Reviews for MSF&F

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Reviews for Millenium Science Fiction and Fantasy

In the Windkeeper by Charlotte Boyett-Compo we are presented with a romance. Boy meets girl, falls in love with girl, loses girl.... We all know the story. What Charlotte does with is entirely something else. The hero of the story is the Heir to the throne, and he is an arrogant, spoiled brat, but more than that he has a reason for the arrogance, and an ability to learn. Liza, the love interest is no fading flower; she is however a mystery, teasing the reader as much as she does Prince Conar. Throw in an arranged marriage with a reputed toad, an evil twin... and you have a delightful romp. Charlotte's characters are not cardboard figures who are moved through the steps of the story. These folks have depth. They learn and change. They make mistakes, and they make us care about what happens to them. We meet the people who populate this book through their actions and Charlotte's evocative description, but we learn about them through their dialogue. This author knows how to make her people speak, inside and out. We learn that they have reasons for being who they are. That for me is what lifts this story from nice story to really good story. I give Windkeeper a hearty five ribbits.

Nightwind by Charlotte Boyett-Compo deftly balances the erotic and horrific tensions in her tale of a demon who is drawn to a lonely and ostracised woman.

Lauren Fowler is a meek woman who accepts her place in her small town as old maid to be. Her co-workers at the book store in which she works tolerate her presence begrudgingly. We soon see that the meekness which defines Lauren is not weakness but strength. The strength in her character is brought out by a mysterious stranger, Syntian Cree, who focuses all his attention on Lauren. Jealousy grows and Lauren's life is made miserable by the women who can't tolerate this emerging woman.

At the same time a series of attacks shakes the bookstore as each woman who has hurt Lauren is brutalised. We soon learn that the mysterious stranger and the demonic attacker are one and the same being, but he is being controlled by another person who also takes an interest in Lauren's life.

Lauren's character develops poise and confidence in response to Syntian's courting, yet as she falls more deeply in love with him, his unwilling bond to another woman tortures them both. The suspense builds to the inevitable moment when Lauren discovers the true nature of her lover, and must make her choice.

Mz. Aczon describes BJ as supernatural thriller for the black community, and it is that, but more than that, it is one truly good read. She creates believable characters and drops them into an unbelievable situation. They struggle with their fate at the same time as they strive against an evil which is made real for the reader without resorting to bloodbaths, a refreshing change. Five people are connected by something that takes place at 12.42 p.m. They are an ordinary black couple, an homeless Vietnam vet, a vain old woman, an african priest, and a small mute child. Kimile weaves her web and brings these people together from their widespread lives. The connections are not forced or arbitrary. While they are pulled to something much larger than themselves, these five remain human. I had no problems cheering for these folks to come out on top. It is not often that I find a book that I have trouble putting down, but this is one of them. I highly recommed it. I give it five ribbits, and eagerly await her next work.

Review of Exotic Locals, a collection of short stories by Janet Berliner and George Guthridge. Recommended

Exotic Locals is a CD-Rom of stories presented in pdf format with audio introductions for each story. The packaging is professional and the technology works. The only thing the reader needs is Adobe Reader, a free program.

Any collection of short stories is a heavier read than a similar amount of novel. The short story needs to pack its punch into a much fewer words. Some collections are tied together by using the same characters, or the same setting, here is a collection of stories which I found impossible to categorize. They take place in Alaska and in Africa. They happen to diverse characters. What links all these tales is the element of moral challenge. The writing is finely crafted, the characters fascinating, but what I found most compelling was the inner conflicts of the people of Exotic Locals. It is a truism that the worst choices are between two goods, or two evils. The reader is given a ring side seat as the inhabitants of this world prove the truth of the saying.

Jeff Strand is one seriously warped character, and this is a good thing. Graverobbers Wanted is deliciously dark humour blended together with a nice thriller/mystery. This story introduces us to a "hero" named Andrew Mayhem, and the last name is prophetic. He is a guy trying desperately to find himself, and failing miserably. His adventures teach him what he is not - namely- any kind of superhero. Yet I liked him immediately. I think it is the complete honesty with which he views himself. A bad financial situation and a desire to not tell Helen, his wife, about a certain car accident leaves him open to the temptation of easy money. Thus the graverobbing. Andrew's life goes downhill rapidly from there as he becomes the plaything of a psychotic killer. He collects wounds to body and soul, learning things about himself he would rather not know.

