Category: Book Reviews
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Review: The Dark Man
His name is Charles Graves. He can wear any face; imitate any voice; fit in anywhere. His work for the Agency is legendary, especially among the hidden clusters of Christians he has helped uncover and “reclaim.” His father and only remaining family, Senator Cotton Graves, loves him. His coworker, relentless logic-girl Julia Jenkins, will do…
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Review: The Word Reclaimed
Here is how I feel about cliffhangers: AAAAAAAAAUUUUUUGH! It doesn’t help that I am still nursing a feeling of rawness over the lack of resolution in Bryan Davis’s Masters and Slayers. I had to take my raw self wading into Steve Rzasa’s space opera The Word Reclaimed, suspecting more and more that this story was…
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Masters and Slayers: A Review
Readers of the young adult fantasy Starlighter will recognize the opening scene of Bryan Davis’s upcoming Masters and Slayers — that feeling of “we’ve been here before” is more than just deja vu. Masters and Slayers is the first book in the “Tales of Starlight” series published by AMG/Living Ink, a fantasy series for adults…
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Review: The Wolf of Tebron
In the village of Tebron, surrounded by forests and peaceful mountains, Joran works as an apprentice blacksmith because his unusually sharp ability to mindspeak with animals has made forestry, hunting, and fishing too painful an occupation. He is painfully aware of his difference from his brothers, whom he loves but is unlike. Joran is slender,…
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The Madwoman of Bethlehem
Content Warning: I usually write reviews of family-friendly books, so I wanted to give a heads up on this one: this story is for mature readers only, as it deals with heavy subject matter and contains some strong language and other content not for children. The Madwoman of Bethlehem is a beautifully written story of…
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Review of Starlighter (Day 2)
Jason Masters is trained to be a hero, a peasant whose skill takes him to the top of warrior training. With his brother Adrian, he grows up fighting homemade dragons and “rescuing” his best friend, Elyssa, from all manner of peril. But growing up brings unwelcome realities with it. His oldest brother, Frederick, disappears, and…
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Review: Imaginary Jesus (CSFF Tour Day 2)
The story begins at the Red and Black, a Communist coffee shop in Portland, Oregon, where Matt (our hero) and someone he thinks is Jesus are just hanging out. Enter the Apostle Peter, a.k.a. “Pete,” who recognizes Matt’s Jesus as an imposter and quickly instigates a fistfight. Imaginary Jesus takes off running, Pete and Matt…
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Mustard and Vinegar
A couple of weeks ago at a writers’ meeting I had the privilege of meeting Rosine Nimeh-Mailloux, a gracious lady who grew up in Bethlehem in a Syrian Orthodox family. She’s written and published two books, one a collection of short stories based on her family’s experiences in Turkey, Lebanon, and Palestine (Mustard and Vinegar,…
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By Darkness Hid: A Review (CSFF Tour, Day 2)
Pressure filled his head again. This time the insight that followed was not dread but kinship and hope. Achan paused at the entrance to the kitchens and turned, seeking out the source of the sensation. His gaze was drawn to the armory. A knight stood leaning against the crude structure of the armory, watching Achan…
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The Man, the Beast, and the Nature of Desire (Raven’s Ladder, Day 4)
The CSFF Tour for this month is officially over, but before we leave Raven’s Ladder, I want to explore one of its themes. I also have a book to give away, so it’s time for a contest! Scroll all the way down to the bottom of this post for contest rules and deadline. Warning: there…