Book Reviews by Ehlen Administration

Wracked by Louis Puster III My rating: 4 of 5 stars It’s hard to sort things out when you wake up with a mouth full of dirt, and quickly ascertain it’s from your own grave. Fortunately someone fills him in on his name, but why is Wrack here, exactly, and more importantly, who is he? How did he come by the strange powers he has, and will he ever be sure if he is a good guy or a bad guy? Wracked is the first in the Saga of Ukumog and leaves you with far more questions than answers - which is excellent for setting up a sequel, obviously. It is a dark fantasy with characters who both are on a quest and finding their own talents, set in a somewhat ambiguous political climate where dark lords are constantly fighting each other. I really appreciated that the main character is not your typical “knight in shining armor” hero type, but clearly has his own history and back issues that point to some pretty dark deeds he seems to be escaping. While I found the beginning writing to be a bit c...

Grump & Rose by Aaron Burdett My rating: 4 of 5 stars Grump is a secondborn troll. He’s large, ugly and violent. But he’s not nearly violent enough for his clan, and when he starts keeping a pet, he stepped over the troll line. Rather than let them know he’s still alive after their latest attempt to beat the troll into him, he stays where he lands and learns how to garden from a strange old lady. That strange old lady tells him where his life is going, but he still didn’t expect to meet Rose. Can he care for her while still protecting her from that prophecy? Or is he doomed to always screw things up as a troll? Grump and Rose is a fantasy tale that strangely mixes Tolkein with Shrek as the determined antihero reluctantly faces off against powers beyond his reach. I really enjoyed the obvious stereotype busting and bromance between Grump and Boil, and am interested to see how the two wizard camps decide to duel. I was a little put off by the inconsistent language, as it begin...