Feature: NINTH CITY BURNING by J. PATRICK BLACK

J. Patrick Black

Excerpt

The Valentine War, Earth 500 Years Ago

It starts with the world how it used to be, with countries and billions of people living everywhere. Back then there was no such thing as thelemity, and people built houses and machines sort of like they have in settlements today, but all of that changed when the Valentines came.

The reason we call them the Valentines is that the day they first attacked, February 14 on the old
Western Calendar, was called “Valentine’s Day”. We still don’t know what the Valentines call
themselves, because we’ve never been able to talk to them. We don’t even know what they look like.
People had all sorts of different names for them early in the war, but “Valentine” is the one that ended
up being the most popular. It used to mean something totally different, but not many people remember that now.

We never saw them coming. All at once cities just started disappearing. A city would be there,
everything totally normal, and then it would be gone, nothing but rubble and a cloud of dust. By the
time we figured out we were under attack, half the cities in the world had already been destroyed. We
tried to fight back, but the Valentines had thelemity, and our strongest weapons were next to useless.
They probably would have killed every single person on the planet, except for one thing: It turned out
we could use thelemity too.

Cover Copy

Centuries of war with aliens threaten the future of human civilization on earth in this gripping, epic science fiction debut...

We never saw them coming.

Entire cities disappeared in the blink of an eye, leaving nothing but dust and rubble. When an alien race came to make Earth theirs, they brought with them a weapon we had no way to fight, a universe-
altering force known as thelemity. It seemed nothing could stop it—until we discovered we could wield the power too.

Five hundred years later, the Earth is locked in a grinding war of attrition. The talented few capable of bending thelemity to their will are trained in elite military academies, destined for the front lines. Those who refused to support the war have been exiled to the wilds of a ruined Earth.

But the enemy's tactics are changing, and Earth's defenders are about to discover this centuries-old war has only just begun. As a terrible new onslaught looms, heroes will rise from unlikely quarters, and fight back.

Cast of Characters

JAX: A cadet at the Academy and the youngest fontanus in Ninth City. With the ability to harness
thelemity, Jax must stand for all citizens during Valentine attacks and act as the only defense between
the city and complete destruction.

NAOMI: The youngest sister in the Ochre family, and a member of the nomadic Walker tribe. Naomi
longs to be a scout like her older sister, Rae, but her undiscovered gifts will take her down a different
path, far away from the life she knows.

RAE: The beautiful, impulsive leader of the Ochre family and a scout for the Walker tribe. Rae’s
penchant for bravery and lack of fear plunge her into a new world, where her strength will be tested in ways she never imagined.

TORRO: A factory worker in Settlement 225, which provides supplies and soldiers to the Legion’s war effort. Torro’s uncomplicated life is suddenly disrupted when he finds himself drafted as cannon fodder and shipped away to the horror of the front lines.

VINNEAS: Procurator of the Academy, responsible for every cadet at the school of Grammar and
Rhetoric. Part of being Procurator is being prepared for command in combat, but an unwelcome
promotion sends him to active duty sooner than he expects.

IMWAY: The top ranked warrior in the Equites Aspirant, the most elite fighting unit in the Academy.
Highly skilled in combat, Imway’s power stems from a suit of armor called ‘equus’ and the ego that
comes with it stands the chance of ruining any relationship he has.

KIZABEL: The most sought after Artifex—a creator of artifices—at the Academy. Her most recent project violates many rules, and Kizabel faces expulsion or incarceration if caught. But her project will revolutionize equus design, if she can only get it running.

Together, this unlikely group of allies will face a mysterious enemy and a war that has brought their world to the brink of destruction.

Seduction for Hire by W. K. Corvo

This review was written by: B

Received: eBook from Author

Date of Publication: January 2014

Pages: 234

Stars: 4.25/5 Stars

Official Summary:

Suzanne: A gorgeous, exciting seductress; a shoulder length golden blond mane, alluring blue eyes, and magnificent body.  Hired to entice, disgrace, and destroy Michael Anselletti to suicide.  However, even some of the best laid plans fail, as did this one.  Suzanne is murdered. Mike is the only suspect, and on the run with a mountain of evidence against him.  To make matters worse, there is a hefty price placed on his head!

Follow Mike's plight as he tries to get his life back.

