CHARLIE BRAY’S BOOK REVIEWS – Five Great Indie Books
A very warm welcome to Charlie Bray’s Indie Book Reviews. If you wish to buy any of these books, click on the front cover to buy from Amazon.com or the link following the description to buy from Amazon.co.uk
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A PUNCTUAL PAYMASTER by Dan Groat
Black and white, good and bad, and right and wrong are inextricably interwoven like an ancient tapestry throughout the seventy years that this book spans.
Two distinct colours, two distinctive parts of town each being steered by two distinct men, until replaced by their aspiring offspring.
This dramatic story collides with the present day when two friends are thrust into a situation in which they must unravel this complex tapestry.
A Punctual Paymaster by Dan Groat is a perfect example of how dialogue can lead you seamlessly through a period of time, dealing with many contemporary issues along the way.
Missouri is the backdrop for this remarkable story. The divisions between north and south, black and white, haves and have nots is explored fully and the book never really puts the reader down. Characters are tested to the hilt and often provide a role model for fellow characters and readers alike.
Dan Groat is a very adept wordsmith who takes you with him on this remarkable journey. It is at once a history lesson, a guide to the complexities of human nature and a localised travelogue.
Interesting sub plots run alongside the main thread of the story, adding even more depth to what is undoubtedly a complex, and fully absorbing book.
Also available from Amazon.co.uk
SEVENTH DIMENSION: The Door by Lorilyn Roberts
Shale Snyder’s unfortunate experiences typify today’s society in that they encompass all that is wrong in the form of self-doubt, bullying, broken homes and dysfunctional families.
Lorilyn Robert’s marvellous book focuses on the human need for ultimate love and understanding.
Shale’s journey is one of self-discovery and is triggered by the need to escape from her present plight. Whilst fleeing she stumbles and bumps her head, her unconscious state becoming the catalyst which launches her through a dimensional door into Biblical times. Her friends become animals with whom she is able to communicate.
We learn, through Shale, that the Seventh Dimension is actually a place that lies within you and that God is available to heal the hurting soul.
Lorilyn’s book is a wonderful fantasy, a magical fairytale, and a great escape from the rigours of modern society.
But it is more than just an escape. It is almost as if it grabs you by the hand and leads you to a better life.
Also available from Amazon.co.uk
The Gift: Awakening by J P McLean
The opening chapters of this remarkable debut novel illustrate what a skilful author Jo-Anne Mclean is.
The heroine lies in a concussed state on a hospital bed, fully aware of what is happening around her, yet totally incapable of communicating with the hospital staff setting out to help her. The reader shares her frustration and I realised how powerful the writing was when I became desperate for her to be heard and desolate when the consultant walked away, apparently having failed in his quest to revive her.
It is from this platform that the reader is left to unravel the mystery which enshrouds Emelynn Taylor, whose life changed irrevocably the moment she was presented with a gift from a stranger whilst enjoying the adolescent delights of a beach.
The book is an urban fantasy that holds the reader from start to finish. The author excels at settings and her descriptive powers are immense.
The story flows seamlessly backwards and forwards between the past and the present, and between fantasy and reality. And yet the reader is never lost, always managing to keep some kind of hold on the situation.
The easiest way is to relax, not fight it, and let the book take you with it.
It worked for me.
Also available from Amazon.co.uk
BLUE MAGIC WOMAN by Paola Bortolotti and James van Loon
The hero’s quest is to find out who murdered his uncle, a Benedictine monk, and at the same time discover his true self.
The reader is treated to life through the eyes of Michael, and that is not to enjoy life through normal vision. Michael’s mind is unbelievably fragmented, his vision often shattered like pieces of a kaleidoscope.
Much of Michael’s madness is orchestrated by the mysterious Blue Magic Woman, who casts an undoubted spell over him.
His quest takes him – and the reader – to exotic and varied locations. An Alpine monastery, an Arctic asylum and the Sahara Desert. But they afford him – and the reader – little comfort. In fact to enjoy this book you need to leave your comfort zone, think outside of the box, grip your teeth and enjoy the ride. Despite all my cliches I promise you it will be worth it.
Michael’s mindset is illustrated perfectly in the opening chapter when he is saved from head butting an express train by two burly policemen, who then struggle to constrain him within the walls of a lunatic asylum. We are treated to his thoughts and the interpretation of his vision, and whilst it is clear that he does have a grip on sanity, it does appear as if it is rather fleeting.
Michael may be away with the fairies for lengthy periods but his grasp of reality is evidenced by this brilliant piece of description: ‘His long parchment like face with his one immobile eye stares out at the group, and he ruffles one hand through his mussed, thinning hair. Anger and fear wind their way through Michael’s body; his muscles tighten as he looks at the craggy-faced doctor whose foul breath, snorting out through his long, pointed nose, smells like poison. Michael backs away from the stench but bumps into one of the Viking-sized assistants who firmly ushers him into the room. There is no escape…’
No senses spared in this sparkling piece of description, a tone that is set throughout the book.
Do yourself a favour, buy this book and immerse yourself in it.
Also available from Amazon.co.uk
ONCE HUMANS by Massimo Marino
So you can forget about the mystery of crop circles and flashing UFOs in the sky. This alien invasion is real. Well not real, but certainly more transparent.
The first mission of any self-respecting bunch of aliens is to destroy the humans. Not all of them – just nearly all of them. The few that escape were actually destined to escape. They are the Spared Ones. The idea is that several small groups of the Spared Ones operate across the globe, each one under the supervision of a member of the Selected. The Selected are an even smaller band of humans who are being genetically transformed by the Aliens. For several small groups, read about a million people in total, but I suppose that is tiny compared with the overcrowded planet as it stands at the moment. This was the scene inherited from the first book, Daimones, in this remarkable trilogy,
In this sequel it is ultimately left to one man, Dan Amenta to take on the aliens and restore the earth to what is left of it’s true population. He is one of the Selected Ones who has been given special powers but soon learns that there is a separate alien force at large, who is at odds with the first one and is busily turning Spared Ones into rebels without a cause.
An intriguing tale that explores the way mankind deals with ultimate adversity and adapts rapidly to the changing misfortunes that are sent to try us.
Massimo Marino is developing this story into quite a wonderful trilogy and I heartily recommend you treat yourself to Volumes One and Two and then wait with bated breath for Volume 3.
Also available from Amazon.co.uk
I hope you enjoyed reading my reviews as much as I enjoyed writing them. I look forward to publishing more reviews soon. Meanwhile… Happy reading, Charlie.
