Category Archives: Book Review

Book Review: Open Minds (Mindjack Saga Book 1) by Susan Kaye Quinn

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Open Minds (Mindjack Saga Book 1) by  Susan Kaye Quinn

A YA Science Fiction Novel published through Createspace Independent Publishing Platform (12/20/13)

Summary:

“What good were crazy mind powers when they forced me to control or lie to the people I loved?”(Page 80).

“People like us don’t follow the rules, Kira,” he said. “People like us make them up.” (Pages 117-118).

In a world where everyone can read thoughts, at least after they’ve been through the change, which coincides with puberty, there are still those that are different and who don’t conform. Kira, is one of those. She is sixteen and can’t read thoughts at all. Nobody trusts a Zero. The only type of person people would trust less is a mind controller, aka mindjacker. When Kira finds out that instead of having no ability to mind read, she has a different special ability, her life will change forever. She isn’t the only one out there who isn’t a zero and isn’t a mind reader. The first person like her that she meets will steer her into a hidden world that is not a great influence and gives regular people good reasons to fear and hate them. What can Kira do now that she knows she’s different? But if nobody else knows that she’s a mindjacker, can she still live a normal life?

Keywords:

Abilities, Skill, Mindjacking, Future, Telepathy, Technology, School, Love, Friendship, Clan, Power, Special, Female Main Character, Mind Reader, Mind Control, Mind Powers, Paranormal Abilities, Hard Choices, Danger, Fighting

My Review:

Susan Kay Quinn’s futuristic societies are entirely fascinating and the Mindjack Saga Books are no exception. Reading thoughts is not a new idea but Quinn’s spin is interesting.

Though Quinn uses the stereotypical trope of the ‘different’ protagonist who can’t ‘do’ what others can do and then magically has the greatest ability of them all, Kira is not the most powerful. There are others like her, but in the beginning, she thinks she is alone in her powers. In a world where everyone is special, Kira doesn’t fit in and this is where most of the interesting story comes along. How different can you be before you are persecuted?

Throughout this book I wanted more from Raf and I wanted more from the love triangle that wasn’t much of a love triangle. The romance took a bit of a backseat to the action that overtook everything towards the middle of the book.

This novel was published through Createspace Independent Publishing Platform on December 20th, 2013 and is available on Amazon here.

TL;DR Star Rating: 4.50

Links for more information:

Susan Kaye Quinn’s Website

Goodreads

Book Review: Living in Suspension by Winifred Morris

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 Living in Suspension by Winifred Morris

A YA novel published by Eastside Gal (11/17/15)

Summary:

“All of a sudden I can see why the trees bend upward. They’re just trying to keep their balance while the earth keeps moving out from under them.” (Kindle Locations 712-713).

Not every kid with problems can be diagnosed. Not every kid can be neatly labeled. Sky doesn’t even know why he is the way he is. The only thing he knows for certain is that he likes words. He likes the story that he’s writing. He likes his creative writing class. But there must be something wrong with him. Everyone tells him he should be doing better. That he could do better. Sky knows he is doing his best so there must be something wrong with him.

 

Keywords:

School, Skipping, Home, Suspension, Dropout, High School, Drugs, Problems, Words, Writing, Fantasy, Stories, Distraction, Losers, Friendship, Family, Struggles, Unknown Future

My Review:

Morris paints a bleak view of school and the system in regards to Sky. If this is what school is like for some kids, I weep for the future and that 30% that drop out. Sky is the kid everybody knows. He is the kid that falls through the cracks. He isn’t at the bottom and he is certainly not at the top. What is wrong with him? His parents can’t figure that out. His teachers can’t figure it out. The principal doesn’t want to bother figuring it out. The other kids don’t care. Even Sky doesn’t know what’s wrong with himself. He doesn’t want to be a loser. He wants to have a future. Morris paints this beautiful mosaic of something hazy that you can’t quite put your finger on that keeps Sky from succeeding in the conventional school system. Even I can’t quite figure out what is wrong with Sky because he is more complicated than a simple label of “ADD” or “lack of motivation” or “delinquent.”

Sky just doesn’t like school and Morris shows me why. For kids who always loved learning, seeing school through Sky’s eyes shows a very different world. Sky isn’t lacking in parental support. He goes to a good school. Sometimes, that just isn’t enough.