My Thoughts:

Psychologists say there are about eight passages you travel through from the time you're born to the day you die.  Normal things like breakups, lost loves, losses of jobs, and the death of a parent, to name a few.  Then there are those times when all hell breaks loose, and your whole world gets turned upside down. Times when you find yourself in a raft without an oar or life jacket, hurtling down a deadly stretch of whitewater without an end in sight, and all you're capable of is holding on for dear life.

~Seduction for Hire

Seduction for Hire is a suspenseful romance/murder mystery like no other!  Mike has been a broken man since his divorce, never able to quite get over the once in a lifetime catch of the beautiful, wonderful Chris.  Now that they're no longer an item, but rather good friends, he's on a quick rebound with Lisa that quickly ends up in him remarrying.  However, he quickly regrets this and considers it a mistake but finds divorcing his new wife to be trickier and messier than he had originally anticipated.  That's when jaw-dropping, breath-taking Suzanne appears on the scene.  With a somewhat striking resemblance to Chris, Mike can't help but feel a physical attraction to her that leads him to cheat on Lisa.  However, the consequences of his actions lead to more trouble than anyone bargained for.  When Suzanne is suddenly murdered in the same bed as Mike, things go from messy to absolute lunacy for this one man.  On the run, suspected of murder, completely confused, deeply regretful, and missing Chris and his three children like never before, Mike must find a way to survive without getting himself caught or even killed!  What is a man to do in this position?

 W. K. Corvo crafted a story that continually amplified in anticipation and suspense.  Chapter by chapter, my heart raced faster and faster as I awaited Mike's ultimate fate. There was never a dull moment, especially during the final, nail-biting chapters that concluded the story.  The experience that Mike went through would no doubt have broken the average person if they were in his position, which only made me admire Mike more.  He persevered and kept what was important in the front of his mind through all of his trials and tribulations.  He refused to give up on himself and more importantly on the love that he had for his family.  However, despite his bravery, Corvo still made him human. He faltered and he thought about giving up, which made Mike a truly relatable character.  

Corvo was easily able to make characters that were believable.  You could easily feel the obvious love that surrounded Mike and Chris.  It was practically tangible!  Mike's deep love and passion for his children was also noticeable.  This is one of those few books where the characters feel like they just click with each other and are meant to be.  I find this difficult to come by and impressive on Corvo's part.  I also really loved how the different faces of humanity were explored.  There were those who were willing to do anything for money and couldn't let go of it, becoming manipulative and violent.  There were also people, though, who were willing to help others out of the kindness of their own heart.  I loved to see Mike relying on the kindness of strangers during various parts of the novel because it made me realize how great humanity can be.  Plus, the ending of Seduction for Hire was absolute perfection!  I don't think it could have gotten any better.  I love my HEAs!!!!

If you're looking for a great romantic suspense novel full of action and heart, look no further!  Plus, a portion of the proceeds from this book will be given to the Wounded Warrior Foundation, St. Jude's Children's Hospital, and the Multiple Sclerosis Society.  I definitely recommend Seduction for Hire!  Once you start reading it, you won't be able to stop!

A Fierce and Subtle Poison by Samantha Mabry

This review was written by: B

Received: Publisher

Publication Date of Book: April 12, 2016

Pages: 288

Stars: 4/5

 

Official Summary:

Everyone knows the legends about the cursed girl -- Isabel, the one who the señoras whisper about.  They say she has green skin and grass for hair, and she feeds on the poisonous plants that fill her family's Caribbean island garden.  Some say she can grant wishes; some say her touch can kill.

Seventeen-year-old Lucas lives on the mainland most of the year but spends summers with his hotel-developer father in Puerto Rico.  He's grown up hearing stories about the cursed girl, and he wants to believe in Isabel and her magic.  When letters from Isabel begin mysteriously appearing in his room the same day his new girlfriend disappears, Lucas turns to Isabel for answers -- and finds himself lured into her strange and enchanted world.  But time is running out for the girl filled with poison, and the more entangled Lucas becomes with Isabel, the less certain he is of escaping with his own life.

My Thoughts:

Isabel was right -- my curiosity always got the best of me.  I kept barging into her house.  I ran after ghosts in the rain even though I knew it made no sense, but sometimes I had no use for sense.  I collected insults because I thought the more I had, the closer I would get to invincibility.  I was developing a habit of reaching out to touch things -- like strange girls and strange-smelling plants with purple petals -- that I was sure would hurt me because no matter how severe, the resulting pain was always worth the attempt. 

