Tag Archives: Fantasy

Juggernaut: a new sequel to The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde by Eamonn Martin Griffin – Review

Title – Juggernaut: a new sequel to The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde
Author – Eamonn Martin Griffin/Robert Louis Stevenson
Genre – Fantasy/Horror
Length – 311 Pages
Publication – March 2017
My Rating – 5/5 Stars

Synopsis

A thrilling new sequel to Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde.

1911. London is in limbo between two monarchs. Edward is dead and George not yet crowned.

Ex-military doctor Toby Latimer is lately installed in private practice after Boer War service. His life is easy, his indolence assuaged by East End charitable work.

Latimer is summoned to an irascible client. He finds he’s been summoned to witness a will reading. The will is that of one Edward Hyde.

And now, Latimer’s life is anything but straightforward…

Presented here as a chilling double-bill in one volume for the first time: Robert Louis Stevenson’s The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde together with Eamonn Martin Griffin’s all-new continuation, Juggernaut.

Review

I’ve reviewed author Eamonn Martin Griffin before and love his work so when he contacted me to say a new book was out I jumped at the chance to read it.

Now two things stood out. Firstly the cover.. Damn that’s a nice cover! I would have bought this book based on that alone. Secondly Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde has to be my favourite classic horror tale. I loved it as a kid and still do now.

If you’ve not read The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde then fear not.. now is the time as that tale is included.

What happened if someone else found out about Jekyll’s work? 20 years later Hyde’s will shows up, why now? Well I’m not going to spoil it for you, you’ll need to read Juggernaut!

Okay..maybe one little tit bit..lets just say Jekyll and Hyde’s legacy certainly isnt gone..but just who is behind things and what does Juggernaut stand for.. read and see 🙂

So what does Griffin bring to the tale? To start with he gets the flow of the book spot on and the two books work perfectly. He brings the language up to date but at the same time it really does feel like the stories fit together.

If you liked the suspense of Stevenson’s work you’ll love Juggernaut as Griffin keeps this style of tale going strong right until the end when the pieces of the puzzle are put together.

It takes a brave man to write a sequel to such an established book but Griffin did a brilliant job for me and I think it will help boost his reputation as an author but also open up the world of Stevenson to a new generation of youngsters who might have been put off by the language used by Stevenson.

For me this was an exciting read.. not only is it a brilliant piece of storytelling in itself but it breathes life into one of my favourite books.

I do think Stevenson would enjoy Griffins sequel and I hope you do too.

Griffin has a talent from writing and this books just cements how good he is.

To find out more head to Amazon or Goodreads.

The Deadly Cavern by Grace & Thomas Lockhaven – Review

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Title – The Deadly Cavern (Quest Chasers, #1)
Author – Grace & Thomas Lockhaven
Genre – Fantasy
Length – 164 Pages
Publication – Jan 2017
My Rating – 5/5 Stars

Synopsis

If you knew that your curiosity may take you to a place from which you may never return, would you go?

Tommy and Eevie get trapped in an underground labyrinth filled with deadly traps and puzzles. They must solve each riddle to survive, but every solution leads them closer to what is certain to be their demise.

The Deadly Cavern is the first book of Quest Chasers, a fiction-fantasy series, where characters Tommy and Eevie are taken to a magical adventure you won’t soon forget.
If you like fantasy, magical lands and puzzles, then you’ll love Grace and Thomas Lockhaven’s Quest Chasers!

Review

I’m a massive fan of young adult fantasy, I just love how simple, fun and enjoyable it can be and The Deadly Cavern was just that.

Tommy and Eevie have heard stories about a tree.. a tree that’s been around for years and holds a dark secret. When a fellow student claims to have been attacked by that very tree they set out to investigate.

Thery’re soon sucked into a labyrinth with challenges at every turn which they must complete in order to escape.

What I really enjoyed about the tale was the challenges themselves which had me thinking the possible solution in my head..it made it really fun an engaging.

I thought the writing was great and the plot sound, perfect for a young adult fantasy book. It wasn’t overly complex with its words but it never felt dumbed down either and the story flows easily allowing the younger readers to easily keep track of the events that happen. I’d say age range it’s aimed at early teens but I very much enjoyed it and will continue to see how the series plays out.

The ending really surprised me, perfect and sets up future books..It definitely left me with the wow feeling.

If you enjoy the genre you’ll love it! I’d also say if you’re looking for a fun easy read then why not give it a go. I’d certainly say this is a good one for parents to read with their children.

As kids we always dream of going on an adventure and its books like this that keep those dreams alive and the little boy in me excited.

My thanks go to Grace for supplying a copy of the book for review.