The writing style was so captivating. Sky’s voice came through loud and clear. His perspective was fascinating and there was a good balance between how he saw the world and his thoughts about what he was experiencing.

This novel was published by Eastside Gal November 17th, 2015 and is available on Amazon here.

TL;DR Star Rating:4.50

Links for more information:

Goodreads

Winifred Morris’s Website

Book Review: The Soultakers (The Treemakers, #2) by Christina L. Rozelle

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The Soultakers (The Treemakers, #2) by Christina L. Rozelle

A Dystopian/Sci-Fi Adventure Novel published by A Spark in the Dark Press (12/03/14)

Summary:

Joy led the Treemaker children to the oasis, Zentao, in book one. They have settled in, but Joy is burdened with a terrible secret about the solace they thought they found and they must once again abandon this familiarity to find rest and freedom elsewhere.

 

Keywords:

Children, Orphans, Survival, Death, Exploration, Dystopian World, Polluted Air, Evil Intentions, AI, Motherliness, Help, Underground, Paradise, Fighting, Strength, Resilience, Spirit, Refuge, Power-Hungry, Keys, the Wall

My Review:

Joy is, once again, my favorite character. She is a hero and a mother to all the children. There is only one path for Joy in life, she must do or die trying and these are high stakes. Everything about Joy is exciting as she is solidly in the middle of a powerful adventure. Joy didn’t have to step up to be the hero, she already is everything a hero is, she is brave and willing to sacrifice to save those she loves. There are so many to save.

The villain in this book, book two of the series, is made more clear and given a visible personality and face. He is very evil. His depravity will make you cringe. He is stereotypical for a villain but made even more villainy and evil than your average bad guy who is power hungry and corrupt. The things he does in this book will make you shiver. Rozelle does a very good job of creating her villain and making him the most despicable person you’ve ever known.

The society in this book, Alzenei, is much like the Capitol in the Hunger Games, much like Lord Daumier the villain is like President Snow. There was a detail in the Treemakers that really made me cringe, almost as much as the despicable scenes with Joy and Daumier where he shows his true nature and how evil he is to the very core. I wish that beauty wasn’t the same in this future/dystopia as it is in present day, that there was a different possibility. Lord Daumier wants Joy to be blonde haired and blue eyed. For their ‘special night’ she must be beautified with no body hair, lots of makeup, plucked, primped, moisturized etc, dressed up. Why can’t beauty be something different in this society?

I thought the big ‘twist’ could have been layered in better as it was very abrupt and hard to handle reading such a different thing entirely in the middle of the book. You get entranced in the main story and continuation from book one, plunging down the rabbit hole of Joy’s life until suddenly, poof, you’re somewhere else entirely. This is not a twist, it’s a different book and almost different idea into the middle of the Soultakers and took some time to get used to.

Disclaimer: I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review

This novel was published by A Spark in the Dark Press on December 3rd, 2014 and is available on Amazon here.

TL;DR Star Rating: 4.50

Links for more information:

Amazon Author Page: http://amzn.to/1HYTjRo
“The Rozelle Army” Mailing List: http://eepurl.com/68sS9
A Spark in the Dark Blog: http://bit.ly/1NmGJQl
A Spark in the Dark Facebook Page: http://on.fb.me/1JSEmWz
The Fansite of Christina L. Rozelle: http://christinalrozelle.com/
Twitter: Christina on Twitter (@CLRozelle)
Instagram: christina.l.rozelle

About the author:

Christina L. Rozelle

Christina L. Rozelle, author of the YA Dystopian-Scifi-Romance-Adventure, “The Treemakers,” is a mother of four currently residing in Dallas, Texas. She enjoys fiction that shines a light in the dark; has emotion, intensity, verve, depth, and truth. She writes what she’d love to read. Though her focus is currently YA speculative fiction, she dabbles in other genres as well, including adult speculative, fantasy, addiction/recovery fiction, and other general fiction. To find out more about her, as well as links to her other social media outposts, please visit her fan-site: http://christinalrozelle.com/

Book Review: The Truth About Mud – A ‘Mangleblood Rose’ Story (A YA Fantasy Adventure Novelette) by Christina L. Rozelle

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The Truth About Mud – A ‘Mangleblood Rose’ Story (A YA Fantasy Adventure Novelette) by Christina L. Rozelle

A Fantasy Novellette published by CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform (01/19/15)

 

Summary:

“Oh crabapples, you’re the most atrocious troll I’ve ever seen in my life.” (Page 31).

