The Bookwyrm's Review of Rising Thunder by Brandon Cornwell

Author: Brandon Cornwell

Pages/Length: 249 pages/ 13 hrs, 44 mins

Release Date: April 3, 2017/ October 10, 2017 (Audio)

Publisher:  Brandon Cornwell/ Podium Publishing (Audio) 

Narrated by Ralph Lister

I have to admit, the premise of this book, the idea of a giant outcast elf, really spoke to me. Unless we are talking Drow, most elves are the Tolkien ideal: A graceful, wise elder race set on the world to guide the younger races, or at least to look down on the short lived fools. Only in more recent works like Paul Lavender's The Eighth God has a new, more callous approach to elves been taken. This writer takes it to an even greater length.

Elias is a giant of an elf. at over seven feet tall, he towers over both elves and humans. in fact, other than giants and ogres, you won't find many creatures taller than he is. He is also strongly built, not the lithe, graceful elf that is typical of his kind. Exiled to the mountain humans in the North (this worlds analogs to Vikings) He has lived there for over 60 years, although in elf years, at 167 years of age. he is hardly more than an older teen. While he is accepted as a ward of the King, he is not trained any more as a warrior than he was with the elves. He goes on no raids and is not an advisor to the king, just a friend.

As the current king dies, a power play takes place, and Elias is forced to leave for at least a year by the King's son a he sorts out the potential usurpers. He can come an reclaim a place in a year, assuming the new king is still on the throne. 

After leaving and deciding to head to the human lands, Elias is accosted on the road by a huge man wearing armor and wielding dark magic.  He is only saved by the intervention of a mercenary troop that happened to be passing on the way to a job. Elias then joins the group, who specialize in guarding caravans and nobles. Their next job involves guarding a noble on a trip, but this goes horribly awry when he betrays them and sells them to pirates as galley slaves! 

Leading a breakout by the rest of the slaves, Elias and the slaves  finish the ships journey to the islands they were headed to. Elias finds out one of his fellow slaves, a sea elf (blue skinned elf), is a local chieftain, who invites him to stay with his village, since he suspect Elias is the answer to a prophecy. That prophesy involves an outsider saving the islanders from the pirates who have been preying on the islanders for decades. Elias also meets the chiefs daughter Coral, who he is told is part of the prophesy as she is slated to bear the chosen ones son. The young elves relationship grows from there.

What follows is a few seasons of mayhem and chaos, as Elias and the crew of mercenaries and islanders he recruits go after the pirates, both on the sea and on their island strongholds. They survive many battles and ambushes, and after a huge and tragic setback, they finally have the forces and a plan to attack the Pirates main base. The attack also brings out the mystery man who attacked Elias so many seasons ago, and they finally face off and some painful revelations are made to Elias. After the battle, Elias has some difficult decisions to make about where to go with the rest of his life, and with his men. He makes a decision that will have long lasting repercussions for much of the world.

I really enjoyed this book, the characters, especially Elias and Coral, are really well drawn out. The plot is fast paced, but takes time to flesh out and give interesting story lines to the various characters. The various locations are well described, and you really get a good feeling about how they appear, as well as the character descriptions, such as the difference in elf sub-types, like the sea elves having blue skin and Elias's tribe having reddish. There are also a few surprise elements to the plot, and they are quite fun for a pretty grimdark story. The ideal about the injustice of prejudice, overcoming odds, and finding happiness are all at play throughout the story, and are excellently portrayed. 

One warning. This book does have some graphic sex scenes between Elias and Coral. They are integral to the story, not just tacked on, or so it seemed to me, but this may be a turn off for a few readers, so be forewarned. I didn't see anything objectionable about them, since it is consensual sex between two elves, both over 150 years old.

Ralph Lister is in top form on this one, bringing his substantial chops to bear on a complicated story with many different characters, with multiple accents. He handles them all well, and his narrative pacing is great. He really kept the story moving along, and gets the listener really into each of the characters.

