Rosie’s #Bookreview Team #RBRT THE SORCERER’S GARDEN by @DWallacepeach #Fantasy

Today’s team review is from Suzanne, she blogs at https://suzannerogersonfantasyauthor.wordpress.com/

Suzanne has been reading The Sorcerer’s Garden by D Wallace Peach

My Review

Wow, this was a breath-taking adventure that barely stood still.

I was intrigued by the title and the blurb really stood out for me, anything to do with writing and writers and I’m sold! As I started reading, possibilities whirled through my mind…

The start of the story felt a little over the top in the action sense. I didn’t know what I was getting into, but then I realised this was the start of Cody’s story – his tale of slaying the dragon with his brother. I thought this was very cleverly done by the author. This larger than life action helped to distinguish between Madlyn’s real world and Cody’s work in progress. However, as the story developed everything becomes more complicated for Madalyn and soon the two worlds are colliding and you have no idea what is real and what is part of the world within Cody’s story. I was as confused as Madlyn, but that wasn’t an issue, it made the reading experience more exciting. The only complaint I have is that the action was so full on and constant, sometimes I just needed a breather.

I liked Madlyn, but I really liked the two brothers, Cody and Dustin, and their mysterious grandmother, Lillian.

I loved the end. Everything came together and not as I was expecting it too. I was very happy with the conclusion, and the fact this was a standalone novel. But there could easily be more to this story and these characters.

My final thought – The author showed great skill weaving this tale. It was a very enjoyable read, if not a little exhausting!

I recommend to anyone who enjoys fantasy and loves a story with relentless pace.

4 stars

Book Description

Recently fired and residing with her sweetly overbearing mother, Madlyn needs a job—bad. In a moment of desperation, she accepts a part-time position reading at the bedside of adventurer and amateur writer Cody Lofton. A near-drowning accident left the young man in a vegetative state, and his chances of recovery wane with each passing day.

Cody’s older brother, Dustin, and eccentric grandmother aren’t prepared to give up on the youngest son of Portland, Oregon’s royalty.

Dustin’s a personable guy, bordering on naïve, and overwhelmed by familial corporate duties and cutthroat partners. Grandmother Lillian’s a meddler with an eye for the esoteric, dabbling in Dustin’s life and dealing out wisdom like a card shark. One innocent conversation at a time, she sucks Madlyn into the Lofton story, dubbing her the princess and bestowing on her the responsibility of both grandsons’ destinies.

And all Madlyn wanted was a simple reading job.

Uninspired by her self-imposed stack of literary selections, Madlyn opts for Cody’s work-in-progress. Fantasy isn’t her favorite, but with only four chapters completed, reading The Sorcerer’s Garden should be no sweat, right?

Little does she realize, the story will begin writing itself and, by the hand of destiny, become her own.

About the author

I didn’t care for reading as a child – I preferred Bonanza and Beverly Hillbillies reruns, Saturday morning cartoons and the Ed Sullivan show. Then one day, I opened a book titled The Hobbit.

Tolkien … literally changed my life.
I love to write. It’s a luxury I never expected I’d have time for – life got in the way. You know how that goes – kids, work, chores… sleep. I worked for 18 years in business where amassing coin was the all-consuming objective. It required huge amounts of time and mental energy. And for me personally, it was soul-slaying.

Then on September 11, 2001 two planes flew into the World Trade Center. I was working in Connecticut, about 2 hours from ground zero, and remember sitting in a conference room, watching the second tower fall. 

That tragedy initiated a process of redefinition for me, an evaluation of what was vital and important. Life felt short and precarious, and I started to wonder if it was time to do something that actually mattered. I began to write.

Goodreads | AmazonUK | AmazonUS | Twitter

Kitty Hawk and the Curse of the Yukon Gold by Iain Reading #KidsLit #Bookreview #SundayBlogShare

Kitty Hawk and the Curse of the Yukon Gold by Iain Reading
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Kitty Hawk and the Curse of the Yukon Gold is a middle grade / age 9 -13 reading level. The book is set in Alaska and follows the adventures of Kitty Hawk a 19 year old who flies a De Havilland Beaver plane.