Thistle has always wanted to cross the Mangleblood River, but as a troll and Mud she has been told not to. It isn’t until a crow steals her beloved nan’s medallion that she gathers the courage to defy her king and find a way across the river. Her friend Fane finds her as she searches for the way and joins her in the quest. Together they cross the river and find something so new that Thistle will lose herself temporarily in its shininess.

 

Keywords:

 Muds, Treasures, Kings, Journey, Magic, Fantasy, Gross, Breaking Orders, Independent, Friendship, Duty, Mascue, Femme, Different World

 

My Review:

There are a few themes touched upon in The Truth About Mud that are fascinating to read about in the context of a story about Trolls and Mud and a gross-out kind of environment that as humans we are entirely not used to. The world Rozelle builds is so unfamiliar to us that it is mesmerizing in its depth of uniqueness. The characters are Trolls and live a very different life than humans and Rozelle builds up their environment expertly to show how they live the way they do and what’s important to them in their world.

I found the ‘gender’ difference and the ‘species’ differences to be fascinating, especially as presented in a seemingly harmless fantasy world.

Mascues and Femmes I assume are similar to males and females as we would kind of know them in our human world. Mascues are masculine and tough, but also very gross and very troll-like. They train and are warriors. Femmes are feminine but also very gross and they have powers of enchantment. The author sticks with typical gender roles, but extends them beyond the norm for her world infested with boogers and mud and yucky things.

Treasures and Muds are two types of trolls that are separated by the Mangleblood river. The way Rozelle plays with stereotypes and prejudices of one species of troll with another almost mimics real world stereotyping.

This novel was published by CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform on January 19th, 2015 and is available on Amazon here.

 

TL;DR Star Rating: 4.00

 

Links for more information:

Christina L. Rozelle’s Website

Twitter

Goodreads

Book Review: The King of Average by Gary Schwartz

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The King of Average by  Gary Schwartz

A Middle Grade Adventure Novel published by Updrift  (10/07/15)

Summary:

“Here is your task: You must find our former king. Discover why he renounced the mediocracy. Return and swear you’ll never aspire to be any greater or less than expected and you shall be our new king.” (Kindle Locations 876-878).

James is average. After finding himself in another world where there are talking goats and little birds, he is invited to apply to be King of Average. James fancies himself the most average kid in the world and thinks this a mighty fine plan. To be the King, though, he must go on a quest to find out what happened to the previous King of Average (now missing and why they need a new king). Along the way James will discover that he is more than just average, that he can be loved and appreciated, and that he is capable of doing exceptional things.

Keywords:

Average, Word Puns, Sarcasm, Quest, King, Other World, Talking Goat, Spying Bird, Friends, Challenges, Believing in Yourself, Epiphany, Secrets, Doubts, Self-Worth, Life Lessons, Adventure, Hilarity

My Review:

Gary Schwartz has written a delightful middle grade novel that is funny and fun to read for all ages. I know that I would have loved this as much as a younger reader as I’m enjoying it as an adult. As an adult I’m enjoying it for the language and puns. As a young reader I would have enjoyed it for the story, fun situations, and fun characters.

I love the little images throughout the story.

After the initial premise and plot was explained, the book got a bit boring because the immediate tension let up and only James’s goal of being King of Average kept the story going as he was constantly interrupted in his mission by the whimsicality of the funky characters and the oddness of the interesting setting.

This novel was published by Updrift on October 7th, 2015 and is available on Amazon here.

TL;DR Star Rating: 4.25

Links for more information:

Gary Schwartz’s website

Goodreads

Book Review: Average Joe and the Extraordinaires by Belart Wright

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Average Joe and the Extraordinaires by  Belart Wright

A YA Adventure published by BWright Publishing (12/18/14)

Summary:

“Confusing the enemy greatly contributes to their defeat.” (Kindle Location 1375).

Joe is your average guy in everything but putting himself in harm’s way to save someone in need. When it comes to helping or saving others, Joe does not hesitate. When he sees ‘Beauty’ in trouble at the local Orangetown Pickers game, he jumps in to help. But Beauty is not your average damsel and she isn’t really in distress, but Joe came at the right time and she uses him to help her save a different damsel. In the days and weeks that follow Joe’s life will be anything but average because that one decision to jump in and be a hero puts him at the top of some not so nice lists, least of all with the local bullies at his school.