This is one of those stories that will appeal to a broad variety of fantasy readers, whether they like epic fantasy, swords and sorcery or grimdark. I can't recommend it highly enough, because it is a fantastic novel for a debut writer, and things will only be getting better from here!

 
 

The Bookwyrm's review of The Scourge by Roberto Calas

 



Author: Roberto Calas

Length: 292 pages

Release date: October 9, 2017

Publisher: 47 North


The zombie apocalypse in the middle ages? Sign me up! The idea to take actual historical figures and an actual event like the Black Death, and twist it a little to have it become a zombie plague in England strikes me as a creative premise for a series.

This first in a trilogy deals with a knight and his two knightly companions trying to rescue the knight's wife from an abbey a 100 or so miles northeast of London during a zombie apocalypse. This is in the 1300's, when that would seem like a really long distance on horseback, especially with a horde of zombies in the way. They still make the attempt. It seems mail, swords, maces and crossbows are actually good weapons and defense against zombies. The intrepid knights travel across a nightmare England, with a ravenous population, warlords staking their claims in a lawless land, and even French incursions! This is all leading to  a climactic battle with the horde besieging the abbey.

The plot is fast moving, the characters engaging, and the religions aspect is handled well, especially in an age where everything is seen through a religious prism. The battle scenes really shine, showing just how well an armored knight can do against the walking dead! Using real locations, and a main character who actually existed just adds realism to the story. I would recommend this to any fan of zombie and knight stories.

The Bookwyrm's review of Agent G: Infiltrator by CT Phipps

Author: CT Phipps

Pages/Length: 208 pages/6 hrs, 6 mins (Audio)

Publisher: Amber Cove Publishing

Release Date: April 1, 2017/ March 29, 2017 (Audio)

Narrator: Jeffrey Kafer

Rating: 9.5/10 Stars

When I heard this was coming out, I checked the blurb, being a big fan of this author. I got super excited about the premise, and couldn't wait to get it. Well, I got a copy and listened to it in one sitting. It blew me away, it was that good.

The story revolves around Agent G, an assassin who works for the Society, a charity front that arranges high tech assassinations for large sums of money. If you have the money, they have the assassin for you! Assassins, named A to Z, are mind wiped, and are told they will be well paid and get their memories back after 10 years of service to the Society. This is the scenario G finds himself in. All the agents are cybernetically enhanced, both mentally and physically, and have beyond imagination black technology, real secret squirrel stuff.

This is the situation G finds himself. After he is ambushed at the Boston airport by a rival organization, the Carnivale, during a recall of all Society agents, it is discovered the Society has a mole in its midst. The mole is uncovered, and G is tasked with infiltrating the Carnivale and assassinating its leader, the Caesar and his daughter, a killer assassin in her own right. What commences is a wild ride of betrayals, plans within plans, gunfights, killer cyborg duels, torture and discovery for G, as he discovers more about the past that was wiped from his mind. In the end, he finds who he can really trust, and it's not who he expected. He has to decide what he really wants to be, and if the price for being that person is worth paying.

As always with a CT Phipps book, the story is very character driven. Whether its G, who is conflicted on many levels, his handler Marissa, with a shady past G is only becoming aware of, Persephone, the shadowy ice queen director of the Society or even the Caesar and his children, the characters are well defined, their actions making sense in context with their characters. They are fleshed out in subtle but important ways, being much more than just two dimensional cardboard cutout stereotypes of spies, assassins and villains. The setting is interesting, with locations and action occurring around the world. The dialogue is also crisp, swinging between serious and snark easily, depending on the situation. The story never lags with unneeded exposition, keeping a taut thriller feel.

As far as narration goes, Jeffery Kafer was definitely at his best for this one. Whether the voices were male or female, cyborg, computer, Italian or a variety of American accents, Jeffery nailed them all. He brought each character to life, giving them a vibrancy you get really attached to. His narration of the story never lags, keeping a good flow and is never monotonous. 

Overall, I would have rated the whole effort six stars on Audible and Amazon if they had that rating. As it is, get this book if you like sci fi or thrillers!

