Tag Archives: Ebooks

Fire & Steel (King’s Bane Book 1) by C.R. May – Review

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Title – Fire & Steel (King’s Bane Book 1)
Author –  C.R. May
Genre –  Historical Fiction
Length –  355 Pages
Publication – March 2016
My Rating – 4/5 Stars

Synopsis

523 A.D. Arthur is dead.

As Britannia burns a small tribe clings to its colony of Anglia.

Across the German Sea powerful enemies covet Engeln itself.

But the English are not easily cowed.

As Spear-Danes threaten the homeland a hero returns,

leading the fightback with ferocity and guile…

Review

I always like to do a bit of research before I read a book from an author.. as in do they have any other books out etc and a quick look shows C.R. May has a few books under his belt with some very decent reviews so I was looking forward to what could promise to be a great series to get into.

I wasn’t disappointed at all, it’s a nonstop ride for Eofer and his loyal men… honestly the man never stops moving.

I really enjoyed the descriptiveness and the language used to weave this tale, it was a nice blend of words I’m familiar with whilst also engaging my brain with some words I’ve not come across before.. I like this in a book, hooks you in.. keeps your brain active.

Not much is given away by the synopsis but you can tell from that and the cover that war is afoot..and lots of it. Revenge is the word to describe this book.. every action has a reaction and it left me wondering what was coming next..and indeed left me wondering what more can happen in book 2.

I did feel at times the story jumped too fast.. at one stage our hero arrives home and sees his family but with the turn of the page he’s off again. It didn’t leave much chance for the characters to develop or for me to bond with them but the authors style of writing leads me to believe these characters develop long term.. not just over 1 book

From reading the authors notes I can tell some of these characters have appeared in previous books also which will spur me on to read his previous books to gain more perspective into these characters.

While I would have liked to see a bit more growth with a few characters I did however fall I love with a few of the others. There were two who stood out for me as the most interesting Grimwulf and Spearhafoc.. I hope they play a bit part in the next book

The storyline itself took me a few chapters to get into.. to understand who Eofer was.. but once things got going I was hooked. I’m never one for spoiling a story but look out for some awesome battlefield scenes being played out.

Overall this is a very strong book; decent storyline with some very good characters who I hope will develop throughout the series. It’s a fast paced, well written story full of blood and death. The author clearly knows his stuff and the historical note at the end of the book helps keep fact from fiction. Credit to the author, he’s left me with a taste for his work.. and I want more

The book is out now! to find out more head to Goodreads, Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com

GIVEAWAY!!! – The Reaper’s Breath by Robert Southworth

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Ok guys..today i bring to you a great chance to get your hands on a copy of the latest book from Robert Southworth!

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Rob has very kindly offered up 2 copies!

For a chance to win 1 of these books either share this post on twitter or comment below. I’ll choose one person who tweets as well as one person who comments below to win.

Make sure i’m tagged in your tweet so i can see it 🙂

Open to UK residents, closing date is midnight Friday 18th March, winners drawn and announced on Saturday 19th.

If you want to remind yourself what the book is about then here’s the blurb –

Mary Kelly lies dead upon her bed… Her sorrowful eyes capture the agony of her fate. Anger, and fear walk side by side as the populace of London demand justice for the slain. William Harkness is a former officer of the 66th Regiment of Foot and he has entered the hunt. He will not bring a mad man to court, he is not tied by the laws of the land. William Harkness is the killer of killers, assassin of the evil…

You can also read my review here!

I rated it 5* and would love to hear your views.

If you’ve not been introduced to Rob’s work yet you should definitely take part in this giveaway and while your at it check out his other books! Have a look at Robs Amazon author page

10 Questions With…… Robert Southworth

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Today i bring to you a interview with the talented Robert Southworth who is largely responsible for my love in books, After reading the first book in his Spartacus series i was hooked!

Rob very kindly agreed t answer a few of my questions 🙂

Q1 – How long have you been a writer and what influenced you to first put pen to paper?