 

Keywords:

 Fairy Tale Adaptation, Contemporary Fairy Tale, Magic, Survival, Family, Love, Romance, True Love, Souls

 

My Review:

I loved Joe. He was weak. He was ignorant. He was clueless and hopeless and decidedly average but even average people can be heroes. Even average people can rise to a challenge and be extraordinary. Joe shows us that with determination and strong-mindedness, even in the face of cluelessness, one can do amazing things. And get caught. And get shot at. And stay calm. And be saved. Joe isn’t just one thing in this story but overall he doesn’t stop to think about helping another when the consequences for his own self could be severe.

The “Damsels” as they might be called were not your typical damsels in distress. Though Joe calls the first damsel Beauty and the name sticks, she is more than this nickname would lead you to believe. It is not her beauty that sticks out, it is her extraordinary abilities, her fighting spirit, and the way she is tough and kicks butt through it all. Dahlila was just as tough as Beauty though she did get herself more stuck in bad situations than Beauty.

The tech element in this book was fun and didn’t detract from the believability of the story. Why not have the good guy be extraordinary?

The humor in the writing style and dialogue and personalities of the characters made this book super fun to read. The scenes with the Bad Azz boys and Mod were particularly well done and funny as all get out. They were a cool spin to the typical high school bully in the cafeteria scene.

It’s fun to get the kick butt female’s story from the clueless male’s perspective.

This novel was published by BWright Publishing December 18th, 2014 and is available on Amazon here.

TL;DR Star Rating:4.75

Links for more information:

Goodreads

Belart Wright’s Website

Twitter

Book Review: Ride the Wind: A Flipped Fairy Tale (Flipped Fairy Tales Book 3) by Starla Huchton

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Ride the Wind: A Flipped Fairy Tale (Flipped Fairy Tales Book 3) by Starla Huchton

A Fantasy/Fairy Tale Adaptation published through CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform (11/02/15)

Summary:

“It’s not about pursuing adventure, so much as seeing the adventure life already is.” (Kindle Locations 892-893).

Lukas is raised to be compassionate and when his mother tells him he needs to care for a magical injured Elk, he only pauses briefly. He promises his future to saving the creature and his word is a bond. Given a second chance to love blindly, will Lukas be able to wait in the dark or will his curiosity and worry get the best of him?

 

Keywords:

Wind, Power, Fairy Tale, Princess, Evil, Confinement, Complicated, Trust, Dark, Care, Promises, Strangers, Romance, Love, Loyalty, Family, Second Chances

 

My Review:

This flipped fairy tale features the prince and his story as he meets the ‘princess.’ I always want the princess story, but I was pleasantly surprised by the boy’s perspective. This is probably because he isn’t the stereotypical loud mouthed, boisterous, save everything in sight overbearing prince. He is a real person who was raised to be compassionate and motivated. He is sheltered, which adds to his odd behavior at times or how willing he is to jump into a ‘forever’ scenario, but he is also grasping at his second chance.

Both the prince and princess have believable and full back stories that contribute heavily to their current situations. The princess Erata and the Elk come from somewhere, they aren’t simply a Rapunzel from the tower. They came from a life before the magical house. They made mistakes to get to where they are now. Even the Prince has made his own mistakes in the past.

I only thought it was mildly odd that the creature in the story was an elk. There are dragons and such and one of the main characters is an elk? It fits when you think about the setting, but is still odd to visualize.

The romance, like any fairy tale, was glossed over. The prince was immediately enamored by Erata, even without seeing her though her main personality trait was timidity (although she saves him from poison). He falls in love hard for her and she timidly for him. I didn’t get as much of an ‘aw’ from their romance but as it has its roots in a fairy tale, having a typical head over heels love at first -sight- romance didn’t seem that far from the norm.

This novel was published through CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform November 2nd, 2015 and is available on Amazon here.

TL;DR Star Rating:4.00

Links for more information:

Goodreads

Starla Huchton’s Website

Book Review: Siren by Jennifer Melzer

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Siren by Jennifer Melzer

A Romance/Fantasy/Paranormal Novel published by Dragon’s Gold (01/05/2015)

 

Summary:

Siren Talbot is in love with Carver and thinks he’s about to propose after more than two years of being in a relationship. When the night is over, she is left with a haphazard memory and a box that she thinks contains the ring, but no Carver. He disappeared. Siren falls apart at his abrupt absence and is only able to get through it when she meets Patrick. This new man charms his way into her life and lends her support when she needs it and they grow quite fond of each other. When he proposes, she accepts and they are married, but she can never quite let go of Carver… For three years she hasn’t opened the ring box, but when she’s finally ready to let the past go, the box has mysteriously vanished. There is only one culprit this time: Patrick.

