The Destiny Equation by J.S. Frankel

September 25, 2024 By Leave a Comment


The Destiny Equation by J.S. Frankel
Publisher: Extasy Books
Genre: Young Adult (14 – 18 y.o.), Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Romance, Contemporary
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Tempting fate. Is it fixed, or can you fight against it? Jordan Maduro and his girlfriend, Lydia Horiuchi, are about to find out!

Two universes, two lives… one shared fate. Jordan Maduro and Lydia Horiuchi come from two different Earths, but they share a destiny, one that could either mean their salvation—or their destruction.

Adventure is right around the corner.

The pacing was strong and exciting. This was one of those cases where I couldn’t find a good stopping spot when I needed to do something other than read for a while. No sooner did Jordan and Lydia get out of one sticky situation than they soon found themselves in another one thanks to fun plot twists and, in some cases, characters who didn’t do what I expected them to do in all sorts of creative ways. As much as I want to share specific scenes here, I don’t want to spoil anything for other readers given just how many surprises were packed into these pages and how closely entwined some of them are to each other. All I can say is to expect the unexpected, beware of moments that feel peaceful, and don’t assume that the way our world works is necessarily going to be repeated in other universes.

What held this back from a higher rating for me was the character development. There were details about Lydia and Jordan’s lives that were never fleshed out. For example, I wondered why both of them had spent so much of their childhoods in foster care without anyone adopting them. Normally, young, healthy children who can’t reunite with their birth families are adopted pretty quickly where I live, so it surprised me that these two had grown up in foster care. I would have also liked to learn more about their personalities and hobbies as I’d struggle to describe those things in much detail.

As usual, Mr. Frankel did an excellent job with his world building. I’ve been reviewing his books for about a decade now, and his ability to immerse his audience in worlds that have so many important differences from our own is one of the many reasons why I try to be the first reviewer to request his works whenever Long and Short Reviews receives them. I especially loved his descriptions of how one logs into the Internet or makes dinner in this particular world, but I really should leave the details of that for others to discover for themselves just like I did earlier. It was well worth the wait once it did show up in the plot.

The Destiny Equation was an engrossing read.

Filed Under: Reviews, Romance, Science Fiction/Fantasy, YA/Middle Grade/Children's Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Pent Up Thoughts by James B. Agape

September 23, 2024 By Leave a Comment


Pent Up Thoughts by James B. Agape
Publisher: Self-Published
Genre: Non-Fiction, Poetry, Inspirational, Contemporary
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

“Pent Up Thoughts” is a remarkable collection of journaled thoughts, messages, and poems that shine a captivating light on the complex depths of mental health and self-care. This book beckons readers to take a soul-stirring voyage, delving into the complexities of anxiety, depression, self-love and acceptance, relationships, coping mechanisms, healing, and the widespread stigmas surrounding mental health. Divided into six sections, each part sheds light on an indispensable angle of the mental well-being experience, beautifully intertwined with self-care, resilience, and hope topics. This collection seeks to provide solace, inspiration, and a sense of connection to those battling mental health challenges or searching for a deeper understanding of the human experience and themselves.

Hope is essential and can be found in even the hardest circumstances.

I appreciated the time and effort the author put into describing just how exhausting and hopeless life can feel when someone is struggling with anxiety, depression, or other mental health issues. Even small steps in the right direction can feel as difficult as running a marathon or climbing Mount Everest. This isn’t always something that people who have never struggled with mental illness can easily understand, so I was glad to see it spelled out so clearly. Understanding that headspace is imperative to beginning to heal as well as to figuring out how to help someone who feels trapped by their illness.

The repetition in this book made it difficult for my interest levels to remain high. Certain points were brought up in almost every chapter without clear explanations as to why the author was mentioning them again. This would have been more effective if those sentences were trimmed down or if new information was included in later references to those subjects in my opinion.