To find out more head to Amazon or Goodreads.

The Spirit of Solstice by Charlotte E. English (@Charlottenglish) – Review

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Title – The Spirit of Solstice (The Malykant Mysteries Book 6)
Author –Charlotte E. English
Genre – Dark Fantasy
Length – 92 Pages
Publication – Jan 2017
My Rating –5/5 Stars

Synopsis

Konrad Savast is the Malykant: foremost and most secret servant of the God of Death. His job? To track down the foulest of murderers and bring them to The Malykt’s Justice. No mercy. No quarter.

Solstice Eve, and Konrad is dragged from his bed to investigate the murder of a local wine merchant. The man’s as dead as they come, but his spirit seems oddly unperturbed by his passing.

More victims are swift to emerge, all killed in the same brutal style — and all with strange, unheard-of reactions to the news of their own demise. Is it just the Solstice spirit, or is there something else afoot? Something stranger, darker and far more dangerous…

Review

I don’t know how Charlotte does it but this series gets better and better with each story.

Konrad is the Malykant, He seeks justice for those murdered and he has a growing group of followers to help him. My favourites being Optapi and Eetapi as always. Their dark humour always has me smiling. The relationship between them and Konrad is a strange one, I don’t think Konrad wants to admit it but as much as he doesn’t like the serpents he’d be lost without them.

This case is a very perplexing to start with..a man is found murdered but seems happy to be dead when the serpents bind him. Why?

More bodies turn up and the curiosity grows with each death.

Now I don’t want to spoil the tale by giving away too much detail but Konrad has to root out fact from fiction to discover the identity of the killer but the strange manner of the deaths means this isn’t a quick open and shut case.

I loved the injection of myths in this tale. Fantasy and myth blend so well for me and it made for an extraordinary tale.

What the author manages to do superbly well is that she builds on the previous foundations set in the series and develops the relationships. Konrad is still coming to terms with feeling emotions and in this tale it looks like having emotions might not be the best thing.

While I loved the original ensemble of characters I really enjoyed the return of Tasha, she’s very unique and I love the relationship she has with Konrad and the growing support she has to offer with her own set of skills.

Once again I’m shocked at how much Charlotte can fit into so few pages. At 92 pages this is exactly what a short story should be..It’s a full tale, fast flowing and easy to follow, no unanswered questions & nothing feels rushed.

Charlotte’s tales are dark and a mildly gruesome at times but are very enjoyable and well suited to a young adults and above. I think what I really enjoy is Charlotte’s use of language, it’s never dumbed down but never too complex to put a reader off either.

I’ve said it before but Charlotte is Queen of the short tales for me. She never sets a foot wrong and they’re perfect if you don’t have the time to read a longer length novel.

To find out more head to Amazon or Goodreads.

Indefatigable by J.B. Garner (@JBGarner_Writes) – Review

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Title – Indefatigable (The Push Chronicles #2)
Author – J.B. Garner
Genre – Superhero/Fantasy
Length – 167 Pages
Publication – Sept 2014
My Rating –4/5 Stars

Synopsis

Three months ago, the Whiteout changed the very nature of reality across the globe, spawning in its wake superhuman beings, both good and evil. For every day since then, Irene Roman, armed only with a strange immunity from the powers of the ‘Pushed’, has donned the guise of Indomitable to try to reverse that change and protect the normal people from the worst excesses of the Pushed. She may never have wanted to be a hero, but she had no choice in the mater.

Unfortunately, Irene is still only mortal. Her never-ending duties have pushed her to a breaking point. Now, what began as a simple kidnapping investigation catalyzes overnight into the worst threat the city of Atlanta has had to face. An unholy plague, old enemies, and new challenges are coincide at once, landing squarely on Indomitable’s shoulders, despite the help of her small cadre of allies.

How much burden can any one person carry and how much strain can she take? Will Irene crumble or will she prove to be indefatigable?

Indefatigable is the second novel of The Push Chronicles. This tale of an altered Earth will conclude with Incorruptible, coming in 2015.

Review

I can honestly say I enjoyed this one more than the first. The first book was a clear-cut good vs bad tale whereas this book has more to it…some motives aren’t 100% clear at first which made it more interesting.

Click here to view my review of book one – Indomitable

After the events of the previous book Irene and her friends are still tackling their fair share of Push crooks.

Epic is still around but has cleaned up his act a little..although he still believes he should rule he’s helping protect the people from the Push crooks too, although him and Irene have very different views and their teams try to stay clear of each other.

In this tale an old enemy resurfaces and starts to wreak havoc and Irene/Indomitable has to do everything within her power to find out who is behind things and what the ultimate end goal is.