~A Fierce and Subtle Poison

 A Fierce and Subtle Poison is a story about a boy who's drawn to danger, a girl who's destined to be dangerous, and an island that will either bring them together or tear their very lives apart.  Alluringly written and beautifully crafted, this is a rare book that will quickly dig deep under the skin as you furiously try to unravel the mysteries that are Lucas and Isabel.

Mabry, as a debut author, knocked me off my feet!  She is clearly talented, and anyone who picks up this book will easily see that.  In fact, there are plenty of noteworthy points to make on her new YA novel, such as her ability to pen exotic settings.  With only words as her arsenal, she seamlessly illustrated beautiful, breathtaking scenes that depicted a tropical Puerto Rico.  However, like her characters, there were layers that were explored one by one.  On one hand, there were the busy market streets, teeming with people, which Lucas frequented with several of his native friends.  On the other hand, there were the luxurious resorts and hotels being constructed for tourists, which he knew about all too well, courtesy of his father, which only destroyed the natural beauty of the surrounding area in the eyes of the islanders.  And yet, there was also a sense of poverty and loneliness in the abandonment of the forgotten villages and buildings left in ruins, but this is not where Puerto Rico ended.  The wild, gorgeously untamed parts of Puerto Rico are not to be forgotten, for they are waiting, untouched by man, thriving, and hiding what others want to keep secret.

Mabry also invented a set of characters that will immediately bewitch all of those who happen to come across this written marvel.  I thought that it was brilliant of her to use Lucas's point of view, a young man who was an outsider to Puerto Rico and who could never truly be accepted by the locals.  His outlook established one that could never have been accomplished if not for his foreign, alien position, which was untainted from living most of his year in the States.  Otherwise, his eyes would not have seen everything as new or fascinating.  On the other hand, he was able to connect with the island in ways that his father never could, believing in the wild tales and superstitions of the old señoras.  Lucas was the social outcast and hated by many because of his family's money and his inability to blend in because he was not part of native's culture.  However, this unshakable label of outcast never stopped Lucas from doing as he pleased.  It also never interfered with his seemingly passionate desire to help people, whether he thought them to be alive or dead, an aspect that I hung on to and admired.

My favorite part of the the book was definitely Lucas and Isabel's connection and relationship to their family. Both of them had absent mothers who decided to disappear from their lives altogether, leaving behind their fathers to raise and protect them in whatever ways they saw fit, and memories that can turn bitter in a heartbeat.  Perhaps this contributed to the two's evident loneliness.  They were both broken.  At times, it almost seemed as if their solitude was tangible, actually weighing on my own heart at times.  I truly admire an author when they possess the ability to make me connect with characters in such a strong way as Mabry did.

The last quarter of the book was action packed and heart stopping as Lucas and Isabel struggle to face the demons forced onto their path.  However, the final conclusion created a couple of issues for me.  I love resolution, but A Fierce and Subtle Poison was more open-ended than I had expected.  In my experience, though, books like these usually are.  Readers will be able to interpret as they wish, and I know that this may aggravate a few people.  Nevertheless, I hope that this does not discourage readers.  I hope that you take the dive into this story of a boy drawn into loving danger, a strange dream girl with green skin and grass for hair, and the boy's desire to break the curse put on her!

If you enjoyed this book, you may also like:

        

B's Favorite Books of 2015

B's Favorite Books of 2015

The Topic of the Month is officially B's Favorite Books of 2015!  To be specific, these books may not have been published in 2015, but rather they were read by B in 2015.  Hope you enjoy!  (Click on the covers to go to the books' GoodReads pages!)

GoodReads Summary:

In this near-future dystopia with echoes of The Giver and Among the Hidden, Tania Unsworth created an unsettling page-turner; fast-paced, smooth, filled with dread that's wholly satisfying and startlingly original.

Devin doesn't remember life before the world got hot; he has grown up farming the scorched earth with his grandfather in their remote valley.  When his grandfather dies, Devin heads for the city.  Once there, among the stark glass buildings, he finds scores of children, just like him, living alone on the streets.  They tell him rumors of a place for abandoned children, with unlimited food and toys and hope of finding a new family.  But only the luckiest get there.

An act of kindness earns Devin an invitation to the home, but it's soon clear that it's no paradise.  As Devin investigates the intimidating administrator and the zombie-like sickness that afflicts some children, he discovers the home's horrific true mission.  The only hope is escape, but the place is as secure as a fortress.

GoodReads Summary:

Recruitment Day is here . . . if you fail, a loved one will die . . . 

