Book Review: Wayne Elsner's 'Tannion'

The Mindful Vigilante, A Suspense Drama (5 stars)

In 'Tannion' (Book 1 in the Tannion Series)  the protagonist starts out on a mission to improve his community, in quite an unusual way. Given his unique ability he soon realizes his approach might achieve much more if he follows a divergent course, as a vigilante.

The story ramps up after that, with Tannion turning into a fascinating figure dispensing justice to those whose actions demand a response. The ‘why’ is addressed in the story’s subtext. The ‘how’ is shown in great detail as Tannion’s mission evolves.

The actions of secondary characters are narrated, described, which keeps those elements of the story at some distance. However, the story focuses on the hero, as it should, and his decisions and actions are fully shown. We come to know and understand Tannion, whether we agree or disagree with his choices. 

This novel made for an enjoyable action drama.

From the Book Description

Lightning is always powerful and occasionally deadly. The bolt that hit Jim Tannion however was different. It gave him skills and abilities that made him think he could be the closest thing to a superhero the world had ever seen. Skills he could use to heal any injury, enhance his body, and control the bodies of others with only a touch. Then he found he could kill.

Tannion knew he had to keep his new found skills a secret. No one could know about him or what he could do. Being found out would put him on a doctor’s table as they took him apart to find out how he could do what he did. 

He wanted to use his skills to help people who needed it and to hurt those who would hurt others. From Kansas, to New York, and then to Los Angeles he searched for the people he wanted to stop. The bad guys who needed to be put away or maybe put down. But things and times change and sometimes one finds a line that is easier to cross than to stand behind. When do the good guys become the bad guys and do they always know the difference? What is important and what becomes important to each of us?

Tannion isn't always sure.

Book Review: Robert Sparkman's 'Prisoner Prodigal Pawn'

A Realistic and Redeeming Mystery (4 stars)

'Prisoner Prodigal Pawn' is the story of a father and his two sons, all of whom are pawns in a game of greed and deception. This mystery story is satisfying as the prodigal son, Elton Mozingo, sets about solving the tangled web of their manipulation. 

The characters and dialogue are well-drawn. The American mystery genre usually has a wise-cracking detective morbidly observing the world around him. This is a sober outing in the genre, focused on the injustice one family endures. Mystery novels also often romanticize violence. This story is refreshing for showing the greed and violence with economy and a stark realism, and the very real effects this has on innocents. 

In the absence of humor in a mystery we enjoy seeing the protagonist come to know his own mind. It's as though solving the crime leads the hero to self-knowledge. This does occur for Mozingo. 

Overall, this is a rewarding story that challenges the boundaries of its genre, and should hold your interest throughout.

From the Book Description:

A young attorney digging in his law firm's past in order to free his father from prison, is warned to be careful, "some things are like sacred burial grounds, and are better left alone... out of respect." He charges ahead nevertheless, and confronts those he believes are responsible, but when a close colleague is found dead and the evidence points to him as the murderer, Elton Mozingo is faced with his greatest fear; ending up just like his father, an innocent man in jail for a crime he didn't commit. 

Prisoner Prodigal Pawn, follows the adventures of the Mozingo family as they try to unravel a conspiracy that has led to one of their own, Elton Mozingo, to be set up for murder. The story is an insider’s tale, set in the city of Albuquerque, New Mexico and revolves around a law firm, an Indian casino, tribal politics, and delves into questions of race and identity throughout. The Mozingo brothers, Elton and Charles, as well as their convicted-felon father, BP, are the eponymous prisoner, prodigal son, and pawn caught up in an elaborate embezzlement scheme that its perpetrators would kill to keep hidden.

As a fugitive from justice, Elton soon realizes that the death of his colleague and the pursuit of his father’s innocence are connected. Bill Baxter, of the Baxter and Baxter law firm wants Elton captured before he uncovers much more of the past that will destroy him and his firm. Rather than seek help from his estranged brother, a tribal police officer, Elton turns to the aid of a childhood friend, Oda Raines who uses him to pursue an agenda of her own. She has been an outspoken critic of the tribal leaders for the corruption associated with the casino. The firm’s largest client is the local Native American tribe, and it is the wealth from its gaming operations that is at the heart of Elton’s troubles. Oda is ultimately faced with the choice of either saving herself or turning on an old friend. 

The chase for freedom propels Elton on a suspense filled journey where the forces at play eventually push him and his brother together on a quest for vengeance against those that created the wedge between them.

Prisoner Prodigal Pawn, with its diverse characters, will appeal to readers who enjoy thrillers, but also to readers of varied cultural backgrounds looking for a new kind of protagonist to root for. In addition, the subplot takes a look at a phenomenon quietly sweeping across the Native - American landscape, that of tribal members who are being disenrolled due to – some would say— the greed associated with the success casino gambling on Native – American soil.

