The Bookwyrm's Review of Decisively Engaged by C.J. Carella

Author: C.J. Carella

Length: 276 Pages/ 12 Hours, 4 Minutes (Audio)

Release Date: December 28, 2015/ March 17, 2016 (Audio)

Publisher: Fey Dreams Productions, LLC

Narrator: Guy Williams

Rating: 4.5/5 Stars

With the wealth of military sci-fi today, it could be easy to get lost in the crowd. With the Warp Marine series, it has such a great premise that this doesn't happen. It's back story is reflected throughout, and its not such a far fetched idea.

PLOT SUMMARY

In the not too distant future, Earth has it's first alien contact with not just one, but two, alien races, the Risshah and the Hrauwah. The problem with this? They are fighting each other as the come into Earth's area, and the Risshah are genocidal to other species, so decide to clear Earth off while they're at it. Bombing the major cities of the planet, they are only stopped from killing all humans by the Hrauwah destroying their ship. 

The US, on the far side of the planet when the bombing started, get a bit less damage than Russia and Asia, and they end up as the representatives of Earth with the Hrauwah. Feeling guilty they led so much destruction to Earth, they help the US jump forward technologically to be able to join galactic society. Its a big, nasty universe, though, so humanity's talent at fighting wars comes in handy, as does humanities unique ability to be much less adversely effected by traveling through Warp space. This allows the formation of the US Warp Marine Corps, which use specialized warp platforms to warp onto enemy ships and take them down from the inside. This is the universe the story starts in, 160+ years after first contact.

After being scapegoated for a battle that went badly, Captain Peter Fromm of the USWMC is reassigned in quiet disgrace to the backwater planet of Jasper Five, a client state of the US. Peter is to command the US embassy Marine detachment, not exactly a glamour role. It's supposed to be a quiet place to keep him out of sight. Unfortunately, it will be anything but. The population on Jasper Five, which has a rigid caste system, is being pushed, backed by the Lanark, another alien species that hates humanity, to rise up, rebel and kill all the alien outsiders. It also doesn't help the ambassador is a coward and not too bright. 

As tensions ramp up, Peter is assisted by intel from Heather, a CIA agent working in the embassy staff, who is dedicated to keeping her fellow Americans alive as well. Things blow up when the ambassador insults the queen, which has the effect of turning the population, supported by their army, loose on the outnumbered Americans. Being supported with alien weaponry, what should be an easy to put down rebellion is a fight to death in the vein of Rourke's Drift and Little Bighorn, and if the American's want to avoid annihilation, they're going to have to use every trick in the book and every bit of their cunning to survive. What happens at the end shows that this is just the beginning for humanity, with it's very survival at stake.

CHARACTERS AND WORLD BUILDING

The book introduces us to a variety of characters, and they are well written, three dimensional characters. Peter Fromm is the perfect example of this. A dedicated, hard working Marine, he is dumped in the deep end on whats supposed to be a backwater, and rises to the challenge. He makes mistakes, which results in troops dying, but this is written like real military combat, and that is just a fact of war. He is willing to make the hard choices, even knowing his people may die. Heather is another excellent character. Smart, determined, sneaky and cool under pressure, she makes an excellent secret agent. She too comes across as competent and real, someone you can empathize with. There are various enlisted Marines we get to see develop as well, including my favorite, Russell Edison, who is always looking for a side hustle to pad his wallet, but is the guy you definitely want in the foxhole with you. The secondary characters get quite a bit of time as well, and are developed nicely in line with the story.

The world building is excellent as well. The changes to Earth culture based on the traumatic first contact are interesting, with the US going to a much more pragmatic system, with compulsory military service for every citizen, and a much more powerful president than before. The various worlds and polities of aliens are interesting, with some allying with the US, while others would love to see all humans, who they call warp demons, consigned to death. It's a hostile universe the author creates, with wonders side by side with the worst barbarism. It's easy to sink right into the world he created.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Any time you go into a new series, you never know what your going to get. What you get with this series debut is an action packed thrill ride with excellent military action, great character building and an expansive universe with which to expand the story. Tight plotting and pacing are also a plus. Any fan of military sci-fi should find something to enjoy in this story.