For Lucian "Lucky" Spark, Recruitment Day means the Establishment, a totalitarian government, will force him to become one of five Recruits competing to join the ruthless Imposer task force.  Each Recruit participates in increasingly difficult and violent military training for a chance to advance to the next level.  Those who fail must choose an "Incentive" - a family member - to be brutally killed.  If Lucky fails, he'll have to choose death for his only living relative: Cole, his four-year-old brother.

Lucky will do anything he can to keep his brother alive, even if it means sacrificing the lives of other Recruits' loved ones.  What Lucky isn't prepared for is his undeniable attraction to the handsome, rebellious Digory Tycho.  While Lucky and Digory train together, their relationship grows.  But daring to care for another Recruit in a world where love is used as the ultimate weapon is extremely dangerous.  As Lucky soon learns, the consequences can be deadly . . . 

Other Book(s) in the Series:

    

GoodReads Summary:

The city of Bulikov once wielded the powers of the gods to conquer the world, enslaving and brutalizing millions - until its divine protectors were killed.  Now, Bulikov's history has been censored and erased, its citizens subjugated.  But the surreal landscape of the city itself, forever altered by the thousands of miracles its guardians once worked upon it, stands as a haunting reminder of its former supremacy.

Into this broken city steps Shara Thivani.  Officially, the unassuming young woman is just another junior diplomat sent by Bulikov's oppressors.  Unofficially, she is one of her country's most accomplished spies, dispatched - along with her terrifying "secretary," Sigrud - to solve a murder.

But as Shara pursues the killer, she starts to suspect that the beings who ruled this terrible place may not be as dead as they seem, and that Bulikov's cruel reign may not yet be over.

A tale of vast conspiracies, dead gods, and buried histories, City of Stairs is at once a gripping spy novel and a stunningly original work of fantasy.

Other Book(s) in the Series:

GoodReads Summary:

Condemned by society and her werewolf husband due to a pregnancy she cannot explain, Alexia Maccon -- preternatural, tea aficionado -- seeks an explanation for this "infant inconvenience" so as to cleanse her sullied reputation and prove her fool husband wrong.  Preternaturals are a rare breed and the only history of their kind lies in Italy with the Templars, a group that once partnered with preternaturals to hunt down werewolves and vampires.  Will Alexia find an explanation for her impossible offspring?  Or do the Templars have other plans for the curious "Soulless One"?

Other Book(s) in the Series:

    

GoodReads Summary:

When a helicopter carrying presidential hopeful Senator William Jefferson crashes in the Quarantine Zone, zombie half-breed Penelope Hope is enlisted into the most unorthodox rescue team ever assembled for a mission to save the very man leading the effort to wipe out her kind from the Plagued States of America...

With the recent destruction of Biter's Hill and Biter's Island, the last remaining sanctuary for uninfected humans inside the quarantine zone stands alone against the seemingly endless zombie horde.  Tom and Penelope, survivors of the destruction at Biter's Hill, have taken up residence inside the Elevated Platform Station at Biter's Bend in hopes of rehabilitating Penelope from her half-breed zombie past.  Their plans of a normal life are put on hold, however, when Army Ranger Mason Jones arrives seeking asylum from the very man rallying against him, Tom's own father.  When Tom's father's helicopter crashes deep inside the quarantine zone, Tom and Penelope enlist Mason Jones and other survivors of Biter's Island on a mission to rescue him.

In this action-packed installment of the critically acclaimed Plagued States of America series, zombie half-breed Penelope Hope returns to join forces with Army Ranger Mason Jones for another edge-of-your-seat thrill ride.

Other Book(s) in the Series:

    

GoodReads Summary:

In a city overrun with the undead, an ex-cop is given a chance to get revenge...

Danny Mancini is on a case, following a murder suspect. When he catches him, he finds out that the perp isn't even human: he's a 200 year old rogue vampire! 

The department doesn't believe him, and puts him on early retirement, despite his many years of service to the Chicago Police Department, which sends him into a downward spiral. 

Two years later, Danny gets an invitation from the beautiful, young and very attractive Detective Angelica Cross to join a secret branch of the FBI to help her track down Vincent, the wayward vamp. 

But renegade werewolves, meddling immortal witches and Danny's strange visions of a life lived a century ago with Angelica make things more difficult than it should be.

Other Book(s) in the Series:

GoodReads Summary:

The Jewel means wealth. The Jewel means beauty.  The Jewel means royalty.  But for girls like Violet, the Jewel means servitude.  Not just any kind of servitude.  Violet, born and raised in the Marsh, has been trained as a surrogate for the royalty -- because in the Jewel the only thing more important than opulence is offspring.