The Bookwyrm's review of Eye of the Tiger: Star Justice

 Author: Michael-Scott Earle

Pages/Length:  441 pages/6 hrs, 3 mins. (Audio)

Publisher: Michael-Scott Earle 

Release Date: April 8, 2017/ July 19, 2017

Narrated by: Eric Bryan Moore

Having read several other book by this author, I saw the description of this one and thought is sounded very intriguing. The idea of a crossover of paranormal and sci-fi has always fascinated me, and this author's really strong character creations seemed like a perfect fit for this kind of genre hybrid. I'm happy to say I was right, it is a great fit.

In a far future where mankind has spread across the universe,  Adam is a former prisoner who has been transformed through secret therapy to be able to transform into a tiger man for a certain amount of time, with enhanced, strength, speed, senses and durability. This therapy has been accompanied by heavy duty space marine training, as well as an explosive collar around his neck to keep him under control. He is part of a team of, for lack of a better term, Weretigers, and he has survived longer than any of the others. 

On a mission to retrieve a mysterious article from a corporation on a distant world, The mission goes from smooth to pear shaped quickly. As they get closer to the package, Adam starts hearing a voice in his head as he moves ahead of the rest of the team, telling him to come to where the objective is. As he kills his way to the target, he discovers a shock: the package is a woman named Eve being kept in some kind of stasis. Breaking her out of the machine she is kept in, she removes his control collar without it exploding, and tells him they need to escape. Since he is now free, and being no fan of his employer, he agrees is they can figure out how to get out. He also discovers that Eve is both a psychic and a vampire, and she has been kept weakened by lack of blood.

This starts a wild escape, where they must get passed his teammates to start being able escape a ridiculously secured building, getting past drones, robotic canons, a large security force, as well as a corporate apparatus that will be on their tail if they do escape. They will later meet a smart mouth female hacker named Z who will provide them with documents to help escape, and when that goes pear shaped, she must go on the run with Adam and Eve to try and escape the planet and the hugely powerful conglomerate chasing them. Eve 's psychic ability leads them to an experimental ship they can escape on, although clearing their way past the huge security force and weapons emplacements is a wild fight, and is framed in a great, intensive series of scenes. It is intimated that their escaping the planet would force a dramatic shift in galactic politics, since corporations control so much of the power, although just how much should be interesting to discover as Adam, Eve and Z learn to coordinate their abilities to the fullest.

As with his other books, characters are a great strength in this book. Adam and Eve are both powerful in their own rights, but show surprising vulnerability. Z is a fun foil for them, being the one that's not built for combat, so to speak, and is the one looking for a place to hide while Adam and Eve sort out the rough stuff. She is brilliant in her element though, and surprises you with her ingenuity and secret courage. The villains are a bit generic, since there is no one figure to really get to hate, other than a short scene with the control head for Adams marine team, just corporate minions and security. I do expect that to change in later books, although a monolithic corporate villain may be the direction it takes, which would also work.

The setting has a very far future sci-fi feel to it. Vast interstellar distances, Cities that seem like a cross between Blade Runner and Minority Report, just straight sci fi cities overrun with corporate influence. The ships seem cool, and the other trappings, such as the robotic weapons platforms, the drones, the auto driving cars, the bio-engineered soldiers, they all fit with sense of a far flung galactic civilization. The crossover with the psychic/paranormal and the sci-fi is handled seamlessly, and is very enjoyable. All told, it really helps draw you in to the story.

The narration by Eric Bryan Moore is spot on. He gives each character their own unique voice, and helps make you really get into each of them. His narrative pacing is solid, never lagging or falling into a monotone. He definitely brings solid work to the narration.

Overall, this book should appeal to a wide range of readers/listeners. It has elements of military sci-fi, urban fantasy, vampire and were fantasy and even techno thrillers. It has strong female characters that are strong in their own right, not just because the males are weak. I can highly recommend this book.

