Storm Surge

by Stephen Reger

book review by Mari Carlson

“What happens to one of us… happens to all of us.”

In 1618-1619, as a civil war between Protestants and Catholics comes to a head across Europe, two formidable sisters, Vanessa and Sarlatova, and their entourage head to Vienna to report atrocities against Catholics that they’ve witnessed. Ferdinand, the archduke and their father, is the leader of Stormsong, a Catholic group defending the throne, but with the emperor dying, Ferdinand assumes control. However, not everyone makes the same assumption about his succession of power. Protestants and others contesting Ferdinand for one reason or another band together, in some cases outnumbering the Catholic stronghold. As the sisters learn more about their father and the political situation during their journey, their goals change. Meanwhile, Ferdinand sends various parties in search of his daughters. But is it for good or ill?

This second book of a trilogy opens with the disclaimer that the history as it has thus far been reported is wrong. Instead of correcting mistakes and, in fact, deliberately misdating and misnaming some historical events and characters for the sake of streamlining the story, the truth the book tells readers is that history is personal. History’s relevance is brought to the fore by setting sweeping social, religious, and military movements alongside a narrative of two sisters gaining knowledge about their past and their identities. Through vibrant, superlative, and contrasting personalities, the story brings history’s impact to life, not only for these protagonists but also for readers compelled by their struggles and triumphs.

The book’s conflict centers around the sisters’ magical powers. Setting aside whether magic is real or not, the book’s use of the supernatural is thrilling and intriguing. For her outspoken ability to cause storms with her song, Sarlatova is called a witch, among other put-downs. Vanessa’s powers, on the other hand, emerge over the course of the book. She becomes a heroine by overcoming that which keeps her from expressing her powers. She is a source of conflict and strife. She is frustratingly stubborn and used to getting her way as the heiress to an archduke but yet also generous and fair. Her immersive and mesmerizing, if not magical, combination of qualities keeps readers’ attention.

The two sisters’ bickering over their differences reflects the larger context in which they fight. The story, though, focuses on reconciliation. While most of the action takes place in descriptive passages, dialogue advances the novel’s philosophical underpinnings. With entertaining accents and idiosyncrasies, characters discuss forgiveness, moral obligations, and God-given (magical) gifts. Their jaunty conversations contemporize an ancient tale. Against the backdrop of factions planning and battling, the main plot remains focused on Vanessa’s change of heart about her abilities as she experiences forgiveness from her sister and the others in her traveling party.

Other storylines interlock with Vanessa’s. The parallel woes of a baker accused of witchcraft, a desperate rabbi, and abused siblings, among other mysterious personages, bring Vanessa closer to transformation in their relationships with her. At times, the number of interwoven subplots and bits of historical data about imperial troops, religious orders, and politics is dizzying. However, everything manages to be held together by Vanessa’s storyline. Toggling between threads in short chapters, this long book reads quickly. Clever segues weave the segments together. The tone is driving, with pictures of wanton brutality meted out by both warring sides met with equally strident expressions of love. Toward the end, the plots dovetail, and the writing becomes chantlike and rhythmic, with repeated phrases mirroring the forces marching toward the site of the archduke’s secret weapon. The novel ends on a precipitous note that works to bait readers toward the final book in the trilogy.

Mystic Prince

by M. A. Richter
Alexander Publishing

book review by Joyce Jacobo

“You made that choice of your own free will. I want you to flourish and fulfill your potential.”

Prince Khael Stratton is a mystic who seeks to deepen his knowledge of such arts to help those in need. Following a mission, he reports to the city of Cambridge—ruled over by his brother—and has a close encounter with a pickpocket who steals his signet ring. Alongside his bodyguard, Grant, the prince manages to track down the young woman, Vixen, who suffers from a foggy memory while demonstrating a great talent for skills associated with assassins. Prince Khael finds it an odd happenstance in a time when a terrorist group known as the Chelevkori are making active attempts to eliminate the royal family for a perceived wrongdoing by his grandfather, Loren, and it is further compounded by reports that tyrannical rule has seized the city of Skemmelsham over which he rules. Prince Khael forges a contract with Vixen, and with Grant, they go on a journey to liberate the city.

