Worth Her Weight in Gold by Lynn Lovegreen

August 27, 2014 By 2 Comments

GOLD
Worth Her Weight in Gold by Lynn Lovegreen
Publisher: Prism Book Group
Genre: Action/Adventure, Historical
Length: Short Story (39 pages)
Heat Level: Sweet
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Aloe

In this procedure, new grown up joints last at least 10 to 15 years and for the huge production of the cialis for sale australia medicine makes it cheap. A ligament known as the best viagra price suspensory ligament holds this in place to the public bone. Andro-Penis Gold It is a Class 1 medical device viagra buy australia with CE certification that has been scientifically proven to permanently increases in penis size ranging between 0.8-1.1 inches all in all. As being what is indicated, men are presently all the more eager to buy cheap viagra http://secretworldchronicle.com/2020/01/ confess to requiring a help and making a move to get it. Ada Weiss is content to sing with her family at the new Juneau Opera House. But when she meets miner Tom Hickok, she wonders if there’s more to life than the stage. For Tom, Ada is more precious than all the gold in the Treadwell Mine, but he doubts a regular guy has a chance with a beautiful singer. When a mob threatens to run their friend China Joe out of town, Ada and Tom work together and learn what their true characters really are.

Ada Weiss sings with her family to entertain the miners at the Juneau Opera House. She has one young man who comes to visit even if she isn’t singing. The bartender or her brother chaperone them. Tom Hickok can play the piano, too, and he even plays some songs for her. They play tunes together on the piano and make music themselves while doing so. But is he serious about her? And would she consider a man of less status than she has?

The author writes a nice western town tale here of an innocent romance that grows into something stronger with time. The main characters are sweet, but they also have their own sense of right and wrong and are willing to defend it. When Tom visits a bit too much to please his boss, he’s asked work ten days straight. He agrees, already regretting the time that will be lost. His boss makes him feel better by telling him he can write to his lady.

Ms. Lovegreen writes of the prejudice shown the Chinamen working at the mines. Unfortunately, this is a historical fact that still exists in today’s society. The color of the faces may have changed but it’s still here. Being different is often seen as being bad. She demonstrates this by having the Chinese mineworkers run out of camp and being sent to another location. She adds it to the story of Ada and Tom by having them defend China Joe, who owns a shop near the opera house.

This is a sweet, easy tale to read. It reminds of you times in the past when chaperones were necessary and no one married without their parent’s permission. I found myself rooting for Tom before the story was done. I bet you do, too.

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

Flight to Coorah Creek by Janet Gover

August 27, 2014 By 1 Comment

CREEK
Flight to Coorah Creek by Janet Gover
Publisher: Choc Lit
Genre: Contemporary
Length: Full Length (317 pgs)
Heat Level: Sweet
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Hawthorn

What happens when you can fly, but you just can’t hide?

Only Jessica Pearson knows the truth when the press portrays her as the woman who betrayed her lover to escape prosecution. But will her new job flying an outback air ambulance help her sleep at night or atone for a lost life?

Sadly, restarting or reloading applications may not cialis generic do their phone repair magic. They are cialis 10 mg stored in encrypted form and are not disclosed under any circumstances. Every men in this world is prone to many health disorders and issues that can make you shy in levitra generika time of purchasing the medicine. The good news is that there are effective medicines available for reinforcing sexual cialis 20 mg performance are prescription based totally, so you need to consult a physician earlier than considering them. Doctor Adam Gilmore touches the lives of his patients, but his own scars mean he can never let a woman touch his heart.

Runaway Ellen Parkes wants to build a safe future for her two children. Without a man—not even one as gentle as Jack North.

In Coorah Creek, a town on the edge of nowhere, you’re judged by what you do, not what people say about you. But when the harshest judge is the one you see in the mirror, there’s nowhere left to hide.

Jess, Ellen, Jack and Adam are inspiring characters that manage to find peace in the face of suffering and overwhelming guilt. They’ve experienced more pain than anyone ever should, but they finally have a chance at happiness. Like Jess thinks when she sees Adam’s scars: she’d never change that because the scars made them who they are now.

I loved how both Jess and Ellen were portrayed as vulnerable, but essentially strong women. After being broken and ruined by men, they got up and re-built their lives. Their hesitation about letting new men into their lives was believable, although the guilt Jess and Ellen felt was perhaps a bit overdone. However, it helped to add to their inner conflict so that was easy to overlook.

