After Halastaesia - A deeply thrilling YA story with characters you'll care about long after the story is done: 4.75/5.

     Today, I am reviewing the YA portal-fantasy novel After Halastaesia by Janina Franck. Our protagonist, Ben, is a former chosen hero who fell into the magical land of Halastaesia after being hit by a truck in our world. After being sent back, he has to adjust to the fact that he's no longer a mystical Chosen One, reconcile his former love with the girl who is drawing his attention now, and come to terms with the idea that, perhaps, none of it ever happened. 

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

Characters: 5/5. Franck really seats us in our main character's mind. We get a real sense of how Ben feels about his situation, dealing with his former life in Halastaesia and the mundanity of now. The supporting characters, especially Viv, are also treats, written effectively and well. I am also pleased by how Ben handled the "love triangle;" it's exactly what I hoped would happen.

Plot/Storyline: 4.5/5. I'm a big fan of portal fantasies, but this one took the reverse tack; in the entire book, we never get to see Halastaesia, and Franck allows us to believe, several times, that it might not be real at all. There is an element of unreliable narrator that adds spice to the story and makes it unique. I was intrigued and hooked the whole way through.

Flow: 5/5. I have rarely read a book that flows as well as this one does. Franck has put together a story that has the pauses and the beats in all the right places, ramping up the tension just like a good movie would and letting it hang when needed. I read through the whole thing in an hour and a half, and that's fast even for me.

Spelling/Grammar: 5/5. This is a well-edited piece of work. I didn't notice any grammar or spelling concerns. The sentences worked well together. Pretty flawless.

Overall: 4.75/5. Unlike some other readers I know, I am still a fan of YA fiction. This kind of book is why. When it's well-written, the emotions and characters put on the page rival anything made for a specifically older audience. The themes and motifs of the book come through in riveting, emphatic fashion. I had a great time with After Halastaesia, and would definitely read more work by Franck.

Find After Halastasia on Books2Read. 

If you liked my review, check out my books over at my main site: www.jasonpatrickcrawford.com/bookstore.html

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Talio's Codex: A thrilling, well-paced legal mystery set in a unique world with fascinating characters: 4.5/5

    Today, I am reviewing the fantasy novel Talio's Codex by J. Alexander Cohen. Our protagonist, Talio Rossa, is a former magistrate for the country of Merin, which is divided into four main cities. An incident occurred ten years ago that saw him abandon his profession and go into exile, but a request from his ex-wife brings him back...only to find himself immersed in a conspiracy that goes far deeper than he thought possible. 

CONTENT ADVISORY: This novel contains M/M sex scenes.

I give this book a 4.5/5. Here is my breakdown.

Characters: 5/5. Cohen knows how to put the reader into the characters' world, that is clear. Talio is a very human, flawed character that grows as the novel progresses. The supporting characters fulfill their functions well, and, contrary to what another reviewer has posited, they are certainly NOT cardboard cutouts. Each has their own motivations, and, like any good mystery, the twists and revelations feel genuine to each.

Plot/Storyline: 4.5/5. I love myself a good courtroom drama, and adding fantasy and magic to the mix just makes it better. Like any good detective story, the main character and associates have things to figure out; unlike many of them, this one has big social implications as well, as Talio takes up the cause of the oppressed Incarnates (a religious sect frowned upon by the rest of society). The world of Merin interacts with issues in the real world as well, including agender individuals and their rights. I thoroughly enjoyed the story.

Flow: 4.5/5. This book flows very well. I never found myself bored or confused. The text compels and demands the reader continue, and I found myself devouring pages as I got deeper in.

Spelling/Grammar: 5/5. I don't recall any significant editing errors. Everything seemed well-put together, the formatting was nice, and it was a pleasure to read.

Overall: 4.5/5.The world of Talio's Codex is a world populated by real people. Cohen has spent time and effort crafting this world and it shows. I had a great time during my read; I actually went back to the Amazon page to see if there was a sequel (there's not, yet). Well done, Mr. Cohen! Thank you for the opportunity. As an aside, I love the cover art. Who's your artist?

Find Talio's Codex on Amazon. 

If you liked my review, check out my books over at my main site: www.jasonpatrickcrawford.com/bookstore.html

Thanks as always, and keep reading!

The 5 Moons of Tiiana by PT Harry - Reminiscent of Lewis with a well-crafted world, but ultimately loses me in the middle: 3/5.