The Bookwyrm's Review of White Serpent, Black Dragon by Joe Jackson

Author: Joe Jackson

Length: 395 Pages/ 19 Hours, 58 Minutes (Audio)

Publisher: Aethon Books

Release Date: May 19, 2020

Narrator: Chelsea Stephens

Genre: Epic Fantasy

Rating: 5/5 Stars

BUY ON AMAZON

I may have mentioned before that second books can be hit or miss, since sometimes the sophomore slump is a real thing. I've had a streak of good luck lately with second books, and this is no exception. It continues on from the first book, Salvation's Dawn, and really delves into the world of Citaria and the threat to the world.

PLOT SUMMARY

Five years after the events in Salvation's Dawn, Kari Vanador, resurrected demon hunter, is now living in the city of Darkwind, where she is the head instructor for the god Zalkar's demon hunter trainees. She is happily living with her mate Grakin and their son in his family's home, protected by his mother's powers as high priestess of their pantheon's head god. Life is good, especially after the life altering events five years earlier.

This all changes when a visiting noble, the infamous Lord of Barcon, Kaelen Black, comes to Kari's order in the city of Darkwind to request help finding a serial killer in his city. Given the opportunity to help, Kari jumps at it, feeling her skills are needed in the field. When Lord Black is attacked by a succubus assassin while waiting to return to Barcon, Kari realizes something else is going on besides a serial killer. Commencing her journey, Kari gathers up some allies on the way to Barcon, including Eli, a half demon warrior who worked for Kari's predecessor in the order during the Apocalypse, who has some idea what may be happening in the background, as well as Katrina and Sherman, apprentice paladins Kari met on her mission five years earlier. 

Moving on to Barcon flying on griffonback, Kari and her allies meet with Black, and find that not only is there a serial killer running around, but the local assassins guild leader, Blackwing, is also engaging in a covert war with Black. The real problem for Kari is that it seems Black and Blackwing look exactly alike, and her order thinks Black might be Blackwing, making him a murderous assassin leader. This uncertainty leaves Kari uncertain how to proceed until events occur that clear the situation significantly, and also revealing that there is another player on the field: Emma, the powerful demon sorceress Kari ran into five years earlier on that fateful mission. This simple job of finding a serial killer has turned into a life threatening conspiracy that threatens to unleash an impossible evil on the world if Kari and her group, as well as some new allies met in Barcon, don't stop Emma and the succubus assassin's opposing plans. Kari is forced to use the many fighting skills gained in two lifetimes to try and defeat a fighter who just may be better than her, which most would consider close to impossible. What results has long term consequences for Kari, her allies, and her order.

CHARACTERS AND WORLD BUILDING

As with Salvation's Dawn, the characters are the driving force in this story. Kari especially is a fantastic characters. Strong and talented, she has flaws that eat at her throughout the book, and almost cost her life a time or two. While she's strong and capable, she's in no way overpowered, and she makes mistakes just like everyone else. She is very easy to empathize with, and you find yourself rooting for her through success and failures alike. The secondary characters, such as Eli and the twins, are all well written, with strengths and flaws, and some interesting back stories as well that really help to flesh them out. The villains are all interesting, having competing goals and plans to bring them about, and this really helps flesh them out.

The world building is also excellent, with Darkwind and Barcon as settings creating a really interesting atmosphere to the story. Barcon especially is drawn out very well, giving you a real feel of what the city is really like, from the slums to Lord Black's Fortress. The city inhabitants add to the world building as well, especially the clergy of the various gods, who play such a big part in various parts of the story. All told, you can immerse yourself in the settings and fit right in.

