Book Review: Soul of Power (Jaben's Rift - Book 3)

Soul of Power

by G. David Walker
My rating: 5 of 5 hearts

Synopsis:

The Altered have withdrawn. With Nyala’s and Nivek’s support, Jason and the Circle appear to have the upper hand, at least for the moment. They know, however, that this is just the calm before the final storm... 

In spite of the Circle and their Altered allies, the future of Teleria still lies squarely upon Jason Bennett’s shoulders. It’s time for Taleth’s prophecy to be fulfilled, once and for all. Dark clouds are gathering, and the final confrontation looms on the horizon. The end game is about to begin, with the world of Teleria as the ultimate prize. 

Only one thing is certain: Teleria will never be the same again.

Review:

I received a copy of this book as a gift from the author. Upon seeing the note from Mr. Walker, I could hardly contain myself. I'd been waiting for what felt like decades for the final book in this trilogy to drop.

All I can say is that it was worth the wait. As in the previous installations, this book spoke true to the mage in my heart. I held on to my copy for a week while I wrestled with the decision on whether or not it would be necessary to re-read the first two books. Then last week I jumped in and just started reading. I was immediately drawn in by the cover art. Until very recently, I didn't realize that there was even a difference in cover art on the edition. My version came with a great Manarach depiction on the cover, and I'm very happy that it did.

Book Review: Pines

Pines

by Blake Crouch
My rating: 5 of 5 hearts

Synopsis:

Secret service agent Ethan Burke arrives in Wayward Pines, Idaho, with a clear mission: locate and recover two federal agents who went missing in the bucolic town one month earlier. But within minutes of his arrival, Ethan is involved in a violent accident. He comes to in a hospital, with no ID, no cell phone, and no briefcase. The medical staff seems friendly enough, but something feels…off.

Review:

I received this book through the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This fell into the category of books I couldn’t put down. I gobbled it up in one day; and it was worth every minute. I never stopped to think how eerie it would be to exist in a Norman Rockwell painting. In the opening chapter of the book we meet our main character as he struggles to make sense of the seemly idyllic town, Wayward Pines, which he has been thrust into. As an added twist, he also seems to be suffering from a serious bout of amnesia. Through various interactions with the citizens, he realizes that something strange is going on. From that point on, the entire ride is surreal

Book Review: 2020 Season 1 The Thrilling Post-Apocalyptic Series

2020 Season 1 (Episodes 1-6)

by Paul Moxham
My rating: 3 of 5 hearts

Synopsis:

Who thought that January 1, 2020 would be the start of the end?

Not Logan Pollock. He only had one thought on his mind on that fateful morning, and that involved his bride to be, but in one instant, in one second, all that changed as he, along with everyone else, witnessed something so horrific and terrifying that life would never be the same ever again.....

Review:

I originally gave this book a 4 heart rating. However, I had a horrible time writing a review for it. I've finally figured out why. I don’t think I liked the story as much as I thought I did. Yeah, I know that sounds weird, but there’s no other way to say it. I found that I was unable to really get “into” the story until about 50% of the way through. Once I did get into it, I was absolutely hooked. I couldn't put down the book.

Episode 1 starts off with a bang (literally) and the action doesn’t stop from there. The plot had some predictable moments but was, for the most part, engaging. My biggest issue is that the likelihood of any of the presented situations actually occurring was zero; the outcomes were even less credible. The book is separated into 2 arcs which follow the paths of brothers, Logan and Kenneth, 3 weeks after an alien invasion. One is a love/rescue story and the other a Nike/race to the bittersweet victory story. Both arcs were full of gaps that never get filled. I feel like there is a great story at the core of this book that’s begging to be told; I don’t think that the desire was truly fulfilled in this work. Aside from my various plot issues, the writing style wasn’t bad. There were quite a few grammatical errors, but not enough to detract from the core story… well, once I got into it.

I saw many reviews where character development in this book was deemed shallow. I disagree with that. I thought the characters were well developed, they were just shallow (and some, not likable) people. It sort of mirrors life, not everyone is a complex human being. I did, however, find fault with the development of the aliens. There’s a huge (picture Grand Canyon) plot twist around the aliens that’s thrown at us and never fully explained. Once that was uncovered, I felt that the aliens were just way too weak. The chase scenes and gun fights between the aliens and the humans felt like comic relief as in Mars Attacks. Even their weakness (considering the planet they decided to attack) was comical.

I think I’ve settled into a 3 heart rating for this book. I will definitely have to be picky when recommending this book. If you’re new to this genre, then this may be the book for you. For hard-core fans of post-apocalyptic/dystopian fiction, this is not the book for you.

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Book Review: Altered Intentions (Jaben's Rift - Book 2)

Altered Intentions

by G.David Walker
My rating: 5 of 5 hearts

Synopsis:

The battle at the Scorched Plains is over and the people of Teleria can finally begin the long process of healing. Life at Lore's Haven is slowly beginning to return to normal. Jason Bennett is just glad that his part in Taleth's prophecy is finally over... or so he thinks.

Once again, Jason finds his life at risk as he and the Loremasters try to figure out how to defeat the most powerful beings on the planet. But as he tries to avoid being found by Regor, Jason will learn things that will have him questioning the actions of the Circle, Nyala, and even Lenai. He is determined to find the answers...if he can just live long enough.

Review:

That's 2/2.. awesome! I think this one was even better than the first. Cheers to David Walker for creating such an enjoyabe series. That being said; Boooooo! for having us wait until 2014 to see what happens next!

Update: December 10, 2014
I've been awaiting the next book in this series and it's still not out. Hopefully it will come out at the beginning for 2015.

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Book Review: From A Far Land (Jaben's Rift - Book 1)

From A Far Land

by G.David Walker
My rating: 5 of 5 hearts

Synopsis:

Jason Bennett never intended to change the world, his own or anyone else's. But when an ordinary family vacation sends the teenager to Teleria, an extraordinary world of might and magic, his arrival sets the wheels in motion on events that will change that world forever...

Not quite the summer vacation he had in mind.

Review:

I've had this gem sitting on my kindle for quite a few months now. I downloaded it as a freebie from amazon and always figured that when I got bored it would be "something to browse through." Oh man! I'm so sorry that I didn't read this sooner.

This was easily one of the best fantasy novels that I've read this year. I absolutely loved it and devoured it in record speed. The story line and character development were superb. David Walker's powers of imagery make you feel like you're right there in Teleria. The battle scenes were among the best depicted. I would definitely recommend this book to all who have an affinity towards mages.... and even those that don't. I can't wait to read the sequel.

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