Kitty wants to study Hump Back Whales and arranges to fly from her home in Tofina, Western Canada to spend the summer in Alaska. Whilst getting herself and her bearings sorted in Alaska, she reads about a local gold theft in the paper. A few weeks later she spots a suspicious fishing vessel and decides to check things out by herself.

Kidnapped by a group of men, Kitty ends up trekking through wild Alaska walking to the Chilkoot Pass and facing down a bear.

This book is full of life lessons and often I felt like I was in the classroom being taught about history, geography, whales and general ways of mankind. Not always a bad thing but long passages of teaching became boring.

For middle grade readers this is a lengthy book, I think the easy to read writing style would appeal more to the younger age of the bracket, readers who like an adventure. I myself wasn’t keen on the voice of Kitty’s conscience which often became a stream of dialogue, but others will enjoy this concept. In today’s techno-gadget age it’s difficult to know if wilderness adventures are popular with this set of readers.

This review is based on a free copy of the book given to me by the author via Book Publicity Services.

Find a copy here from Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com

View all my reviews on Goodreads

Ryan’s Legend by L.F. Young

Ryan’s Legend by L.F. Young

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Ryan’s Legend is a short story for young children, Ryan is ten years old and this book mixes adventure, mystery and fantasy.

When Ryan spots a green tale disappearing inside the old chicken coop he wants to investigate. He finds the opening to a tunnel and bravely sets off on an adventure that leads to the discovery of a new friend.

At just 57 pages long, an easy read and the first book in a series which should appeal to young readers.

Find a copy here on Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com

View all my reviews on Goodreads

Mystery Book Tour Day 21 #MysteryNovember Steps Into Darkness By Ben Woodard

Today’s guest on our Mystery November Tour is Ben Woodard with his YA mystery book Steps Into Darkness

Where is your home town?

I come from Lexington, Kentucky, USA

How long have you been writing?

Approximately six years

Tell us where and when Steps Into Darkness is set. 

A small town in Kentucky called Shakertown because the religious group, the Shakers, once lived there. The story is set in 1923

What is your favourite sub-genre of mystery?

Historical

What is your target reading age for this book?  

Primarily boys ages 10 to 15 although girls like the story.

Introduce us to Tom Wallace.  

Tom is an orphan boy who lives with his cousin, Will, in a house owned by Will’s parents. Tom is short, thin and shy, but he has a horrific secret that causes him to be moody, angry and to take incredible chances. He’s a misfit in the small Kentucky town he lives in since he loves to read, but hates to hunt and farm. He wants to escape this “backwater” as he calls it, but has no money and no where to go. Tom is curious, loves mysteries and is always ready to try something new.

Tell us about the Explosion

Cousins Tom and Will go to a dam construction site with two local girls. They are going to watch a planned explosion on the far side of the valley and have a picnic. However, right after the planned detonation, another explosion occurs on a hill above and they look up in terror to see rock and dirt barrelling toward them.

What is the element of mystery in this book?  

Someone is sabotaging the building of a huge dam and the two boys snoop around causing attempts on their lives. A bewildering number of suspects keeps them on edge until they discover the real villain–and then wish they hadn’t.

Tell us what you are working on at the moment.

I’m working on the third book in the Shakertown Adventure Series called The Staircase Of Fire. I hope to have it available early next year. It is a continuation of the first two stories and in this one the reader will learn the entire story of Tom’s secret.

Where can readers find out more about you?

They can go to my website at http://www.BooksByBen.com or find me on Facebook at http://facebook.com/benswoodard.

US: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EKB5YAG

 

UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00EKB5YAG

 

All other countries:  Amazon.com: Steps Into Darkness (A Shakertown Mystery Adventure Book 2) eBook: Ben Woodard: Kindle Store

Special Offer this book, only $0.99/ 77p  November 21st and 22nd.

Rosie’s Avid Readers #RBRT MayDay by Clive Cussler

Rosie’s Avid readers are people who like reading and have a book to tell us about, they are the voice of a friend who says ” I just read this book….”

Avis reader’s thoughts.