 

Keywords:

 Relationships, bad boyfriends, secrets, magic, depression, moving on, romance, love, future, locked away, disappear, second chances, bad magic, evil

My Review:

I didn’t realize this was a romance story. Most of the story was taken up by the romance and Siren pining for Carver and loving Patrick etc. etc. This book was mostly romance with a bit of fantasy thrown in, so if that’s your thing, then go for it. I wasn’t as pleased with the mix. I thought there could have been a lot edited out as the story dragged in many places and the emotions Siren was feeling were repeated over and over again.

The story begins with a high tension scene that makes the slow pace afterward seem even slower. It takes about half the book for the second (and real) inciting action to take place. The opening scene was like a faux inciting incident and seemed unbalanced in the context of the story’s pacing and plot. Quite a bit of editing could have taken place after this first scene, as we are shown Siren pining and grieving and then recovering painfully slow. The author takes too much time with the aftermath of Carver’s disappearance. We get the point already, move on to the real meat of the story please.

I thought the story focused on Siren, but it seemed that she was just a vehicle through which Carver’s and Patrick’s stories could take place. I didn’t like Siren. She was whiny and easily manipulated. She was constantly doubting her own emotions and just going along with whatever was presented to her. She didn’t have much of her own personality until the middle of the book, where the real story begins. The fact that Siren wouldn’t open the ring box for so very, very long makes me dislike her even more. Siren and the other characters would have been more relatable had there been no magic involved, but because there is a paranormal side to the novel, nothing seemed remotely likely and you will have to suspend your belief if you want to really get into this story.

This novel was published by Dragon’s Gold 01/05/2015 and is available on Amazon here.

TL;DR Star Rating: 3.25

 

Links for more information:

Goodreads

Jennifer Melzer’s Website

Twitter

Book Review: INERTIA (The Threestone Trilogy Book 1) by A.R. Rivera

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INERTIA (The Threestone Trilogy Book 1) by A.R. Rivera

A Fiction/Science Fiction Novel published by Amazon Digital Services (06/17/2015)

Summary:

“…some of life’s most painful events are the ones that shape us— make us who we are destined to become— and that shaping makes those moments unavoidable. If we are ever to meet our destiny, they have to happen.” (Kindle Locations 265-266).

Gerry Springer is in his 30’s, about to get kicked out of his apartment, rides the bus every day because he can’t afford to fix his BMW, and works at a convenience store. His dreams of making music have been gathering dust for years and all he wants to do is get by, make sure his dad can comfortably live out his days at the retirement home, keep his girlfriend Abi happy and with him, pay his rent on time, work down his bills and debt, and fix his car that has been sitting in the garage for months.

Everything goes wrong for G, but then everything seems to be on an upswing, and then the bus he’s riding gets hit and there is no way he would have survived. Waking up in the hospital, G goes through a lengthy period of disorientation where everything from the date to the lack of GPS has him reeling. Is this a dream in a coma induced by the accident or has he been transported to 1996, the year his baby sister was killed in a car accident?

Keywords:

Car Accident, Relationships, Forward Motion, Father-Son, Time Travel, Can’t Get Ahead, Debt, Dead End Job, Money Troubles, Determination, Music

 

My Review:

A.R. Rivera has a knack for writing characters and stories about tragic and luckless individuals just struggling to get by day by day when something out of this world or unusual happens to them (makes for a good story). The level of detail of their day to day lives is amazing and really sets the reader into the story with the characters.

At first you think Gerry’s a jerk who can only make bad decisions, but when push comes to shove he thinks of -almost- nothing else than others and of saving his baby sister. Day to day he may be without motivation, but really that’s only because of his lack of opportunity and having to be responsible, or at least to try to be. Gerry shines when he has purpose in his life, but when he lacks direction his personality in the being a good person department is also lacking. He is a fascinating character to watch bomb personal relationships and to watch making hard decisions, like keep the car or the apartment and keep his girlfriend happy or follow his aging father’s final wishes?