In my heart I have always been a writer, like many would-be authors I spent many years
jotting down ideas or writing the first chapter of a novel I was determined to finish. However, I suppose it has been around 5 years now where I can actually call myself an author. It may sound silly but I still smile every time someone asks me what I do for a living.

Q2 – I’ve read all your books so far and you seem to find a story where many wouldn’t see any.. Which lead to a very unique story. Where do your ideas come from?

Partly through the interest in the subject matter, partly through wanting to be that little bit different. The rest is probably something close to insanity as the ideas arrived at the strangest of moments. In the middle night, changing my youngest son’s nappy…usually when a pen and paper aren’t available.

Q3 – With the new book you seemed to change your cover designs quite a few times. Some authors don’t seem to put much time into the designs. Do you think it’s important to get the cover image right?

It’s vital to me and part of the creative process. Unlike many authors, I only have a broad outline of the novel before I write it. So building the cover helps me visualise the world in which I want to immerse myself. The reason for a cover change is often because, as the story progresses so does my idea of what the novel is truly trying to say. It is also important to attract the readers but that is secondary in the process but still key to the production side of a novel.

Q4 – I’d be interested to know out of the novels you’ve wrote do you have a favourite?And if so why? I won’t lie… I love them all…

Tricky one, but for quality of work I think The Reaper’s Breath simply because I’m learning my craft and I think that this novel shows the improvement. However, two novels stand out for enjoyment in terms of writing Spartacus III because of the challenge of creating a book that was in essence one long battle scene. This was departure from my other books, where I usually try to keep action scenes to short punchy sequences. The other and probably my favourite overall is Wrath of the Furies. Virtually every character is from my imagination; it was my first attempt at a thriller and was a joy to write.

Q5 – Who have been your biggest influences/support within the writing community?

Oh lots, authors such as Lofting, Ashman, McKay, Bayliss, and Rule have all played major roles in supporting me in both the creative side and marketing. However, I have to mention Sajjad Tameez because without his support I would never have had the confidence to actually put my books out there.

Q6 – Are there any books/authors you’re looking forward to reading this year?

Ooo loads both Paula Lofting and Louise Rule should have new books out this year and I have been lucky enough to see snippets of both and they are going to be something else. On a sad note, I will miss the chance to buy Terry Pratchett’s books, a pure genius that will be missed by many.

Q7 – As well as being a writer I note you write reviews too. Is this something you enjoy?

Absolutely hate it…when it’s a book I don’t like, love it when it’s a book that I enjoy.

Q8 – How important is feedback from your readers?

It’s so important for very different reasons. Firstly, from a purely sales reason, good reviews and lots of them will spread the word and so you gain more readers. The second reason is even more important. I have yet to meet an author who isn’t plagued with self doubt. It is an affliction that seems to travel hand in hand with being an author and I am no different. To hear that someone enjoys your work fills me with joy and banishes self doubt…at least for a little time. I am lucky to have found readers who love my work and offer a great deal of support.

Q9 – Any plans for a sequel to Wrath of the Furies? .. I particularly liked that story 🙂

Yes… but not sure when. The sequel has been planned for some time, Hades Beckons centres on the kidnapping of an important Parthian official and his family, just as Emperor Hadrian is entering peace talks. I hope to begin the tale later in the year.

Q10 – Plans for the future? I’m sure we’d all like to know what idea you are working on

Interestingly it’s quite a tricky question. I have had a number of requests to turn my story telling to the early part of Spartacus’s life. I have actually outline a few idea’s and a three part series called Legend is in the preparation stage with the first book being called Born of Blood. I also want to continue the Ripper Legacies and do the follow up to the Wrath of Furies. If possible, and it is a big ‘if’ I would like to write The Reaper’s Touch, Born of Blood, and then Hades Beckons within the year. However, that would require a great shift in my work life balance, one which I cannot ensure. That said, I would definitely like to get at least two those books on the shelves before 2017.

Rob’s latest book is out now! Click here for my review of The Reaper’s Breath!

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Click the image above to head to Amazon.co.uk to purchase your copy today!

 

The Theseus Paradox by David Videcette only 99p this weekend!

