The Bookwyrm's Review of Flotsam Prison Blues by M.K. Gibson

Author: M.K.Gibson

Length: 326 Pages/10 hrs, 3 mins (Audio)

Publisher: Amber Cove Publishing

Genre: Post-Apocalyptic/Cyberpunk/Urban Fantasy

Release Date: October 8, 2016/May 16, 2018

After reading the first Technomancer book, I was excited to see where the author would take the series after the momentous events of the first book, in which a cyborg named Salem and a group of companions brought down an Archdemon in the hell ruled Earth they find themselves living in. This is, of course, after God abandoned Earth, after some scientists tried to clone Jesus, and God, fed up, just left, leaving a free for all for power. This combination Cyberpunk/Post-Apoc/Urban Fantasy is where we find the book starting.

Following the downfall of the Archdemon Abraxas, Salem has been granted the title of Baron and his land is now protected as a barony. Unfortunately, on an Earth ruled by demons, that doesn't mean a whole lot. When his lands tithe's become late, assassins are cleared to try and take out Salem. Then several of his storage vaults are looted, and an assassin tries to take him and his companion, Father Grimm, out permanently. While he survives, Salem is getting more upset and goes after the source of the attempts and the robbery, which turns out to be a huge mistake, because he is connected, and Salem ends up in Flotsam Prison, where problems go to die, to await his hearing.

The second half of the book, which takes place inside the prison, is where the book takes a decided turn to the grim side of fantasy. And by grim, I mean stuff that would make Nazi prison guards retch. After the group of inmates Salem is dropped into the prison with are tortured for days with horrific acts, they are then forced to fight to the death for five spots in the prison, even though there are eight of them. Salem comes up with an interesting solution to this, although it costs him the chance for protection from any of the "clans" in the prison, when the Warden declares him a nomad, meaning no one is to help or protect him. After a chance encounter with a powerful inmate, Salem's fortunes change, and he starts to turn things around. However, the outside world is about to intrude, since if he is convicted, he loses his title and all his property and people can be sold off. Well, drastic times call for drastic actions, and Salem is nothing if not drastic. After he is offered a deal to save his people, even though it will make him a wanted man, Salem does what he does, which is cause chaos, mayhem and destruction to accomplish his goals. There is also an epilogue scene which hints at who is behind all the chaos in Salem's life, and who is aiming him toward his end goal. 

To me, this book, while it has a fantastic setting in New Golgotha, is all about the characters. Characters like Salem, Father Grimm, T (Nichola Tesla' living head) and all the rest are so well written, with such visceral reactions to stress and crisis. Crisis is what its all about too, in a world ruled by hell. There is not a lot of room for cute and cuddly, and the fact these characters manage to retain any humanity at all is amazing, showing just how good the author is. The reactions to the torture scenes were just so primal, you felt as though you were there. That is some excellent writing that can put you right in the middle of a horrible scene, feeling as though you are part of the action. The dialogue is snappy, witty, with a lot of snark and cynicism. The plotting never once slows down or drags, as you are moved from one intense scene to the next. A real E-ticket ride for those old enough to understand the reference.

Jeffrey Kafer is one of my top 10 favorite narrators. He has an amazing range of character voices, and his narrative pacing is second to non. He especially shines when a character is world weary and cynical, although he can handle everything from a 60 year old lady to a giant man beast, and everything in between. He really helps bring any story he narrates to life, and with Salem, its like he has met his ultimate character. I say this as someone who owns 32 books he has narrated across a variety of genres. Fantastic work I can't help but recommend.

In all, if you are a fan of Post-apocalyptic books, cyberpunk, or urban fantasy, this series has something for you. The fast paced plot, overall mystery and action should appeal to a wide range of readers/listeners, and Jeffery Kafer's narration should seal the deal. If I gave star ratings, this one would be a ten out of ten.

The Bookwyrm's Review of Accession of the Stone Born by Ken Lange

Author: Ken Lange

Length: 236 Pages/ 9 hrs, 18 mins (Audio)

Release Date: May 16, 2016/ October 13, 2017 (Audio)

Publisher: Ken Lange

Genre: Urban Fantasy

Narrator: Paul Clewell

Having read the other series that shares the same universe as this book and really enjoying it, I was understandably excited to try this one out. I am happy to report that this series, parallel to The Warden Global books, is just as well written, with characters just as engaging and with the universe and its magic further expanded.