A great adventure in the Mediterranean all woven together with history, geology and underwater exploration and the usual double cross. I think that later editions call this book The Mediterranean Caper.

Book Description.

A psychotic ex-Nazi, a vicious narcotics dealer, a bloodthirsty Greek strongman and a beautiful double agent set Pitt off on the trail of a warped mastermind behind a devastating sabotage plot in this action-packed adventure story.

Find a copy here from Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com

We welcome recommendations especially from non-authors for this feature, and would love to hear from anyone who would like to leave a comment and follow the blog.

Spirit Warriors: The Scarring by D.E.L. Connor

Spirit Warriors: The Scarring by D.E.L. Connor

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is the second book in the YA Spirit Warriors series set in Montana. We meet the characters from the last book; Charlie and Archie, descents from native American Indians, Jack, Ollie, Bets and Em. They’re Charlie’s friends and he and Em have a special relationship which will be tested to the core.

These children have learnt the ability to join their spirits with those of animals in a battle against the Machayiwiw an evil medicine man spirit escaped and running a muck in the world today. Em has already had one close call with him at the end of the last book and nearly drowned.

In this book Em finds that her destiny is not with Charlie and both of them find this really hard to accept. Em has her own special gifts which she must learn to control and which will help them defeat the evil Machayiwiw. Others on the reservation help Em to prepare her for future battles. Meanwhile the children’s animals that they join spirits with are in danger from poachers and the children must move them to safety.

Other relationships move on too, Bets no longer wants to hang out with Em and her little brother Ben goes to LA to pursue his music career taking their Mum with him and putting extra strain on Em and her Dad.

This is another great book from Della and it left me tingling with the spiritual tensions at the end. I do think you need to read the first book in the series to fully appreciate this book and the story will continue on as well into the next book in the series. The setting is beautiful and the storyline really makes it a good read.

View all my reviews on Goodreads.

Find a copy here from Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com

Rosie’s Book Review Challenge – A review from Susan

Today I bring you a review from Susan. She blogs at http://www.gardenofedenblog.com/

Susan chose to review “The Heart of Albion” by Sue Vincent and Stuart France

Here is her review.

Extraordinary, in a word! ‘Unusual’ for another, and definitely original and thought provoking.

It begins with the fable of Jack and the Beanstalk which I was happy to revisit. I appreciated the psychological insight given by the two adventurers, Wen and Don as they discuss it. Fairy tales and fables, myths and legends contain hidden meanings and it is in this vein that their journey begins.

Wen and Don set off in the Silver Bullet (their car) with map in hand to find Albion somewhere in Devon; or so I was led to believe in the beginning. They are often in conversation making perceptive and imaginative leaps linking ancient tales with contemporary lives.

There is much play on words where e.g. the same word has two distinct meanings. ‘Cleave’ can mean as in ‘cling to’, or to ‘cleave in half’. From their discussions of words inter alia we’re led into magical tales in which the trials and tribulations of those in the tales are interwoven with their current journey. I enjoyed the many associations and amplifications on words and their deft dealing with the opposites, which are not exclusive to each other but are two sides of the same coin.

Poor Father Fish (who may pre-figure Arthur) becomes ill with longing for the maiden who appeared to him in a dream. In order to find her, he undergoes many impossible tasks. He faithfully fulfils them with friend and foe always accompanying him. Against all odds or, because of them, his mission is finally achieved. He has to search the whole of Albion for her. I was reminded of Psyche’s tasks set by Eros’ mother, also impossible tasks, but her love for Eros and her determination to be re-united with him, is the glue.

Many churches are visited, patterns are perceived dimly and the point is made that ‘… we think we see them, then maybe not – difficult, effort, which is why we avoid them’.

There are pearls interspersed throughout. I liked Don’s words: ‘if we struggle to see things that are staring us in the face in the present, how much more difficult it is to be accurate with the past and even with what we like to call our past’.

The authors paraphrase Heraclitus whose original words I believe were: ‘No man ever steps in the same river twice, for it’s not the same river and he’s not the same man’.

