Desperation is the New Hope by Jessica Simone - A good first attempt, but needs polishing.

Today, I am reviewing the YA Paranormal story Desperation is the New Hope by Jessica Simone. This is a post-apocalyptic novel set in the isolated kingdom of Patico, which is kept from the rest of the presumably-destroyed and barbaric world by a giant wall and governed by a King whom everyone believes to be doing his best to protect them from situations they can’t understand. During the novel, some of the characters begin to develop paranormal powers and control over the elements…something which doesn’t sit well with the established authority.

I give this book a 2.75/5. Here is my breakdown.

Characters: 3/5. The characters were interesting, but hardly unique. Many book tropes were filled in the writing of this novel – the love triangle, the hidden mentors, the new discovery of powers, and the prophesied hero. Jessica pulls it off reasonably well, but I didn’t find myself very invested in the individuals themselves.

Plot/Storyline: 3/5. More of the same. The story is interesting, and as the book went on I wanted to see more of what was going on, but it feels like several other things I’ve read or seen. It’s derivative, is what I’m trying to say, and many of the points were either predictable or hard to understand (like the sudden influx of people who knew what was going on), forcing me to swallow my disbelief to continue the story.

Flow: 4/5. The author’s use of language is solid and the story flows reasonably well. I didn’t have any major hitching-points or places where I just flipped through the pages to get through. Kudos!

Spelling/Grammar: 2.5/5. Many typographical errors. Tenses are switched in several places. This book needs a professional editor/proofreader to go through and clear up these issues.

Overall: 2.75/5. For a debut novel, this is a fairly decent work. I’ve seen much worse from many sources. However, I think there is also a lot of room for improvement, and I hope that Jessica takes the opportunity to do more with her sequel. Good luck!

If you want to check out Jessica's work for yourself, click the below link. Thanks for reading!

The Irony of Time - Slow, Dull, Uninspiring

Today I’m reviewing the PNR novel Irony of Time by M.L. Crum. It involves a young woman, traumatized throughout her life by a tragedy she believes she caused, and the immortal, supernatural creature who inadvertently gives her a chance to go back and fix it.

I did not finish this book. I made it as far as Chapter Eleven before my drive faltered. I feel like the story had potential…but I just couldn’t go any further.

I give this book a 2/5. Here is my breakdown.

Characters: 2.5/5. Meh. I felt no real attachment to any of the characters. There wasn’t any defining conflict or development that really made either of them stand out. The protagonist had a clear-cut desire, but I didn’t feel any growth from her, and the male love interest was boring and single-minded. His investigations did nothing for me, his desire to find her and get her back seemed without real energy or impetus.

Plot/Storyline: 3/5. This could have been very good. The idea of someone accidentally slipping back in time and deciding to make their old choices anew, to avert catastrophe, is a classic but not-yet-overdone storyline. What kept it from being interesting was the lack of conflict. I think that the author was trying to build up suspense…but it was just a long time without anything really HAPPENING.

Flow: 2/5. Slow. Dragging. Plodding. I forced myself to get as far as I did because the use of language and imagery was fairly good, but the pacing…ugh. I just wasn’t hooked, wasn’t intrigued...was bored, frankly.

Grammar/Spelling: 3/5. Noticeable, but forgiveable, grammatical and spelling errors.

Overall: 2.0/5. This was not the book for me. It had a slow build and the characters were nebulous and poorly defined. I hope the author keeps at it; there was nothing unforgiveable or horrendous about this book. It was just…meh.

You can find a copy of it here: < 

Famine by Monica Enderle Pierce: 4.75/5

Today, I am reviewing the Paranormal/Urban Fantasy story Famine by Monica Enderle Pierce. The first in the Apocalyptics series, this is a story in the four Horsemen of the Apocalypse have been released from their imprisonment in the Outer Darkness, and so God has sent three soldiers to retrieve them – the Catcher, who will consign their souls back into the Darkness; the Guardian, who is to guard the Catcher; and the Beacon, who guides the Catcher in the journey. Bartholomew is the nascent Guardian who must fight off Famine and find the next vessel for the Catcher.

He’s been looking for fifteen centuries.

I give this book a 4.75/5. Here is my breakdown.