Why does Abi, his girlfriend, love Gerry? What is her part in this relationship? It somewhat bothered me how G treats his girlfriend and how he’s always putting her last even in his thoughts unless she’s being abnormally loving and doing something huge for him. She gives and gives and he takes and takes and their relationship is grating, even bordering on abusive?

This novel was published by Amazon Digital Services 06/17/2015 and is available on Amazon here.

TL;DR Star Rating: 4.25

Links for more information:

Goodreads

A.R. River’s Website

Book Review: Sound & Fury: Shakespeare Goes Punk by by Jeffrey Cook, H. James Lopez, Warren C. Bennett, Katherine Perkins, Carol Gyzander, S.A. Cosby

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Sound & Fury: Shakespeare Goes Punk by by Jeffrey Cook, H. James Lopez, Warren C. Bennett, Katherine Perkins, Carol Gyzander, S.A. Cosby

An Anthology of Shakespeare Inspired Punk Stories published by  Writerpunk Press (03/09/15)

Though there is quite a bit of front matter, it is short and concise and good to read to gear up for the rest of the stories. At times the language gets oddly Shakespearian and at times the action takes turns that may be confusing. Some of the characters are somewhat stilted and lacking in description but overall this is an enjoyable and worthy read!

 

Mac by Carol Gyzander

“Different was dangerous.” (Page. 44).
“We’ve gained nothing, to still not have happiness. It would be safer to be that which we destroy, than to have destroyed it and still live in doubtful joy.” (p. 82).

In the strict society governed by ‘moddy’ chips that regulate emotions, hormones and even obedience, Mac is not happy with his lot in life, but he should be. Moddy dictates he should be content at his factory job doing the same as everyone else. Then his friend Banks opens his eyes to a whole new world, an underworld of the Moddy’s rejects… Written as somewhat dystopian, Mac tells the story of a man who learns the truth about how his world really operates and chooses to reject the moddy’s chips control over his life.

 

The Green Eyed Monster by S.A. Cosby

“Everyone lies, young buck.” (Page 172).
“Love was just a synonym for fool. Love made you blind to treachery, deaf to the truth and dumb in the face of facts.” (Page 178).

This is a story of manipulation for revenge. Iggy is a crazed man who can only see the end goal of revenge and doesn’t care how he gets there. He wants to ruin everyone he can along the way. There is lots of action and revenge. Iggy plays the manipulative and vindictive typically female-stereotyped role. Will Iggy go all the way or will he be found out by one of his mates before he can stick them with their own ruination?

 

Prospero’s Island by H. James Lopez

This is a story full of half nymph-half enhanced machined parts characters and the few humans who rule these creatures. Prospero and Caliban butt heads, but Prospero is too kind to end the creature. They are all stuck on this island and trying to get off and when Prospero is given the chance to run two ships afoul near the island, he jumps to do it. Later, he decides to help the shipwrecked humans, but the Sycori, the feral nymph originators, run chaos of these plans and Prospero must make difficult choices and decide whom to save and whom to let fend for themselves.

 

A Town Called Hero by Warren C. Bennett

Hero is a small town and air base that was seemingly unaffected by the war with the Fatherland, but when twenty some odd pilots land rag-tag on the island amidst the defeat and end of the war, the island will offer up one of its most deep mysteries. Where does the advanced technology come from and will all the pilots be able to settle into this peaceful community?

 

Winter’s Tale by Jeffrey Cook and Katherine Perkins

“Who says prophecy isn’t truth?” (Page 288).

‘“Just because there’s nothing sane he can do doesn’t mean there’s nothing he can do,” Dita responded. “Never discount the risk of nobility doing something insane. Sometimes it even works.” Treveur grinned, “In truth, I’m counting on it,” he replied.’ (Page 311).

A tale of a man in power gone mad, Winter’s Tale drops off the story of Leonard and his sudden crazy notion that his wife cheated on him with his best friend and picks up sixteen years later with the story of the mad man’s daughter. She was smuggled out of Leonard’s grasp to grow up as a commoner and falls for a man who happens to be Leonard’s ex best friend’s son. Can a union between the two young ones bring about peace between the old men as well? The fight scene in this short story was truly magnificent and the banter between dueling enemies was quite entertaining.

This anthology was published by  Writerpunk Press on March 9th, 2015 and is available on Amazon here.   TL;DR Star Rating: 4.00

Links for more information:

Goodreads