4 stars

Review: Guardians of Stone

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Guardians of Stone
Guardians of Stone by Anita Clenney
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

When my dog immediately ate the cover of this book, I thought it was a bad sign. Thankfully I was wrong and Guardians of Stone is a really fun, entertaining, and sexy foray into a new series and new author for me. I’m actually lamenting the loss of the cover because it’s hard to convince people to try a new book with teeth marks on the spine; no really, the dog LOVED it too. The review quote on the back is a perfect descriptor as “a cross between Indiana Jones and Stephanie Plum.” The book is nicely balanced with relic action scenes – searching catacomb bones for an ancient box amid deadly booby traps – and a romantic triangle between the female lead and two equally gorgeous and grumpy men. It’s a bit of a stretch so readers have to be willing to buy into the premise and suspend disbelief but it’s worth it with sharp writing, good dialogue, sensible if familiar characters, and an overall interesting plot that keeps the action moving and readers interested. Continue reading →

Review: The Saturnalia Effect

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The Saturnalia Effect
The Saturnalia Effect by Heidi Belleau
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Storm Moon Press continues to publish thought provoking, edgy, and very compelling stories. The Saturnalia Effect is no different and offers an absorbing and clever novella. It’s the perfect length to tease the reader but could easily have been longer and more involved. The short scene at the end attests to how much more the story still has to say. Nonetheless, TSE is a great quick tale that excites, engages, and leaves you wondering. My only criticisms are that the characters could have been explored more and the ending, which is both genius and a cop out. Continue reading →

Review: One Man’s Treasure

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One Man's Treasure
One Man’s Treasure by Nicole Kimberling
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

One Man’s Treasure is a thoroughly enjoyable read and visit down memory lane with familiar characters. You can easily pick this up without having read the previous books, as I had only a passing memory of the characters and situation when I started this latest book, so don’t worry if you’re a latecomer to the series. Those that remember the series more than my faint memory will appreciate a lot of the nuances and details that connect to the previous books. The formula is similar for almost all the books in the series where Peter finds a mystery and gets in trouble trying to solve it. Yet the crisp writing and endearing narrator help overcome any sense of “been there, done that” with a repetitive formula. Continue reading →

Review: Secret Light

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Secret Light
Secret Light by Z.A. Maxfield
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The last few ZAM books have been good but they haven’t hit the high notes of previous books for me. Finally Secret Light delivers the addictive and engaging prose by Maxfield I love so much. Here the story flows so easily with wonderful characters that the few flaws and obvious story manipulations are easy to forgive. There’s not such a defined happy ending but it fits with the time period and general story making it easy to see there likely will be a happy ending, even if it’s not spelled out. The tone is more subdued, as fits the story and characters, so this isn’t exactly a feel good holiday story, nor is it exactly a Hanukkah story, but it’s definitely worth reading and I quite liked it. Continue reading →

Review: The Forester

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The Forester
The Forester by Blaine D. Arden
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Forester is an impressive mix of fantasy and murder/mystery. The writing is superior and the romance is a nice touch without being too easy and ignoring the many potential problems. I personally liked the mystery component of the story more than the romance as ménages are a tough sell that I don’t always appreciate. Overall I quite like this novella and recommend it even if the threesome didn’t quite win me over as a reader. Continue reading →

Review: The Value of X

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The Value of X
The Value of X by Poppy Z. Brite
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Value of X is a prequel to Liquor, the story of G-man and Rickey as two chefs who decide to open their own restaurant in New Orleans. This novella starts with both men as kids when they meet and bond a lifelong friendship/relationship. The writing is very good and filled with tons of New Orleans flavor. You can’t help but envision the city as it was, down to the last detail. Additionally watching how the two men grow up, change, and deal with individual challenges sets up the tenor and basis for their relationship. They’re not lovey dovey kind of guys but they have a rock solid bond that can’t be broken, though it can be tested. Continue reading →

Review: The Iron Temple

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The Iron Temple
The Iron Temple by Ginn Hale
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Rifter Book Nine: The Iron Temple is perhaps the most straightforward and linear of the entire series. The previous eight books have jumped back and forth from past to present to tell the story of what happens in the future and how the future came to be. Book nine is simple, straight-forward action as John/Jahn/Jath’ibaye fights for the Fai’daum but in reality he’s fighting to save Laurie and Ravishan. In this installment, John comes fully into his Rifter power and can’t be killed, so instead he endures many, many situations where he should be killed but instead saves the day and kills everyone else. It’s violent but fast paced, engaging, and only slightly repetitive. As always the ending is a pretty strong cliffhanger though the ending is predictable – after all, the story already told us what happened. Continue reading →

Review: Last Chance

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Last Chance
Last Chance by Josephine Myles
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Last Chance is the third book in the First Impressions series. The first book was the aptly titled First Impressions where Jez the artist meets loud sock loving Steve. The second entry in the series is a free story called Fuzzy. This is an adorable look at Steve getting into knitting his own socks. This third short story is a darker, more serious turn as Jez’s homophobic father is dying. Despite the darker tone and content, this delightful story is a real treat to read. It’s beautifully written with a lot of subtly and punch packed into such a short space. This may not be the last we see of this couple (and I hope not) but the series and this story in particular is worth reading. Continue reading →