After 28 years of clandestine work (assassin) for the Department of Defense, Gavin Randle returns home to New Orleans to see his only surviving family, his uncle Andrew. There, he discovers there is a much bigger world than he expected, even as a jet setting fixer. He discovers he is stone born, a type of mage, and that there is a whole counsel that deals with the supernatural worldwide. Gavin is an anomaly, though, as external magic doesn't work on him, as he discovers during an assassination attempt. His skills as an assassin serve him well as he investigates who murdered the last Vigil (basically, the magical sheriff of the region), as he survives assassination attempts and tries to solve her last open case, a bunch of murders tied together over 50 years. He has authority to do this, as he accepts the mantle of being the new Vigil, and bonds with his token of office, a magical Denarius coin with a sentient entity named Kerr in it, with the accumulated knowledge of its previous holders. 

While trying to keep his uncle and new friends safe, he must try and discover who is behind the string of murders, which leads to shocking discoveries including a vast conspiracy in the hall of power. There is also the issue of a necromancer raising wraiths to murder his enemies, including Gavin. Gavin, as a new Vigil, also has to deal with the triumvirate in charge of the local counsel area, who don't appreciate what his duties and authority are. Oh, and did I mention that this entire supernatural world is ruled from on high by Lazarus? Yes, the uber-powerful Lazarus from the bible, although his story is a little different here. Chasing down the conspiracy leads Gavin to a final confrontation with his most powerful enemy yet, and its only if he can fully utilize his powers does he stand a chance to defeat them.

This is an excellent example of a book that takes the world set up in another series and uses it as a jumping off point, while making its own mark. The supernatural underworld of a spooky city like New Orleans is not the usual setting for an urban fantasy, but its a great one nonetheless. The characters are rock solid, with Gavin being particularly well written. The plotting is fast paced, and the politics, both mundane and supernatural, flow naturally and consistently throughout. 

I had never heard Paul Clewell narrate before, but he did a good job bringing the characters to life. He gave them all distinctive voices, and his narrative pacing was excellent, never dipping into a monotone. all in all, a fine effort.

Any fan of urban fantasy should find something to like in this book. There's magic, intrigue, mystery, murder and some excellent fight scenes. Gavin's mysterious past is also something that drew me to the story as well. Let's just say that he was accomplished at his work.

The Bookwyrm's Review of Charlemagne: Father of the Franks, Leader of the Lombards, and Premier Holy Roman Emperor

Author: In60Learning

Length: 42 Pages/ 1 hr, 2 mins. (Audio)

Release Date: February 3, 2018/February 28, 2018

Publisher: In60Learning

Narrator: William Kenny

While I normally do reviews of Fantasy novels, I have always had a passion for history. Ancient Greece and Rome, Indian history, Medieval and renaissance history, history of the Middle East, I love it all. This book is a primer on the life and times of Charlemagne, covering the highlights of his life and reign.

The book starts off with the some basic information about Charlemagne (Charles the Great), including his family's history, the time and area he ruled in southern Germany and all of France, as well as a chunk of Italy. It showed how he came to the throne after the death of his father Pippin the Short, and how he expanded his rule throughout the region. It describes his various battles and conquests, and his ruling style, which was defeat your enemy, then let them rule themselves with his as their overall leader. His various alliances are described, as well as the one defeat he ever had in battle, fighting through the Basques of Northern Spain on his way back to France. His death and subsequent dynastic issues are also described, as well as his legacy on French and German history.

William Kenny did a nice job narrating. He has a smooth voice, and he has excellent pacing, never dropping into the dreaded monotone. He definitely brought an added dimension to the material.

While it is a short primer, I would definitely recommend this for anyone looking for some basic information about Charlemagne's life and times.

The Bookwyrm's Review of Fear The Light by William Massa

Author: William Massa

Length: 200 pages/ 5 hrs, 17 mins.

Publisher: Critical Mass Publishing/ Tantor Audio

Release Dates: August 1, 2014/ July 20, 2017 (Audio)

Narrator: Kirby Heyborne

While a lot of the vampire fiction out today is more urban fantasy than Dracula slays, There are still some original stories being told. This happens to be one of them. It's actually a hybrid of a vampire story mixed with a murder mystery, and it will keep you guessing through to the end.