   Today, I am reviewing the Science-Fiction novel The 5 Moons of Tiiana by PT Harry. Our protagonist, Rez Cantor, is a military captain whose people have been conquered by an alien force. He is charged with getting the royal princess off-planet and somewhere safe, but, of course, things don't go according to plan. He ends up stranded and alone, searching for his charge. By the time he finds her, not only is she different than when they separated, but so is he.

I give this book a 3/5. Here is my breakdown.

Characters: 3.5/5. PT has created a set of interesting characters from a diverse group of cultures and species. Rez and Leanna, the princess, make sense in their actions and motivations, and most of the smaller side-characters contribute to the narrative in interesting ways. Unfortunately, there are developments in the book that change the characters against their will, and these make it harder for me to identify with them. When established characters' capabilities suddenly change, it's hard to keep up; when that change happens very quickly without giving me enough time to accept it, it leaves me in the dust.

Plot/Storyline: 2.5/5. I feel like this is a weak point for this book, but not because the story is bad. Far from it; it reminds me a lot of C.S. Lewis's Out of the Silent Planet, a book which I enjoyed. The problem with Tiiana's plot is that it goes too far and does too much in too little time, I think. We end up on several different planets; we deal with enslavement that lasts years and journeys which take months, yet I get very little sense of how much time is actually passing in context. It makes the whole thing seem disjointed and strange.

Flow: 3.5/5. The book moves along, but there are times when it slogs. I definitely felt the story could have ended two or three times before I ended up putting it down--and that was halfway through. I skated through parts of the story that were very enjoyable, and others I had to push and push to make sense of what was going on.

Spelling/Grammar: 4.5/5. I didn't notice any significant spelling problems and very few grammatical ones. There are a few places where the closing quotations are missing. Overall, high quality work.

Overall: 3/5. Please understand that I don't think this book is bad. Far from it; it has a lot of interesting lore, well-thought-out cultures and characters, and it's obvious the author has a passion for this kind of writing. It just doesn't check my boxes. There is a mismatch of how fast certain things happen and how slow other ones do, and the reinvention of the characters strains my verisimilitude. I highly recommend that you give it a try if you like Lewis's Space Trilogy and similar work.

Find The 5 Moons of Tiiana on Amazon. 

If you liked my review, check out my books over at my main site: www.jasonpatrickcrawford.com/bookstore.html

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The Girl from Teacup Village: An Excellent Opener to a Fantasy Epic!

  Today, I am reviewing the Fantasy novel The Girl from Teacup Village by Michael Kanuckel. Our protagonist, Tessa Gardener, is a kilner (pottery maker) from the aforementioned village who has suffered family tragedies: her brother is dead, killed by a raging giant, and her father's mind is slipping farther and farther out of reach. When Seed Koga, the godlike figure responsible for administering seeds for planting to the lands, declares that some of her fellow villagers are to recolonize a nearby, shattered township, she can't hold herself back; off now on her first adventure, she soon comes to find out that not everything is the way she was made to believe.

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

Characters: 5/5. Magnificently done. Michael excellently delivers people that have real motivations, feelings, fears, and loves. I felt as if I was travelling alongside the group, sharing stories. Several times I felt surges of strong emotion, and it was purely due to the strength of these characters. A real strength of this novel.

Plot/Storyline: 4.5/5. Michael has written a tight, forward-moving plot that has strong verisimilitude and ties together well. I believed in the story and enjoyed reading it. There is one small inconsistency regarding the giants' behavior that I noticed, but that could also be explained away. Overall, fantastic.

Flow: 5/5. Michael has an obvious command of pacing in his work. The story flowed along very well and I was never bored or waiting for the next point, but it also didn't seem as if anything moved unrealistically fast. The fantasy "campsite scenes" which are so prevalent in the genre felt good and well-executed, giving needed background without dragging things out.

Spelling/Grammar: 4.5/5. The book has a simple formatting issue. The copy I have has margins that go too far into the page. I don't know why. Once one gets past that, everything else is excellently put together.

Overall: 4.75/5. My wife recommended this book to me after purchasing it from Michael. She hasn't yet read it, but I am thrilled that I can heartily return the recommendation with accolades and honors. The life of an indie author can be difficult, so I hope Michael keeps heart and pushes onward. He is a fine storyteller and the world is richer for his work.

If you liked my review, check out my books over at my main site: www.jasonpatrickcrawford.com/bookstore.html

Thanks as always, and keep reading!