Here is a book in which the characters are all characters. There are stereotypes which show up, but they show a depth that makes them just a little bit more. The dialogue reads like the people are actually talking. The plot, well it is as twisted and tortured as our poor hero. Definitely a good read for any who like dark humour and solid writing. Five good croaks for Graverobbers Wanted.

Incubus by Charlotte Dobson is a horror novel set for the most part in remote Mexico. The heroine, an anthropologist named Martine Murdoch, has been black balled for her sensational theories on the subject of human sacrifice in the Mayan and other early american native civilizations. The trouble is that there are groups who follow her and revel in her theory. A bigger problem is that the heart eating cult has never died out, and it appears they don't like Marty publishing a book on the subject. When she is invited to a dig in Mexico it is her chance to set the record straight.

Here is a story which, while slow to begin, is soon careening along like a jeep on a mountain trail. There are all kinds of twists and turns, the truth is well buried in the jungle, and it is a terrific ride to the end. Mz. Dobson handles her characters carefully, keeping them from being simple cut outs. Doc. Murdoch is a woman who sees the world as a scientist. She believes that there is a logical reason for things happening the way they do. Mz. Dobson drops her into a world that operates by different rules, and gives us the privilege of watching what she does with it. I enjoyed the book greatly and would recommend it to others. Incubus gets four croaks from this frog.

Lost Hunters by Deanne Devine is a suspense/ horror novel set in a small town. Leslie's mother was killed during the "Itch" some twenty years before. The Itch has returned to Salem just about every twenty years so it is just about due. Surrounding Leslie is her family, her friends and some who are just faces on the street until she is threatened by the Itch. People are pulled and pushed by fate and an old curse, some believe and some don't but all are changed.

I knew I liked this book when Mz. Devine treats the reader to an overview of the Fruit Bowl (Leslie's suburb) through the eyes of each of the neighbours. It is fascinating to see the world through all those different eyes, and it means that the reader knows those people for later in the story. Several times Deanne uses this trick to great effect. Even the snooty neighbour is more than a stereotype because we have seen the world through her view point and know that she is more than just the snooty neighbour.

Lost Hunters was a treat to read. Mz. Devine handles her characters, plot and dialogue with a deft touch. I would recommend this book to anyone.

Puzzles of Flesh is a collection of short stories by Jason Brannon. The premise bracketing the collection is a coroner who investigates the corpses on his table to find not only the cause of death, but the human reason behind it. The stories are a suitably gruesome assortment. They set out the perverse ways in which people destroy each other and themselves.

The ordinary people who inhabit Mr. Brannon's world find themselves abruptly living in a dark, painful reality. He uses dialogue and and internal thought to show how the transition is made. Like many short story collections, it is a bit much at one reading, but the individual stories give one sufficient chills for an evenings nightmares.

I would like to have seen more from the coroner, instead of the simple front and back bracketing. The cover art is also misleading. The stories are much better crafted than the picture suggests. I would recommend Puzzles of Flesh for those who feel the need to give themselves a small dose of human perversity. I give the book three ribbits.

The Rhythm of Revenge is a mystery/suspense novel by Christine Spindler. We are introduced to Jessica who lives to dance. Unfortunately her relationship skills don't match her dancing skills. She has alienated several of the people closest to her. When she disappears the day before big premiere there are plenty of supects - her unhappy husband, her ex-lover, the ex-lover's wife, well, you get the picture. Mz. Spiindler weaves her story with a deft touch. Even as the reader starts to put the puzzle together she begins to show the cracks in her characters. They do what all to few dezinens of the genre do; they grow.

Mz Spindler uses dialogue, actions and introspection to draw the reader into her world. The people who inhabit the world are made real, and even the worst of them earns the reader's sympathy. Here is a book that I would read a second time, in spite of knowing the plot. It is a rare mystery indeed to stay on my shelves. If you like good plot and better characters, read this book. Five croaks for this one.

The Room of Shrunken Souls by Micheal Cale is a story about a nano-jock who is with a group of geologists etc. in the wilderness of New Zealand looking for oil. They don't find any oil. What they do find is trouble. Our hero and his friends Rangi and Tess are the only ones to survive with minds intact. Unfortunately the trouble follows the nano jock and Tess back to the United States. Our hero had an ugly childhood, and he starts seeing images that no one else can. Pretty soon he is doubting that his mind is all that intact after all.