When Dracula awakens to find himself just before sunrise outside staked to a cross with Silver stakes, he realizes his very long unlife is about to end in pain and misery. When his eight progeny come together to determine the new leader of the clan, things definitely don't go as expected. The diverse group, including a renaissance era knight, a 40's movie starlet, an 1800's era Texas Ranger, a teen street thief from the Victorian era and a 70's Hells Angel. AS the group bickers amongst themselves, one by one they are being killed in ever increasingly ingenious ways. Trapped in Dracula's French Chateau, The dwindling survivor's must find a way to either escape or catch the killer before they are all killed. This becomes even more difficult when hired mercenaries arrive at the chateau, fully trained and prepared to kill vampires. When the last vampire is left standing and the villain is revealed, you realize this whole story is about the sins of the past coming back to haunt. Great way to tie off the story!

This is a shorter story, so plot was much more in the forefront than super detailed character building. That being said, you got a good handle on the personalities of the characters, their motivations and the paths they had taken to get to where the story begins. The setting is well described, the action sequences and murders are excellently laid out and executed, The mystery elements are all their too, and William Massa is excellent at building tension and suspense.

Kirby Heyborne's narration was fantastic. He has a softer narrating voice, but he has a wide range of character voices and accents, and has no trouble switching from Hell's angel to Hollywood starlet.His narrative pitch and pacing is excellent as well, and he makes you want to keep listening. He is a very talented actor, having appeared in quite a few movies, tv shows and commercials, and his audiobook work is pretty wide ranging and just excellent.

I think this is the kind of book that will appeal to fans of mysteries, vampire horror or urban fantasy. It has a little bit of everything from those genre's, and stands apart in a world of Twilight clones.

The Bookwyrm's Review of Alpha Male by Joshua Corey Mays

Author: Joshua Corey Mays

Length: 285 Pages

Release Date: February 1, 2015

Publisher: Joshua Corey Mays

As a huge fan of comics as a kid, I have been excited to see the volume of superhero/antihero/villain-centric fiction being produced over the last decade or so. Whether it be Marion Harmon's Wearing the Cape superhero books, CT Phipps Rules of Supervillainy series, Ben Bequer's Blackjack series, Jim Bernheimer's D-List Supervillain series, or even Nelson Chereeta's Dr. Anarchy's Rules for World Domination, it is a great time to be able to read the various adventures of these super powered characters. I now have to add Joshua May's Alpha Male in to the mix, although it is of a decidedly darker tone than the ones I mentioned earlier.

In a city somewhere in America, the world's only superhero, Alpha Male, blessed with incredible strength, invulnerability and flight, has driven crime to the lowest level of any major urban area.  Alpha is a huge celebrity, invited to all the galas, feted as the superhero he is. There is even a TV show about his adventures with his former partner, Beta Boy. There is a problem, though. The people of the city have come to expect him to fix all their problems. When he misses a crime, they get incensed he wasn't there to stop it. Basically, familiarity has bred contempt. In addition, the politicians are pressuring the police to rein him in, no matter what it takes.

On to this scene for the first time burst some actual supervillains! When a super powered man and 2 super powered creatures fight their way through a chunk of the city, Alpha Male has a challenge he'll need all his powers for. The two monstrous supers are captured by a street gang looking for revenge on Alpha, while the human one has amnesia and starts living on the street after he escapes. The street gang releases one to try and kill Alpha, but he manages to defeat it. The homeless one, Al, who has massive telekinesis, ends up with the street gang as well, and helps rob various warehouses to keep the group fed in the subway tunnel lair. He also has run ins with Alpha, who he irrationally hates, and it ends indecisively.  Meanwhile, the police are tracking down possible leads into what created the new supers. What they discover could rock the world as they know it, as Alpha Male and Al, now going by the supervillain name Omega, face off in a penultimate battle with all the secrets of Alpha's past potentially coming to light, and having much broader effect than it would seem possible.

Characters and plotting are definite strengths of this book. While Alpha Male is hidden behind his mask the whole book, his actions indicate he is dealing with a lot of personal issues, and not always constructively. One of my favorite characters was the police Chief, Rose, a strong woman in an old boys network that has to fight twice as hard for the respect she's due, while also trying to keep a leash on the loose cannon Alpha, who can basically do whatever he wants. Al is basically the kind of stock amnesia character, although his arc does develop nicely, and you do find out why he has such an irrational hatred of Alpha. The setting has lots of Easter Eggs, like a robbery at the corner of Kirby and Lee, or the local college having a Richards Building on Yancy Street. For those who don't know, Kirby and Lee refers to Jack Kirby and Stan Lee, creators of Spiderman and a host of other comic characters for Marvel. Yancy Street and Richards are Fantastic Four references. Definitely some fun for comic fans.