Book Review: Ryan J Doughan's 'Mist Falcon'

An Action-Filled, Thoughtful Fantasy Series (5 stars)

I can still hear Tanbuary’s “step, clank, step, clank” as he moved down the dungeon corridor in this novel. The atmospherics in 'Mist Falcon' work very well, which is good news for a fantasy story. I can’t recall a novel of this genre that invests the magical elements with such believable and diverse detail. 

I also liked how well-developed the antagonist’s camp is (i.e. Dal Tek, Ren Tako, and the Swaar) while not allowing them to overwhelm the story. The story’s multiple plot-lines in Acts 1 and 2 are intricately interwoven, and unfold the story’s narrative arc with a richness and contrast that never loses momentum. It deftly balances action with atmosphere, and character intensity with an always-moving plot. 

Early on in the story the gladiatorial section ends with a regrettable 'deus ex machina', a scene that also introduces Thun, Jumper, and the Elementals. If that one scene were modified so their escape from the combat occurs differently, before the power of the Elementals is revealed, the novel’s one weakness would be corrected. 

That aside, 'Mist Falcon'  is an excellent addition to the growing canon of fantasy fiction, and I look forward the next book in this series, ‘The Warrior Poet Archives’. I especially enjoyed the action-packed 3rd Act, the action never lets up. Last note, the book’s cover is quite good, depicting a swirling Elemental with a Mist Falcon standing in the foreground.

From the Book Description:

“I write this now, chiseled in stone and wrapped in wind with the hope that you may yet be saved from my folly. Avoid my errors and do not follow in my footsteps, save in greater preparation and wisdom than I have shown. Do not be fooled by the appearance of things. They are so rarely as they seem in this.” 

In a kingdom shattered by war and never properly healed, Aiden is whirled out of his ordinary life scraping-by, scavenging the outskirts of Oustenbasch, one of the Nine Cities. Through total loss and driven by revenge, Aiden finds himself fretfully navigating a world of political mayhem while floundering through power in a magic he never dreamed to control. 

Willem is a traveling musical prodigy, his voice and talent drawing crowds and filling taverns along with his troupe’s coffers. All the golden eagles in the realm can’t protect him, though, when the Swaar raiders attack the town of Bellcross, sending him scurrying into a life he would never have chosen, questioning the meaning of his existence while wrestling with a music that may be more powerful than he had ever imagined. 

Known amongst all the Swaar as “Wolf Rider”, Ren Tako lives and dies by his axe and the strength of his arm. Tako finds himself blown into a situation where he must choose between loyalty to his Dal, the famed Rock Giant, and following a new destiny that could cost him everything he has ever believed or gain him everything he has ever dreamed. 

Welcome to the Nine Cities and the Waste beyond to the East. Come ride with me. Soar above a broken land in search of a glimmer of hope, an uncut gem hidden to all but the most perceiving eyes. Come fly with me to the towers of Holmsguard and beyond, and see what it is to be MIST FALCON. 

Book Review: Pleasant Valley Lost

A Real Life Lost Horizon (5 stars)

I enjoyed reading Joseph J. Swope's poignant and bittersweet 'Pleasant Valley Lost'. The small daily triumphs and the relentless eventual tragedy that overcomes the extended Swope family (and all of Pleasant Valley) is richly portrayed here. They became like a second family as I read this – parents, uncles, aunts, cousins, friends, and shopkeepers take their place around the reader as they swirl around the story’s narrator, young Eddy Swope. This first person voice works very well. By seeing this family farm and community through the eyes of an adolescent we experience its innocence, and the loss becomes more poignant. As the narrator becomes a young adult the language shifts a bit, and we then see the tragedy through Eddy's eyes as an adult. 

This story summoned memories of my own early years, suggesting by gentle example how to live with loss. It becomes much more than a story about the coming of a dam and its effect on a community.

Many of the characters have only a single characterizing trait, thus bordering at times on caricature, perhaps of necessity due to the vast number of characters. One solution is to foreground fewer characters, and invest each with several key traits. 

That said, the writer succeeds in bringing virtually everyone into the foreground of this portrait. Perhaps that's why it feels like a saga covering decades when in fact the key action covers about five years. The story leaps ahead to show what happens in the lives of all the characters. It’s harrowing, poignant, and life-affirming. It’s been years since I read such a wonderful family saga.

From the Book Description:

Set amid the turbulent times of the late 1960s, Pleasant Valley Lost chronicles the last days of a family dairy farm condemned to destruction by a federal dam project. As the family struggles to find a new home and build their future, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers moves into Pleasant Valley, ruthlessly destroying a community and its history.

'Pleasant Valley Lost' is based on the true story surrounding the author's childhood farm. Originally part of the estate of Pennsylvania's fifth governor, the farm had been in the Swope family since 1939 and was located in one of the most fertile areas of the region.