 

The Bookwyrm's review of Hell High: Satan! by Michael-Scott Earle

 


Author: Michael-Scott Earle

Pages/Length: 297 Pages/4 hrs, 10 Mins (Audio)

Publisher: Michael-Scott Earle

Release Date: December 8, 2016/ September 15, 2017 (Audio)

Narrator: David Dietz

When last we saw Sherman and Charlotte, at the end of Hell High:Succubus!, they had just escaped  A mob out to kill them by taking a portal to Hell. Yes, Hell. Of course, Charlotte being a succubus, this isn't as much of a problem as you'd think. Charlotte leaves Sherman locked in a room as she goes off to set up bringing him to Satan. While he's waiting, he talks to a girl name Joro through the door. Charlotte chases her away when she returns, and they try and find a way to get to Satan's palace without getting killed by all the other demons in hell. Deciding to travel underground, They have a harrowing trip, having to deal with minor bureaucrats, as well as a very angry Joro, who turns out to be much more than expected. The scenes with her are frightening and hilarious, all at the same time. 

When they reach Satan's palace, Sherman is kidnapped by  a group of Rhakshasi, Indian tiger demons, who turn out to be surprisingly polite hosts, even if they do want to eat Sherman for his power. After he escapes with Charlotte's help,  they go and meet Satan. Yes, Satan. The meeting with Satan is absolutely hilarious, with Satan being portrayed much differently than expected. Satan explains that Sherman's abilities make him in demand, and offers him a job. The first job is hilarious, involving a Doppelganger and a duel to the death by video game. Sherman and Charlotte's relationship is explored further, although Charlotte still insists it is professional only. On their return to Satan, Sherman is offered another job to help in Satan's war against his enemies,  and he makes a decision that will effect the rest of his life, and has ramifications for the rest of the world as well.

This series is a particular treat due to the characters, which are a real strength of this author. Sherman comes across initially as week and helpless, but he is smart and resourceful, and surprisingly stubborn. He is clueless when it comes to Charlotte, but considering he has basically been ignored his whole life, its surprising he socializes as well as he does. Charlotte, on the other hand, has no problem socializing, being a succubus. however, she is an assassin, so that makes her socialization a little uncomfortable for some of the other characters. Satan is played much differently than i expected, although he can be harsh and evil when need. The other characters are well drawn out as well, and really get the reader into the action.

The setting is well set up, and is not at all what one would expect from hell. It seems much more like the hell in Richard Kadrey's Sandman Slim books than the hell from the bible, and is played for laughs in quite a few ways, from Satan's garage to the Rhakshasi's manor. You really get a sense of being there in the scene.

The narration by David Dietz is a real strength. He really nails the various voices. His Satan voice is especially good, and not at all what one expects from Satan. He has good pacing on the narration, and keeps the story flowing smoothly. I think he is perfect for this particular type of story.

All in all, this is a very enjoyable, slightly dark comedy that should appeal to a large group. If you like urban fantasy, gamer culture, or dark comedy, this book has something in it that you can enjoy. I highly recommend it.

The Bookwyrm's Review of Hell High: Succubus! by Michael-Scott Earle

 Author: Michael-Scott Earle

Pages/Length:  95 pages/ 1 hr, 33 mins.

Publisher: Michael-Scott Earle

Release Date: September 21, 2016/ December 14, 2016 (Audio)

Narrator: David Dietz

 I read the premise of Hell High and thought it sounded like dark comedy with lots of potential. After reading them, I have to say I was right! A lot of fun dark humor ensues.

Sherman is finally a senior in high school. That doesn't matter much, because a nerdy, anime and comics addicted kid like him, who is literally ignored and overlooked by everyone, even his parents,  has no chance to get Charlotte, the girl of his dreams. Sounds like any 80's teen comedy, right? Did I mention that the girl of his dreams has wings and tail? Or that 9 out of 10 students in school is some kind of supernatural creature, whether it be Devil, Vampire, Werewolf, Naga or just about any other creature you can imagine? Sherman has seen them his whole life, so sees nothing unusual in the variety of "people" After following Charlotte as she left the cafeteria in an unusual rush, Sherman follows her into the Boiler room, where she confronts him. He lets slip he can see her true form, which is supposed top be impossible. He lets slip he can see ALL their true forms. This is a problem, since there are many factions actively fighting one another, and they are not allowed to show their true forms on Earth. This is especially a problem since Charlotte has been sent to assassinate a devil, and has been unable to find him so far.