Micheal Cale delivers a good solid story, one that kept me interested and reading till the end. Some of the peripheral characters are simply cutouts, but the main characters are complex and very human. They struggle with their own weaknesses and yet remain strong enough to fight the evil that is seeping into their lives. I found it fascinating that the author weaves evil into the story in diverse ways. There is the unknown force which appears in hallucinations, but there is more domestic evil, and a corporate evil which I found the most chilling. I hope that Micheal Cale writes a sequel around Mz. Braun.

The Room of Shrunken Souls is a book I can recommend to anyone. I give it four ribbits.

The Stars Dispose is the opening novel of a trilogy. The story takes place in rennaisance Florence. The de' Medici familiy were once proud rulers of Florence, but time has stolen their power and diminished their family. Thommaso is apprenticed in his father's kitchen. His family's fate interwoven with that of the de' Medici, Thommaso meets the young Duchessina, Caterina, and is bonded with her.

Rennaisance politics threaten Florence and Caterina. Magic seeps into the story introducing the more sinister attack of which most of Florence is unaware. We learn that Caterina and Thommaso are somehow the focus of both attacks. Michaella Roessner presents the reader with a world centred around the kitchens of Florence. Rich sights and smells pull you into a world of her creating. Characters and feasts fill the pages, keeping you reading page after page. Mz. Roessner has created a story in the Rennaisance tradition where the feasts are given equal importance to the plot. She works a magic of her own with her writing. There is no slowing of the story for the feasts, rather they march in time with fascinating characters and a gripping plot. And for those whose stomachs are set to rumbling, she gives recipes at the end of the book. I give this book five ribbits.

Transmutation Now by Phil Geusz is the extremely readable story of an action movie hero who is convinced to try a very different role. That of a fluffy white rabbit. By sci-fi magic he is transmuted from large human being into a 100 lb. rabbit. That is only the beginning of the story. The hero, Jack Stafford, discovers that he has some unexpected enemies, and some unique friends. In the process of staying alive he learns about depths in himself that he never suspected.

I love the fact that the people populating Phil's story are not cardboard cutouts. To balance religious fanatics, one has truly caring people. The dialogue is crisp, the action moves by leaps and bounds, and the people involved learn something from what happens to them. In Phil's description of the book he sells himself short. This is more than just another sci-fi thriller. This story is a thought provoking tale which sneaks in deep ethical questions and refuses to hand out easy answers. It is a book to which I dearly hope he writes an accompanying volume if not a sequel. This humble reviewer is giving this book five ribbits.

I put these last two reviews in to show that I don't give every book I read a good review, but I do try to be fair and find the good in every book.

G_____ F_____ presents us with an interesting character, P______, who is sent on a mission to find a missing executive. Unfortunately the story is smothered in an excess of unnecessary description and extraneous detail. I found it impossible to follow the plot. The threads were lost in the midst of P________'s musing and the author's need to give us every minute detail of the surrounding. This is really too bad since Mr. F_____ has a good ear for dialogue. When his characters are talking to each other they are quite engaging. They just don't do nearly enough talking. If the description/dialogue ratio were reversed it would be a book I could enjoy reading. As it is, I can not recommend The E . I give it one out of five croaks.

The P____, by R_____ S______ is the first part of a trilogy detailing an alternated history of Ireland. It has all the elements for a thundering good yarn; warring nobles, secret identities, mysterious strangers from other dimensions, and palace intrigue. Somehow The P______ never gels into the story I had hoped it would be. There is so much happening and so many characters that it is impossible to keep track. The characters aren't developed beyond what is necessary to move the plot. They act, but the reader has little idea why they act as they do, and when we finally do get a personal glimpse into their lives, they die. I found the secret identities overwhelming, there are just so many people who are not who they appear to be, often with no clear reason. Much of the time the true identity is as unclear to the reader as to the rest of the characters, sometimes even more so!

The time line is also confusing with chapter jumping forward and backward in time. A character who is killed in one chapter shows up for Christmas dinner in the next, to be killed again in the one after that.

What would I do different? I would have picked one or two characters and centred all the events around the life of those people. The identities of the characters would be clear to the reader even when they were hidden from the people in the plot, unless there is a really good reason later in the book. I would also pay more attention to who I kill off. If I am sending a main character to their reward, I would make sure that it would cause emotional ripples in the other characters and the reader.