Sister Luke was a refreshing, wise character that brought some wonderfully quirky moments to the story. I felt a bit more humor would make the story less sentimental and even more enjoyable by juxtaposing the poignancy of the characters’ lives with some comic relief. Even the setting fit the emotional atmosphere, with the desolate Australian Outback symbolizing the isolation of every individual. It read very authentic and real, to the point of me feeling the dust tickling my nose as I read about the dry red expanse of land.

Although the story holds a strong message of how we all deserve to be forgiven, mostly by ourselves, but by others, too, it’s the strong characters that will stay with me. The selflessness of Jack and Adam, the courage and fighting spirit of Ellen, the essential goodness of Jess. They made this story strong and unputdownable.

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

One Evening in Paris by Nicolas Barreau

August 27, 2014 By Leave a Comment

PARIS
One Evening in Paris by Nicolas Barreau
Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin
Genre: Action/Adventure, Contemporary, Suspense/Mystery
Length: Full Length (278 pgs)
Heat Level: Sweet
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Aloe

Alain Bonnard, the owner of a small art cinema in Paris, is a dyed-in-the-wool nostalgic. In his Cinéma Paradis there are no buckets of popcorn, no XXL coca-colas, no Hollywood blockbusters. Not a good business plan if you want to survive, but Alain holds firm to his principles of quality. He wants to show films that create dreams, and he likes most of the people that come to his cinema. Particularly the enchanting, shy woman in the red coat who turns up every Wednesday in row 17. What could her story be? One evening, Alain plucks up courage and invites the unknown beauty to dinner. The most tender of love stories is just getting under way when something incredible happens: The Cinéma Paradis is going to be the location of Allan Woods’ new film Tender Memories of Paris. Solène Avril, the famous American director’s favourite actress, has known the cinema since childhood and has got it into her head that she wants the film to be shot there. Alain is totally overwhelmed when he meets her in person. Suddenly, the little cinema and its owner are the focus of public attention, and the red-plush seats are sold out every evening.

But the mystery woman Alain has just fallen in love with seems suddenly to have vanished. Is this just coincidence? Alain sets off in search of her and becomes part of a story more delightful than anything the cinema has to offer

This will have economic implications levitra 10 mg to local and national government. Basements have buy cialis pills learningworksca.org several uses such as man caves or press bedrooms. They cheapest cialis http://www.learningworksca.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/021-MMAP_WhitePaper_Final_September2014.pdf can engage in sexual intercourse when they take this medication just once a day and ideally with water to fulfill your better half in the couch. Kamagra is not learningworksca.org tadalafil cheap recommended for use in a food or those which were in the food supply prior to 1994. Alain has inherited a small art cinema in Paris. It’s an old fashioned nostalgic cinema and so are the films he shows. The great romance films of the past bring him peace and complete his life. He knows most of his patrons, but when he notices the girl in the red coat who always sits in the same seat each Wednesday night, he decides he’d like to know her better…

Mr. Barreau writes a delicate romance with Paris as a backdrop. He names old classic films, creates irascible characters and makes his main character a lonely man who doesn’t realize he is. It’s a smooth story I’d love to hear him read out loud. The story flows, the characters follow his direction and misdirection, and everyone is happier by the end of the story.

Alain is finally brave enough to invite her out to dinner. He’s amazed when the shy young woman says yes. He’s more amazed when he doesn’t get home until the wee hours of the morn. When they started talking, they couldn’t stop!

When Alain is approached by a director and his beautiful star and they ask to use the theater as the “set” for a new movie, Alain says yes. There will be some improvements to his cinema and it’ll be good advertising. But as soon as he says yes, his mystery girl doesn’t return. Why?

There are a few too many coincidences here to make me find it realistic, but it does make a good story. There is more than one Melanie missing. Finding his is challenging and almost impossible, but he doesn’t give up. They may have had only night of talking but he knows he loves her. How can you not like a book that believes in true love?

This is an easy read, an excellent story, and has lots of subplots to go with his girlfriend search. I’m glad I was given the opportunity to read it. Why not grab a cup of tea and a couple of cookies and go to the cinema yourself? Alain is waiting for you.

