Book Reviews by Ehlen Administration

The Dragon's Breath by Jamie Sedgwick My rating: 4 of 5 stars The Iron Horse is chugging along but are beginning to have a fuel problem. If they don’t find Starfall in the next town they may be stranded. There may be starfall in that town, but there is something else no one expected to find, a mysterious fog that causes terrible hallucinations that the residents deem “Dragon’s Breath.”. All the Iron Horse crew members experience the effect, save Socrates. Can they figure out where it comes from to prevent it among their crew? And what about the residents of Stormwall, how do they combat it? Most importantly, will they find fuel to continue on their quest or be stranded in a strange kingdom? Book three in the Aboard the Great Iron Horse series is jam packed with sword fights, relationship drama, dragon fighting, and intrigue, all in a post-apocalyptic setting with a steam punk twist. While it is book three of a series, I felt that the story stood well on its own, even if you ...

Cloud Red by Daisy White My rating: 4 of 5 stars Red was born after the floods, but can’t shake the feeling that her father was recently murdered because he knew something about them. She won’t rest until she finds out who killed her father and why, but she might uncover some rather damaging, even deadly, political information the process. Can she find out what she needs to know without risking her life or her friends? And why does the sky have those pink streaks running through it? Cloud Red is an engaging young adult novel about a rebellious teenager who is determined to track down her father’s killer. It is set in a post-apocalyptic portion of England, where there has been a Noahesque flood, and only a small portion of Great Britain had water that receded enough for survival, although now that too is threatened. The brave new world has to survive in not so pleasant conditions, but teenagers are still teenagers. The setting is interesting and the characters are written honestl...

The Sensitives by D.O. Thomson My rating: 3 of 5 stars The power is out all over the world, and no one knows why. People are dying by the thousands, and only a few select people are figuring out that the origins might be not human. Race is charged with protecting his little crew of Sensitives, but together they might just have evolved enough to take on the Zul, but only if the Zul don’t find them first. The story is interesting - evolved humans taking out the alien equivalent of a drug cartel. Unfortunately, the writing depth does not do the story justice. The characters are shallow and stereotypical, such as the Canadian “Eh.” after every phrase, and the writing is curt to the point of staccato. The story jumps around in time, refusing to follow a linear progression, and goes into excruciating detail about several back stories. I really wanted to like this book because the plot intrigued me; unfortunately the juvenile writing prevented me from ever really engaging. Contest! ...

Veil of Darkness by T.C. Metivier My rating: 5 of 5 stars There has been peace for 800 years, but the growing Coalition threatens the Federation’s tenuous peace. There are whispered rumors, and those paying attention to other dimensions are feeling the growing evil creep nearer. Admiral Ortega knows that he must stop it at all cost, because he knows the man behind it. Roger knows it’s coming, but is too busy on his own quest to recognize his role. Justin and Austin are only just recognizing that their role is not just those of diplomats, but of key players in the unfolding drama. Will they be able to defeat the encroaching evil or will the prophecies be misread? Author Metiver has introduced a new universe full of species, politics, and space travel. While there are obvious elements common to sci-fi series (it’s hard to get away from a federation of planets and some sort of rebel coalition), he does a great job spinning a new tale in a new world with characters that are well plo...

The Devil in Modern Eden by Tom Graneau My rating: 4 of 5 stars Is the Devil real? Does he really manipulate his minions to interfere in the lives of your average citizen? Would a good God really send people to hell? Yup. The Devil in Modern Eden explores many of the common questions about hell and evil, and what Christians can do to rebuff it. It should be noted that this comes from a blatantly Christian perspective, and focuses on the Christians interaction and reliance on God to combat the wiles of the devil. Knowing that, it is an interesting history lesson and really a very thorough explanation of salvation and how to act out your Christianity in modern life. Aside from the acknowledgement that there is a real devil, and that he influences you through evil thoughts and uses modern versions of old institutions (media, drugs, sex, etc.) I was actually surprised about how light the information on Satan was. I expected more than a very basic intro, and yet this is what I foun...

The Tears of Olive Trees by AbdulKarim Al Makadma My rating: 4 of 5 stars Karim has made up his mind, he’s volunteering his skill as a physician in Somalia. His wife, Sara, isn’t super happy about it, but she understands his need to go. For the average person, particularly the average Western person, to understand you have to go back to his homeland, and his father being forced out of it. Karim grew up in the refugee camps of Palestine, and feels a sad kinship with the children in Mogadishu. Karim tells us of his family’s life in Palestine, and how they were forcibly evicted and how his father helped him to rise above circumstance to be a success. The Israeli/Palestinian conflict started long ago, and this book does not resolve the conflict. Karim himself acknowledges the history and depth of the conflict, and details his personal resolve to rise above it. That being said, if you have never read a first hand account of a Palestinian refugee this is a fabulous insight into the mo...

Stop Talking & Start Selling Your Book by Terrance Zepke My rating: 4 of 5 stars I will fully admit to being terrible at marketing myself. I’m a good advocate for other people, but it feels weird to ask people to buy something I created. That being said, I did write an ebook in a niche market (adoption) and I have done a few things to sell it. Like I posted on Facebook once or twice. I know that’s probably not enough, but wasn’t exactly sure what the right amount of self promotion is. This book really gives you lots of ideas and kicks you into gear about selling your own product, and I appreciate that. Zepke points out that you can’t rely on traditional publishers and there are thousands of books published annually, so you have to stand out. Everyone has to be their own marketer, whether you are represented or totally self publish. I had read a few of the suggestions he makes, but not all by any means. If you are looking for some good resources and honest opinions of what work...