under the tutelage of the village Barrister.
Since age 15, Leaf has acted as First Representative for his father, Joel Watson, who was a head Noble inside New Eden Township. But an unthinkable situation changes everything. An invisible crown of power is bequeathed to Leaf as his father takes his final breaths. This family secret propels Leaf into a position that not only threatens his home but also his way of life. To Leaf, each day seems to unearth new secrets and present new challenges, an overwhelming situation, especially as he is now the legal guardian for his sisters, Willow Oak (age 15) and Laurel (age 8).
Leaf is known for his kind, steadfast, and astute personality, as well as his honorable and gentlemanly demeanor. He is reserved and dutiful, sometimes to the point of self-sacrifice. Although a peace-maker by nature, he would be willing to wage war in order to protect his family.
Coal Hansen
Coal Hansen, also known as the Son of Fire, is age 16 when LEGACY begins. At age 8, he began an apprenticeship under his father, becoming a full-fledged blacksmith at age 14. With his light blond hair and tanned skin from standing before The Forge, he earned the nickname Golden Boy by the community. Moulding metal to his artistic whim is one of his favorite ways to spend time. Although, to Coal, nothing is as adventurous or enjoyable as spending time with Willow Oak Watson.
His father, Connor Hansen, is the Fire Element head Noble and runs The Forge as the village blacksmith. His mother, Cami Hansen, died during childbirth right before he was born. His father remarried when Coal was age 4 to Brianna Williamson, the village midwife. He has an older twin sister named Ember, a half-sister named Corona (age 7), and a half-brother named Blaze (age 4).
Coal is known for his impetuous nature, adventure-seeking and trouble-making antics, charming—and at times, flirtatious—personality, and his thoughtfulness. He is fiercely protective and would go to any lengths to ensure the safety and happiness of those he loves, even if his actions brand him as dishonorable.
Ember Hansen
Ember Hansen, also known as the Daughter of Fire, is age 16 when LEGACY begins, and older twin sister to Coal. She is the First Representative for her father, Connor Hansen, the Fire Element head Noble. Rather than begin an apprenticeship like most from the second generation, she chose to assist her step-mother with rearing her half-siblings, Corona (age 7) and Blaze (age 4), when they were little.
When her half-siblings began their studies in the Great Hall, Ember joined the milk maids in the Mediterranean livestock dome in caring for the goats. Additionally, she assists her father with various tasks as needed.
She is known for her soft yet strong personality, nurturing tendencies, intuitive insight, and natural elegance. Quite often she experiences a hunch and, according to Ember, her discernment is rarely wrong. Her strength is quiet and unassuming, unless someone she loves is threatened, which promptly kindles her bold and fiery side.
Lynden Nichols
Lynden Nichols is Fillion’s younger sister by 11 months. For the one month they are the same age each year, Lynden humorously declares a time of Armistice and Fillion must resist his “Dictator Mode.” At age 16, she still attends Academy–brick and mortal schools for the Corporate Elite–unlike Fillion and Mack who graduated two years prior.
She wishes to belong to the Anime Tech Movement in order to know and experience physical community and to feel like she has her own place in the world. Wanting to prove she was good enough separate from her brother’s fame, she joins forces with Pinkie, a member of the Cyber Call Girl circle of the underground, rather than ask Fillion for his help. This connection pulls Lynden into a darker world than she imagined, one that quickly takes over her life.
Lynden is known for her playful and teasing tendencies, childish antics, love of surprises, and inquisitive nature. Although highly intelligent, she holds back for fear of disapproval. When the book series begins, she has already lost the lighter part of herself to the computer underground.
Mack Ferguson
Mackenzie Patton Campbell Ferguson III, also known as Mack, is Fillion’s best friend since preschool. At age 18, he is the only child of a Smart Tech Baron, heir to TalBOT Industries, where he works alongside his father, and one of the Elite kids from the Anime Generation.
Just like Fillion, he is fluent in Japanese, can hack most–if not all–Smart devices, websites (including government sites), and holographic computer technology. He also writes encryption software algorithms. At age 15 he joined the computer underground’s Anime Tech Movement, becoming an integral part of the hacking community. Often, he represents his father when negotiating with the underground’s Open Source community for projects or to recruit new hires for TalBOT Industires.
Mack is best known for his practical jokes, lighthearted personality, sarcastic humor, and his fondness for all things girls. Underneath the humor and playfulness, though, is a serious and compassionate nature, one he only reveals to specific people. And, he is fiercely loyal to Fillion and Lynden, whom he considers his real family.
Skylar Kane
Skylar Kane, titled the Son of Wind, is best friends with Leaf Watson, a man he also boasts a brother’s bond with. At age 18, Skylar is the First Representative for his father, Timothy Kane, who is the Wind Element head Noble. His mother, Emily Kane, is the Educational Governess for all of the children in New Eden Township, holding classes three days a week inside the Great Hall.
During his years of education, Skylar enjoyed competing against Leaf. But, he became disappointed when his father did not push for additional studies under the village Barrister, allowing Skylar to continue his friendly rivalry with the Son of Earth. Skylar assists his father in monitoring the internal atmosphere, running scientific experiments to test for any imbalances in the air. His job covers every biodome and, therefore, he tends to naturally be more privy to details within the community. He remains honorable, despite the overheard gossip and private details, guarding all the information he “hears on the wind.”
He has two sisters: Windy (age 12) and Gale (age 9). Skylar is known for his stoic charm, chivalry, natural confidence, and intelligence. With his refined bearing and behavior, he is considered the model gentlemen within the second generation.
