Greed: An Urban Fantasy Heist (The Fae Awakening) by Will O’Shire Review

Greed: An Urban Fantasy Heist (The Fae Awakening) by Will O’Shire 3/5 Stars 30 pages
Published November 27th 2018

Need a short story to get your reading list where it needs to be for the week? That is exactly what I was hoping for when I picked up this book, and that’s exactly what I got. At thirty pages, this story is just what I wanted. Though I had the same problem as I did with the other book in this series, that I couldn’t picture the characters, it was much easier to get into because of how exciting, and short it was.

 

This time, there’s a bank robbery in progress. I feel like I recognize some of the names of the characters from the last story I read, but I’m not completely sure because I can’t really remember them in general. A team meets outside, and they wait for their last member. He takes a while to respond, but when he finally does he said he was climbing a ladder and could hear them but couldn’t talk. They tell him not to be late for a job again.

 

There are some strange supernatural aspects to this story that I didn’t expect at first glance, like magic to break in and strange mushrooms down the vent on the roof, but that’s about it. The story was over before I even knew what was happening.

 

Overall, this book was exactly what I needed it to be, and nothing more. I’m not sure what it adds to the series, or even if it’s connected, but it was a nice read, and I don’t regret reading it.

 

The book is available here, and here’s a link to the author’s Twitter, if you’d like to keep up with him.

Thanks for reading!

Reading & Pets

 

 

Hey! Hope everyone’s having a good day.

Today I wanted to do something a little different which was post about my pet and reading around him. (excuse my empty bookshelf, I’m in the slow process of moving)

You might have seen on my Twitter that I have a cat now, and his name is Fuzz Aldrin. So I thought I would take a little time out from my normal posts, and talk about him. Hes bad sometimes, but I love him.

Me and my friend were walking downtown one night, and we had this tiny little baby cat crying under a car. We couldn’t just leave him, so we brought him inside and fed him,

and then I brought him my house. We took at

least a month, trying to find his owner’s, but no one ever came and claimed him, so I kept him. I’m allergic to cats and haven’t actually had a pet outside of a tank or a cage before, so this was a new experience for me. I wouldn’t give him up for anything! Even when he jumps on my head when I’m sleeping or tries to drink out of my fish tank.

Hes always around when I’m reading, and loves to just be near me no matter what. He was an outside cat for a few months before it got cold, but now that there’s like, a foot of snow outside, he stays in my room unless he has to go out. Do you have any pets that like to stick around while you’re reading?

 

Anyways, just thought I would try something new.

Thanks for reading!

Burnouts Volume 1 (Burnouts) by Dennis Culver, Geoffo, & Chris Burnham Review

Burnouts Volume 1 (Burnouts) by Dennis Culver, Geoffo, & Chris Burnham 5/5 Stars 144 pages
Published February 26th 2019 by Image Comics

“Burnouts” Volume 1 is so much more than a cute cover. Inside this unique book is a story about a young boy, Andy, and his discovery of not only weed, alcohol and teenage parties, but also of an alien invasion. One day he’s a loner, then next he’s pushed into the world of burnouts, socially misunderstood teens who will save the world one day.

 

It begins with a few teenagers tormenting an old man. Something I noticed right off the bat, is that this is another one of those books with a character that has hair that’s similar to mind. The art is really interesting, super cartoony but in a different way that it usually is. I think that the art perfectly matches the story.

 

Though his teachers tell him that a single puff of marijuana will send him spiraling into madness and addiction, he’s not convinced. So when he’s invited to a party later that day, of course he’s going to sneak out, even if his friend doesn’t want him to go. And that’s where he tries smoking for the first time. But it’s nothing like he expected. Immediately, he begins seeing an alien floating around, and it possess another kids body. That’s when the Burnouts decide to bring him into their group.

 

Basically the Burnouts are the only ones to see the aliens, and they can only see them if they have a good buzz going on. When they see the aliens, they bash them with whatever they have, and even though the rest of the world tells them that they need to lay off the drugs and that the alien invasion isn’t real, they know that they are, and what they’re doing is important.

 

Overall I really enjoyed reading this book, and was easily able to devour it in one sitting. If you’re into unique and funny stories about alien invasions, then this is the book for you. Definitely check it out if you get the chance.