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So folks, i have The Theseus Paradox on my TBR list for next month. I’d love to hear what other bloggers thought of the book.

If you’ve not read it yet then you can get it at the bargain price of 99p this weekend.. what have you got to loose? if you do buy it please pop by and let me know if you enjoyed it.

Here’s the blurb about the book..

July 2005: in the midst of Operation Theseus, the largest police investigation that the UK has ever known, Detective Inspector Jake Flannagan begins to ask difficult questions that lead to the mysterious disappearance of his girlfriend and his sudden suspension from the Metropolitan Police.

    • Who masterminded London’s summer of terror?

 

    • Why can’t Flannagan make headway in the sprawling investigation?

 

    • Is Jake’s absent girlfriend really who she claims to be?

While hunting for the answers to the most complex case in British history, one man will uncover the greatest criminal deception of our time.

 

The author, David Videcette, is a former Scotland Yard Detective who has worked on a wealth of infamous cases, including the July 2005 London bombings. He has twenty years of policing and investigative experience, specialising in counter-terrorist operations and organised crime. He currently consults on security operations for high-net-worth individuals and is an expert media commentator on crime, terrorism, extremism and the London 7/7 and 21/7 bombings. David says, ‘I can’t tell you the truth, but I can tell you a story…’

To purchase the book or to read some reviews head to Amazon

The Reaper’s Breath by Robert Southworth – Review

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Title – The Reaper’s Breath (The Ripper Legacies Book 1)
Author – Robert Southworth
Genre – Historical Fiction / Alternative History
Length – 242 Pages
Publication – Feb 2016
My Rating – 5/5 Stars

Synopsis

Mary Kelly lies dead upon her bed… Her sorrowful eyes still hold captive, the agony of her fate. Anger, and fear walk side by side as the populace of London demand justice for the slain. Is it a single mad man or is there a bloody political game being played out in the grime filled streets of the old City? The authorities are powerless to stop the bloodletting and call for a new kind of law. William Harkness, former officer of the 66th Regiment of Foot will join the hunt. His task is not to bring an insane killer to court, his hands are not tied by the laws of the day.
William Harkness is the killer of killers, the assassin of evil…

Review

Finally we have the new book from Robert Southworth. It feels like I’ve been waiting ages.. but let me tell you the wait has been worth it!

If you’ve read Rob’s previous series focusing on Spartacus you will know he has a talent for making a story based loosely on history. It’s an interesting style of story and If I’m honest before reading this book I wasn’t 100% sure it would work..the whole ripper event are well documented so I just couldn’t see an story to be told.. but credit to the author, he easily manages to take a little bit of history and give it a twist which shows just how good his imagination is.

To be clear for anyone who reads the book.. this isn’t a ripper book as such. It’s based on some of the events and some of the real people are mentioned but this is entirely a book of fiction on which Rob has been able to show his unique style of storytelling. I’ve never read anything like Rob’s book before and I’m so glad I found his work.

So.. the story. Well this book follows William Harkness, the classic flawed character which every great book needs. William is approached by Inspector Abberline to help when people turn up murdered.. they think there’s more to these murders than they are willing tell the public… they want him to help catch a killer who has avoided the police for over 15 years!

There was some great stand out characters for me, namely Obadiah & Naismith. Obadiah had the aura around him.. like nothing could hurt him.. ever. Naismith.. mysterious Naismith.. he was just an intriguing character from the start.

Let’s get down to the honesty I like to bring to all my reviews… The plot itself seems well planned out.. everything made sense, nothing seemed out of place or had me confused. At one point I was 100% sure I had figured everything out..Then the author throws in some spectacular twists and turns that I just didn’t see coming.

Emily was an interesting character, to be truthful I would have liked to see more scenes between her and William to see the connection develop but what the author gives us didn’t disappoint me..

The biggest enigma in the book for me was Williams’ dad, Sir Simeon Harkness. You don’t know much about him at first only that he and his son have issues. Throughout the book he develops well and the author finally lets you into the family history that has plagued these two men.