Purchased at the surrogacy auction by the Duchess of the Lake and greeted with a slap to the face, Violet (now known only as #197) quickly learns of the brutal truths that lie beneath the Jewel's glittering facade: the cruelty, backstabbing, and hidden violence that have become the royal way of life.

Violet must accept the ugly realities of her existence . . . and try to stay alive.  But then a forbidden romance erupts between Violet and a handsome gentleman hired as a companion to the Duchess's petulant niece.  Though his presence makes life in the Jewel a bit brighter, the consequences of their illicit relationship will cost them both more than they bargained for.

Other Book(s) in the Series:

GoodReads Summary:

David Smith is giving his life for his art -- literally.  Thanks to a deal with Death, the young sculptor gets his childhood wish: to sculpt anything he can imagine with his bare hands.  But now that he only has 200 days to live, deciding what to create is harder than he thought, and discovering the love of his life at the 11th hour isn't making it any easier!

This is a story of desire taken to the edge of reason and beyond; of the frantic, clumsy dance steps of young love; and a gorgeous, street-level portrait of the world's greatest city.  It's about the small, warm, human moments of everyday life . . .  and the great surging forces that lie just under the surface.  Scott McCloud wrote the book on how comics work; now he vaults into great fiction with a breathtaking, funny, and unforgettable new work.

GoodReads Summary:

A stunning novel about the transformative power of love, perfect for fans of Jay Asher and Laurie Halse Anderson.

Sixteen-year-old physics nerd Aysel is obsessed with plotting her own death.  With a mother who can barely look at her without wincing, classmates who whisper behind her back, and a father whose violent crime rocked her small town, Aysel is ready to turn her potential energy into nothingness.

There's only one problem.  She's not sure she has the courage to do it alone.  But once she discovers a website with a section called Suicide Partners, Aysel's convinced she's found her solution - Roman, a teenage boy who's haunted by a family tragedy, is looking for a partner.  Even though Aysel and Roman have nothing in common, they slowly start to fill in each other's broken lives.  But as their suicide pact becomes more concrete, Aysel begins to question whether she really wants to go through with it.  Ultimately, she must choose between wanting to die or trying to convince Roman to live so they can discover the potential of their energy together.  Except that Roman may not be so easy to convince.  

This is a gorgeously written and compulsively readable novel about the transformative power of love, heralding the arrival of an extraordinary new voice in teen fiction, Jasmine Warga.

GoodReads Summary:

The truth about Mara Dyer's dangerous and mysterious abilities continue to unravel in the New York Times bestselling sequel to the thrilling The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer.  Mara Dyer once believed she could run from her past.  She can't.  She used to think her problems were all in her head.  They aren't.  She couldn't imagine that after everything she's been through, the boy she loves would still be keeping secrets.  She's wrong.  In this gripping sequel to The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer, the truth evolves and choices prove deadly.  What will become of Mara Dyer next?

Other Book(s) in the Series:

    

GoodReads Summary:

At the wood's edge cultures collide.  Can two families survive the impact?

The 1757 New York frontier is home to the Oneida tribe and to British colonists, yet their feet rarely walk the same paths.

On the day Fort William Henry falls, Major Reginald Aubrey is beside himself with grief.  His son, born that day, has died in the arms of his sleeping wife.  When Reginald comes across an Oneida mother with newborn twins, one white, one brown, he makes a choice that will haunt the lives of all involved.  He steals the white baby and leaves his own child behind.  Reginald's wife and foundling daughter, Anna, never suspect the truth about the boy they call William, but Reginald is wracked by regret that only intensifies with time, as his secret spreads its devastating ripples.  

When the long buried truth comes to light, can an unlikely friendship forged at the wood's edge provide a way forward?  For a father tormented by fear of judgment, another by lust for vengeance.  For a mother still grieving her lost child.  For a brother who feels his twin's absence, another unaware of his twin's existence.  And for Anna, who loves them both -- Two Hawks, the mysterious Oneida boy she meets in secret, and William, her brother.  As paths long divided collide, how will God direct the feet of those who follow Him?

Other Book(s) in the Series:

GoodReads Summary:

New York Times bestselling author David Levithan tells the based-on-true-events story of Harry and Craig, two seventeen-year-olds who are about to take part in a 32-hour marathon of kissing to set a new Guinness World Record -- all of which is narrated by a Greek Chorus of the generation of gay men lost to AIDS.