Pleasant Valley Lost also recounts the family's long-suffering devotion to baseball and the Philadelphia Phillies. Following many years of losing seasons, the Phillies finally provided cause for celebration when they claimed their first World Series title in 1980.

Today, Pleasant Valley and the Swope farm are submerged under the Blue Marsh Dam.

Book Review: 'Dusgadh Essence of Life'

A Chilling Supernatural Horror (4 stars)

In this first book in Margaret A. Daly's 'Awakening' series not only does the story’s hero, Ember, face a horrific series of attacks, she faces a worse series of revelations about her real identity. As the story is told in the first person, we learn each emerging truth as Ember does. For her and us nothing is what it seemed. This layering of violence, emotion, and a deeply compromised reality makes this a compelling dive into the supernatural. 

Our engagement with Ember would have been stronger if Act 1 had been given over to her earlier normal life. We’re thrown immediately into her struggle against occult surprises at every turn. By seeing and sympathizing with her as a normal young woman we’d have felt even deeper the onslaught of occult forces. 

That aside, the portrait of ruthless evil in the book is very powerful. It overwhelms, exploits, and physically and emotionally ransacks its victims. This is very convincingly and chillingly portrayed. I was very drawn into seeing how Ember would fare against such horrific treatment. 

From the Book Description:

Ember Malloch has no idea her life is about to get turned upside down. Besides the fact that she sees the dead on occasion, she lives an ordinary mundane life. 

Her sister warned her not to provoke the spirits, but Ember has a mind of her own and she defies Becky at every turn. Now, her life as she knows it will be changed forever, as an unbridled strength is unleashed upon her. She will have an awakening like no other as she learns her past, and discovers who she is.

Book Review: Silvia Villalobos' 'Stranger or Friend'

A Compelling Mystery Thriller (5 stars)

Part murder mystery, part psychological suspense, ‘Stranger or Friend’ is a well-told story of one woman’s struggle to make sense of the forces arrayed against her. The mystery begins when her best friend is murdered not long before Zoe’s return to her Wyoming hometown. 

The psychological element is Zoe’s journey back to the place and forces that molded her into the woman she’s become. The stranger or friend of the title refers in part to the identity of Lori’s murderer, but also to how she came to be a stranger to herself, and to those around her.

The only caveat in the novel is that in her search for answers Zoe follows up on a few too many leads, and some in too much detail. The Act 3 climax brings the mystery to a satisfying resolution, but it too would be stronger if events were accelerated.

That aside, the writing effectively evokes a dark, slightly off-balance tone of menace, confusion, and distrust. This tone is present in her discomfort in the too-open Wyoming landscape, in the friends and strangers living there, and especially in the crime that turns her life upside-down. The many varied characters are all clearly drawn; they speak and act differently, revealing something of their personality. 

‘Stranger or Friend’ makes for an exceptional and entertaining read. It brings you a hero you’ll care about, and tells a story that will keep you guessing until the end.

From the Book Description:

L.A. lawyer Zoe Sinclair finds her Wyoming hometown reeling from the murder of its most popular resident: her best friend, Lori. Not less unnerving are the strange cries coming from the woods. The lawyer inside the woman is prompted into action, but she meets resistance from a town wary of outsiders. 

When a second body is found and Zoe is threatened, the case turns personal. Under pressure from the sheriff to leave the probing to the police, and taunted by the killer’s subtle messages, Zoe finds herself trapped in a game of hunter and prey.

Book Review: Sidney Williams' 'Night Brothers'

Exemplary Horror Thriller (5 stars)

Night Brothers - A Vampire Novel is a chilling blend of straight-up occult horror with the pacing and excitement of an action thriller. The pace accelerates smoothly and in the story’s latter stages moves to its climax at breakneck speed. Alison and Travis have settled down to manage a small-town newspaper when mysterious and lethal animal attacks start occurring. Parallel with that we are shown Navarra’s occult practice, controlling animals to attack residents as cover for her taking their blood to continue her life-in-death. In the story’s middle she takes an interest in Alison, and this unfolds in a superbly controlled manner redolent of such spiritual horror as Henry James' Turn of the Screw. 

Most impressive was the detail and backstory given for all the characters, even relatively minor ones. It’s done with deft and swift economy, never impeding story flow. I realized as I read this how much more powerful mystery and action in any genre become when the reader is given a fuller picture of each character. Thus do character motivation, desire, regrets, preferences, fears, and all the panoply of human emotions percolate in the background as the action unfolds. That said, the story has a multiple protagonist, an ensemble of characters who work together opposing the antagonist, Navarra, and those retainers she gathers about her. Usually I prefer a single heroic protagonist, but this approach works well here.

The story exhibits a rare blend of physical horror, the psychological horror of Navarra’s selective control of minds, and the spiritual horror of her origins, especially in the lengths she’s gone to over the centuries to maintain her line.