After Charlotte confronts and kills the devil, all hell breaks loose, somewhat literally, as some of his fellow supernaturals of his faction discover his body and give chase. Since there are multiples of them, this doesn't look good for Sherman and Charlotte as they try to escape. After pulling the fire alarm of the school in hopes of escaping from the crowd, they are almost captured. Sherman somehow finds another ability, that of breaking glamours. As every supernatural lays exposed in true form, fights to the death suddenly burst out all throughout the school! The scene is played for laughs and horror at the same time.

Thus starts a wild chase as Charlotte and Sherman have to escape what has become an all out supernatural war. Dodging flying body parts, fireballs and talons, Charlotte and Sherman have to also avoid the faculty, who happen to be huge armed devils. After a harrowing run, Charlotte and Sherman manage to find a place to try and make their escape, and barely escape with their lives. Of course, the escape is to Hell, not exactly a place Sherman wants to visit.

I was really pleased with the characters in this book. Sherman comes across as a real person, and his musing to himself about Charlotte, comics, manga and other pop culture make for some hilarious scenes. Sherman bases his actions a lot of the time on stuff he's seen in comics and manga. Just funny stuff. Charlotte is also a fun character. Going back and forth from teen girl and big bad succubus assassin, its hilarious watching her try to deal with Sherman's mooning over her, especially since she, like everyone else, can't remember his right name. Since it's a shorter story, the rest of the characters aren't as fleshed out, they are still filled out enough to make good contributions to the story. The high school setting felt real, like every high school I've ever been in. 

David Dietz handles the narration. He does a great job switching between characters, and gives each character a life of their own. His narrative pacing is good, and really sucks you in to the story.

All in all, this is a fun novella that is a good start to a series I hope goes into quite a few more volumes.

The Bookwyrm's review of Elder Ice by David Hambling

 


Author: David Hambling

Pages/Length: 196 pages/ 3 hrs (audio)

Publisher: David Hambling

Release Date: July 27, 2014/ August 22, 2016 (Audio)

Narrated by Brian Gill


Harry Stubbs, Great War vet and former boxer, works for a prestigious London law firm, collecting debts and doing some investigative work for them. While looking into collecting large debts from the estate of famed explorer Ernest Shackleton, Harry approaches Shackleton's brother, a low end antique shop owner, to see if he had any ideas about any hidden assets. Harry gets a cold reception, and is let in on the fact that Shackleton spent money like water, and was always in debt. He also mentions he is the last person Ernest would confide in, since he has a criminal background, and Ernest had grown distant from him. Harry realizes this is a dead end and goes into work to update his employers about his progress.

Later that night, after a night at the pub, harry is attacked by four Irish ruffians. Harry beats them using his skills, but realizes he might be onto something, since they let it slip this is about his latest case. This leads him onto a wild chase, as he tries to track down one lead after another. The speed of discoveries picks up, and Harry is drawn into a conspiracy older than history. The revelations about what Shackleton really discovered are mind boggling, and it brings into question humanity's place in global pecking order! The secrets of our deep past are revealed, and its certain not to be a good revelation.
All in all, this is a very well written book. Exciting fight scenes, a mystery older than written history and engaging characters really help. The characters are well drawn out, especially Harry. His past as a boxer and soldier are both brought into play effectively, as are his investigative skills and all around tenacity. The other characters are well drawn out as well, although Harry is definitely the star of the show. The setting is well described, and you get a real feel for what 1920's London society felt like. You can really get behind and root for Harry.

The narration is handled by Brian Gill in a memorable performance. He really nails the various British accents, and brings all various characters to life. His narrative style is smooth and steady, and he has great pacing. He can really suck the listener into the story. Top marks on this work.