While the two increasingly dehydrated and sleep-deprived boys are locking lips, they become a focal point in the lives of other teen boys dealing with languishing long-term relationships, coming out, navigating gender identity, and falling deeper into the digital rabbit hole of gay hookup sites -- all while the kissing former couple tries to figure out their own feelings for each other.

GoodReads Summary:

A stunning debut about how grief can open the world in magical ways. 

After her best friend dies in a drowning accident, Suzy is convinced that the true cause of the tragedy was a rare jellyfish sting.  Retreating into a silent world of imagination, she crafts a plan to prove her theory -- even if it means traveling the globe, alone.  Suzy's achingly heartfelt journey explores life, death, the astonishing wonder of the universe . . . and the potential for love and hope right next door.

GoodReads Summary:

Zoey Valentine is concerned with two things: surviving the multitude of self-defense classes her dad

 makes her take and avoiding Ash Matthews.

 That is, until the Z virus hits, wiping out a third of the population in a matter of weeks. If that  weren’t frightening enough, the bodies of the victims disappear and suddenly reappear, awakened  from their dead state. They're faster, smarter, and they work together to get the one thing they crave,  human flesh.

 The United States is in a panic and then the government decides the unthinkable: to bomb every  major city overrun with the awakened.

 Now Zoey is on the run, with her dad and Ash, desperate to find a place of safety amongst the ruined  remains of the country.

GoodReads Summary:

Everyone faces uncertainty at some point in their lives.  Even a brilliant surgeon like Kenzo Tenma is no exception.  But there's no way for him to know what his decision to stop chasing professional success and instead concentrate on his oath to save peoples' lives will result in the birth of an abomination.  The questions of good and evil now take on a terrifyingly real dimension.

Yeas later, in Germany during the tumultuous post-reunification period, middle-aged childless couples are being killed one after another.

The serial killer's identity is known.  The reasons why he kills are not. 

Dr. Tenma sets out on a journey to find the killer's twin sister, who may hold some clues to solving the enigma of the "Monster." 

Several Other Books in the Series:

        








GoodReads Summary:

Caldecott Award winner and bookmaking trailblazer Brian Selznick once again plays with the form he invented and takes readers on a voyage!

Two seemingly unrelated stories -- one in words, the other in pictures -- come together.  The illustrated story begins in 1766 with Billy Marvel, the lone survivor of a shipwreck, and charts the adventures of his family of actors over five generations.  The prose story opens in 1990 and follows Joseph, who has run away from school to an estranged uncle's puzzling house in London, where he, along with the reader, must piece together many mysteries.  

GoodReads Summary:

Introducing HILO -- a funny, action-packed, full-color new middle-grade graphic novel series that Bone creator Jeff Smith calls "delightful."

D. J. and his friend Gina are totally normal kids.  But that was before a mysterious boy came crashing down from the sky!  Hilo doesn't know where he came from, or what he's doing on Earth.  (Or why going to school in only your underwear is a bad idea!) . . . But what if Hilo wasn't the only thing to fall to our planet?  Can the trio unlock the secrets of his past?  Can Hilo survive a day at school?  And are D. J. and Gina ready to save the world?

HILO is Calvin and Hobbes meets Big Nate and is just right for fans of Bone and comic books as well as laugh-out-loud school adventures like Jedi Academy and Wimpy Kid!

The Demonists (Demonist #1) by Thomas E. Sniegoski

The Review was Written by: C

Received: Publisher

Publication Date of Book: April 2016

Pages (Paperback): 336

Stars: 4/5

Official Summary:

There is more to our world than meets the eye—darker things, crueler things. Exorcist John Fogg and his wife, psychic medium Theodora Knight, know what lurks in the shadows. But even they’re not prepared for the worst Hell has to offer...

It was supposed to be a simple exorcism, a publicity stunt to firmly establish John and Theodora’s thriving paranormal investigation empire in the public eye. But something went wrong, leading to an on-air massacre that unleashed a malicious host of demons and left Theodora catatonic, possessed by countless spirits.

John sets out on a desperate quest to find a cure for his wife, but his obsession brings him face-to-face with an even more terrifying problem: Theodora’s possession is only one piece of a deadly plot that is threatening the entire world. Because an ancient evil is about to make Earth its battlefield—and without John and Theodora’s intervention, there is no chance for salvation...