The poems were beautiful, and I appreciated their steady cadence and rhyming schemes. Mr. Agape used those rules to explore the wide variety of emotions he experienced before, during, and after his diagnosis became official. There’s beauty to be found everywhere in life, especially in the parts of it that most people would struggle with if it happened to them. He has a real flair for this form of writing and it is my hope that he will be able to publish more of it soon. If or when there’s another poetry collection from him, I’d love to read it!

I should note that I was not aware this was an inspirational title when I requested it. The religious content is an occasional part of the author’s advice and takes up about ten to fifteen percent of the entire book. Still, it was and still is an important part of his life and healing process, so it was interesting to see how his faith affected the choices he made as he struggled with the hardest portions of his mental illness.

Pent Up Thoughts was thought provoking.

Filed Under: Non-Fiction, Poetry, Reviews Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Obliteration Circle by Tommy B. Smith

September 20, 2024 By Leave a Comment


Obliteration Circle by Tommy B. Smith
Black Carmenia #3
Publisher: Raven Tale Publishing
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Paranormal, Historical
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

When the black-bound journal of Claude de la Cour fell into Chloe’s possession, the secret passages and hidden signposts of the world became revealed to her. With these discoveries, entities from beyond have marked her for destruction.

While investigating a series of ghastly deaths on the south Louisiana bayou, she is targeted by a terror she cannot fight. The burning circles in the dark intend to obliterate her and everyone around her. Fleeing for her life, Chloe’s days have become a desperate battle for survival.

Against such forces, is any escape or means of defense even possible?

Beware the bayou.

One of the things I’ve enjoyed the most about this world so far has to do with the characters’ realistic reactions to supernatural experiences that they don’t understand. They generally had a mixture of disbelief, curiosity, and deep fear that made it difficult for them to decide what to do in the heat of the moment. Some ran away as fast as they could while others made the courageous – if also sometimes foolish – decision to investigate further. In my experience, this is exactly how people tend to react in real life to unexpected and frightening events, so it was refreshing to see it play out in fiction the same way. Each character was still an individual, but human nature tended to guide all of them along similar paths as they attempted to figure out what was really going on.

I struggled a little with keeping track of the large cast of characters in this book. Some of them were people mentioned in the first two instalments of this series, but many more were new to the universe and therefore needed to be introduced during a fast-paced plot. It would have been helpful to have some more guidance about who all of the new folks were and what their personalities were like as that’s something that plays a big role in how someone reacts to things that they cannot yet explain.

The horror elements of the plot had a nice mixture of psychological, supernatural, and physical causes. Yes, there were a few gory scenes, but many more were about building tension for characters who were fumbling around with a few clues and didn’t always know if they were on the right track. That’s exactly what I like to see in this genre.

This is the third book in a series that I’d recommend reading in order for plot and character development reasons.

Obliteration Circle was wonderfully scary.

Filed Under: Reviews, Science Fiction/Fantasy Tagged With: , , , , ,

Ask The Parrot by Richard Stark

September 19, 2024 By Leave a Comment


Ask The Parrot by Richard Stark
Publisher: The University Of Chicago Press
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller, Action/Adventure
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Fern

In Ask the Parrot, the followup to Nobody Runs Forever, ruthless thief Parker is back on the run, dodging dogs, cops, and even a helicopter. His escape brings him to rural Massachusetts, where he is forced to work with a small-town recluse nursing a grudge against the racetrack that fired him. Even in hiding, Parker manages to get up to no good. It’ll be a deadly day at the races . . .

On the run from the law, Parker is trying to find somewhere to lay low until the worst of the heat passes. Finding a semblance of refuge in a small town with a hermit who has a big idea, Parker is determined to make the situation work for him. But can they both turn their fortunes around and stay out of the grasp of the law?

While there is a thread interweaving through all the Parker books, by and large they all stand very well on their own. The last three books ever written, however, are a little more closely linked – and this is the middle book of that. While in one respect I do feel anyone can pick this book up by itself and thoroughly enjoy the lean, gritty and slightly old-fashioned hard-boiled heist novel, I equally really do feel a deeper connection and enjoyment would be had if the reader had also read the previous book to this – “Nobody Runs Forever”.