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

An American Girl in Italy by Aubrie Dionne

August 20, 2014 By Leave a Comment

GIRL
An American Girl in Italy by Aubrie Dionne
Publisher: Harper Impulse
Genre: Contemporary
Length: Full Length (212 pgs)
Heat Level: Sweet
Rating: 2.5 stars
Reviewed by Hawthorn

An Italian paradise is the last thing she wants… but the one thing she needs!

Surely any girl would kill for the chance to tour Italy’s most famous cities for the summer? To experience the warmth of the Tuscan sun, the culinary delights of the pizzerias and caffés and to stroll along the cobbled streets of the City of Love itself…

Any girl apart from ambitious oboist Carly Davis that is! For her, the Easthampton Civic Symphony’s latest European tour is one massive inconvenience. She can’t even put her smartphone down long enough to snap a picture of the Coliseum.

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Tour guide Michelangelo is as dark and delicious as Carly’s morning espresso. And when she needs a few lessons in the language of love to land her an important gig, he’s a more than capable tutor.

But with her promising career back in Boston, can Carly really afford to lose her heart in Italy?

There is a lot at stake for both protagonists of An American Girl in Italy. For Carly, the Italian tour is another step to winning recognition as an oboist, while for Michelangelo it’s a way to earn some money to save his family’s vineyard. Apart from the conflicting situations for the main characters, the novel offers lovely descriptions of Italy, its food and wines. The stage is set for a hot Italian romance.

While I liked the depictions of the concerts and everything that referred to music and the orchestra (it showed that the author had experience with this), the romance part disappointed. Despite the high stakes, there was no passion, mainly due to too much telling and not enough showing. The two weeks that Carly and Michelangelo had to fall in love would’ve been quite enough for a believable romance had the author managed to make me care about the protagonists. Unfortunately, I couldn’t connect with Carly. She was too insipid for me to like her. There was no real passion in her. Even the music that she claimed meant everything to her was purely business; it was all about lining up as many gigs as possible and establishing herself.

The narrative felt immature in places. For example, Carly and the opera diva Alaina didn’t get along. However, towards the end, Alaina suddenly stated that she’d thought they were becoming friends although there had never been any indication of that, except for the fact that they were roommates and that they practiced their solo together. The same goes for Mrs. Maxhammer’s behavior at the end – highly unbelievable and unmotivated.

Although the side characters were little more than stock characters they helped move the story along and added some much needed comedy. But more diverse and detailed characterization would add complexity to the story. As it was, the narrative felt protracted and could’ve done with a little tightening. Although the ending was predictable, it led to a satisfying conclusion for Carly and Michelangelo. The scenes of the final concert in the vineyard seemed magical and a fitting finale to the orchestra’s tour in Italy.

Although An American girl in Italy struggled with her feelings for Italy and Michelangelo, you’ll fall in love with the magical places described and with the dashing Italian Romeo.

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

The Gift – The Chronicles of Tucker Littlefield by Tegon Maus

August 5, 2014 By Leave a Comment

GIFT
The Gift – The Chronicles of Tucker Littlefield by Tegon Maus
Publisher: Neither World Publishing
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Historical, Action/Adventure
Length: Full Length (285 pages)
Heat Level: Sweet
Rating: 3 Stars
Review by: Astilbe

Transformed by a primitive magic beyond a civilized man’s understanding, I was given a horrible gift that no man should possess… It held me, twisted me, turning me at its bidding. I was enslaved by its power, compelled to devour the souls of the dead until I became the monster of my fears. I have seen things I wish never to see again. I have done things of which I wish never to speak. Yet I must if I am to find the answers to fulfill my hope. I have walked upon blue ribbons of molten stone to peer into the depth of a man’s soul. I watched as a promise made at birth brought my friend Enon to sacrifice everything to become whole again – all in an effort to save the life of his child. I have cried without shame for the loss of all I hold dear and for fear that the future will hold more than I can bear. I am Tucker Littlefield. Know all that I say now is true-spoken.

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Everything I’ve read from this author so far has had a premise that leapt out at me right away, and this story was no exception to that rule. Mr. Maus has a strong sense of what should and should not be mentioned ahead of time. He knows just when to dangle a juicy glimpse of what’s to come in front of his audience. What makes The Gift – The Chronicles of Tucker Littlefield even more compelling, though, is everything he holds back.

