Welcome to the condo for retired wizards and witches in Grumpy Old Wizards by John O'Riley. Join the pensioners for tea and playing cards (mind reading not allowed) and join them in getting involved in a few murders in their spare time. One thing is sure, nothing has changed in the magicked up USA over the one we know today.
The blog for book reviews to accompany my history blog which also contains book reviews that deal with history.
Thursday, August 20, 2015
Wednesday, August 19, 2015
When a Spell Goes Wrong
Enter the present day world of witches, warlocks, and high-school. Then add murder to the mix. This is the enticing recipe served up by Nikki Jefford in Entangled, the first of the Spellbound books. If the mix is something you can get into, the book is free to download on Amazon for Kindle at the time of publication of this review. You will be enchanted with what you find.
Friday, August 14, 2015
Germanic Gods and Goblins
In Gateway to Nifleheim, Glenn G. Thater delves into the Germanic world of gods and goblins that are related to Valhalla and Nifleheim, the powers of good and evil to spin her yarn. This is the first book in the Harbinger of Doom Series. I have to confess at the start, I skipped many a page to keep going. The story doesn't so much move as that it plods on, tediously.
Wednesday, August 12, 2015
Regency Charade Mystery
Deceiving the Duke of Kerrington by Ginny Hartman is based on the trusted plot of a charade where people resembling each other impersonate the other. As such the book is an amusing read; when the plot becomes too obvious, you still want to read on to see how on earth the author is going to get herself out of the pit she is digging for herself page after page, deeper and steeper.
Wednesday, August 5, 2015
Hero, Sword, and Dragons
The Hero, the Sword, and the Dragons by Craig Halloran is the first book in The Chronicles of Dragon series. It has everything it takes to give it lift-off, yet strangely it failed to captivate either me or my imagination. Best thing you can do is try it for yourself; at the time this review is published it's available for free on Amazon for Kindle.
Monday, August 3, 2015
Regency Murder Mystery
Are you looking for a sex, crime, and murder mystery set in Regency England? I'm afraid you haven't found it. All that dates the book's story is the mention of 1819 at the beginning of the first chapter. After that, it just is a generic sex and crime story. Stone Devil Duke by K. J. Jackson is showing up major defects in writing without doing at least some minimal research.
How The Afterlife Works
Power of the Heir's Passion by L. R. W. Lee is a sort of a prequel to the Andy Smithson series. I assure you that this is the most accurate description of afterlife available, for the world of Oomladee, not ours. It is subtitled A Novella; not quite a book but too long for a short story. And it's a ghost story from start to end.
Friday, July 31, 2015
The Stolen Kingdom
The Stolen Kingdom by Ross Rosenfeld is a very unhappy book, or maybe an unfortunate one. It definitely suffers from multiple personae disorder. It tells the story of the missing prince in a new way; the story is placed in an imaginary Europe without giving away any cultural details as to where exactly it is.
Phoenix Rising
In book 4 of the Andy Smithson series, Phoenix, Arizona, receives visitors from Oomladee for a change. Resurrection of the Phoenix's Grace by L. R. W. Lee sees the conflict crossing the magical border before Andy's Mom sends him back to Oomladee when the situation at home gets out of hand and way too dangerous.
Wednesday, July 29, 2015
Call the Unicorns
Book 3 in the Andy Smithson series sees our hero return to foggy Oomaldee after having been sent home to this world at the end of book 2. Disgrace of the Unicorn's Honor by L. R. W. Lee is another offering in fairy creatures and wild places that need exploring in a quest. It is no let-down compared to the previous two books.
Tuesday, July 28, 2015
Serpent Quest
Book 2 in the Andy Smithson series takes the reader on another perilous quest together with the hero who turned eleven at the start of the book. Venom of the Serpent's Cunning by L. R. W. Lee is another wild romp through the magical land of Oomaldee and more. The author continues his output of fantastic creatures and their habitats.
Thursday, July 23, 2015
Here Be Dragons
It's a schoolboy's dream: Disappearing desks, mysterious objects materializing out of nowhere, and being transported to a magical realm. All this and much more can be found in Blast of the Dragon's Fury by L. R. W. Lee. And what is best, at the time of publication of this review, the book is available for free on Amazon for Kindle e-readers.
Tuesday, July 21, 2015
Getting the Best Amazon Kindle Ever
Amazon has released the third version of its e-book reader Kindle Paperwhite. A comparison with the previous model and the more expensive Kindle Voyager could help you get the best Kindle Paperwhite ever; at least for what are your personal needs. It goes without saying that I love my Amazon e-reader to bits.
Amazon Kindle Paperwhite and Voyager |