This novel features a lot of interesting worldbuilding, with distinctions made between the mystic arts and magic and a solid exploration of how the political tensions evolved between the groups involved. It is also very much a love story between Prince Khael and Vixen as they seek to uncover more about her past and deal with the complications of building a relationship amid their unique circumstances. In a fantasy world where most of the corrupt guards seem focused on carnal pleasures at the first opportunity, the ties between the prince and Vixen are notable for their being respectful and patient towards each other. The action scenes are also done well and flow along at a fast pace. One of the most powerful messages in the story, however, is in expressing the dangers of having history twisted to indoctrinate communities and manipulate people. It is very relatable in that respect and a decent start to what will clearly become a much larger fantasy series.

RECOMMENDED by the US Review

Creager: The War Paint Killer Saga

by L. Hanson

book review by Philip Zozzaro

“This is just the beginning; I can feel it in my bones.”

Bedford Township has seen its share of ups and downs as a community, from prosperity to near desertion. In 2012, the announcement of the construction of a new dam has led to rejuvenation. However, a new problem has arisen with new arrivals as crime has begun to skyrocket. Detective Ben Creager and his partner, Ritch, are experiencing this phenomenon firsthand with each new crime scene to explore. The crimes are becoming more brazen, from daylight shootouts between thieves and security guards to the string of murders that appear almost ritualistic in nature. Creager’s skills are put to the test, as is his mental health, since he has never fully recovered from a near-fatal car crash in his youth. As the 911 calls keep coming in, Bedford Township’s future may be in doubt.

Bedlam has begun to consume the suburban Bedford Township as the book begins, and the possibility of it reaching epic proportions provides much of the thrills. Although he is the primary character, Ben Creager is only one of many interesting characters who figure prominently throughout the book. For instance, his partner, Ritch, is developed as a solid supporting character who ably backs up the protagonist when not actively seeking out the next paramour in his life. Meanwhile, Creager’s friend Boggs works as a radio DJ and may aid in getting a serial killer to surface unless the killer gets to him first. As the protagonist’s friend, he serves as a plot device that not only raises the stakes for Creager to solve the case but also increases the overall suspense in the book. Ben’s support system is his wife, Sheri, a doctor with endless patience and the kindest of hearts. The author balances aspects of melancholy with humor, romance, and suspense. In short, the story proves entertaining in every conceivable way.

RECOMMENDED by the US Review

We Used to Dance: Loving Judy, My Disabled Twin

by Debbie Chein Morris
She Writes Press

book review by Barbara Bamberger Scott

“What I really wish is to have a memory of how we danced… hand in hand, and feet to feet.”

Morris shares a poignant, sometimes painful memoir of the time spent with her twin sister, Judy. Born first, Judy was soon recognized to have cerebral palsy, probably a result of damage to her brain before she emerged from their mother’s womb. Yet the author’s early childhood memories indicate that the two shared a remarkably communicative relationship. Though incontinent and burdened with cognitive impairments, her twin was able to enjoy the special attention of those who loved her. A special memory for Morris was of dancing with her sister to the merriment of other family members.

Judy received the home-based therapies and special equipment available at the time, providing needed assistance to their mother, who had three other children to watch after. Inevitably, as Morris’ journal entries vividly attest, such measures were insufficient. Judy became increasingly vulnerable, creating distress and alarm among those who loved her. She would gradually move from home care to full-time, facility-based supervision that neither her aging mother nor her concerned siblings could have offered. Still, Morris and others held out hopes, visiting as often as possible to sustain genuine family cohesion.