It would have been helpful to have more character development. While this tale is definitely plot-centered, so much time was spent describing all of the exciting things that happen to Tucker on his quest that I never felt like I got to know him as well as I should have in a full-length novel. I got the impression that Tucker tends to be a quiet and thoughtful guy, but that was the extent of what I figured out about his demeanor. The secondary characters lead interesting lives, but I learned even less about their personalities or how they changed as a result of everything that happens.

The world-building in this book was strong. It took me a chapter or two to figure out the identities of the most important characters, but once I had that sorted out I was impressed by how much time the author spent developing Enon’s culture and backstory. This is the kind of work that asks its audience to pay close attention to the details early on, but it’s well worth the investment once the plot picks up speed.

The Gift – The Chronicles of Tucker Littlefield is a good choice for anyone who likes high fantasy.

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

Destined for Deception by Sandra Tilley and Suzanne Purvis

August 4, 2014 By Leave a Comment

DESTINED
Destined for Deception by Sandra Tilley and Suzanne Purvis
Publisher: Prism Books
Genre: Contemporary
Length: Short Story (63 pgs)
Heat: Sweet
Rated 4 stars
Reviewed by Snapdragon

Beneath the emerald waves, churn deception, corruption, and murder…

Forensic accountant Drew Arnoud could be on vacation. Instead, he’s investigating misappropriation of BP’s oil spill settlement funds in the beachside town of Destin, Florida. Having his kayak tipped by head hunting specialist Bree Finley could be a coincidence, or could she be involved? Either way he’s keeping her close, maybe too close. In his search to reveal the truth, he finds his life and his heart in jeopardy.
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Bree Finley has been betrayed before by her ex-husband, but is it possible he’s involved her and their company in criminal activities and fraud? Who can she trust? She must decide, but the wrong decision may prove deadly.

In all, this is a look at the darker side of paradise; crowds, cruise boats full of drunks, and clueless objectionable local law enforcement. There’s also the open waters of the gulf; light and beauty and sailboats and yet, still that dark side, giving it all a rather ‘real’ quality.

The setting cleverly parallels the story – with the harsh reality of having to solve a crime (Suicide? Murder? Theft?) smacking headlong against the two people meeting, and realizing, possibly…the possibilities.

Our heroine in Destined for Deception, Bree Finley, has a boring day job, and yearns for the chance to speed across waves, and enjoy the beauty of the naturall world. Forensic Accountant Drew isn’t there for the paradise part at all, but to research a potential crime and is only frustrated by the sheriff, and a complex array of evidence.

The mystery is both interesting and a bit complex, as Drew tries to figure out who is involved, either in murder or the misappropriation of funds – if it is several people or one, and if…somehow…even distantly…Bree’s company might be involved. The romance part is much more promising, right from the start.

Destined for Deception has it all – sharks and sunshine, hope and fun, obvious chemistry! Will make a great beach-read!

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

The Many Lives of June Crandall by Suzanne Whitfield Vince

July 30, 2014 By Leave a Comment

LIVES
The Many Lives of June Crandall by Suzanne Whitfield Vince
Publisher: Self-published
Genre: Contemporary, Historical
Length: Full Length (308 pages)
Heat Level: Sweet
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Shuffled from one orphanage to another and finally abandoned into foster care, Grace Adams finds comfort only in her dreams, only these dreams are unlike anything Grace could ever dare to imagine. From a Nazi concentration camp in World War 2 to a Geisha house in Feudal Japan, in her dream world Grace is loved and protected by one person: a woman named June Crandall with a face she is unable to forget.

Believing that the woman from her dreams is the mother she’s never met, Grace petitions the court to unseal her birth records, and what she learns about her birth mother will shake her to her core. Years later, at the urging of her husband, Grace publishes a book about the woman from her dreams. At a book signing, a stranger appears and offers a clue to the mystery surrounding Grace’s birth.

Putting her skills as an investigative journalist to work, Grace uncovers a web of secrets and betrayal that threatens to destroy her dream of being reunited with her birth family. Will Grace find the woman from her dreams? Will she solve the mystery of her birth? Will she be able to put the past behind her and find forgiveness for the family that abandoned her?

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It was interesting to watch Grace change as a result of everything that happens to her as she’s growing up. Her painful childhood doesn’t give her much of a reason to trust others, but her intelligence makes her question these knee-jerk responses. The result is a young, troubled woman I couldn’t help but to root for. Don’t get me wrong – Grace is deeply flawed. Her weaknesses make her more relatable, though, and kept me glued to the plot even when I encountered bumps in the road.