I’m glad they brought out that the word ‘silent’ contains the same letters as ‘listen’ and note that they say ‘listen in silence’ and not necessarily ‘listen to silence’.

I enjoyed travelling through Yorkshire and different parts of England, a land of such beauty and history, symbolism and legend. There are beautiful photographs interspersed throughout. The authors’ knowledge of myth and history made this an engaging and psychological tale, in spite of its sometimes steam of consciousness writing … or so it seemed to me .. with endless … as pauses.

I would give this a 4*.

Find a copy here from Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com

The Wrath Inside by RR Gall

The Wrath Inside by RR Gall

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Wrath Inside is set in the town of Nares, Palestine in AD15. Roman occupation of the land and the aggression of the Roman soldiers add to the hostile attitudes of the nation. The people of Nares lead a simple life, their highlight is the traders who pass through on the road to Jerusalem.

The book centres around 15 year old Ezera, his home life, his friends and his upbringing. These are all set into turmoil when a stranger attacks Ezera with a knife while he sleeps, falsely accusing him of kidnapping his children. Ezera helps the man called Khalil to find his children, on route they discover a cohort of Roman soldiers not far from the village.

The Romans demand a census takes place in the town, but a scuffle causes a soldier to be wounded and the situation becomes more threatening. Ezera and his friends become embroiled in the conflict. The morals of the town are put into question when they allow an innocent man to die as revenge for the Roman soldier.

When an important priest and his entourage arrive in town the Roman power authority is lessened, highlighting some of the trouble there was at the time between the religious leaders and the occupying forces. Yet the leader of the Romans has come to this town for more than one reason.

Find a copy on Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com.

View all my reviews on Goodreads.

Author Richard Gall will be our guest here on the blog tomorrow.

Letter C on the A to Z April Challenge 2014

Today is letter C on the A to Z Challenge. My book today is “Coronado’s Treasure” by Randy Mixter. Genre: Adventure

It began as a treasure hunt and ended in a fight for their lives. In the cove of an isolated island, an armada gathers. Hundreds of pirates, once enemies, have made a truce and joined as one for a common goal: to crush the powerful army of a king, to topple his kingdom, and to confiscate all the treasure within its walls. Rachel Caine and her husband Morgan thought they were sailing for buried treasure. Instead, they found themselves caught in a web of intrigue, deceit, and danger.  A war is brewing on the Great Eastern Sea, threatening all in its path, and in order to stop it, they may need to seek the help of a woman from Morgan’s past; the infamous pirate captain, Calypso Cruz. Together, Rachel and her companions will face the forces of evil, from duels on land to a fiery battle at sea, where victory is the only option.

Randy has previously been a guest on my blog and you can catch up with him by following this link. http://wp.me/p2Eu3u-36r

https://sites.google.com/site/randymixtersbooksite/

https://www.facebook.com/RandyMixtersBooks

Here are some randomly chosen links to other blogger taking up the challenge, please find a few moments to visit their sites too.

http://authorstephentremp.blogspot.co.uk/

http://www.preciousmonsters.com/

http://suestrifles.wordpress.com/

http://karenjonesgowen.blogspot.co.uk/

http://mouldwarp.blogspot.co.uk/

During the challenge we are asking people to leave comments on as many sites as possible, all supportive comments are much appreciated.

The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton

The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The Forgotten Garden features the most delightful magical garden in a coastal cottage in Cornwall. Spanning generations the garden means different things to the different characters. This book is about finding answers and peace, it spreads across the world and back again in its duration.

The first location is London 1913, we meet a stow-away on a boat and hear about the lady known as The Authoress. Next we go to Brisbane, Australia, 1930 and a birthday celebration for Nell. Her father decides to reveal the truth about her parentage. The information sets Nell on a journey to find her real parents, and it’s one that her grand-daughter Cassandra continues after Nell’s death.

A central character to the book is Eliza Makepeace and her book of Fairy Tales, many of which are included in the story. Her surname could well summarise the book in one word. The story, extends over a century, has many twists and turns, revealing what love and loyalty mean to the different people.

A long book at over 600 pages, but one I really enjoyed.

Find a copy here from Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com

View all my reviews on Goodreads.