Any reader that is into Brian Lumley's Titus Crow, Matthew Davenport's Andrew Doran or Ari Marmell's Mick Oberon books should take a look at this series. You won't be disappointed.

Review of Broken Nights by Matthew Davenport & Michael Davenport

Author:Matthew Davenport and Michael Davenport

Pages/length: 202 Pages/ 6 hours, 23 mins (Audio)

Release Date: 2016/August 2016

Publisher: Crossroad Press

Narrated by Carson Beck


Imagine that after the death of his parents, Bruce Wayne decided to become a masked vigilante. Not hard to imagine, obviously. Now imagine if Bruce Wayne wasn't rich, wasn't a child, didn't have unlimited resources, as well as years with which to train before he started fighting crime. That's the premise of this story, where an ordinary young man named Jason Night decides to start fighting crime after a personal tragedy.

When his mother is murdered in the family hobby shop in front of his eyes by a man who randomly killed her decides he wants fight crime. He takes MMA lessons, learns Parkour, and build himself a suit with off the rack components, consisting of a cowled mask, bullet proof vest, padded gauntlets, with kevlar sleeves, with tonfas for weapons. Stuff a guy who owns a hobby shop can afford. He then starts fighting crime in the local neighborhood, stopping break ins, stuff like that. When he runs across a break in at the local Chinese restaurant, with a group of guys just busting the place up, he stumbles across a conspiracy that he is ill equipped to handle, since these guys travel in packs, and are armed with guns. That bullet proof vest comes in handy, although getting shot still hurts a lot! This group is on orders, and Jason needs to find out who's behind the break ins that are terrorizing his neighborhood.

Jason also has to deal with problems in his real life. His father has Alzheimer's Disease, and Jason and his sister Amy have to care for him as he deteriorates further. Amy has dealt with the tragedies by diving into work at the tech company she works at, and has no idea Jason is moonlighting as the vigilante the news dubs The Darden City Guardian. As the pressure from these break in continues, and the danger increases each run in, Jason has to decide if he can continue. The fact a villain has discovered who he is and where his family is increases his doubt that he can continue as the Guardian, since it is endangering his family and friends.

What follows is a hard fought battle for Darden City itself, as the true power behind all the disturbances makes itself know in a quest to further their plans to take over the city. This includes an army of super villains that Jason and his friends need to face in order to stop the insanity gripping Darden City, and someone will make the ultimate sacrifice to help stop the insanity, all leading to a pulse pounding, action packed ending you wont want to miss!

This is an interesting book, since while it is about a superhero vigilante, its also about family struggles, friendships and sacrifice. The characters are well thought out and come across as real people, with real problems and successes. They are people you can really get behind. The villain actually comes across as realistic, even in this setting. The master plot actually gets you sucked into the story, and is actually pretty original. The training flashbacks are really good, with his sister making fun of him for getting beat up in MMA classes, and his broken arm from his parkour accidents is handled a funny way as well. It is a very humanizing touch. The world building is well drawn out, giving you a first hand look into Darden City. You get a feeling of fighting crime on the streets. All told excellently done.

The narration duties are handled ably by Carson Beck. He brings a real warmth and is believable as the various characters. He really has a good pace, and his narrative voice is smooth and well paced. excellent work.

Any fans of comics should really enjoy this story, as should fans of writers like Drew Hayes, CT Phipps and Jim Bernheimer. I can't recommend it highly enough, and can't wait to see where book 2 goes!

A Review of The Statement of Andrew Doran by Matthew Davenport

Author: Matthew Davenport

Pages/Length: 182 Pages/ 6 hrs, 38 Mins (audio)

Release Date:  September 24, 2017/March 24, 2015 (Audio)

Publisher: Macabre Ink 


I had a friend recommend this author as someone to watch. After listening to this, I wholeheartedly agree! In a landscape filled with Dresden Files clones, someone willing to look at urban fantasy more like Brian Lumley is a refreshing change of pace. Moving the story back to WW2 era Europe helps give the story a flavor all its own.