FINAL THOUGHTS

As I said, this is definitely a case where there is no second book letdown. In fact, it takes what made the first book so good, adds a deeper story line with greater consequences that hint at a huge underlying conspiracy, and creates an engrossing story that will have you turning pages and wanting more when its over. You can't ask for much more than that. It's definitely epic fantasy at it's finest.

The Bookwyrm's Review of Psycho Killers In Love by C.T. Phipps

Author: C. T. Phipps

Publisher: Macabre Ink

Release Date:  TBA

Genre: Urban Fantasy/Horror

Rating: 4.5/5 Stars

I make no secret of the fact C.T. Phipps is probably my favorite author writing today, indie or traditionally published. I was given a chance to review an early copy of his latest book, so of course I jumped at the opportunity. I'm definitely glad I did, this being a stand alone that still ties into his United States of Monsters, and adds to the rich tapestry of that collection of series.

PLOT SUMMARY  

In a world where slasher movies are based on real slashers, such as Fred, Mike, the Camp Killer and The Camp Killer's Mother, William and Carrie England know all about it. Their father, Billy Jones Patrick, was one of the original slashers, one who specialized and slumber parties, sororities and even Christmas. Needless to say, they had some lousy Christmases over the years. When their father was finally killed, they were both grabbed by the authorities and put in an insane asylum, since they were thought to have the slasher gene. Turns out they did, although the state didn't really know that. Now in their 20's, William and Carrie have escaped from their years of shock treatments, drug therapy and other warped government experimentation, and are on the run from the law.

Unfortunately, they can't escape their father, who, although he's dead, still keeps hanging around as a ghost. Stopped off in a small Kansas town, which it turns out is a nexus for slashers, William, who has never actually killed someone, has a weird feeling when a customer enters the diner they're in, as he can see the evil and murders the man has committed. Feeling an overwhelming need to murder the man, and with a voice in his head, the Spirit of the Hunt, egging him on, William follows him out of the diner to the back parking lot. 

As he is about to murder the man, the tables are turned on him and William is murdered by the man instead. Just before he dies, though, he sees the man get killed by a woman with a golf club who was locked in the man's trunk. When he regenerates back to life, Carrie comes out and they meet the girl, Nancy. It turns out she is whats known as an Artemis, those rare girls at the end of horror movies that end up killing the slasher. It turns out that like William and Carrie, she has supernatural abilities, such as strength, speed and regeneration. 

She explains she was at a bachlorette party that was captured by a group of rich people to hunt for sport. Deciding they needed to help her, they retreated to their house, an abandoned drug house, where they make a discovery: there is a staked vampire in the basement that has been drained of blood. This discovery leads to a wild series of events, as the drug makers return, and William and crew end their threat, awakening the vampire at the same time, who agrees to help them take the people hunters down and rescue Nancy's friends. 

This leads to revelations about the group that has surprise origins with Billy and his contemporaries, and also the mysterious force behind the hunter's group. A force that has a completely unexpected link to William and Carrie's past, that might have world altering consequences if not stopped. Can a couple slashers, a slasher killer and a vampire possibly stop the threat, and do they really want to?

CHARACTERS AND WORLD BUILDING

As with any book by C. T. Phipps, the characters are what drives the story. William, Carrie and Nancy are just such interesting characters, fighting (or not) against their very genes and forces outside their control trying to mold them into the very stereotypes they were meant to be. William and Carrie were basically trained to be killers, and while Carrie embraces it, William has fought it, even going so far as to get his CPA, as far from being a slasher as you can get. Nancy is in a similar state, as her mother and grandmother were both involved as victims of slashers, and are the source of her Artemis genes. They aren't perfect, and defy their stereotypes, as William and Nancy should be deadly enemies, yet find themselves drawn to each other. There are a lot of fun dynamics within the group. None of them feel like cardboard cutouts, but just people dealing with unusual issues. The villains are an interesting bunch, tying into various other parts of the various US of Monsters books, adding backstory to those as well. We get an idea of their thought processes, and their actions are consistent within their character arcs. All told, an excellent group of characters.