 

The book is available here, and here are links to the creator’s Twitter accounts, if you’d like to keep up with them.

https://twitter.com/dennisculver

https://twitter.com/Geoffoarto?lang=en

https://twitter.com/TheBurnham

 

Thanks for reading!

Survival Handbook: An Essential Companion to the Great Outdoors by Marc Sumerak Review

Survival Handbook: An Essential Companion to the Great Outdoors by Marc Sumerak 5/5 Stars 140 pages
Published February 26th 2019 by becker&mayer! kids (quarto group)

If you’re someone like me, someone who is kind of a little obsessed with the apocalypse, than you’re going to snatch this book up as soon as you see it. And then you’re going to buy a paper copy, because you want to see if the tools that it says are in the book, are actually in the book, and because it seems like a really handy thing to have. And believe me, it is.

 

Inside this book are tips and lists, as well as little kind of learning sessions about everything you would need to know to survive in the wilderness, including; what to pack, how to pack it, how to make shelter in every kind of climate, how to tie various knots and their uses, different kinds of tents, fire safety, how to gather the right firewood as well as how to build a fire, how to find and purify water, and even what plants are edible and which ones to avoid, as well as many, and when I say many believe that there’s tons more things to learn in this book.

 

It’s everything I wanted and more, and I can’t wait to get my hands on a copy of my own. It’s a must have for anyone of any age, and a need for your bookshelf, and even maybe another one for your bug out bag. I’m really glad that this exists, and that it’s simple and easy to follow. I definitely recommend checking it out if you get the chance.

 

The book is available here, and here’s a link to the author’s Twitter, if you’d like to keep up with them.

Thanks for reading!

Lincoln (Angelbound Origins #1.5) by Christina Bauer Review

Lincoln (Angelbound Origins #1.5) by Christina Bauer 4/5 Stars 300 pages
Published February 24th 2019 by Monster House Books LLC

I feel like I often have to revisit this series after long breaks. Not only because I want to space it out, but because the books often come out of order, and I don’t want to miss anything. This book, is either book 1.5 or 2, depending on where you look, and it’s basically Angelbound, the first book, but from Lincoln’s point of view. That being said, I was a little confused why Duty Bound was at the beginning of this, when it was already released as it’s own novella and I had already read it, but I did enjoy reading this new installment.

 

Lincoln has a cushy life as the Prince of Thrax, but also a hard life as probably the best demon hunter out there. It begins with him doing what he does best, fighting demons, and trying to adjust to his new life in Purgatory, surrounded by Quasi-Demons and Ghouls. He’s not very happy about it, but what can he do? He’s about to begin a loveless marriage with a girl he hardly knows. His life seems bleak, that is, until he meets Myla, a Quasi-Demon warrior girl with a dragon scale tail who begins to sneak onto his property to fight demons.

 

He’s immediately drawn to her, though his family’s disgust with demons changes his judgement. He knows he must protect her from the wrath of the Tithe, as Prince of the Thrax, but doesn’t know how to without causing problems with his own people. That’s when he begins hatching secret plans to keep her around him without seeming too obvious. He knows that she’s the girl for him, no matter what his people think.

 

I was excited to see more than just a novella with Lincoln as the viewpoint, as I really enjoyed getting to know him better. I remember him being kind of quiet in the other books, though he is a big part of them, but I was glad to see there’s more to him than just hanging around Myla and being the Prince of Thrax. This book was kind of a long read, not only because of the novella at the beginning, but because of every event in Angelbound being told from the other side. I felt like I had read it all before, and wasn’t impressed when I started the book, but as it turned out I really got into it. I can’t wait to see what the rest of the series has in store for me, as well as Myla and Lincoln.

 

If you’re into books about the supernatural such as Angels, Demons, Quasi-Demons, Ghouls, Ghosts and more, set in Purgatory, Heaven, Hell, Earth as well as the newly added Dark Lands, than this series is the one for you. I don’t think you have to have read Angelbound to really get what’s going on in this one, but I think if you want to really see the full picture, you should. Definitely check it out if you think it’s something you’ll like.

 

The book is available here, and here’s a link to the author’s Twitter.

Thanks for reading!