Morris, who chose the field of early childhood education for her career path, here shows her skills as an introspective observer, sensitively communicating her feelings to her readership. Especially emotive are her journal entries encompassing her visits with Judy and consultations with family during crucial episodes that might last days at a time with the outcomes unknown but possibly grim. Along with dread and self-doubts in her private contemplations, Morris strove to find positive aspects for each situation. Readers with family challenges will recognize and empathize with Morris’ frank, tender outpourings and will value her work as freely offered for comfort and deeper comprehension.

Murder in Concrete

by Arthur Coburn
The Wild Rose Press

book review by Kat Kennedy

“You students are like our concrete, strong enough to weather troubles that would undo most people.”

In his farewell speech to graduating seniors in the small town of Concrete, the principal describes the graduates as “strong enough to weather troubles that would undo most people.” Charlie can’t fathom how she will have to put that theory to the test. But that same day, her panicked father tells her to immediately leave Concrete without going home. Charlie soon discovers her mother has been murdered. Then, her father’s body is pulled from a nearby river. After her parents’ horrible deaths, she suffers from PTSD, which causes hallucinations and disorientation. She decides to attend university, but her unnerving hallucinations cause her to shy away from others. It also seems she is being followed, and she fears whoever killed her parents is after her. By chance, she discovers her father is alive. Charlie’s search for answers lands her on a movie set, which begins a rollicking adventure with colorful characters.

This is one of those novels that has the reader invested from the first. Losing both parents in a matter of hours, the protagonist sets off on a dangerous quest for truth. Coburn’s handling of Charlie’s psychological problems brought on by her parents’ deaths is spot-on, with Charlie slipping from the present to the past in a frightening, and sometimes public, reaction to her delusions. Though struggling with the results of trauma, Charlie remains a strong character determined to find the truth regardless of the danger. This leads to some nail-biting scenes and unexpected plot twists. The author does a wonderful job of building the plot into a surprising ending. Many interesting details are included in the narrative about the movie business. This novel delivers on characterization as well as plot. Appropriate for both young adult and older readers, this one is excellent from start to finish.

RECOMMENDED by the US Review

Water Music: A Cape Cod Story

by Marcia Peck
Sea Crow Press

book review by Kate Robinson

“Tides filled and emptied our small world and I tried to figure out who belonged to whom.”

In the summer of 1956, eleven-year-old (soon to be twelve) Lily Grainger describes her family’s annual summer vacation at their undeveloped property on the shore of a salt pond on Cape Cod. As this coming-of-age novel progresses, it mirrors the Beaufort scale of wind velocities that mark each chapter heading with increasing speeds and potential damages, an apt reminder of the increasing tension in Lily’s parents’ marriage and the marriage of her forceful Uncle George and delicate Aunt Fanny. Lily describes this crescendo of life-changing events in the prologue: “All summer the storm gathered and gathered, took its breath from every direction we thought we knew, and lashed us into spindrift.” Interestingly, the summer of 1956 is meaningful historically as the shipwreck of the Andrea Doria happened nearby on a July evening.

The story is gracefully measured by the author’s love of music. Peck is a cellist and is fascinated with musical connections to language. Lily’s growth throughout the tale is colored not only by her love of the picturesque, watery environments of Cape Cod and her adventures with her older sister Dodie and her cousin Nicole but also by her interest in learning to play classical cello. Lily and her mother, Lydia, observe the atmospheric stranding of pilot whales as it becomes ever apparent that their relationship is also stranded.

Lily’s resemblance to her father, Weston, and her mother’s unconscious preference for her older sister make life more complicated. Peck punctuates the family turmoil repeatedly with familiar forces—a competitive relationship between the adult brothers, insults from a stony grandmother, excuses from a codependent grandfather, and the unrelenting summer storm that leads to more than one unexpected tragedy. Lyrically rendered prose, unforgettable characters, and vividly wrought settings thrust this nuanced debut novel into the lofty realm of a masterpiece.