Indomitable isn’t like the Pushed and with the constant workload she’s running on empty..pushing herself to the limit and at times you think she’s one step away from collapsing. The first book was a fight of good vs evil, in this book I feel the fight was more an internal one for Irene.

The plot builds nicely on the first book in the series and it definitely felt stronger, I enjoyed it more. What made the story even better was the addition of the Argent Archer character, he’s one of Epic’s crusaders sent to help Indomitable in her time of need.

There’s a few decent twists in this tale that keep you engaged and we get a lovely cliff-hanger ending that has me itching to follow this one up quickly.

At 167 pages it’s a short and fast paced book. It’s easy to follow and suitable for YA and big kids alike.

My thanks go to the author for providing a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

To find out more head to Amazon or Goodreads.

Veiled Intentions by Michael R. Miller (@MMDragons_Blade) – Review

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Title – The Dragon’s Blade: Veiled Intentions
Author – Michael R. Miller
Genre – Epic Fantasy
Length – 467 Pages
Publication – Feb 2017

My Rating –5/5 Stars

Synopsis

Rectar has always had his sights set on conquering the human lands. His demonic invasion of the west is gaining momentum – an unrelenting horde unhindered by food or sleep. Now, only the undermanned Splintering Isles lie between the demons and the human kingdom of Brevia. If the islands fall, the rest of Tenalp will soon follow.

The Three Races must work together if they are to survive, but they have another problem – Castallan. The traitorous wizard has raised a deadly rebellion and declared himself King of Humans. He believes himself safe in the bowels of his impenetrable Bastion fortress, but Darnuir, now King of Dragons, intends to break those walls at all costs.

To face these threats, all dragons, humans and fairies must truly unite; yet old prejudices may undermine Darnuir’s efforts once again. And as the true intentions of all are revealed, so too is a secret that may change the entire world.

Review

After the events of the first book we know war is coming but there’s so much more to this book than just one big fight.

The three races are plagued by trust issues. The Dragon’s still see themselves above humans, especially since Castallan has manged to turn a large number of humans to his cause but they must come together if they stand any chance of beating back the demons.

It’s a battle of wills fought on a number of fronts, Darnuir has a clear plan and it’s not what you might think.. the negative effect magic has on him makes him dependent on it so he flies wildly about looking for any excuse to draw his blade and the magic it contains. I loved this negative side effect to magic, it shows it’s not something to be messed with..you need to know how to manage it..and Darnir just can’t cope without it now.

Blaine is back and he has his own internal demons to deal with as well as the physical demons sent by Rectar. He was still a mystery after the first book but this one brings some much needed depth to the character.

The most interesting development is the continued friction between the demons and the spectres..You should remember from the first book the leader of the spectres knows his master has a plan..and this plan doesn’t require him or his kind.

What I really love about this series is good and bad aren’t so clear cut. Magic always seems so cool and fun..not in this book, it’s poison! The spectres who control the demons hordes are only doing what they are forced to do.. some just want to live, they tire of war. Darnir even though he’s fighting ultimately for the good of the three races has motivations that aren’t so just, he craves the magic and this drives him on at times.

The three races split their forces up to best fight the demons and this allowed the story to stay fresh as we moved from fight to fight.

Character development is always high on my list of wants and this book has tones. Some characters from the previous book take a step as others new and old get their time to shine but it all worked for me.

This is what fantasy should be, swords and magic, fairies and dragons. This book builds nicely on the first book and sets up the final book perfectly. The next book will have a lot to live up to.

Some secrets are revealed but you can tell the author has more to give to make the final installment an explosive one.

This is epic fantasy which I love but what gave it the wow factor for me is that things aren’t black and white. There are hidden depths to a lot of the characters and this meant I never knew what to expect next.

My thanks go to the author for providing a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review. I hope many of you will agree with my take on things.

To find out more head to Amazon or Goodreads.

The Corpse Thieves (The Malykant Mysteries Book 5) by Charlotte E. English – Review

Guest post – Lake of Sins character hierarchy – L. S. O’Dea

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The 3rd book in the Lake of Sins series, Hangman’s Army by L. S. O’Dea has just been released and I can’t wait to read my copy. Look out for a review in February!

If you havent already you can see my reviews for the previous titles in the series here :-

Book 1 – Escape

Book 2 – Secrets In Blood

It’s fantasy..dark and gruesome secrets will be revealed!

To get your free copy for the first two books in the series click the image below!

Another bonus is that the author has kindly agreed to a guest post to give some background to the hierarchy within the series. Enjoy!

David was kind enough to ask me to write a guest blog on the hierarchy of the world of the Lake of Sins.