This book picks up mere minutes after where Nobody Runs Forever leaves off, and while it’s extremely clear the main thrust of what occurred in that book (three robbers got away with a large sum of money, one of whom was Parker) a lot of the depth of trouble Parker currently finds himself in really is laid as groundwork in the previous book. That said, this is an exceptionally well written story, and I did love how the seemingly unconnected people in the small town all began to weave together into their story – rather like a tar baby sucking everything in and not letting anything fully go.

If you haven’t read the previous books in this series, I can strongly recommend them. This is a brilliant series and a superb set of gritty, slightly grim and very lean heist novels that have utterly enthralled me these last few years. I will be deeply sorry to read the last one (there’s only one more left for me in this series) and since the author passed away a number of years ago this time there’s really no hope for any more to come.

With an older style of writing that remains refreshingly wonderful even in this modern era, this is a great series and an excellent book. I’m actually looking forward to going back to the start of the series and re-discovering them all again. Highly recommended.

Filed Under: Mystery/Suspense, Reviews Tagged With: , , , , ,

Navigating ADHD: A Parent’s Guide to Cultivating Strength, Resilience and Connection by Emily Lawson

September 18, 2024 By Leave a Comment


Navigating ADHD: A Parent’s Guide to Cultivating Strength, Resilience and Connection by Emily Lawson
Publisher: Self-Published
Genre: Non-Fiction, Contemporary
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Discover how to rewire your child’s ADHD brain into a path of strength and joy for your child and you. It’s another hectic morning, and your child’s challenges are in full swing. You’re juggling breakfast, battling with the morning routine, and feeling the weight of unspoken judgments from those who don’t understand. You might feel alone and heartbroken in these moments, but you’re not. 6.4 million children are diagnosed with ADHD in the U.S. alone. Now, what if there’s a way to ease these daily struggles, to connect with your child beyond the ADHD label? This is where this guide steps in– a guiding light in that shared journey. It’s not just another manual; it’s a source of real understanding and solutions. Within these pages lies a unique blend of practical strategies and heartwarming insights shaped by the latest research and real experiences of ADHD parenting.

This isn’t about just getting through the day; it’s about transforming your daily challenges into opportunities for growth, deeper connection, and genuine joy. This book is your guide, from mastering morning routines to navigating school systems, from managing emotional outbursts to finding peace amidst chaos. In this illuminating guide, you’ll discover:

● How to turn daily struggles into triumphs with structured routines and effective communication
● The truth behind 8 common ADHD myths, setting the record straight and empowering you with accurate knowledge.
● The secret to effective advocacy, ensuring your child receives the education and support they deserve.
● 5 innovative tips for positive reinforcement, enhancing your child’s behavior and self-esteem in a nurturing way.
● How to master mindfulness and stress management techniques that bring serenity to both you and your child, even in the most hectic moments
● 10 easy techniques to improve focus in kids with ADHD – making schoolwork and daily tasks more manageable.
● A variety of self-care strategies that seamlessly fit into your hectic schedule, ensuring you stay energized and balanced. ● How dietary changes and physical activity can significantly improve ADHD management.
● How to build a support network – access an invaluable list of resources and connect with a community that understands and shares your journey.

And much more… If you’re feeling overwhelmed or wondering if you can truly make a difference in your child’s ADHD journey, let this book be your guide. It’s crafted to address your daily challenges, offering practical and transformative solutions.
This isn’t just about managing symptoms; it’s about enriching your family’s life, deepening your bond with your child, and watching them thrive under your guidance and love.

Knowledge makes it easier to thrive.

One of the things I liked about this book was the many different types of coping mechanisms it shared. For example, I had no idea that jigsaw puzzles can help people who have ADHD learn how to stay on task more easily or that exercise could have such a calming effect as well. Pharmaceutical treatment is an important piece of the puzzle for many people as well, of course, but it’s helpful to know more about the lifestyle changes one can make to ease the symptoms of conditions like this one.

