Book Review: The Moon Dwellers (The Dwellers Saga Book 1) by David Estes

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The Moon Dwellers (The Dwellers Saga Book 1) by David Estes

A YA Sci-fi/Dystopian Novel published on amazon.com (06/27/2012)

 

Summary:

“Like I said before, you have no control over what situation you’re born into.” (Location 2151).

When a meteor is about to wipe out humanity as we know it on Earth, a select number are gifted the chance to live underground and continue the human race as natural disasters destroy everything aboveground. Decades after this decision, and the lottery to get a chance to survive below, there is a distinct segregation of class between the Tri-Realms: Sun Dwellers have all the power and most of the electricity and resources, Moon Dwellers live further down while the Star Dwellers live the furthest from the surface and suffer the most at the hands of those above.
The Moon Dwellers centers on two main characters, Adele from the Moon Dwellers and Tristan, the son of the ‘President’ from the Sun Dwellers. Adele is thrown into juvie after her parents are accused of treason against the government. Tristan is next in line to inherit the power to control the Tri-Realms, but he is disgusted by the inequality and finds his chance to rebel against his father when he first sees Adele. There is something that draws them to each other and for Tristan, finding out who she is brings him out of his comfort zone and into the plot of something much more sinister. For Adele, she is focused on escaping her prison and then reuniting with her sister and parents.

 

Keywords:

Post-apocalyptic, underground, uninhabitable earth, romance, segregated society, class system, unequal power, dictatorship, in the dark, secrets, power-hungry leaders, corrupt government, fight the power, resistance, escape, kick-butt female, friendship, survival

 

My Review:

I loved this book. It had a kickbutt girl character, a romance that wasn’t in the forefront of the plot, some dystopia and post-apocalyptic living, a corrupt government, the underdogs fighting for justice, POV change done well, subplots and characters with their own stories intertwined in the main plot, a good ending with a lot left open for the next book in the series, emotional highs, a good blend of action and story, excellent descriptions, etc.

I find it fascinating the reason for the apocalypse was a natural disaster (meteor). Humanity was saved by going underground, but not all of them could fit, therefore the world started over at Year Zero. The concept for the Lottery was well developed. The beginning of the book featured a brief history that was highly useful in getting an understanding of what was going on in the post-apocalyptic world. I really appreciated Estes putting this info in the very beginning of the first novel of the series.

Throughout the book Estes blended his action with his story to have a very well-spaced plot that moved along at a good pace. The descriptions the author used were excellent and stayed in character in the post-apocalyptic world Estes has created. The POV switching from Tristan to Adele from chapter to chapter was an excellent addition to the story and worked well. I thought it was excellent to make the two main characters have equal parts and equal abilities. It was a very balanced romance and I can’t say enough how much I wish more authors would make their main female and main male characters as equal as Estes has done.

This novel was published through Createspace Independent Publishing Platform 06/27/2012 and is available on Amazon here.

 

TLDR Star Rating: 5.0

 

Links for more information:

Goodreads

David Estes’s Website

Twitter

Guest Review Post – At One’s Beast by Rachel Barnard reviewed by Sheri J. Kennedy

by in At One's Beast, Miscellaneous Mondays, Rachel Barnard and tagged

Sheri J. Kennedy is the author of Secret Order of the Overworld under pen name Kennedy J. Quinn.You may have seen some of her images or read some of her blog posts on her blog SheriJKennedyRiverside. She participates in both local events (such as the Bard & Starlet Radio Hour at Boxley’s in North Bend) and nationwide events (Such as with SnoBoot SkethhCats in the Sketchbook Project and the A to Z Challenge). For more about Sheri, visit her blog at sherijkennedyriverside.wordpress.com

The following is Sheri J. Kennedy’s review of At One’s Beast, available here from Amazon. Thanks Sheri for you thoughtful review of At One’s Beast. 

AT ONE’S BEAST is billed as a fairy tale twist and a low fantasy. I think it elevates both sub-genres by taking the basics of a moral tale and adding rich psychological complexity and atmosphere.

First, let me say, I was ‘in’ immediately and was driven to keep reading to the end – always key to a great read!
It starts with fairly traditional basics of Zos absorbing all the hate and evil of the town, and Alcina moving from fear and wanting to take him down, to seeing that he is something more. But the way the journey unfolds is uniquely modern from my perspective. For one, there’s a tricky twining of three characters that create a love triangle with Aethon. He is supposedly a friend, but has a fierce or even controlling streak that is a definite character flaw. Zos, while supposedly dangerous, shows gentleness and encourages Alcina’s strength. He is fearsome but magnetic in his caring and vulnerability.