My Thoughts:

I was super excited when this book was available for request! If you follow us on Instagram, you can see my obsession for Thomas E. Sniegoski's novels, especially The Fallen series. As a result, I had to get my hands on his most recent work. In his new series, Sniegoski abandons his angel and Nephilim tales and focuses on individuals who deal with all manors of evil that go bump in the night, especially demons. As a result, this book possesses the horror and gore that usually accompanies these dark entities. Also, the book continues Sniegoski's style of focusing on the never-ending battle between the forces of good and evil and the innocents who get caught in the middle.

The story delves into the lives of John Fogg and his wife Theodora Knight (who also happens to be a skilled psychic). They are both paranormal investigators who run a legitimate paranormal television program. However, when an easy job comes up that's to be aired live for their Halloween special, something goes terribly wrong and Theodora ends up becoming possessed by countless demons, some of which John Fogg had previously helped to personally destroy earlier in his career. As a result, they won't let Theodora's soul go easily, and it's up to John to figure out how to save the love of his life. However, the torment doesn't end there, and John has to deal with a recent string of child kidnappings that's somehow connected to what occurred during the disastrous Halloween paranormal investigation.

Once it is discovered that an ancient evil is attempting to make its way back to Earth in order to usher forth darkness, death, and destruction, John has to come to the conclusion that he can't stop it on his own. He requires the help of a cop and an old organization that has fought dark entities for centuries. However, will these individuals be able to save the entire world?

At the end of the day, I feel as though this book didn't meet my standards of The Fallen series. Maybe it's simply because The Fallen was my first impression of Sniegoski and it's my all-time favorite work of his. The whole apocalypse scenario also gets overused quite a bit, but I believe that authors often employ it to show just how serious the situation is and how drastic the obstacles are that have to be overcome. However, I greatly enjoyed this book overall and believe that The Demonists is a fairly good first installment that will open the gates for a series that I know I'll enjoy.

A lot of reviewers have mentioned that this novel is extremely gory and creepy, but I surprisingly didn't feel this way. This is probably because his other works are similar in this regard and I just expected it. I also have to mention that Sniegoski does have an amazing talent for creating vivid and even poetic descriptions of events. While this work easily fits into the dark fantasy/horror genre, I encourage you not to get turned off by the gore because The Demonists is a truly worthy read. I just felt that some sections could have moved a bit faster.  Nonetheless, the book was a highly entertaining read, and you can bet that I will be sticking around, eagerly awaiting the next installment!

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The Child Thief by Brom

This Review was Written by: C

Received: Purchased

Publication Date of Book: August 2010

Pages (Paperback): 481

Stars: 5/5

Official Summary:

Peter is quick, daring, and full of mischief—and like all boys, he loves to play, though his games often end in blood. His eyes are sparkling gold, and when he graces you with his smile you are his friend for life, but his promised land is not Neverland.

Fourteen-year-old Nick would have been murdered by the drug dealers preying on his family had Peter not saved him. Now the irresistibly charismatic wild boy wants Nick to follow him to a secret place of great adventure, where magic is alive and you never grow old. Even though he is wary of Peter's crazy talk of faeries and monsters, Nick agrees. After all, New York City is no longer safe for him, and what more could he possibly lose?

There is always more to lose.

Accompanying Peter to a gray and ravished island that was once a lush, enchanted paradise, Nick finds himself unwittingly recruited for a war that has raged for centuries—one where he must learn to fight or die among the "Devils," Peter's savage tribe of lost and stolen children.

There, Peter's dark past is revealed: left to wolves as an infant, despised and hunted, Peter moves restlessly between the worlds of faerie and man. The Child Thief is a leader of bloodthirsty children, a brave friend, and a creature driven to do whatever he must to stop the "Flesh-eaters" and save the last, wild magic in this dying land.

My Thoughts:

First of all, let me just say WOW! When I was first walking through the Barnes & Noble bookstore where I picked up this gem, I wasn't really sure what I was looking for. However, my eyes soon fell upon The Child Thief, which was tucked in between a few small paperbacks in the adult fantasy section. I absolutely loved the cover art and had to see what this book was about. Upon reading the description, I immediately fell in love with the story that Brom presented and had to purchase it, and I am overly ecstatic that I did! Brom truly brought forth a story that fit the legend of Peter Pan!!!