Andrew Doran is an Archaeologist, a minor mage and former instructor at Misketonic University. He is called in by the University's Dean, since it seems the English translation of the Necronomicon has been stolen by the Nazis and taken back to Germany, to have its secrets unlocked by the Thule Society. Well, as much as Andrew hates the Dean, he knows that those evil spells in the hands of madmen bent on world conquest is bad. Traveling to Nazi occupied France, Andrew is connected up with some members of the French Resistance, including their beautiful leader. They escape the Nazis in France to travel to Switzerland, where they can find a source who can point them to the Necronomicon's location. What they find is a twisted nightmare that almost kills them, although they do find the information they need.

They are captured by the Germans, though, and are brought into Germany in chains. However, you cant keep a hero down, and in a scene reminiscent of the truck chase and fight scene in Raiders of the Lost Ark, they manage to escape, and make their way to Berlin where the book is being kept. What follows after they arrive is such a wild scene of chaos, dark magic, harrowing chases, necromantic rituals and discovery about the true nature of his ally. The ending sets up more books in the series, but it is a stand alone. A very satisfying ending with a great twist you won's see coming.

I was impressed with the world building in this book. It is obvious the author researched the era thoroughly, and is also familiar with Lovecraft's Cthulhu mythos. The setting is very natural, and you get a real sense of being right in the thick of the action, in a WW2 era Europe. The hopelessness and despair, the suspicion and terror they lived through, as well as the otherworldly threats, really give it a palpable sense of tension, dread and menace.

The characters are top notch, with Andrew Doran being conflicted about his own power, and the accessibility of powers better left unknown by man, but knowing its better to use the power for good than let the bad guys win the day. His allies are well fleshed out and described, and are believable in both their motivations and actions. The villains are especially fun, reminding me most of the Nazi's from the aforementioned Raiders of the Lost Ark. We know what their motivations are, and its very easy to loathe them. So, good job with the villains as well, even the surprise villain, who shall remain nameless.
As far as narration, Shaun Toole is effective. He really nails the main character, but did seem to struggle a bit with accents. That being said, the narration was smooth, and it is very listenable. I wouldn't let a minor quibble keep you from listening to it. Again, I highly recommend this book. 

 

All in all, I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a change of pace from the Dresden clones. Its a great combo of urban fantasy and a period thriller. I am very excited to see where the next book goes.

The Bookwyrm's Review of Mudman by James Hunter

 


Author: James Hunter

Pages/Length: 440 pages/ 13 hrs, 57 mins (audio)

Publisher: Shadow Alley Press

Release Date: March 8, 2016/  August 2, 2016 (audio)

Narrated by Armen Taylor

  
I will say first off that I am a huge fan of of this author's Yancy Lazarus urban fantasy books, so when I heard there was a spinoff in the same universe, I just had to check it out. I am glad I did, because this one went in some wild directions even Yancy Lazarus doesn't go! I am now a huge fan of this character as well, and hopefully, you will check it out and discover how good it is!

Levi Adams is trying to be a good person. He goes to church, tries to live a simple Mennonite life, and keeps under the radar.  Unfortunately, he has an unfortunate addiction: murder. Well, not just any murder. You see, since awakening in a shallow pit grave in a death camp in Nazi Germany, Levi, who is a stone golem, has been killing bad guys ever since, starting with the Nazi scum murderers. Levi just want to live in peace now, to atone for his "sins", but sometimes he just needs to kill bad guys. To do that, he goes into The Sprawl , the secret home of the supernatural. There, he can find monsters aplenty doing evil deeds they need to be killed for.

