Review: First Watch

First Watch by Peter Hansen
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I’m not really sure what category First Watch falls into, more sci-fi than anything else with a somewhat vague romantic thread and ending. I quite like the writing and the sci-fi bent with Edouard endebted to some sea creature for his life but the ending feels too easy and the romance feels thrown in and rushed. Despite these stumbles, I think First Watch stands out as unique, captivating, and worth reading. I’m interested to see what else the author has to offer but I’m leery about anything with a pseudo romance attached. I think the sci-fi elements are considerably stronger and better executed than the romantic additions.

Review: The Iron Temple

The Iron Temple by Ginn Hale
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Rifter Book Nine: The Iron Temple is perhaps the most straightforward and linear of the entire series. The previous eight books have jumped back and forth from past to present to tell the story of what happens in the future and how the future came to be. Book nine is simple, straight-forward action as John/Jahn/Jath’ibaye fights for the Fai’daum but in reality he’s fighting to save Laurie and Ravishan. In this installment, John comes fully into his Rifter power and can’t be killed, so instead he endures many, many situations where he should be killed but instead saves the day and kills everyone else. It’s violent but fast paced, engaging, and only slightly repetitive. As always the ending is a pretty strong cliffhanger though the ending is predictable – after all, the story already told us what happened.

Review: A Solid Core of Alpha

A Solid Core of Alpha by Amy Lane
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A Solid Core of Alpha is an impressive book. It’s intense, angsty, drama filled, and sure to make you cry more than once. Even so, once the drama stopped and the inevitable slow glide to a happy ending started, the book started to lose me. The characters definitely deserve a happy ending but when the story lost it’s intensity, the characters did as well and ultimately the book ended on a whimper as compared to the explosive beginning. I would still eagerly recommend this story to those who love angst and drama filled stories. This is intense in the best ways and sucks you in right from the start. This is definitely a not miss book.

Review: Modeling Death

Modeling Death by Amber Kell
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I’ve read several Amber Kell stories and I consider them to be easy to read popcorn reads. I tend to forget the stories very easily (sometimes while reading) but most of the time they are interesting enough fluff when you’re in the mood for something simple, easy, with lots of hot sex. Modeling Death is along those lines but attempts to be something more involved too. That didn’t work as well for me this time unfortunately since the story line is kind of silly and the ending utterly ridiculous. The romantic connection between the protagonists is totally rushed, zero to married in a few hours, and the characters are over the top perfect in every way so it’s hard to really connect and care about them. As an easy, forgettable read, it’s not bad.

Review: Enemies and Shadows

 

Enemies and Shadows by Ginn Hale
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

We’re over halfway in the Rifter series and book #7, Enemies and Shadows, is a quieter edition that starts to pull together all the various little details and threads. There’s not a lot of exciting action or romance that occurs but instead various political subplots and details (both past and present) are discussed and handled to make the core of the story more solid. It’s a good, if not terribly exciting, installment.

Review: Dark Sun

Dark Sun by M.J. O’Shea
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

As a fan of dystopian fiction, I was pretty excited to read Dark Sun. The story has a very nice urban fantasy setting that fulfilled that craving I always have for the genre while the characters and plot are decent. They’re not great unfortunately, partly due to the short nature of the novella, and the entire story rushes from start to finish. The characters feel unfinished and somewhat empty as they stick close to pretty well known stereotypes. There is a vague Romeo and Juliet feel to the star crossed lovers from warring families while one character is a pretty typical Robin Hood by stealing from the rich to give to the poor. Because of these obvious tropes, the story never quite satisfies and moves into something wholly unique but the various elements included are enough to make an interesting enough story if you’re a fan of urban fantasy.

Review: Broken Fortress

Broken Fortress by Ginn Hale
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

In the last installment of the Rifter, John and Ravishan were left together and bleeding on the Holy Road in a very hanging ending. Instead of picking up where that left off, this particular installment makes the odd choice of leaping back to a hanging ending of a prior book but a future scene (future as far as the timeline). It’s a bit confusing at first. For those following along you’ll remember that Kahlil (Ravishan in the future is Kahlil) went to the future while John went to the past. Eventually the two meet up with John as Jath’ibaye when Kahlil saves Jath’ibaye’s life and Jath’ibaye in turn saves Kahlil’s life and they run off on a sailing ship. Well that storyline had been shelved in favor of revisiting how John became Jath’ibaye. We’re not quite to the point but the story has skipped ahead (again) and is back with Kahlil and Jath’ibaye.

Review: Witches’ Blood

Witches’ Blood by Ginn Hale
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Witches’ Blood is the fourth installment of the Rifter series and oh it’s good. The usual disclaimer applies in that you shouldn’t try to pick this story up mid-series but start at the beginning. You should be reading anyway because it’s an epic fantasy story and seriously one of the better ones I’ve read, easily standing with mainstream fantasy stories. The difference is that the Rifter series is pared down to two important storylines and two main characters that presumably have a happy ending. So it’s even better!

Review: The Shattered Gate

The Shattered Gate by Ginn Hale
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

Blurb:

The Rifter is a ten-part serialized novel by award-winning author, Ginn Hale. The first episode, The Shattered Gates, will be published on March 8, 2011.

When John opens a letter addressed to his missing roommate, Kyle, he expects to find a house key, but instead he is swept into a strange realm of magic, mysticism, revolutionaries and assassins. Though he struggles to escape, John is drawn steadily closer to a fate he share with Kyle—to wake the destroyer god, the Rifter, and shatter a world.

Review: Liar’s Waltz

Liar’s Waltz by Becky Black
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This is a familiar story with a few good twists. The writing didn’t always work for me and often that more than anything else ruined my enjoyment but the characters, setting, and plot are engaging. As a debut novel, I think the author shows a lot of potential and readers will find the themes used familiar and comforting with good tension.