In conclusion Rob has brought his unique style to this book, plenty of suspense and twists to keep you gripped and it’s written so well, enough detail to keep your mind activate but not enough to bog you down.

Robert Southworth has delivered another brilliant book which showcases his talent and I’m eager for more

Look out for an interview with the author on my blog in the near future!

To find out more head to Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.com or Goodreads.

Blue Wicked by Alan Jones – Review

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Title – Blue Wicked
Author – Alan Jones
Genre – Crime Fiction
Length – 283 Pages
Publication – Oct 2014
My Rating – 4/5 Stars

Synopsis

The tortured corpses of young alcoholics and drug addicts are turning up in Glasgow and only Eddie Henderson seems to know why. When he tries to tell the police, his information is ridiculed and he’s told to stop wasting their time.

One officer, junior detective Catherine Douglas, believes him, and together they set out to discover why the dregs of Glasgow’s underbelly are being found, dead and mutilated.

Review

This tale is dark; the crimes committed are designed to inflict as much pain for as long as possible. The person behind these crimes wants their victims to know they are dying and no matter what nothing can save them.

Initially when Eddie contacts the police no one takes him too seriously but things soon change and Eddie is brought in to help on the case.

There is a great build up throughout the book, each crime leaving you thinking what could possibly happen next.

Catherine Douglas has faith in Eddie and you can see from the start something is likely to happen between them. I wasn’t a fan of this I must admit but the way the author used this relationship throughout the book worked and led to some great reading towards the end of the book. I guess with the dark tone of the book I wasn’t prepared for a bit of love to be thrown in there. Nevertheless it made for a very good, fast paced read

I mainly read historical, syfy or fantasy works but I’m starting to find out there are some very good crime fiction books out there.. I’ve just never known.. and I’d definitely say this is one of the good ones.

My one other word of caution is that some of the slang used can be a little hard to understand. The author does provide a glossary at the end of the book but is does interrupt the flow of the story if you don’t understand what a word means and have to look it up.

The aspect of the book changes throughout, which gives you great insight to the person committing the crimes. Put this together with one hell of an ending and you’ve got a great story in my book

To sum up, Blue Wicked has a lot to offer. The darkness of the murders & the anger brought on by the police who won’t listen made this a book that’s hard to put down.

I see the author has a previous book out so I’ll be adding this to my TBR pile

To find out more head to Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.com or Goodreads.

The Lights Went Out and Other Stories by Fiona Cooke Hogan – Review

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Title – The Lights Went Out and Other Stories
Author – Fiona Cooke Hogan
Genre – Literary Humour
Length – 213 Pages
Publication – October 2015
My Rating – 4/5 Stars

Synopsis              

An eclectic mix of flash fiction, short and longer stories. At times humorous, eerie and poignant; a mother burdened by financial troubles shares her problem with a stranger, a young couples’ journey to the the airport takes a strange turn, a wedding anniversary in Dingle goes from bad to worse, a small dog is forced to change his ways and a vampire hiding out in suburbia just wants to be left alone. Dip your toes into this quirky collection and find your favourite.

Review

I won’t lie.. this isn’t the normal type of book I’d pick up but I was presently surprised how much I enjoyed it. I must thank the author for suggesting I add her book to my review pile.

It’s a nice selection of short stories which shows off the author’s style of writing and her imagination. I must say they were all easy to read.. some made me chuckle.. some made me think..”hang on what am I reading here” Vampires..Zombies.. it’s a good old mash of stories but it kind of works.

For this this would suit anyone who doesn’t have a lot of time to read. This is the type of book you can read a story a day and not worry you’ve lost your place. As a reviewer I’m constantly reading books and I found this was a perfect book to read in-between longer books to give my brain something easy to digest, refresh myself.

As you can imagine there were some stories I liked more than others but this books gives you a nice range that I’m sure everyone will find ones they love.

Some of the stories and the writing style showed great promise to me for longer works. The author hooked me in.. it was a shame that some had to end so quickly.

Worth reading, have a look.

To find out more head to Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.com or Goodreads.