The character development of everyone Grace meets during her life was weak. Her friends and enemies are described in such a black and white manner that I had trouble connecting to them emotionally. It was never quite clear to me if the sketches of them were meant to subtly cast light on Grace’s damaged psyche or if the author intended to skim past these characters. Some of them had fascinating backstories either way, and this tale would have earned a much higher rating if they’d been given more of a chance to express themselves.

This book has the kind of premise that snags my attention right away. As soon as I read the blurb, I couldn’t wait to find out what happens next. What I liked most about it was how straightforward it was about the events in Grace’s early life. It gave away enough details to spark my curiosity, but the author did a good job at keeping enough of the plot hidden that I didn’t feel as if I already knew everything in advance.

It would have been helpful to have more showing instead of telling. Grace experiences a lot of traumatizing things as a child and young adult, but the rough times in her life weren’t given as much attention as I would have liked to see. The scenes describing them were often brief and factual even when what was happening should have evoked much stronger emotions from the characters involved in them.

I should note that this isn’t a traditional romance novel. While there are many tender moments later on, the characters involved in them don’t necessarily fit into the tropes that one would typically find in this genre. When I first started reading I was expecting an entirely different sort of plot. It was a pleasant surprise, though, and the romantic subplots ended up working well with everything else that was going on.

The Many Lives of June Crandall is a good choice for anyone in the mood for something unique and (mostly) contemporary.

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

The Marvellous Cakery by Laura Gavin

July 29, 2014 By Leave a Comment

CAKERY
The Marvellous Cakery by Laura Gavin
Publisher: Self-Published
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Contemporary
Length: Short Story (18 pages)
Heat Level: Sweet
Rating: 3.5 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Baker and fairy godmother-wannabe Ms Cake has a bad habit of lacing her customers’ cake with magic. Her assistant Lacey is the only one who knows about her secret ingredient, or the way she feels about Fred, the bookish cafe owner across the street. But the gossip-mongers of small town Spinningham are about to get a treat. Because when Ms Cake’s well-meaning meddling goes awry, the Marvellous Cakery and its owner start down a path of very sticky self-destruction.

Penile erection is a combined result of mental and physical stimulation. cialis without prescriptions mastercard Also, ex-smokers with high blood pressure are 11 times more likely to experience ED as compared to men with anxiety is if problem of ED is purely psychological in nature. generic viagra rx It is now scattered among all at cheap rate. best price on viagra The owners, Phil Longo and his wife, Mamie, doted on them, methodically brushing the felt tops, polishing the ornate, exotic wood rails, bodies and legs, and watching like hawks for even a hint of any abuse by the players. prescription cialis usa Every job has its share of little mysteries, but Lacey’s workplace might have a few more than average.

Ms. Gavin has a smooth, conversational writing style that makes it hard to stop reading. This was my first introduction to her work, but it times it felt like hearing a dear old friend tell a story over a hot cup of tea instead of reading words from a page. I enjoyed my first taste of her creativity and will definitely be keeping an eye out for more books from her in the future!

This tale includes a larger cast of characters than I would normally expect to find in something this length. While I was soon able to sort out everyone’s identity, it was a little confusing to get to know so many different characters in a short period of time. The plot was well paced, but it would have been helpful for me to have either not met so many of Cake’s customers or to have been introduced to them a little later on instead.

I wasn’t expecting the fantasy elements to be quite as strong as they were, so it was pleasant to see how they interact with the romantic subplot. It was also fun to experience the plot twists alongside Lacey and her boss, especially since I didn’t see them coming ahead of time.

The Marvellous Cakery gave me an almost irresistible urge to run down the street and visit my favorite.

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

The Magpie Chronicles by Sherry Gloag

July 17, 2014 By 2 Comments

MAGPIE
The Magpie Chronicles by Sherry Gloag
Publisher: EsKape Press
Genre: Suspense/Mystery, Horror, Contemporary, Historical, Paranormal
Length: Short Story (106 pages)
Heat Level: Sweet
Rating: 3.5 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

A collection of thirteen mixed genre short stories based on the well-known Magpie Rhyme.