Alcina, while having fears and showing her impetuous youthfulness, comes from a general stance of strength and independence that makes the reader believe she will conquer the beast. But as she spends time with Zos and on her own away from her family and community, she shows a vulnerability to love of nature, adventure, and love in general. Instead of making her seem weaker, her genuine emotion and new experiences develop her into her own woman – not Zos’. That’s not trite or typically fairy tale black and white. When she then comes to appreciate Zos, it makes her even stronger in my eyes and she lives and breathes instead of being a one dimensional fairy tale ‘princess-type’ heroine.

The only weakness to the tale I thought was the townsfolk, especially families, seem a little too hostile toward Alcina. This is chalked up to the evil influence, like a spell on them, so I can let it go. It’s just that all the other emotion in the story is so realistically supported that this actual fairy tale simplification of that point seems out of place in comparison. (Kind of a back-handed compliment!)

There is a lovely mix of grey tones throughout this story. There is a well-crafted atmospheric quality to the world – kind of an abstraction that allows complex contemplation while the clear action proceeds without dropping the reader for a single moment.

After reading Barnard’s debut novel, ATAXIA AND THE RAVINE OF LOST DREAMS, I was interested to see where this promising young author would go next. AT ONE’S BEAST exceeded my expectations and is very well developed. It’s a solid work that I would highly recommend.

Book Review: The Non-Zombie Apocalypse by Sechin Tower

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The Non-Zombie Apocalypse by Sechin Tower

A YA Sci-Fi/Fantasy Novel published by Siege Tower Entertainment (07/16/14)

 

Summary:

“So zombies just remind me that you only have to be afraid of what you don’t understand.” (Page 49).

The Non-Zombie Apocalypse picks up just weeks after the Mad Scientist’s Institute leaves off with Sophie continuing her education at the Mechanical Science Institute and learning how to be a college student at just 16 years old. Though this book could stand alone, it features many of the same characters as the first book.

The Professor is at it again, but with a different sort of doomsday device, a zombie-like ‘non-zombie’ infection that will control the minds of everyone it comes into contact with. It is up to Sophie and her gang of misfit scientists at the Institute, along with her firefighter turned dean uncle ‘Dean Squared,’ to figure out what’s going on and how to stop it and save everyone (again).

 

Keywords:

 Robot, zombies, non-zombies, DNA, Tesla, scientist, scientist heroine, Teslapunk, save the world, University, Mad Scientists, explosions, bad guys, misunderstood, danger

 

My Review:

I adore Sophie. She’s like the young adult version of Don in The Rosie Project by Graeme Simson. She is quirky and logical to a fault and in many social situations she misinterprets or misunderstands or can’t see social cues at all! Her interpretation of social interactions is adorable and hilarious at times. She is a character that everyone has met at one point or another in their lives and her perspective is fascinating.

Again, just like in Mad Scientist’s Institute, Soap displays her naïve/trusting behavior when she signs away her patent rights without a second thought to the consequences or ulterior motives from the same University president who tried to get her expelled just a month prior. Soap follows Creeper McCreeper into a dark and abandoned garage without too much suspicion. Even though now she’s seen some consequences of being trusting and naïve, she’s still unheeding of potential negative consequences.

It was quite clever of Tower to reintroduce all the characters and the setting in the first few chapters of this novel so that the reader didn’t have to read The Mad Scientist’s Institute before the Non-Zombie Apocalypse (I still recommend reading book one before book two). Tower used the same technique employed in the Animorphs series of describing the current characters and the current environment as a continuation of the story. This was done in a clever manner and I really liked how Tower handled making the second book in a series a complete standalone. Each book in this series is and will be conclusive and each subsequent book takes the same characters you’ve built a relationship with and continues with them on a different adventure.

This novel was published by Siege Tower Entertainment on July 16th, 2014 and is available on Amazon here.

 

TL;DR Star Rating: 4.50

 

Links for more information:

Sechin Tower’s Website

Goodreads

Twitter

The Versatile Blogger Award

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Thank you, K. J. Farnham, for nominating me for this awesome award! Here’s a little about Ms. Farnham:

“I was born and raised in West Allis, Wisconsin, home of the Wisconsin State Fair and the Pettit National Ice Center. In 1999, I graduated from UW-Milwaukee with a bachelor’s degree in elementary education. I went on to earn a master’s degree in curriculum and instruction while teaching full time. After teaching first grade and third grade for six years each, I am proud to say that I had the privilege of helping hundreds of children learn to read and write.