The world building for this book is a strength as well. Its a world with a layer of the supernatural just out of sight, where supernatural slashers, vampires, demons, zombies and other assorted supernaturals exist. Tying into the other books, anyone who's read any of those knows just how much more supernatural world there is. This one delves into a more horror oriented corner of that universe, where the things that go bump in the night really are trying to kill you. You can tell the writer has a wealth of knowledge of the slasher genre,  and puts it to good use building this corner of his shared universe.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Shared universes tend to be hit or miss in my opinion, but C. T. Phipps just keeps adding new corners to his universe, adding new layers of goodness. They all interconnect in various ways, but each maintain their own distinctiveness. I consider this to be a worthy addition to his universe, while still being able to stand on its own. I definitely recommend this one as a must read.

The Bookwyrm's Review of The Usurper by James Alderdice

Author: James Alderdice

Length: 475 Pages

Publisher: Lost Realms Press

Release Date: April 22, 2020

Genre: Dark Fantasy

Rating: 5/5 stars

Buy on Amazon

I'm usually not a big fan of prequels in storytelling. Filling in the backstory sounds like a good idea, but in a lot of cases, falls flat as they either throw the kitchen sink into it trying to add backstory, or they do something that's inconsistent with the story's current points. Luckily, The Usurper is not that book. Fleshing out the mysterious backstory of main character and events of the first book, Brutal, we get a rousing story all its own that leads right into the first book.

PLOT SUMMARY

In a disputed border area between the Kingdom of Vjorn and the Duchy of Derenz, the armies of both kingdom and duchy skirmish daily, preparing for a battle to determine the latest winner.The duchy uses a large force of mercenaries known as the Sellswords, led by Gathelaus, a giant of a northerner who has never known defeat on the battlefield. The forces are facing a stalemate, until one night, it all changes. The Kingdom's commander, Prince Roose, sneaks behind the lines and meets with the Duke of Derenz and Gathelaus and asks for their help. He tells them Vjorn's King Forlock is an evil ruler, completely out of control, and he is willing to cede the disputed land to the Duke if he will provide troops to help Roose overthrow the king and allow him to take the throne. Seeing a chance for gain, the Duke agrees to send all his mercenary troops, under the command of Gathelaus, to invade Vjorn with Roose. 

Roose planned for this coup, and separated the various army units from the capital. However, it seems the King is not a complete fool, since his court wizard has spied their movements, and Forlock has invited in the country's wild barbarian neighbors to invade, burning and looting ahead of Roose's forces, leaving them no fodder for their horses. Realizing they will all end up dead if they are delayed too long, Gathelaus comes up with a plan to deal with them. What follows that plan is a wild series of events, including battles, betrayals, an attack by a demon, unexpected deaths and flashbacks to various points in Gathelaus's life. 

The flashbacks show how Gathelaus became the ferocious fighter and tactician he is. Whether its fighting fellow Northmen for land, working as a bodyguard, becoming a war leader in a Mongol-like horde or fighting the last Emperor mage of a fallen empire, he has lived 10 lifetimes of action and adventure in 20+ years.  These all tie into facets of the present, ending in the final confrontation at the capital, in a wild headlong rush to destiny for Gathelaus and company, as the only options are victory or death!

CHARACTERS AND WORLD BUILDING

I would have to say that the characters and world building in this book are equally strong, and are both focused on throughout. In Gathelaus, we have a modern day pulp action character, kind of a more sophisticated Conan type. An excellent warrior and tactician, he has risen through life on his own merits, finally leading his own mercenary army. He's not infallible though, and does have some failures in his life, and that definitely informs his decisions throughout the story. He's much more thoughtful and well rounded than I expected. The secondary characters all get some attentions, adding to the story in their own right, and not just as weapons holders for Gathelaus. The various villains are an eclectic collection, from female assassins to an insane emperor mage, and they all play well against Gathelaus and his companions, really helping to round out the story.