Book one in the series (Lake Of Sins: Escape) is told from the point of view (POV) of two Producers. This is probably not the best way to start the series since Producers are the lowest of the classes and have a very limited view of the world as a whole. Originally, the first two books were combined, so you did get a broader world view due to parts of the story being told through the POV of Almightys and a Guard.

However, the book was too long for traditional publication and I was told by an agent to either delete about 100,000 words or break it into two books. I reworked the original to create two books and here we are. For some, the hierarchy of the world of the Lake of Sins is confusing, until they read book two.

This should help readers who haven’t read book two.

Think of Producers as field slaves who are kept uneducated and isolated. Field slaves unlike house-slaves (or in this world House Servants) do not know the structure of the society as a whole. They only know their world. They understand that there are different levels of “masters” but they have no idea about the government and even the workings of a small town. They know their village and farming and that’s it.

Now, Trinity, the main character (MC) is a little different because her father, who is a House Servant, taught her to read. She knows a little about his life with Almightys and has a slightly broader world view but not much (although she understands a lot more by the end of book one).

So, let me present to you the Hierarchy of the Lake of Sins!

I really hope this post gives you some interesting background to the social structure. It’s very easy to follow during the books but for me this is a unique series and I wanted you to know more about the world L. S. O’Dea has created . Here’s some useful links :-

Authors Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/lsodea

Authors Twitter

https://twitter.com/lsodea

Authors website

http://www.lsodea.com

Links to Amazon to purchase

http://myBook.to/LOS_Escape

http://myBook.to/LOS_Secrets

http://myBook.to/LOS_HangmansArmy

Other places to buy! –

Escape = https://books2read.com/u/4Xgn21

Secrets in Blood = https://books2read.com/u/bo6Dn9

Hangman’s Army = https://www.books2read.com/u/bzpA5Z

Remember to get the first two books in the series for free click the image below!

The Reborn King (The Dragon’s Blade #1) by Michael R. Miller – Review

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Title – The Reborn King (The Dragon’s Blade #1)
Author – Michael R. Miller
Genre – Fantasy
Length – 408 Pages
Publication – Nov 2015
My Rating – 5/5 Stars

Synopsis

Dragons once soared in the skies, but that was before the Transformation, before they took human form. Now, demonic forces stand to obliterate them. When left mortally wounded, Darnuir, the Prince of Dragons, can only be saved through a dangerous rebirthing spell. He is left as a babe in human hands.

Twenty years later, Darnuir is of age to wield the Dragon’s Blade. As the last member of his bloodline, he is the only one who can. He is plunged into a role he is not prepared for, to lead a people he does not know. Shadowy demons ravage his new home and the alliance between humans, dragons and fairies has fractured.

Time is short, for new threats and deadlier enemies are emerging…

Review

Now this was a fantasy tale i could really get to grips with. We have everything I love in a fantasy book, Wizards, Trolls, Dragons, Fairies, Demons and a battle of good versus evil.

The story starts well and we are thrust into a war between demons and the rest of humanity. During this battle Prince Darnuir is hurt but saved by the wizard Brackendon. He uses a dangerous spell which turns him back to a baby.

Cosmo is a wonderful character, a hunter who is entrusted with baby Darnuir. He raises him without the knowledge of his former self. This means when the demons return that Darnuir has to grow up fast and unite everyone to fight. But the demons have been quiet for 20 years.. why did it all stop any whya re tye now suddenly back??

Now I can’t spoil the plot but there’s a good reason why.. things are hinted at throughout the book.. little bits shared here and there that add up to give you a fuller picture but still leaves you desperate for more when the end comes.

As Darnuir grows Brackendon has his own battle to fight. I loved in this book that magic is poison.. If not properly controlled it will break you and the rebirthing spell is just too much for Brackendon to take.

For 20 years Darnuirs past life has been kept secret and he must face an internal battle with himself to become the leader everyone needs.

The main issue he has is trust, none of the races really trust each other..too much bad blood.

Along the way he is aided by not only Brackendon and Cosmo but the mysterious Guardian Blaine. He’s been away for many years…why?? I liked Blaine. He’s certainly got the best interests of his people at heart but how far will he go to save his own race? only time will tell. Dragon’s have a rather high opinion of themeselves so will Blaine be able to follow Darnuir’s wishes to unite the races to fight the demons as one?

There’s battles, death and so many twists to enjoy in this one and one of the best things had to be the unpredictability of it..I was hooked, even though I had some ideas I really didn’t know where the story was going to go and what would happen next.