In 2011, my family of four relocated from Milwaukee to western Wisconsin. (We are now a family of five!) While I was sad to leave teaching, I was ready for a change and excited to explore my love for writing. I got caught up for two years writing and editing for various clients while the book that I’d started back in 2009 went untouched. I finally made it my New Year’s Resolution for 2014 to finish Click Date Repeat, and it was published on August 21, 2014 (my wedding anniversary).

Things I enjoy: travel (especially road trips), running, biking, nature walks, beach outings, coffee and tea.

Things I love: watching my children participate in various activities, reading, writing, Body Pump at the YMCA, The Walking Dead, peanut butter and coconut milk.”

For more about K.J. Farnham, visit her blog here.

 

Information about the award:

The Versatile Blogger Award is given in recognition for the great commitment, diverse talents and generosity shown by bloggers here in our community. There is so much creativity on display that it is difficult to reduce a list to only a few, but for those nominated, it is hoped that it will motivate them as well as celebrate their work to date.

Here are the rules:

  • Show the award on your blog
  • Thank the person who nominated you
  • Share seven facts about yourself
  • Nominate up to fifteen blogs
  • Link your nominees’ blogs, and let them know

Seven facts about me:

  1. I’m currently working on a series entitled “For the Love of Donuts”
  2. I absolutely love organization
  3. I severely broke my pinkie finger and it will never be straight again
  4. I like to eat tomatoes raw
  5. I read really fast
  6. I usually skim over sex scenes when I’m reading
  7. I like to geocache

And now for the bloggers I have chosen to nominate:

1. Sheri J. Kennedy – sherijkennedyriverside.wordpress.com

2. Ana is the Bookworm – anaisthebookworm.wordpress.com

3. Author Lee French – authorleefrench.com

4. Verbosity Book Reviews – verbositybookreviews.wordpress.com

Book Review: Mad Science Institute by Sechin Tower

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Mad Science Institute by Sechin Tower

A YA Sci-Fi/Fantasy Novel published by Siege Tower Entertainment (12/09/11)

 

Summary:

“that’s the fun part about science: there are always mysteries to unravel.” (Page 123).

Sophie grew up in a world where electronics were readily available and her failed science experiments were continuously cleaned up by her father. After destroying the science fair and her chances of getting into a top school like MIT, Soap accepts her application to the Mechanical Science Institute in small town Bugswallow, Minnesota. Her cousin, Dean is waiting to meet her there, as he just accepted a position as dean of the Institute, even though he’s really only a fireman. There’s more than simply hidden labs and secret inventions afoot at the Institute, there are thugs and evil scientists who want to take the Institute’s secrets and use them for nefarious and evil purposes. It is up to Soap and Dean to stop the unknown ‘Professor’ from stopping the world as we know it.

 

Keywords:

 Robot, college, creatures, Tesla, EMP, bad guys, Teslapunk, Doomsday, save the world, danger, Scientist Heroine, clueless

 

My Review:

Soap was so naïve it was cute. It was only through her ineptitude with the real world that the plot was able to proceed as it did. She allowed the bad guys to implicate her father, to get inside the Institute, and almost shut down the security systems for the entire building. Thankfully, her stupidity stopped her there. Tower almost took her naivety too far, but it is still barely believable. She’s only 16, though she is a genius, she has never really been involved in something nefarious and has no reason not to trust others. Soap is also adorably ignorant of social norms and her thought processes as she attempts to mimic normal interactions is hilarious. She creates charts to help her fit in, but of course, they don’t. Soap is like the girl version of a super nerd boy who can’t talk to boys. Or girls. She only fits in with other super science geniuses like those at the Mechanical Science Institute.

The villain and thugs were just short of being too stereotypical. Though it was easy to guess who the mysterious “professor” was behind the evil plans, I enjoyed how the plot thickened and the pacing quickened toward the end.

I really ejoyed Tower’s writing style. It was concise and witty and I loved Soap’s POV. I didn’t mind Dean’s POV and enjoyed the intertwining of the action between their two viewpoints.

This novel was published by Siege Tower Entertainment on December 9th, 2011 and is available on Amazon here.

 

TL;DR Star Rating: 4.50

 

Links for more information:

Sechin Tower’s Website

Goodreads

Twitter

Wrote a book and need reviews but don’t know how?

by in author platform, Miscellaneous Mondays and tagged ,

In case you missed her last week, the lovely and talented Kelly St. Clare was here on my blog as a guest poster and wrote all about how to get reviews for your book. She brought up some great points! 