Fury (The Fae Awakening Book 1) by Will O’Shire Review

Fury (The Fae Awakening Book 1) by Will O’Shire 2/5 Stars 153 pages Published November 28th 2018

If you want to read a first person novella with as many monsters and fairy tale creatures jammed into it as possible, than this is the book for you. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but this is a book that tells you more about it in the description than the actual story itself does. It’s not for me, but it could be something you like, if you want something quick to read.

 

Following a person named Hunter, I had a few problems with this book. A few being, I didn’t figure out that that’s their name and not their profession, although it is kind of their profession, until I read the description, I cant tell you where they live, what time period they live in, or even what they look like from reading the story. Because of these reasons, I couldn’t really get into the book.

 

The story, is so packed full of creatures that I had a hard time keeping up. Again, I couldn’t imagine the characters, but they did what they set out to do, and that is they wanted to find out where a fire came from, and end the problem at the base, which was actually a flaming unicorn. There were a few hints to the fact that they were actually in the present time period, like a reference to ghost rider, and an electronic money deposit system, but those are the only clues I got. I just had a hard time with this.

 

Overall, I probably will read the other novella’s because they’re so short, and I hope that I like them more. I’m interested to see what happens next, and if you think you’d like this book from the description, tread lightly, and pay extra attention to the book so you don’t get as lost as me. I had to restart it a few times because I just kept feeling like I was missing something.

 

The book is available here, and here’s a link to the author’s Twitter.

Thanks for reading!

Forest Talk: How Trees Communicate by Melissa Koch Review

Forest Talk: How Trees Communicate by Melissa Koch 5/5 Stars 96 pages
Published January 1st 2019 by Twenty-First Century Books (Tm)

If you’re like me, you’ll pick up this book because you care about the environment, and you want to learn everything you can about it, so that you can do your share to help out. The description of this book is something that jumped out to me actually more than the cover, because it just sounded really interesting and I love short non fiction books. This book was everything I wanted it to be and more.

 

Trees really do make a lot of things in the world, and I think that we take advantage of that. Every single year, over fifteen billion trees are cut down world wide, and every year that number grows, and the demand for products and the world’s population grows. What most people don’t know, including me until I read this book, is that trees are so much more than just big plants that produce air for us, as well as many of our every day products. Trees actually communicate with each other, mostly through their roots, and they can share nutrients if they feel like a nearby tree is lacking in any.

 

Trees make everything from food, clothes, and shelter, to medicine and warmth. It’s scientifically proven that people really do feel physical and mental benefits from being around trees, and like people, there are mother and baby trees that take care of each other. Stumps can still reproduce asexually and grow buds that can turn into new trees, and when some specific kinds of trees can live to be over four thousand years old, cutting down the trees at the age they are now, or seeing tree farms, just makes me feel sad.

 

Overall, I learned all these things and more from this short book. It’s full of beautiful pictures and charts to teach you kind of a refresher course about how plants live and change the environment around them, and I really feel like I know a lot more about them because of this book. I want to be more conscious of the products I buy, and I think that together, we really might be able to make a change in the world. I recommend this book to everyone, fiction and non fiction lovers everywhere.

 

The book is available here.

Thanks for reading!

Unboxing of By The Feet of Men by Grant Price

The Pilot by Michael Cole Review

The Pilot by Michael Cole 4/5 Stars 256 pages
Published February 4th 2019 by Severed Press

With a fiery cover and a gripping description, “The Pilot” is something I couldn’t pass up. I didn’t even realize that it’s written by an author that I’ve previously read, Michael Cole, who also made the book “Thresher“. After I found that out, however, I was even more interested, because I enjoyed that book.  I would say that I liked this book just as much as the other one.

 

Beginning with a group of army buddies in the third person viewpoint, living it up in a house, drinking and listening to music, Victor Seymour, their leader, is approached by the C.I.A with a really intriguing mission. They say that they’re willing to give them seven million dollars to approach a supposed Chinese research team, take them down, and steal the top secret tech they possess, as they’re only posing as a research team, they’re really common terrorists. After accepting and beginning their new mission, Seymour often wonders if they’re going to be killed.

 

A series of strange events begin happening, including a captive who kills himself, a strange ship and a lot of classified information that they should really be told about, and that’s when things start to get really weird. As they begin hunting for the supposed terrorists, they slowly begin to realize that not only are they hunting, but they’re being hunted as well, but by something not even close to being human.