Characters: 5/5. Everything about these people was perfectly spun. No extraneous characters existed, and I found myself thrilling to the development of each. The book takes place over the span of about a decade, and each individual grows and changes throughout the story.

Plot/Storyline: 5/5. Absolutely outstanding! I was immediately grabbed by the story, and it held my attention till the end. It was unpredictable and compelling, with a large amount of suspense and thrill mixed in to the character development. I enjoyed the hell out of this book.

Flow: 5/5. Wonderful and clean. Onward and forward, with the perfect blend of description and dialogue and action. I was never bored, always wondering what was coming next. Well done, Monica!.

Spelling/Grammar: 4/5. A solid, well-edited work. A few typos were noticed (homophones being the largest offender) but in no way detracted from the story.

Overall: 4.75/5. Why did I put this off for so long? I’ve had this book on my reading list since May, yet other things seemed to take precedence every time I thought about it. I finished it in a few hours of reading, and I’m chomping at the bit for the next in the Apocalyptics series!


You can pick up your own copy at Amazon at the link below. Happy reading!

The Veiled by Jennifer Osborn - an amazing story marred by poor proofreading

Today I’m reviewing the first book in the Shilund Saga, The Veiled – Expanded Edition by Jennifer Osborn. It’s an urban fantasy with a strong romantic subplot involving a species of wolf-humanoids called the Shilund. Although interaction with humanity is forbidden, one of them bucks the rules she was born into and takes in a man who is seriously injured.

I give this book a 3.0/5. Here is my breakdown.

Characters: 4/5. I enjoyed the characters in this story very much. The late reveal of one of them was a complete surprise yet made total sense, and the interaction between the two main protagonists was realistic and fun. I didn’t understand the main villain much; he seemed a little cliché and stereotyped, but otherwise Osborn did a great job making interesting people.

Plot/Storyline: 4.5/5. This was a real strength of this novel. I really enjoyed the plot twists and the development of the world of the Shilund. Coupled with the strong characters, this made the book a very enjoyable read. I don’t want to give the story away, but I especially liked the romantic subplot (what can I say, I’m a sucker for romantic subplots) and the development of the Shilund tribal structure.

Flow: 4/5. Another high point. I was very pleased by the pacing and the speed the story pulled me through the book. Pages turned at a rapid pace with nary a boring moment. Well done!

Grammar/Spelling: 2/5. Ah. This was unfortunate. This is an example of a novel that is badly in need of another proofreader. There are misspelled words, misused words, missing commas and punctuation errors in many places. Often, I’ll say here “but it didn’t detract from the story,” but it did.

Overall: 3.0/5. Osborn has created a wonderful story and I look forward to the sequel. Please, bring this book in for another edit and make it into the high-level offering that your readers and your writing talents deserve!

The Twisted Spiral - Did Not Finish, 2/5 Stars

Today, I am reviewing the Urban Fantasy-Time Travel novel The Twisted Spiral by Arlene Cabus Poerio. In this story, the protagonist is revealed to have special powers, the ability to ‘ken,’ or know things she should not otherwise know, and ends up time-travelling back to Ancient Egypt.

I was unable to finish this book, giving up after Chapter Three. I give it a 2/5. Here is my breakdown.

Characters: 1.5/5. After reading three chapters, I had no emotional attachment to any of the characters, especially the protagonist. I didn’t care what was going on, or about her emotional distress or burning need to get to Egypt…it was all disjointed and felt unpalatable.

Plot/Storyline: 2/5. I don’t know what the final plot was, given that I couldn’t get through the book, but what I did read didn’t seem like much of anything. As I discuss in Flow, below, the constant flashbacks in the early portion of the novel did a lot to take the “steam” out of the read. I shouldn’t be three chapters in, not care about anyone, and not have any idea what’s going on or why it’s important..

Flow: 1/5. Ack! The whole first chapter is constant back-and-forth flashbacks used for exposition. Flashbacks are tricky things in the best of times, and when used this way they were like tire spikes to my verisimilitude and immersion. No, please. No.

Spelling/Grammar: 4/5. I didn’t notice any typographical errors, but the dialogue was often disjointed and felt contrived in some places. Nothing that I would flag if my attention had not already been aroused, but present nonetheless.