The Embroiderer by Kathryn Gauci – Review

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Title – The Embroiderer
Author – Kathryn Gauci
Genre – Historical Fiction
Length –  433 Pages
Publication – Nov 2014
My Rating – 5/5 Stars

Synopsis

Set against the mosques and minarets of Asia Minor and the ruins of ancient Athens, ‘The Embroiderer’ is a gripping saga of love and loss, hope and despair, and of the extraordinary courage of women in the face of adversity.

1822: During one of the bloodiest massacres of The Greek War of Independence, a child is born to a woman of legendary beauty in the Byzantine monastery of Nea Moni on the Greek island of Chios. The subsequent decades of bitter struggle between Greeks and Turks simmer to a head when the Greek army invades Turkey in 1919. During this time, Dimitra Lamartine arrives in Smyrna and gains fame and fortune as an embroiderer to the elite of Ottoman society. However it is her grand-daughter, Sophia, who takes the business to great heights only to see their world come crashing down with the outbreak of The Balkan Wars, 1912-13. In 1922, Sophia begins a new life in Athens but the memory of a dire prophecy once told to her grandmother about a girl with flaming red hair begins to haunt her with devastating consequences.

1972: Eleni Stephenson is called to the bedside of her dying aunt in Athens. In a story that rips her world apart, Eleni discovers the chilling truth behind her family’s dark past plunging her into the shadowy world of political intrigue, secret societies and espionage where families and friends are torn apart and where a belief in superstition simmers just below the surface.

Review

I feel very lucky to have been offered the chance to review this book, I absolutely loved it.

For the most part the book focuses around Sophia, who came across as a very powerful character who has to deal with so much pain throughout her life… but there’s so much more to the book. It’s covers multiple generations and sometimes you are left with tit bits of information which light is shed onto later in the book. It made this book a fascinating read to say the least.

I felt a lot of time went into this book, the detail given not only to the characters but also the background..the places visited.. the people..and if I’m honest I loved the underlying family traits of painting and embroidery that were explored.

The major theme that plays out throughout the book is war.. and how it affects Sophia and her family.. and at times it was hard to read..i had my hand over my mouth a few times as some of the events.. it was so tragic.

This book was full of character development and the best part.. it was a natural development rather than forced… my heart ached for Sophia.

3 chapters in to the book I was already looking at rating the book a 4* simply because my brain couldn’t understand everything that was going on. It felt like three stories rolled into one.. I think that’s me.. I over think.. I look 10 chapters ahead wondering where a story will go. The way the author managed to tie everything together and to keep me waiting so long for the information I knew would come brought this up to the 5*. The suspense is what kept me reading even when I was tired..i just had to keep reading

The author also gives you a lot of background info to the wars that are being waged. It was hard to take it all in at times but rest assured this info doesn’t take anything away from the main story if you don’t quite understand it all.

In conclusion this is a wonderfully emotional book, full of heartache and love. The author has put so much into this book it’s hard to do it justice.. Read the book.. you’ll enjoy it

To find out more head to Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.com or Goodreads.

Rise of the River-Man: Mutter’s Story by L.S. O’Dea – Review

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Title – Rise of the River-Man: Mutter’s Story (Conguise Chronicles #1)
Author – L.S. O’Dea
Genre – Young Adult/Fantasy/Science Fiction
Length –  126 Pages
Publication – Oct 2015
My Rating – 4/5 Stars

Synopsis

In a world where the Almightys rule with absolute power over the other classes, being an unwanted Guard is a death sentence.

A Guard’s life is never easy, but Mutter’s has been particularly hard. An orphan at five, he had to fight for his survival on the streets and then he fought in a ring for an Almighty. Until, he lost. His master didn’t give second chances, so Mutter sits in the Guards’ shelter awaiting execution. His only chance is to be adopted but no one wants a Guard like him: big, strong and ugly.

Then his luck changes when an Almighty arrives at the shelter and gives him a choice: kill or be killed. Mutter chooses to live.

Things are looking up until he’s taken to a laboratory and stuck in a cage but that’s not the worst part. He’s not alone in the lab. There are…things in the other cages. Things that don’t move or smell like anything he’s ever known.