The world building is excellent, with a variety of settings throughout the book helping to set the tone. From a volcanic island newly risen from the ocean, a lost hidden city with magical protections to a prison fortress Gathelaus was once a "guest" of, they all lead to the penultimate goal in the book, the capital of Vjorn. This city, while not super heavily detailed, is given life by the story taking place within it, and really helps immerse the reader into the world.

FINAL THOUGHTS

As I initially said, prequels are hit or miss. in this case, it's a definite hit. It really adds a quality backstory to one of my favorite characters, and adds a bright new star to the ranks of ferocious pulp barbarian heroes/anti-heroes. This is one I would wholeheartedly recommend you read today, and then dig into the rest of the series.

The Bookwyrm's Review of Fade by Daniel Humphries

Author: Daniel Humphreys

Length: 218 Pages/ 6 Hours, 41 Minutes (Audio)

Publisher: Silver Empire

Release Date: May 14, 2018/ June 6, 2017 (Audio)

Narrator: J. Scott Bennett

Genre: Urban Fantasy

Rating: 4/5 Stars

Buy on Amazon

I have been a fan of urban fantasy since before it was even considered a genre. I am always on the look for a new series, and Daniel Humphreys delivered with the first book in his Paxton Locke series. 

PLOT SUMMARY

Paxton Locke lives a strange life. Being able to see the hidden supernatural forces of the world since his mother tried to sacrifice him in a summoning ritual, in which she did sacrifice his father, Paxton is no fan of the hidden forces of the world. He travels the country, helping move ghosts on to the afterlife, mostly in secret, as he is living as off the grid as as much as possible in his small Itasca RV. 

Its on one of these cases where Paxton's life takes a dangerous twist. The ghost of a murdered boy leads him down a path that points to the worst events in his own life: the night his mother tried to kill him, turning his hair white in the process, and granting him several magical abilities in the process, all at the cost of losing his father to his mother's mad scheme. The path leads him to seek help from the last person in the world he wants to see, his mother, serving life in prison after Paxton "helped" her confess to her crimes. Following the clues leads him to a ghastly scene of murder that is somehow connected to his mother, and he ends up returning to his own childhood home to confront his own ghosts. What follows is a harrowing series of events, as Paxton faces down an evil he didn't see coming, that if not stopped, could have far reaching consequences not only for Paxton but a much larger part of the world. 

CHARACTERS AND WORLD BUILDING

This is one of those books that is very character driven. Its not a flashy urban fantasy like the Dresden Files or the Iron Druid. Paxton is a very grounded character, dealing with the trauma of his family life by trying to help others. He is a nicely rounded character, having various strengths and weaknesses. As easy as it would be to paint him as a white knight character, its would be incorrect, as Paxton does have some all too human flaws. The various secondary characters are also well written, getting their moments to shine or fail. The villains are also very well written. I'd actually say they are some of the best villains you're likely to see in any fantasy setting.  They are written as much more than just mustache twirling baddies, and they play very well against Paxton's character.

The world building is well done, creating a layer of supernatural under the veil of the world, without going all out like the aforementioned series. It's a world you can see if you look out the window, if you just imagine that ghost's, witches and a few other supernaturals existed. Definitely a world its not hard to immerse yourself in.

NARRATION

The narration is handled by one of my favorite narrators, J. Scott Bennett. He has an amazingly smooth voice that really pulls you into the story. He does a nice array of voices for the various characters, giving them each a life of their own. His narrative pacing is excellent, which is not surprising, considering how much non-fiction he narrates. Definitely a strength of this version.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Any time you go into a new series, its a crap shoot whether it will be something you enjoy. This is such a well written debut to the series that I think it will appeal to a wide range of readers. I definitely think that fans of urban fantasy will find something to enjoy in this book, whether it be the story, characters or the world building, and the audio version is definitely worth checking out.