Overall: 2/5. I think that Ms. Poerio has some potential as a writer, and that this book could benefit from another round or two of content edits, looking to improve the flow. As it is, it starts too slowly and takes too long to get anywhere for my liking. 

Left Behind Book One: The Forbidden Voyage by R. Anne Polcastro: 3.75/5 Stars

Today, I am reviewing the Dystopian/SciFi Left Behind by R. Anne Polcastro. This is a story in which Those Who Have Come Before have destroyed the planet through their own willful negligence and abuse of natural resources, leading to a terrible disaster that sent huge amounts of radiation into the environment, decimating civilization and sending many people underground while the more fortunate ones escaped to another world.

I give this book a 3.75/5. Here is my breakdown.

Characters: 4/5. The characters in this book were solid and believable. I particularly enjoyed watching Endirion’s development as he went from timid, indoctrinated youth to utilizing his unique talents in helping the “mission” progress. The main two characters were especially interesting, but even the supporting cast was well put-together. I look forward to finding out some of the deeper motivations behind the actions some of the characters take.

Plot/Storyline: 3.5/5. The plotline here is a tad derivative, by which I mean that I can think of similar storylines off the top of my head. Still, Polcastro’s take on the story is fairly unique, and brought forward by the strength of the characters. The book reads like a combination of The Island and Stephen King’s Gunslinger novels…which is not a bad thing.

Flow: 4/5. Well written. I enjoyed the language and the pace of the story. As a MG/YA novel, it isn’t as action-packed or as compelling as some of the more adult stories I’ve read recently, but that is no fault of the work. I can imagine middle-school children both enjoying the book and being at least as interested in it as I was. The crises which befall our two heroes do a good job of maintaining reader interest as well.

Spelling/Grammar: 4/5. There were a few typographical errors, mostly limited to ending quotation marks that were missing. These in no way distracted or detracted from the work.

Overall: 3.75/5. An enjoyable, solid read on all levels. I wasn’t ever bored or distracted from my read. Polcastro did an excellent job of maintaining my interest. Thank you for the read, and I wish you the best of luck as you move forward!

Through the Gloom by Jennifer R. McDonald - 4.75/5

Today, I am reviewing the Paranormal story Through the Gloom by Jennifer R. McDonald. This is the sequel to Into the Veil, continuing the story of the veilwalkers Lyric and Lincoln, their father and mage Jacken, and the Hathors, a family of conjurors who can summon objects from afar and who are fiercely loyal to one another. If you haven’t read the first in the series, check out my review on that, then go read it!

I give this book a 4.75/5. Here is my breakdown.

Characters: 5/5. As in the last book, Jennifer explores her characters thoroughly and well. I enjoyed the changes that Lyric went through, her doubts and absolute dedication to finding out the truth about her mother’s death. Her relationship with conjuror Aiden Hathor made me want to bang my head against the wall…but only because it was so clear that the two of them are perfect for each other in every way, yet each trying to be overly noble to “protect” the other.

I’m also very curious about Gemma now.

Plot/Storyline: 5/5. Compelling. Consistent. Lyric’s saga takes a darker turn as betrayal upon betrayal, some hers and some not, begin to take their toll. Her relationships with others become strained, but she presses on, determined to find the truth. I believed every step of this story and was never pulled out of my immersion. The magics presented make sense in the context of the world, and I was never confused by any of it. Well done, Jennifer!

Flow: 5/5. Onward, ever onward, with the perfect balance of slowdown and action. Tension was thick throughout this novel, and I often felt like I was trapped in the fog of the veil, unable to see what was coming next, my heart tripping as I waited for the next development.

Spelling/Grammar: 4/5. Better this time. Jennifer has made significant improvements in her structure and grammar since the last book. In fact, I have it on good authority that she’s gone back to Into the Veil and fixed up some of the things I mentioned last time. A much smoother read.

Overall: 4.75/5. Fantastic. Outstanding. Thrilling. Jennifer spins a tale of betrayal, deceit, innocence lost and love to be fought for. Gloom is even better than its predecessor. I will be purchasing the third book, Across the Blood Red River, as soon as my TBR list winnows down a bit. Jennifer is one of my favorite authors now, and her work is exemplary!