One for sorrow
Two for joy
Three for a girl
And four for a boy
Five for silver
Six for gold
Seven for a secret never to be told
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Nine for a kiss
Ten a surprise you should not miss
Eleven for health
Twelve for wealth
Thirteen beware of the devil himself.

Traditional poems are remembered because they speak to every generation that hears them. Will they continue to resonate with us in the twenty-first century?

As soon as I read the blurb, I couldn’t wait to find out how Ms. Gloag’s interpretation of each line could be reimagined in a fresh way. It’s uncommon for so many different genres to be represented in the same collection, and I was curious to see how and when they’d pop up together.

In “Three for a Girl,” a teenager gets into a fight with her boyfriend and decides to take a long walk to cool off before going home. What happens next caught me by surprise due to the attention-grabbing opening scene as well as how smoothly everything was tied together in the end. This is a good example of how to straddle the thin line between genres without compromising a quickly-paced plot.

“Five for Silver” follows two sisters around as they discuss the booming jewelry business that is bringing a lot of success to one of them. Like several other stories in this collection, this one had a great premise but never quite delivered enough details about what was happening in order for me to get into it. There were a few times when these tales had too many characters or never quite fully introduced them to the reader, and this made me feel a little lost in certain sections.

By far my favorite part of this anthology was “Eleven for Health.” The narrator is a woman who was married to the love of her life for decades. Their relationship has weathered far more than its fair share of bumps in the road. As she prepares for a monumental shift in her life she brushes up against funny, painful, and poignant memories that she hasn’t confronted in years. Strong character development and a plot that assumes the reader is intelligent enough to make certain deductions on his or her own made me wish for a sequel. I don’t know if the author has any plans to write one, but I’d love to revisit these characters!

The Magpie Chronicles dabbles with so many different themes that I’d recommend it to anyone with even a passing interest in any of them. Some books benefit from shaking up the reader’s expectations of what will happen next. This is one of them.

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

Shaman by Scott Rhine

July 16, 2014 By Leave a Comment

SHAMAN
Shaman by Scott Rhine
Publisher: Self-published
Genre: Young Adult, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Paranormal, Contemporary, Action/Adventure
Length: Full Length (304 pages)
Heat Level: Sweet
Age Recommendation: 14+
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Daniel is training to become a shaman and living on the Dakota reservation with his grandfather. As a member of the thunderbird people, he can visit a shared dream world and meet others like himself. Over summer break, he takes a road trip to New Orleans to rescue a sixteen-year-old girl from the Dark Tree Coven. Daniel knows he’s going to be grounded, but promises his cousins that the adventure will be worth the punishment.

What follows reads like a Native American “Blues Brothers” with a trained raccoon.

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Having a talent isn’t the same thing as knowing how to use it.

The character development in this story is phenomenal. Daniel’s earlier adventures acknowledged how all of his painful experience in life have shaped in personality, but this sequel stitched those memories together in ways that I often didn’t see coming. It was especially interesting to see how his interpretation of certain events has changed over time given how much they affected his mood and behavior in the past.

At first I was a little thrown off by the pacing. Given how quickly things moved in the first book in this series, Messenger, I wasn’t expecting to slow down and spend so much time getting to know the secondary characters in the sequel. Once everything began to congeal together I understood why the author made this decision, but it is something I would have liked to know about ahead of time.

Daniel didn’t have much exposure to his Dakota relatives growing up, so it was fascinating to see him explore that side of his family tree. I wasn’t familiar with the legends or traditions of that tribe. While the plot can be easily understood with the details already provided in it, I was so curious about that aspect of Daniel’s life that I ended up hunting down a few outside sources to learn more once I finished the last chapter.

Read Messenger before diving into this one. While the author briefly recaps the most important things that have happened so far, there are so many people, creatures, and otherworldly beings in this universe that certain references are much easier to understand if you know everything that has been revealed about their backstories so far.

Once again it took me a while to figure out the best age recommendation, but this time it isn’t a strict one. The darker themes of Messenger have been intensified in the sequel. Daniel’s anger, sorrow, and guilt are woven into his journey incredibly well, but some of the ways he copes with these things are intense. Exercise causation when passing this story on to 12 and 13 year olds, and I definitely wouldn’t suggest it to anyone younger than that.

Shaman is one of the most entertaining young adult novels I’ve read so far this year. This is a great choice for anyone who likes role-playing games or other similarly imaginative hobbies.

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