I would have liked to see more attention paid to how to handle ADHD with children who are either not yet old enough to attend school or are young adults. The vast majority of the information in this book was geared toward parents of children who were school age. While that is understandable given the way this condition can affect how well a child can learn in a classroom setting, I think there was still more to say about the age groups above or below that one as well. Preschoolers are learning all sorts of important academic and social skills that will be critical for them to succeed in a school environment in a year or two. Likewise, young adults also need to practice skills in order to prepare them for the workforce. This is a minor criticism of something I thought was otherwise well written and thorough.

The sections on various types of alternative medicine that some families use to treat ADHD were balanced and evidence based. Honestly, I was a little surprised by their inclusion when I first began reading them, but the author clearly stated what recent scientific evidence has been uncovered in favor of using each type and what the benefits and drawbacks are of including alternative medicine alongside more mainstream forms of treatment. That was a smart way to address the issue in my opinion, and it boosted my rating to a full five stars.

Navigating ADHD: A Parent’s Guide to Cultivating Strength, Resilience and Connection was a treasure trove of information on managing ADHD.

Filed Under: Non-Fiction, Reviews Tagged With: , , , ,

Lady’s Well by LJ Ross

September 17, 2024 By Leave a Comment


Lady’s Well by LJ Ross
Publisher: Dark Skies Publishing
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Fern

THERE’S SOMETHING IN THE WATER…

When the ancient waters of Lady’s Well in the rural village of Holystone begin to run red, it seems to be a nasty Hallowe’en prank and nothing more. But things take a sinister turn when the entire village suffers severe poisoning, and one old man turns up dead.

Accusations abound in the small, close-knit community, and ‘old’ religions spar against ‘new’ while fear runs like wildfire through the streets. With so many potential motives and countless opportunities, there’s only one man who can help solve this particular mystery…

Murder and mystery are peppered with romance and humour in this fast-paced crime whodunnit, set amidst the spectacular Northumbrian landscape.

The tiny rural village of Holystone has many customs – old and new – revolving around Lady’s Well. When the waters turn red sometime in the evening of Halloween half the small township feel it’s a distasteful prank, but the other half are convinced it’s an omen of ill will. Accusations abound in the small community and a number of already volatile situations surrounding the small village begin to flare. When first one, then another local is found dead DCI Ryan and his team can only treat these as suspicious and race to uncover what’s really going on in the tiny community.

This is the twentieth book in this series, and I have to admit the writing and plot feels just as fresh to me now as the first few books did. While there is a lot of history between the various team members, I was pretty pleased that I felt everything was very well explained and handled. It’s been a number of months since I’ve read one of this series and I didn’t feel as if I was missing anything – the author did a good job to explain everyone’s links and where the characters were all coming from. While certainly readers might be able to feel the weight of the shared cases and history all the previous books provide, I honestly feel anyone picking this book up on a whim with no previous reading under their belt from this author should be able to enjoy this mystery book as much as I did.

The plot is fairly straight forward and not overly complicated. Readers looking for some nefarious, intricate and deeply plotted puzzle might find this a little light. But I found the small town setting, the British Police Procedural tone and feel to the book coupled with the small team and various characters really helped this feel like an interesting and realistic police murder mystery story to me. There is a bit of residual drama surrounding two of the secondary characters which is clearly explained and I felt sympathetically handled from issues holding over from the previous book. This added a fair bit of emotional weight to the story and helped show the characters’ progression without interfering too deeply I felt with the main murder mystery plotline.

I was pretty pleased with myself for guessing part of the plot but found it equally enjoyable that there were a number of other aspects I didn’t get at all and found delightfully surprising. With a solid plotline having a number of elements wound well together and the cast of well-known and enjoyable characters I found this overall the be a strongly written and solid book that I can recommend to all mystery lovers out there.