All in all, this is a good addition to the growing volume of superhero stories today. It's definitely darker than a lot of the more comical titles today, but still worth your time to read and enjoy,

The Bookwyrm's Review of Scattered, Smothered and Chunked by John Hartness

Author: John G. Hartness

Length: 310 Pages/ 10 hrs, 16 mins. (Audio)

Release Date: November 11, 2012/ November 17, 2015

Narrator: Andrew McFerrin

In a crowded Urban Fantasy loaded with clones of the Dresden Files or romance novels with supernatural elements, Bubba the Monster Hunter is a breath of fresh air. Certainly, it bears no resemblance to anything else on the market today. I can't think of anyone else who could pull off a story about a beer swilling, monster shooting good old boy redneck that is still endearing and sympathetic, all without becoming a caricature. It also doesn't hurt he's really good at wrecking monster face. Hartness has also done a great job creating a fantastic supporting cast.

When it absolutely, positively, has to be shot, stabbed, blown up, decapitated, set on fire, defenestrated, disintegrated, banished, impaled, bludgeoned and/or destroyed, you call Bubba. six and half feet tall, north of 300 pounds, the former defensive lineman for his beloved University of Georgia Bulldogs comes from a long line of monster hunters, and has the skills, tools and support necessary to ensure whatever supernatural baddie he's up against is put down with extreme prejudice. He is the Southeast regions official hunter for the Holy Roman Catholic church, meaning he has a priest for a handler, Uncle Father Joe (a running joke, since Joe is Bubba's tech support genius Skeeter's uncle), a tech genius in Skeeter, who keeps Bubba in line as much as a skinny guy can keep a man mountain in check. Whether it be a rash of zombies being raised by a voodoo priest, campers being killed by a supernatural creature which may or may not be a love lorn Rakshasa, a nest of vampires in a ballet troop, a bigfoot out of his territory scaring locals, or a possible chimichanga...err, Chupacabra killing livestock, Bubba is just the guy to handle it, usually with a bunch of rounds from his Desert Eagle .50 Caliber pistol. 

When a new threat calling himself the Messiah has all the supernatural world aching to rise up and take over the world as the apex predators, Bubba has to team with agent Amy Hall of DEMON (Department of Extradimensional Mystical Occult Nuisances, because someone really wanted to name the department DEMON) to try and discover who the messiah is and how they can stop him. The problem is, the Messiah turns out to be a problem left from Bubba's past that he never saw coming, and which he might not be able to defeat.

This is honestly one of my favorite Urban Fantasy series. Bubba is just such a fun character. He could have been written as a total caricature of a good old boy redneck, but instead, underneath all that is an intelligent, clever man, trying to do right by his friends and those he protects. He also has a live and let live policy. If a "monster" isn't hurting people, Bubba feels no need to ensure they take a dirt nap. He only puts down the true monsters. You get the feeling there is more to Bubba than meets the eye. He is very well written, and a fully fleshed out character. His various associates are all well written as well, with the core three of Skeeter, Amy and Uncle Father Joe being given a lot of attention to make sure they resonate with the reader. The villains, some of which are hilarious, and some of which are deadly serious, also get a lot of attention. They all have realistic, for monsters, goals and reasons for their actions, even if it's just the need to feed, because that's their nature. 

The dialogue is snappy, with the banter between Bubba and Skeeter especially good. The plot moves along rapidly, never leaving you feeling as though its lagging. It is also consistent within its universe, the only inconsistency being Bubba's height, which is mentioned throughout the book as six foot three to six. Other than that little hiccup, its very consistent. The setting is well described, and being familiar with the areas he travels in, I can say for a fact its realistically described.

Andrew McFerrin  does a good job voicing the various characters. He nails the southern accent they use, and he brings each character to a life of their own. his Skeeter voice is a particular favorite. His narrative pacing is excellent, and never devolves into a monotone or uneven pacing. All in all, and excellent narration.

I will admit to being an unabashed fan of this series. The later books only build on what this one starts, and I can't recommend it highly enough to any fan of urban fantasy.