While doing a little seasonal cleanup by murder of some Kobocs, some evil little blue skinned monsters, Levi, also known as Mudman, comes across their shaman about to perform a human sacrifice. The sacrifice, Sally Ryder, is on deaths doorstep when Levi uses his own blood, the elixir of life, to save her. After a hair raising escape, Levi and Sally are off to try and figure out whey Sally was being sacrificed. The answer is terrifying. Someone is trying to break a hugely powerful biblical baddie from the ancient high tech prison in the far end of the Sprawl's wasteland. This does lead to the origin of Atlantis, which was a great shock of a scene. After Sally is recaptured and the ritual is then attempted, Levi and some new allies break in to attempt to stop what will basically lead to an apocalyptic event. Levi also discovers who his creator was, and it is not at all who he expected, although if you have read the Yancy Lazarus books, you will know who it is. Levi has to make some sacrifices if he want to have any chance of stopping these threats, and its a close run thing. Levi has to determine if he will be what he was truly created to be, or if he is a free thinking creature, regardless of instincts. The climactic battle basically determines Levi's course for the rest of his existence.

Like all his book, James Hunter really lavishes attention on his characters. Well described and drawn out, you can really get into their thoughts and motivations. Especially with Levi, you can feel his struggle to fight his instincts to be a monster killing machine, that he feels true guilt and remorse for all those he has killed since he was created. OK, maybe not the Nazis so much, but the others. Their physical descriptions are also top notch. You can really see Levi in his multiple forms in your head, as if he was standing right next to you, as well as Sally, or Dr. Hogg. 

The setting, the world building, is an extension of the Yancy Lazarus books, taken in new directions. The prison setting was especially creative, as were its guardians. The underground Koboc Warrens are well described, and not something you'd see in the Lazarus books, because no way would a human, even a mage, want to go down there. Levi, though, can go where others can't. All in all, an excellent addition to this universe.

The narration was handled by Armen Taylor, who also  narrated the author's Viridion Gate LitRPG series. He brings a real voice to the monster that is Levi. Speaking without a lot of inflection without becoming monotone is tough, but he hits just the right notes bringing Levi to life. His voice work with the other characters, whether it be Sally Ryder, Dr. Hogg or even the
 villain, was all spot on, and really got you into what the characters were doing. Definitely a top notch effort.

If you have read the Yancy Lazarus books, this book should have a familiar feeling, while bringing in all new elements that flesh out the universe. It hits all the right notes, and makes you want to see what comes next, something every author should hope for. I can't recommend this book highly enough.

Rating: 9.5/10

The Bookwyrm's Review of Gravity of the Game by Jon Del Arroz

Author: Jon Del Arroz

Pages: 60

Release Date: October 3, 2017

Publisher: Jon Del Arroz 


Being a fan of this authors previous novels, I saw the premise of this and decided I had to check it out. I am so glad I did. It brought to my mind memories of watching and talking about baseball as a kid with my dad, some really good memories. It is an engaging story, sure to hook fans of baseball and those who like character driven stories.

Hideki Ichiro, Commissioner of the World Baseball League (WBL) has a dream of expanding the league, since revenues have flattened out
and attendance is starting to wane. The league has really topped out at 250 teams, with nowhere left to expand. Nowhere, that is, on Earth. Hideki's dream is to expand the league to the lunar colonies, an untapped market. unfortunately, the lunar gravity is too light to allow proper play, so the dream seem like it wont be possible. Hideki also has personal reasons to try and see the expansion come to fruition, since he has befriended a Lunar child with cancer on a make a wish type charity meeting, and he promised to do all he can to get a team on to the moon.

Hideki's is now facing a revolt in the league ownership about the moon expansion, the declining revenues, and a rogue owner of a small market club that wants to move into another larger teams territory. He is faced with the very real possibility of being ousted as commissioner when he receives a call from a University of Michigan professor of physics that may have the very answer to the problem with gravity on the moon. A huge sponsor also has the other piece of the puzzle to unlocking the moon expansion. In the end, we see whether Hideki's dream comes true, and how the league will continue into the future.

I really enjoyed the characters in this story. They really resonate as relatable, real people who have real problems and real interactions and relationships. The settings are well drawn out, with the various cities and the moon being described in such a way as you can imagine being there in the seats, watching the game. The backroom politics nature of baseball ownership is explored really well, with all the competing interests really shown in full color. The plot also moves along at a good clip, never slacking or leaving the reader bored. All in all a top notch effort I heartily recommend, and the cover by Shawn King is another example of his fine cover work as well!