 

If any of this pulls you in and makes you interested, than I really recommend that you check this book out. The writing is a little cartoony, for instance, the characters reminded me of some that you would meet in a video game, as they’re hilarious despite the horrible things they’re doing and that are happening to them, and they make a competition out of killing people. That is, until they discover dead bodies in the area with really strange tumors. I liked reading this book and I didn’t have any hitches reading it.

 

The book is available here

 

 

Thanks for reading!

The Process of Writing “Evergreen” by Matthew S. Cox

Hey everyone! Hope you’re having a good day.

Yesterday I posted my review for the book “Evergreen”. Today, I wanted to sit down and really learn about the process behind the book, and what better way to do exactly that than talk to the author himself, Matthew S. Cox. So that’s exactly what I did.

 

Here’s what he had to say on the topic.

“The idea for Evergreen came about half a year ago when I was approached to participate in an anthology project with an apocalyptic theme. It sounded like an interesting project, so I decided to do it. Unfortunately, the story collection set a rather short (for me) word limit of 8k.

“I’ve been a fan of post-apocalyptic fiction for a long time, ever since I first encountered the computer game Wasteland in the Eighties as a kid. Back then, games shipped on floppy disks and they didn’t have a lot of room for data. So, the game made use of what they called a ‘paragraph book,’ which contained bits of the story in paragraphs referenced by number. While playing the game, it would occasionally pop up a message like ‘read paragraph 113.’ Though the graphics were super primitive by today’s standards, the text provided a level of immersion that few games of the time did.

“Anyway, when I started thinking of what to do for a story here, it occurred to me that the vast majority of post-apoc stories I remembered seeing took place a significant time after the cataclysmic event. Decades and years after the war, showing a reinvented society that bore little resemblance to civilization. That gave me the idea of writing a story set only months after the nuclear strike, looking into the world of people who are coping with the transition from nice, comfortable modern life to being forced into a world devoid of technology.

“I’m not entirely sure how I arrived at the decision to make the story into a young-adult one with a seventeen-year-old main rather than an adult protagonist. Perhaps because I did the adult post apoc already with The Roadhouse Chronicles. Perhaps because we’re seeing young people these days rise up and take stands for things they believe in while the old political dinosaurs cling to outdated mindsets with their dying breaths.
Regardless of what subconscious process went on in my mind, I wound up creating the character of Harper, an essentially normal, unremarkable teenage girl who’s introverted, sweet, and a bit on the timid side. The sort of girl who lost sleep the night before her driver’s exam out of anxiety and stresses endlessly about the SATs. She’d scoop up a beetle and carry it outside before stepping on it.

“The crux of the character arc in the story is taking this innocent, good-natured kid and putting her in a situation where the only thing standing between her little sister and a horrible attack is the shotgun in Harper’s hands.
The short story Evergreen, being a short story, kicked off in medias res with Harper and her little sister already on the run after their parents are killed by a gang of looters. Some passersby had earlier mentioned they’d been on the way to a town in the mountains rumored to be a safe haven, but her father hadn’t wanted to risk leaving the house so soon after the warheads hit.

“Several readers told me they adored Harper as a character and wanted to see more of her story. Being that I had such a small word count, the short kept Evergreen as a quasi-mythical place of hope, and showed Harper and Madison leaving their home town of Lakewood, ending once they escaped the gang of thugs in the area.
When I novelized it, I had the opportunity to flesh out the story and really dig into the mental state of the little sister, and Harper’s internal struggle with losing everything, including her ability to just be the invisible wallflower who avoided people that scared her. Upon reaching Evergreen, they find it is safe, but not without some challenges.
Harper’s world has been turned on its head. She’s been forced to finish growing up much faster than she wanted to, but she’s determined to protect her sister.

“I have to say that I am thrilled at the response so far that Evergreen is receiving. There have been so many wonderful comments and interest in this book—and requests for a sequel. I hadn’t intended to make a series of this one, but with all the interest and request… I’m presently working on another book that picks up a few months after the events of Evergreen.

Look for The World That Remains most likely sometime in March.

Happy reading!
-Matt”