I’ve had a few authors contact me through my blog/goodreads/facebook regarding doing reviews and if their book looked good (and I liked it when I started reading) I’ve added them to my tbr list, so this point Kelly St. Clare brought up works.

She brought up another point that I’ve not yet done that I notice quite a few of the authors I follow do: a newsletter. So stay tuned for an option to follow my blog AND receive a monthly newsletter as a tl;dr monthly catch up for my blog.

 

Thanks again Kelly St. Clare for telling all about getting reviews (especially as a debut indie author this is highly valuable real-time information).

 

For more about Kelly St. Clare:

Author Biography

When Kelly St Clare is not reading or writing, she is dreaming up a story in her head; the cause of many headaches for her friends and family, who have struggled to encourage her participation in normal activities – such as everyday life.

Books have always been magical and mysterious to her. One day she decided to start unravelling this mystery and began writing. Her aim: To write stories she would want to read.

A New Zealander in origin, Kelly currently resides in Australia with her soon-to-be husband.

Follow her via Newsletter at www.kellystclare.com, and find her on Facebook or Goodreads.

If you would like to read her coming-of-age epic fantasy novel, Fantasy of Frost, then you can view it here.

St. James Espresso has New Books by Local Authors!

by in Local Authors, Local Eats, Rachel Barnard, Seattle Specific Saturdays and tagged ,

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Anywhere near Kirkland, WA and need a good book or some great coffee? You can get some books by local authors and coffee at a local shop at St. James Espresso.

I was also at last Saturday’s Release Party for Jeffrey Cook’s Third Dawn of Steam novel, the anthology Sound and Fury he has a story in, and AJ Downey’s newest release in her series.

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As both a reader and a writer I absolutely love these types of physical meet and greet and eat events. You can have one on one conversations with real writers and get signed copies of books (of which I did both). Thanks A.J. Downey, Jeffrey Cook, and the AFK for this lovely event last Saturday, can’t wait for the next author event at the AFK coming up in June.

Book Review: Sara Supernatural by Tiffany Belcher

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Sara Supernatural by Tiffany Belcher

A Middle Grade/YA Fantasy Novel published by Tate Pubishing (10/29/13)

 

Summary:

When Sara makes the wish for her freckles to disappear for the hundredth time, she doesn’t expect her wish to come true. She’s a redhead with freckles and everyone knows that boys don’t like girls with freckles except Sara meets Chris and he likes her freckles. Shoot! Now she needs them back. Sara and her two best friends Ashely and Jessica realize that Sara has the power to wish for whatever she wants, but with this power comes great repercussions. Sara makes a mess of things with her accidental wishes and they aren’t all as easy to fix as wishing for her freckles back.

 

Keywords:

Magic, wishing, powers, female main character, lessons learned, romance, fourteen-year olds, middle school, immaturity, selfishness, greed, fitting in, being the best, cheating

 

My Review:

Sara was a great main character. Though she was only fourteen and in middle school, she was mature and interesting even though she did fall into some typical teenage behavioral patterns. Sara wanted the perfect life and the perfect family, complete with perfect outfits and style. She didn’t try to match her wishes with her reality until she is granted the power to make her dreams come true without any effort. She has only to wish and voile, wish granted. Not every wish should be fulfilled, and Sara learns this the hard way. Sara has the ability to fix her mistakes the whole time, it is learning that she made a mistake and why there are consequences to certain wishes that makes the story.

I liked that the author gives us multiple characters with their own parts to play in the story. There’s Ashley, the picky one, who is not always confident in what she’s doing. There’s Jessica, who grew up spoiled and doesn’t always know how to put others first or to think of someone other than herself. There’s Chris, the boy who was raised to take care of himself.

Any time there’s magic involved, I appreciate a good answer for where and how the magic came to be. Belcher, about midway through the book, gives an explanation for the magic in two levels, where it originated from in the beginning and how Sara got her wishing abilities. The author also quantifies the extent the magic has on altering reality and how far Sara can go in its use, which I really appreciated. Defining the magic made it and the story more real.

The dialogue was a pleasure to read and the author really captured some more witty teenage moments full of snippy sarcastic teen talk without being overly dramatic or too grammatically poor like some teens everyone knows.

I enjoyed this book, though not as much as the intended audience I’m sure and was pleasantly surprised by the ending indication that there will be a sequel with older characters!

This novel was published by Tate Pubishing on October 29th, 2013 and is available on Amazon here.

 

TL;DR Star Rating: 4.50

 

Links for more information:

Tiffany Belcher’s Website

Goodreads