Filed Under: Mystery/Suspense, Reviews, Uncategorized Tagged With: , , , ,

Burnt Echo by Rhys Dylan

September 16, 2024 By Leave a Comment


Burnt Echo by Rhys Dylan
Publisher: Wyrmwood Books
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 3 stars
Reviewed by Fern

In a deep, dark, hole…

When the putrid smell oozing out of an old mine shaft in the Cambrian hills’ ‘green desert’ of Wales turns out to be a corpse, DCI Evan Warlow and his team quickly slip into gear.

But this is no pot-holing adventure gone wrong. Soon, Evan and the team are hunting for another missing person and discovering ghosts from the past that no one wants to confront. With the team stretched and confronting their own demons, DCI Warlow has his work cut out in unravelling a web of manipulation and lies.

Yet there is more than one victim here. And unless he can find a way to the truth and quickly, someone else is going to fall foul.

DCI Evan Warlow and his team move to northern Wales this time when reports of a rotting smell are made in one of the many mine shafts in the rural area. When the smell is found to be coming from a decaying body, the team investigate and quickly find the death of the man is a lot more complicated than they had originally expected.

I have been greatly enjoying this Wales based British Police Procedural style of mystery books. Slightly darker and gritter than regular British books, this has all the police aspects I’ve come to love but the isolated rugged landscape and the tone of the writing sets it apart. I thoroughly enjoyed following along with Warlow and his team as they uncovered the life of the victim, and I really feel the author is hitting their stride in this series.

I definitely feel this book can be read as a standalone. The mystery aspect is very well encapsulated in this story and there’s a definitive wrapping up of the plot and all loose ends. I do admit, though, that there is now quite a bit of history and links between the team members and while this is lovely to read and enjoy, especially how the team pulls together and supports each other personally as well as professionally, I could understand if the weight of this history from the previous books has new readers not feeling the same depth of emotion that I do with these connections and past reading. That said, if new readers enjoy this book, it should be an easy thing to go back and read the others in this series – as this book is similar in style and tone to the others so it’d be an easy thing to catch up.

Readers looking for a different and enjoyable Welsh based murder mystery should find this an excellent book and I have been thoroughly enjoying the series and I can absolutely recommend it as a great read and well worth the time and giving it a chance.

Filed Under: Mystery/Suspense, Reviews Tagged With: , , ,

Backyard Herbal Remedies: A Beginners Guide to Identifying, Foraging, and Wildcrafting Herbal Remedies Straight From Nature by Krista Edwards

September 13, 2024 By Leave a Comment


Backyard Herbal Remedies: A Beginners Guide to Identifying, Foraging, and Wildcrafting Herbal Remedies Straight From Nature by Krista Edwards
Publisher: Self-Published
Genre: Non-Fiction, Contemporary, Historical
Rating: 5 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Have you ever wondered if there was a better more natural way to care for the health of you and your loved ones? It may be waiting for you right outside your door!
Does the idea of foraging sound fun and intriguing, but at the same time scary and intimidating?
This book is written for the person starting from scratch. It is written for the person who knows there is a better way to supporting health naturally, but whose only prior use for dandelions was to make a wish. This book breaks things down to a very basic easy to understand level. In Backyard Herbal Remedies you will learn:
How to identify basic botany characteristics to help you identify plants safely and correctly.
How and when to harvest each herb
Which parts of the herb to harvest and how to process it.
How to wildcraft sustainably
How to make different herbal preparations, such as teas, tinctures, decoctions, poultices and more.
Herbal energetics and herbal actions- how to match an herb to the situation.
How to use 18 common backyard “weeds” to use for remedies, what they do, and how to use them.
Recipes for each herb to help you incorporate them into your daily life.
Resources to use on your journey to becoming an herbalist.
If you are ready to take the first step towards sustainable self-reliance for your health and that of your loved ones, I invite you to read this book and join me on your plant journey!

Knowledge is power.