Now that my little introduction is over, let's get to the review. Everyone is probably familiar with Disney's Peter Pan. It's a classic animated film filled with magic, pirates, fairies, flying, and some interesting characters, particularly the infamous Peter Pan. The only problem is the fact that Disney really watered-down J.M. Barrie's original Peter Pan, at least from what I gather after reading Brom's description of the original tale, which can be found at the end of The Child Thief. Peter is not the fun-loving, flying boy that Disney chose to depict. Brom drew from Peter's much darker and sadistic side in order to craft a thrilling and dark retelling of the classic Peter Pan tale, and I loved every second of it!

Brom's version of Peter (he chose to discard the latter half of his name) has quite a tragic backstory. First off, Peter's hundreds of years old. His mother fell in love with a mysterious man in a forest and bore his son out of wedlock. This child was named Peter, and he was a cute little baby with red hair and freckles. However, his family saw him as more of a devil child once he began to speak shortly after his birth. Peter, who thought speaking was normal for a very young baby, had no idea what he had done wrong. His mother pleaded for him to remain with her, but her family insisted he be left in the middle of the woods to be eaten by wolves. In the end, even his mother could not save young Peter and ultimately did little to protect her own flesh and blood from certain death. However, when abandoned in the woods, Peter did not end up as another creature's dinner. Instead, he survives, begins to grow, and kills the wolf that once stalked him.

Eventually Peter is drawn into a strange mist and ends up in Avalon (Brom's version of Neverland), where a strange god once ruled. Now the island is left to his three children: the Witch, the Lady, and the Horned One. The land is filled with forests, swamps, elves, various fantastical creatures, and the dreaded Flesh-eaters. Peter is drawn to the Lady, and he soon enters a terrible feud with the Horned One's heir, Ulfger. Peter eventually ends up back in the mortal world and begins to bring children into Avalon, claiming part of the forest for his "Devils." He trains these kids to fight, pillage, and kill anyone who opposes them.

Peter also uses his Devils to fight the Flesh-eaters, humans who landed upon the island and became distorted from Avalon's magic. Most of these children die in the various battles that Peter fights and soon he is off again to the mortal realm to bring back more child warriors. This is how Peter comes across Nick, who is on the run from some horrific drug dealers who have set up shop in his Grandmother's home. Once in Avalon, Nick has to learn how to navigate a completely new world and survive in order to make it back to save his mother.

I would have to say that Brom did a splendid job weaving a dark fantasy. Peter had so many diverse sides and faces. As an eternal youth, he could behave so childishly, but there were moments in which he was a completely different person. He used his boyish appearance as a mask to lure helpless children away and give them hope of better days. He took the abandoned, abused, and broken. In retrospect, it almost seemed like he was taking those who were like him, children whose families didn't care for them. In this sense, some saw him as their savior, but there was another part of Peter that lurked beneath the surface. He wanted to use these kids to fight battles, and Nick saw Peter as a deceitful user that wanted the children for his own games. Peter was definitely a complicated character and I loved to see what lurked behind his adolescent facade.

This book also had a freaking amazing plot. It was long, but Brom wove it all together magnificently well. There were battles, blood, gore, tragedy, and fierce emotion. I genuinely got drawn in.  Plus, the story didn't feel drawn-out or complicated. Every single aspect contributed to a bigger picture and Brom built a stunning universe, but perhaps one I myself would not relish the thought of living in.

This book definitely contained some mature content, so I should warn those with weak stomachs. Brom doesn't shy away from what happens to the Devils during battles. The fight sequences are filled with blood, guts, gore, and very descriptive accounts of what terrible events transpire. Innocent kids die and there are many tear-worthy moments. I personally think that what transpired made the story come across in great, vivid detail to the point where it felt like it was no longer a fictional reality. You experience all that occurs through the characters' eyes and even empathize with some of them, including the Captain (a Flesh-eater that I believe Brom created from Captain Hook, minus the hooked hand of course). He also shows the destructive power of religion and just how far some fanatics will go.

I wasn't really sure what to think of Nick in the beginning, but he became one of my favorite characters by the end of the book. He acted as Peter's conscience and really brought on the guilt of what Peter did to some of them. On the other hand, the Lady was one of my least favorite characters, as she primarily saw Peter as a replacement for her dead son. He was a slave to her love, and this was most likely one of the root causes to many of the events that occurred in this book.

I still can't throw the ending of the book out of my head. So much happened, and I can easily see some readers absolutely hating The Child Thief's conclusion. I don't want to give anything away, but I considered it to be a fitting outcome. Yes, I will admit that it was despairing, but it severely affected Peter, and a new path was brought forth. Overall, this book is a must read. It's unique, mature, dark, and offers an amazing world for a devilish Peter Pan.

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