RECOMMENDED by the US Review

The Town That Shot Itself in the Foot

by Judy Gail Krasnow

book review by Mari Carlson

“Everyone has a story. Even the monsters and there is no place one can learn more about the human condition than in prison.”

When Miami becomes too expensive for the single, almost-retired performance artist, Rachel, an old penitentiary in Michigan being turned into an artists’ residence, The Hatchery, seems the perfect affordable housing option. Artists are promised studio space and support in turning their crafts into businesses. For Rachel, the prison itself becomes a source of revenue. She turns stories of ghosts of prisoners past, ex-prison workers, and living ex-cons into tours through the complex, as well as through a working prison. As her venture grows, however, so does the town officials’ animosity against her and other artists. The home that was once the answer to Rachel’s prayers becomes her own prison.

Starting with Rachel’s ideal life in Miami, surrounded by friends, fair weather, and ample work, the book sells The Hatchery with matching descriptions of the other artists, the beautiful landscape, and the possibilities laid out for artists. The Hatchery’s allure sets the stage for Rachel’s disappointment as the place’s prospects fall away and, worse yet, they are replaced by restrictive and punishing setbacks. Revenue and amenities are taken from artists. Factions form, dividing artists against each other and against Hatchery personnel. Conflicts are explored through vitriolic exchanges in litigious and exacting writing, including emails and letters exchanged between artists and Hatchery management. Driven by a pursuit of promises kept, the narrative builds a convincing case against those at fault.

However, conversations between residents lighten the mood, showing that vengeance is not the novel’s point. The residents are quirky. One is slovenly and swears a lot. Another misuses words. Others have infectious accents. Rachel’s vivaciousness comes across in her stories and extroverted exchanges. She brings people together over martinis. Overcoming difficult conditions, like the lack of heat and space, the artists make murals and put on a drag show and gallery exhibits that depict their creative, can-do energies. Songs, books quoted, and descriptions of natural beauty infuse the text with inspiration. Besides a prison, other analogies made by various characters, such as the one comparing The Hatchery to a roller coaster ride or a symphony, make the point that Rachel and friends work to keep positive in the face of condemnation. Like amusement park attendees or concertgoers, they move through turmoil toward levity and personal satisfaction.

While the book’s determined pacing is marked by a chronology of Rachel’s successes and defeats, spirituality also pervades the text. A different character narrates each chapter. Most are from Rachel’s perspective, but some are from her colleagues, enemies, and even the ghost of an ex-prisoner. These perspectives add reverence and activism to the story in the light they shed on prison conditions, life in the small Michigan town, and Rachel herself. The result is a compassionate feedback loop. As Rachel tells stories from the prison, some of the prisoner-narrators get to tell her story, giving back to the one who really heard them. The book then pays the kindness forward by celebrating stories. Krasnow has produced a unique novel, a work filled with relatable human drama and, more importantly, uplifting hope in the power of one’s own story.

RECOMMENDED by the US Review

Mystic Prince

by M. A. Richter
Alexander Publishing

book review by Joyce Jacobo

“You made that choice of your own free will. I want you to flourish and fulfill your potential.”

Prince Khael Stratton is a mystic who seeks to deepen his knowledge of such arts to help those in need. Following a mission, he reports to the city of Cambridge—ruled over by his brother—and has a close encounter with a pickpocket who steals his signet ring. Alongside his bodyguard, Grant, the prince manages to track down the young woman, Vixen, who suffers from a foggy memory while demonstrating a great talent for skills associated with assassins. Prince Khael finds it an odd happenstance in a time when a terrorist group known as the Chelevkori are making active attempts to eliminate the royal family for a perceived wrongdoing by his grandfather, Loren, and it is further compounded by reports that tyrannical rule has seized the city of Skemmelsham over which he rules. Prince Khael forges a contract with Vixen, and with Grant, they go on a journey to liberate the city.