This was an excellent introduction to herbal remedies and how to use them. Because it assumed the reader knew nothing about the subject, the author explained everything about it in clear detail and was quick to warn readers about plants that should not be used by certain groups like pregnant women or people who have certain health conditions or that are too dangerous for beginners to try to identify because, for example, there may be very similar species that are poisonous or they are not easy to properly and safely prepare for human consumption. Those are some of my concerns when I think about trying new herbal remedies, and I was relieved to see them addressed so clearly when necessary.

It was pleasantly surprising to find so many recipes for various types of food here. I assumed that this would mostly be about medicinal teas and lotions, so it was cool to be proven wrong and to see so many other options for consumption included as well such as cookies, soups, a unique type of ketchup, and even a few mixed drinks that include various herbs and other plants. If only mainstream medicine included such delicious options for treating common health problems and feeling better.

Ms. Edwards struck a sensible balance between encouraging her readers to follow medical advice, especially for any serious or persistent conditions, and feeling confident in the use of herbal remedies and traditional Chinese medicine for ailments that can be partially or fully treated safely at home. As someone who has an illness that is treated both pharmaceutically and with certain types of alternative medicine, it was refreshing to read a book that did not pit either method of treatment against the other. Both types of treatment can be necessary and beneficial to one’s health!

I appreciated the gentle humor. Even if it is healthy, not every herbal infusion or syrup is necessarily going to conform to what most modern people generally eat or drink, so the author was quick to point out which recipes might take a little while to get used to and what someone can do to help them taste better in the meantime. This pattern repeated itself with amusing stories about things like the dangers of collecting nettles without wearing gloves even for people who have been doing this for years and believe it might not sting so much this time around. The occasional funny moments only made this an even better read than it already was.

Backyard Herbal Remedies: A Beginners Guide to Identifying, Foraging, and Wildcrafting Herbal Remedies Straight From Nature was filled with valuable advice that I will be referencing regularly in the future.

Filed Under: Non-Fiction, Reviews Tagged With: , , , , ,

Doctor, Doctor by Will Okati

September 12, 2024 By Leave a Comment


Doctor, Doctor by Will Okati
Publisher: Changeling Press
Genre: Contemporary, Erotic Romance, LGBTQ
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Cholla

Love isn’t easy and it’s rarely simple. More often than not it takes practice. Lots of practice.

It Takes Practice (Doctor, Doctor 1)
Dr. Nathan Rey has had a case of broken heart syndrome since his wild, bad-boy lover disappeared. He still can’t forget Fitz, and no one he’s met since could begin to compare. Then Nathan’s nurse elopes overnight and the temp agency sends him, certified and licensed, Fitz himself, with far more than work on his mind. Fitz means to convince Nathan seven years isn’t too long to wait for a second chance at the love of a lifetime.

It Takes Three (Doctor, Doctor 2)
Three med students. Geoff’s wound tight as a cheap watch. Ross is, too, but unless it’s got to do with math or science he’s oblivious. Aurélien’s uber-zen, uber-practical. With exams coming up fast, they’re all in desperate need of some R & R. What better way than getting a little action? Together. Multiple times, and in multiple ways. Once they get started these guys “work” well together. Maybe a little too much so. Aren’t things like this supposed to be hard? In this case, the answer to all their questions is three.

In It Takes Practice. Dr. Nathan Ray is attempting to keep his head above water. Operating an on-call service to those in need and those who are unable to make it into a traditional doctor’s office, he buries himself in work as a way of forgetting his past. That is, until his past unexpectedly shows up on his doorstep one morning.

Nathan thinks he finally has a handle on everything – minus his love life – until he sees that familiar face again. One glance at an older, but still handsome, Fitz nearly knocks him off his feet. Fitz is both different and all too much the same as he’d been back in college, something that confuses and intrigues Nathan. I loved watching Nathan and Fitz rediscover each other, even if Nathan’s determined to get through the day and leave Fitz in the past. Even though I think he knew from that very first moment that he could never manage to do that.