Now, let’s talk about the demons and their master Rectar. I loved the setup and their internal struggles. As a reader you are still left in the dark a bit as to Rectar’s motivations but his plan is clear and towards the end of the tale his past starts to become clearer. There’s so much unanswered at this stage but I felt the author gave you just the right amount of information to hook you so you’ll come back to read the next book.

The word I used most often with this book was “Damn”. Mainly –

Damn why didn’t I see that coming, Damn that’s a nice idea! or Damn they killed….(obviously not going to drop names 🙂 )

Overall this is a brilliant story, easy to read, fun, exciting and engrosing. There’s twists & treachery around every corner… what more could you want? Early on I felt a lot of questions were unanswered which meant I stopped reading to think these questions through..answers do come but later in the book. My only advice is don’t over think things..all will be explained in due course and what an imagination this author has…Damn it’s good!

The author has me excited to see how this one plays out. Bring on book 2 due out in February.
To find out more head to Amazon or Goodreads.

My thanks go to the author for the chance to read/revew their work

As Wings Unfurl by Arthur M. Doweyko – Review

The Gift-Knight’s Quest by Dylan Madeley – Review

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Title – The Gift-Knight’s Quest
Author – Dylan Madeley
Genre – Fantasy
Publication – March 2015
Pages – 289 Pages
My Rating – 4/5 Stars

Synopsis

When a young woman named Chandra takes the throne under suspicious circumstances, she has to solve the deaths of the King and Queen before those responsible get to her. She has to maintain peace in an empire where people consider her the number one suspect.

Derek is summoned by an official letter and his people’s tradition to be Chandra’s personal guard. He’s immediately suspicious given that her family ruined his once-noble ancestors, but if there’s no way to escape the world’s largest empire, what might he do to turn the tables?

Interwoven with Derek and Chandra’s story is the history of their ancestors, infamous and famous, that lead them to confrontation. A new world is built before the reader’s eyes, and key groundwork is laid for the impending sequels, leading to a highly detailed narrative.

Review

The Gift-Knight’s Quest follows two main characters, Derek and Chandra. Both have led very different lives and a family feud from years past has the potential to resurface.

I felt the plot was strong, I liked the idea of these two meeting, the trust issues that would ensue thanks to the family history. Blood is thicker than water so they say..

This isn’t the fantasy tale I’m used to, it’s more of a fiction tale but you are teased with little bits about powers we’ve not yet witnessed which hopefully will appear in the next book in the series to give it the fantasy kick.

Chandra’s tale for me was the stronger. I particularly liked the political issues covered in the book. I won’t spoil it but as you can imagine when a young girl is thrust upon the throne not everyone is happy, some want rid of her altogether.

This is where Derek comes in. He’s actually sent to serve the new queen and protect her. Given the family history you’d think they would send someone else but I really liked how the author explains why Derek is the one sent.

The story is told from different perspectives so I don’t think the relationship between Derek and Chandra really had the chance or time to develop, thus leaving plenty for the author to work with as the series continues.

Something that I really liked was the history, the author explores past events that led to the family feud. My only issue was it bounced around without warning sometimes and changed character perspective so I was left reading a paragraph before things made sense to me.

My favourite character had to be Jan Donde, Captain of the Guard. I loved the relationship that formed between him and the new queen. I hope he gets more page time in the next installment. I think he’s got more to bring to the story.

The pace of the book is steady and you get the history thrown in to give the plot some depth and to slow the tale down about, it worked well and I was left at the end looking forward to the next book to see where things go.

In all honesty it’s a good read, decent pace and has set the next book up nicely. I’ll be keeping an eye out for it that’s for sure as the twist towards the end of the tale does leave me excited for more.

My thanks go to the author for the chance to read/review their work.

To find out more head to Goodreads or Amazon

David's Book Blurg

Book reviews from a guy up north (UK)

Tag Archives: Fantasy

Juggernaut: a new sequel to The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde by Eamonn Martin Griffin – Review

The Deadly Cavern by Grace & Thomas Lockhaven – Review

The Spirit of Solstice by Charlotte E. English (@Charlottenglish) – Review

Indefatigable by J.B. Garner (@JBGarner_Writes) – Review

Veiled Intentions by Michael R. Miller (@MMDragons_Blade) – Review

The Corpse Thieves (The Malykant Mysteries Book 5) by Charlotte E. English – Review

Guest post – Lake of Sins character hierarchy – L. S. O’Dea

To get your free copy for the first two books in the series click the image below!

Remember to get the first two books in the series for free click the image below!

The Reborn King (The Dragon’s Blade #1) by Michael R. Miller – Review

As Wings Unfurl by Arthur M. Doweyko – Review

The Gift-Knight’s Quest by Dylan Madeley – Review