This novel features a lot of interesting worldbuilding, with distinctions made between the mystic arts and magic and a solid exploration of how the political tensions evolved between the groups involved. It is also very much a love story between Prince Khael and Vixen as they seek to uncover more about her past and deal with the complications of building a relationship amid their unique circumstances. In a fantasy world where most of the corrupt guards seem focused on carnal pleasures at the first opportunity, the ties between the prince and Vixen are notable for their being respectful and patient towards each other. The action scenes are also done well and flow along at a fast pace. One of the most powerful messages in the story, however, is in expressing the dangers of having history twisted to indoctrinate communities and manipulate people. It is very relatable in that respect and a decent start to what will clearly become a much larger fantasy series.

RECOMMENDED by the US Review

Creager: The War Paint Killer Saga

by L. Hanson

book review by Philip Zozzaro

“This is just the beginning; I can feel it in my bones.”

Bedford Township has seen its share of ups and downs as a community, from prosperity to near desertion. In 2012, the announcement of the construction of a new dam has led to rejuvenation. However, a new problem has arisen with new arrivals as crime has begun to skyrocket. Detective Ben Creager and his partner, Ritch, are experiencing this phenomenon firsthand with each new crime scene to explore. The crimes are becoming more brazen, from daylight shootouts between thieves and security guards to the string of murders that appear almost ritualistic in nature. Creager’s skills are put to the test, as is his mental health, since he has never fully recovered from a near-fatal car crash in his youth. As the 911 calls keep coming in, Bedford Township’s future may be in doubt.

Bedlam has begun to consume the suburban Bedford Township as the book begins, and the possibility of it reaching epic proportions provides much of the thrills. Although he is the primary character, Ben Creager is only one of many interesting characters who figure prominently throughout the book. For instance, his partner, Ritch, is developed as a solid supporting character who ably backs up the protagonist when not actively seeking out the next paramour in his life. Meanwhile, Creager’s friend Boggs works as a radio DJ and may aid in getting a serial killer to surface unless the killer gets to him first. As the protagonist’s friend, he serves as a plot device that not only raises the stakes for Creager to solve the case but also increases the overall suspense in the book. Ben’s support system is his wife, Sheri, a doctor with endless patience and the kindest of hearts. The author balances aspects of melancholy with humor, romance, and suspense. In short, the story proves entertaining in every conceivable way.

RECOMMENDED by the US Review

SESG Explorer

by Christopher Loric
Dorrance Publishing

book review by Mark Heisey

“The Kammorrigans continued to pour fire down upon the Intrepid, the shields were beginning to buckle along the hull and several relays were tripping across the ship.”

After receiving a message from an unknown entity in outer space, the US government assigns Kevin Brannigan to lead a secretive mission with a small group of ships to meet the message senders. Along with the message are some technologically advanced plans, including those to help build hyperdrives. Although the plans are mysteriously missing key components, engineers and scientists are able to build and equip ships capable of long-range space travel. Brannigan knows he needs to be prepared for anything, so he is sure to bring a complement of diplomatic, scientific, and military professionals. The group is assigned to map and explore as they go, but their primary objective is to contact the aliens, determine their motives, and, if possible, begin diplomatic relations by establishing a trade agreement.

Loric’s science fiction novel plays out like a military-minded Star Trek movie but in an extended-version format. The author’s writing is easy to follow and doesn’t delve into the deeply technical parts of space travel and combat, which many readers will likely appreciate. The action sequences are well-written and show Loric at his best and most entertaining. The story is centered on exploration and combat encounters rather than character arcs and will resonate with readers whose tastes fall along those lines. The author is adept at crafting exposition, and the book offers a great deal of this before the spaceships fly away. The technical abilities and choices of the earthlings and aliens take a backseat to the more prevalent space opera elements of the story. Once the action starts, sci-fi lovers may easily get lost in the fun much like summers past when watching hits like Independence Day.