Second chance romances are one of my favorites. It’s so much fun to watch the couple relearn everything they thought they once knew, as well as adjust to their older, more worldly, selves. It Takes Practice hits all of these notes for me in both bittersweet and hilarious moments. This was by far my favorite of the two, and I’d love to know how Nathan and Fitz are doing today.

It Takes Three is a different sort of novel completely. While desperately trying to study for an important upcoming test, Geoff has managed to stress himself out completely. Something that I, unfortunately, can relate to a little too well. However, Geoff’s not alone in his frustrations. Someone else – two, in fact – are right there with him in the stress ball called medical school.

As I mentioned, Geoff’s the one I can relate to the best. Everything to him is a major moment and he acts accordingly. He’s stressed, but unwilling to stop studying for a bit of fun, because the test is a major factor in whether he graduates or not. Aurélien is the complete opposite of Geoff. He’s very mellow and unconcerned with tomorrow, he’s more focused on today. Aurélien is exactly the kind of guy Geoff needs in his life to help balance him out. Ross, by far, was my favorite of the three, mainly because he was unexpected. He appears to not be very bright. Instead, he’s thoughtful and careful with his words and actions, which can often make someone unfairly think you’re less intelligent than you are. The three of them together is a fun-filled bout of sexy times and even some studying. I was definitely rooting for them by the end.

Both stories in Doctor, Doctor, combine romance, humor, and steamy scenes into well-rounded and enjoyable stories about men trying to find their way through life. Medical romances aren’t something I read often, but after these two, hot, short stories, I might need to make an exception and start to seek more out.

Filed Under: Erotic Romance, Reviews Tagged With: , , , , ,

The Sunhammer and the Infinite Cold: Village Monsters by George L. Soriano

September 11, 2024 By Leave a Comment


The Sunhammer and the Infinite Cold: Village Monsters by George L. Soriano
Publisher: Self-Published
Genre: Young Adult (14 – 18 y.o.), Sci-Fi/Fantasy, LGBTQ, Paranormal, Contemporary
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

The denizens of Nercaza Rajh call themselves Nercazans, and they have a peculiar life cycle. A Nercazan does not die of old age. Upon reaching a certain point in their lives, their bodies are reborn as they return to their youth. This is known as New Star.

It is also possible for them to switch genders during New Star. This is known as New Cycle.

Follow the adventures of two adopted brothers, Zhuri and Malkavek. They are Nercazan Knights who have pledged to help any who summon them. Having gone through New Star and also New Cycle, they are now sisters.

As well as facing monstrous enemies, they must also face the challenges of their new identities in their new bodies.

Nothing lasts forever.

Some of the most memorable scenes were the ones describing the monsters that the protagonists were fighting. Wow, those were some scary beasts! I shuddered as I imagined what it would be like to face one in person and wondered how these sisters were going to fight back against such powerful creatures. They certainly had their work cut out for them, but I was sure Malkavek and Zhuri could figure out a way to tip the scales in their favor.

While I understand that this was the introduction to a new series, I still would have liked to see more world building in it. There were so many different aspects of this world that were not explained well to the audience, especially when it came to how the cycle of reincarnation worked and why Zhuri and Malkavek were remarkably similar to their previous selves in certain ways while being wildly different in other ones. I was also surprised by how others reacted to them in their current female forms and wished I had more information about what the average person knows about reincarnation in this universe.

I adored Zhuri and Malkavek’s sibling bond. They could switch from arguing about something silly in one scene to protecting each other from violent monsters in the next. There’s something special about growing up together and knowing a brother or sister so well that all it takes is one wordless glance to immediately know what they’re thinking. Mr. Soriano did a good job expressing that here.

The Sunhammer and The Infinite Cold: Village Monsters intrigued me.

Filed Under: Reviews, Science Fiction/Fantasy, Uncategorized, YA/Middle Grade/Children's Tagged With: , , , , , , ,
« Previous Page
Next Page »