Rain Daniels
Rain Daniels, age 16, also known as the Daughter of Water, is part of the second generation inside New Eden Township. She is the second-born daughter of the Water Element Noble house, but acts as First Representative for her mother, Norah Daniels. Her elder sister, Mist (age 18), married a village boy and began a family, relinquishing the esteemed position to Rain. Her father, Alex Daniels, is the village cooper and makes barrels for storage, food, and beverage, as well as all the compost, lavatory, and watering buckets.
In addition to her duties as First Representative, she assists her mother in performing various scientific experiments to test soil moisture and water pH. Mostly, however, her time is spent caring for her mother who is dying from cancer. Being a caretaker consumes many hours of her day, and she misses her friends, especially Willow and Ember. A part of her envies her older sister for making a home with another and starting her own family.
In addition to her older sister, Mist, Rain has two younger brothers, Canyon (age 14) and Lake (age 6). She is known for her analytical mind, conversational and debating skills, a playful sense of humor, and her refinement.
Pinkie
Not very much is known about the young woman whom everyone in the computer underground calls Pinkie. Although, it is common for Cyber Call Girls (CCG) in the Anime Tech Movement to be ageless and to reject their former life, including their birth name.
When the series begins, Fillion is wary of her, especially since Pinkie is the last person he would ever expect Lynden to befriend. Soon, Fillion discovers that Pinkie has been grooming Lynden to become a Ticket Girl, a gateway profession to becoming a CCG. He is livid and does what he can to warn Lynden. But his sister has formed a strong attachment to Pinkie, appearing to trust her over him.
Pinkie is best known for her vintage, pin-up girl looks, trademark soft pink hair, and sexual games and manipulations, especially toward Fillion Nichols.
LEGACY- BOOK 1
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Valerie Ullmer | Romance Author Viviana MacKade
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ELEMENTS- BOOK 2
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August 21, 2019
Review of Batman: Nightwalker
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There are certain books that I’m proud to love, and others that seem like just one step above reading a fashion magazine, or watching a soap opera, just because of the associations. Superheroes are never considered great literature–they’re more like mindless pop culture. Yet the only real difference between this book and many other contemporary YA books out there now is that it borrows a familiar character and story, rather than creating one that’s entirely new. In the case of Batman: Nightwalker, I feel like that was a distinct advantage. It gave Marie Lu less of a hurdle to overcome–I already knew Bruce Wayne, liked him, and rooted for him from the minute I heard his name. I knew who he was and what to expect from him, and immediately understood the subtext of allusions to his history.
Otherwise, the story is completely new, and not at all “campy” the way that some of the old Batman films were (even though there is a certain charm in this too). This is not exactly an origin story, but it hints at that. It follows Bruce Wayne just as he comes of age, inheriting Wayne Tech and his parents’ fortune when he turns eighteen. He’s not yet Batman, just a new billionaire with fancy tech toys and a passion for justice. He intervenes in a police chase because he has the horsepower in his car to catch the criminal and they don’t, landing himself in community service in Arkham Prison–where he meets Madeline, a girl his own age who is nevertheless considered to be the most dangerous and manipulative criminal in house. She’s supposedly one of the Nightwalkers, a group of Robin Hood-esque criminals whose goal is to steal from the rich and give to the poor–except that after they steal from the rich, they also brutally murder them. Madeline has been incarcerated for weeks and has not spoken a single word, until she sees Bruce. Then she immediately begins to open up… but is it because she and Bruce have a connection, as he begins to suppose (even though he tries to deny it, knowing this is a dangerous line of thinking)? Or is it because Bruce is on the Nightwalkers’ hit list?
The dynamic between Bruce and Madeline is stellar, and the story itself is incredibly tight–everything is there because it needs to be, and I don’t think there is a single superfluous scene. The pacing is perfect. Madeline’s character is immediately compelling, and Lu tells you just enough to hook you, and keep you guessing as to whose side Madeline is truly on until the very end. The only reason I knocked off half a star is because the big reveal at the end felt a little too convenient. I just didn’t totally buy it. But aside from that, this was a great read!
My rating: **** 1/2
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August 16, 2019
Esther: Royal Beauty, by Angela Hunt
Today’s podcast review comes from this blog post review of Esther: Royal Beauty.
The post Esther: Royal Beauty, by Angela Hunt appeared first on C.A. Gray.
Review of Billion Dollar Whale
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Absolutely fascinating, all the more so because the story is true!
Jho Low grew up in privilege in Malaysia, idolizing American pop culture and obsessed with gaining prestige. His combined audacity and financial genius enabled him to first make connections with powerful people (Middle Eastern royalty and politicians to start, and then A-list Hollywood celebrities), and then leverage those connections into lending him credibility for his various business and financial schemes so that no one would look too deeply beneath the surface. He’s the ultimate example of “fake it till you make it,” except for the fact that he never actually produced anything of value to the economy. Rather, he used his connections and genius to boldly pull off several multi-billion dollar heists in which he moved money from one place to another, making it look like actual profits. Then he spent the money on outrageously opulent parties, extravagant gifts, courting supermodels, and his own Hollywood production company–all with the apparent goal of being acknowledged by the world as “cool.”
So it’s a sad story, really, but a fascinating one. Spoiler alert: in the end, Jho Low was found out, but never caught. He’s currently a fugitive from Malaysia, Singapore, and the US for pulling off one of, if not the greatest financial heists in history.
My rating: *****
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