Book Reviews by Ehlen Administration

Shadows of Time: The Amulet of Alamin by Felix Alexander My rating: 2 of 5 stars Inanna has always protected her son, that’s why she made sure he always wore the amulet. But with her kingdom on the brink of war with another, he disappears, apparently because the amulet is protecting him - even from her. Can she find her way through a war torn Mesopotamian landscape, fighting both mortal and immortal to save her son? This is a long book. A looooonnnnng book. It has a lot of exposition and backstory, but really my formatting made it way longer than it needed to be - the font was huge to the point that there were only a few sentences per page, which made it really choppy. (I did get a review copy - maybe this is fixed?) I really enjoyed the plot; there was a lot of action and interaction between mortal and supernatural worlds, and honestly some interesting Creation myths that intertwined several cultures beliefs in a way that was actually somewhat believable. Unfortunately the a...

Van Laven Chronicles: Throne of Novoxos by Tyler Chase My rating: 4 of 5 stars Vaush and Comron are supposed to hate each other, with each world blaming the other for their surrender to the current imperial dynasty centuries ago. But when circumstances force them to rely on each other to survive a crash landing, how is it possible for them to get along and get out to the shore for rescue? And how is it that they seem to be falling for each other along the way? They will have a lot more to deal with at home if they actually make it out alive, not to mention explaining their relationship to their respective worlds. Who would have thought this might turn out to be the least of their concerns. The Throne of Novoxos, book 1 in the Van Laven chronicles, sets up the unlikely but fiery romance between Vaush and Comron. The writing is fast paced and mixes adventure and romance as the couple try to outrun the rest of the empire once Vaushes true origin is revealed. There are pretty ...

The New Lease: a conspiracy thriller by John Stryder My rating: 3 of 5 stars Fae thinks she is flexing her journalism muscles as she takes a class assignment very seriously by traveling to meet a man who seems to be the key to all the recent fortunate world policy decisions. Little does she know that she will learn more about herself and an insidious old idea that one man is trying to make new again, and possibly alter the future as we know it. The New Lease is a thought provoking thriller that incorporates psychological concepts from tantric philosophies as well as some new ways to make old concepts savory to a modern crowd. Of course I had my concerns while reading it as to whether or not it was someone really trying to promote the idea of eugenics and population control as a good idea, but chose to see it as a lesson on how people can talk themselves into just about anything. It’s a really well written story, and my only complaint about the writing was the switching to first...

Inception: A Search for Redemption in the Ruins of the Lies by Tolman Farrah Geffs My rating: 3 of 5 stars Cynthia and her daughter, Alexia, have been summoned to a mysterious meeting in a wealthy New York club. Also attending was Dolph, a wealthy real estate developer and Alex, a poor college student from California. The discoveries of the ties that bound them were immense, and the reality of how to now navigate their future together is daunting. Inception is a complicated story about family history that intersects with current events surrounding larger issues, such as child pornography. Parts of it are hard to read, but probably quite accurate - if not mild. The plot was well developed, if complicated. My main issue was with the dialogue, it all sounded a little hollow to me, and the characters reconciled major life revelations and changes far too quickly. The research and the plot development were on point, but the dialogue and emotion needed a lot of work for me, particular...

Diabolical Conspiracy by Dr Gary a Fuller My rating: 4 of 5 stars Stephen and Samantha are finally taking some time off to get married and travel for their honeymoon, but find themselves wrapped up in a terrorist plot on the small,Grecian island they planned to be only for their destination wedding. Sam is furious, but duty calls and it is up to them to help foil a plot that could bring on World War 3. Can they do it or will their honeymoon end up being the end of the world? Diabolical Conspiracy is a fast paced story that follows the lucky in love but unlucky in honeymooning couple Stephen and Sam as they disrupt their nuptials just long enough to foil the biggest terrorist plot against Israel that has been planned in a long time. While I enjoyed the story line I found Sam’s character to be unbearably whiny. I know that no woman wants her husband’s job to get in the way of something as important as a wedding, but if you’re marrying a guy who works for the UN you have to know w...

2062: The Year of Transition by Greg Vitrano My rating: 4 of 5 stars Axel knows he is smart - he was genetically engineered to be. But can he get into the school of his dreams, the elite Illinois? Or will he be his parents’ greatest disappointment by failing the entrance exam? And if he does get in, will he work on some of the top level stuff, and if he does will he be part of the inevitable transition away from humanity? 2062 is an interesting sci fi novel that looks beyond the singularity, which is often the goal in other novels. Instead of the singularity this explores a post-human existence, and whether humanity can stand in the way of artificial intelligence or is doomed to be assimilated. It explores some of the philosophical questions from the mind of a character who knows himself to be genetically engineered, yet questions the progress of others in that field. This novel felt like some of the old fatalistic 70s sci fi movies, like Logan’s Run, Planet of the Apes, or Omeg...

End of Eternity by Loretta Lost My rating: 3 of 5 stars Walking in on your husband’s lifeless, post suicide body swaying in the breeze of the open door is bad enough, but pregnant Carmen now has to deal with both the funeral and her sister’s car accident on the same day - as well as take care of her father while he deals with her sister’s crash as well. Can she navigate the stress as well as the obvious attempts of the men in her life to soothe a grieving widow? I was intrigued by the idea of an inner monologue for someone experiencing life that included suicide, pregnancy and potential fatal car crash of someone she loved, but quickly found myself disenchanted with Carmen’s character. I honestly thought she was well written and well developed, just not someone I could relate to, personally. While I could not predict how I would react in the same circumstance, I just had a hard time processing the obvious lust and inappropriate relations with what seemed like any man who wasn’t ...