Now, the Almightys are giving him some kind of serum and he feels good, but does he feel too good? Is he changing into something else? Something like the creatures in the other cages? Can he escape before it’s too late?

Review

I was kindly gifted a copy of this book for review and I was presently surprised at the story considering the book is only 100+ pages.

The story was written well with a clear plot which developed at a fast pace. The characters were interesting; I particularly liked Mutter and Ableson. The interaction between these two was fascinating to read.

So the story is based in a time after a great death has hit the planet, lots of people died and those who survived now live under a new social structure.

The language used is perfect for young and old alike with enough detail to develop the characters nicely enough, especially Mutter.

I enjoyed the book, read it one day. It’s a perfect quick read but I have to admit I would have liked to have had more information on this “great death” and why only humans and large humans were affected and how these new social classes were then formed.

I’m not one for spoilers but the main reason for the 4* rating is because of the character Sweet… I’ll try not to give too much away but feel free to skip the next paragraph to avoid any spoilers.

Sweet for me was a great love interest for Mutter but I would have liked to see more development with her. When Mutter starts to change it would have made more sense to me that Sweet would struggle at first with this change.. then love would win out and she would love him no matter what he looked like.

Overall this was a nice book to read, perfect quick read. The book contains a scene which I would class as mild gruesomeness; this gave it some shock factor. The storyline developed quickly and since this appears to be a prequel to the authors Lake of Sins series I’m interested enough to add them to my TBR pile.

I’d definitely say this book is more suited to the younger reader but I’m 30 and I still enjoyed reading it.

To find out more head to Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.com or Goodreads.

The Prospect of This City by Eamonn Martin Griffin – Review

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Title – The Prospect of This City: Being a novel of the Great Fire
Author – Eamonn Martin Griffin
Genre – Historical Fiction
Length – 309 Pages
Publication – July 2015
My Rating – 4/5 Stars

Synopsis

London, 1666. Agent provocateur Rufus Challis is given a secret mission by the Dutch government; an attack on England’s capital in reprisal for wartime losses suffered that summer. He has a single weekend to put his plan into motion.

When Tom Farriner, second son to the King’s baker, intercepts an aspect of Challis’s plan, he investigates. Already, a friend’s blood stains the cobbles. Is Tom man enough to bring Challis down? And to what lengths is Challis prepared to go to in order to see the city fall?

A novel for fans of CJ Sansom, Hilary Mantel, and Manda (MC) Scott, The Prospect of This City is a dark historical thriller with a blade concealed in its sleeve

Review

The book focuses on Rufus Challis and Tom Farriner. I’m not going to spoil the plot for anyone but Challis is not a nice man and Tom suspects this pretty early on.

I’m going to tell you straight away why I’ve given this book a 4 star..as I bloody loved the book but I wouldn’t have looked twice at the book if I hadn’t been sent a copy for review. The cover just doesn’t do anything for me. I know not everyone is like me but a cover needs to grab me.. otherwise I wouldn’t turn it over to read what the book is about.

This book for me was a diamond in the rough. I could never have imaged how brilliant the story would turn out to be.

Challis was a brilliant character, I could have read a whole series of books with him in.. his skills, his insight was exceptional. Is it wrong that I found myself liking the bad guy in a book?

Anyhoo, the other character Tom..he’s a bit of a nosy kid but has good intentions. He lives with his father, brother and Alice. There’s a complex family relationship going on throughout this book which added to the plot that develops with Challis led to one of the best tales I’ve read.

This book is full to bursting with detail.. sometimes too much. When the fire starts I found myself rereading bits of text to make sure I understood what the author was conveying.. there was so much to take in to try and place yourself in the fire.

Saying that at times the detail was so good it really did help you imagine what walking the streets would have been like, urine and faeces all around, whores offering their services to mention a few.

For me this was a brilliant historical thriller that I can’t help but feel anyone would enjoy. The plot is exceptional and it would be a great shame if you didn’t read it.

To find out more head to Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.com or Goodreads.