Spot Light: Red Sand By Ronan Cray

Teaser: Your cruise ship has sunk into cold unforgiving depths of the ocean. Nearly everyone on board has perished. But you are one of the lucky survivors moving slowly toward a nearby island. Or so you think. This is no ordinary island, and it is not the salvation you were hoping for as you drifted away from the wreckage of the Princess Anne. The inhabitants are far less than friendly and surviving your encounter with them will be far more daunting than escaping a watery grave. What you do now will determine your fate, but you'll have to hurry the fragile society around you is crumbling and a devastating hurricane is on the horizon.

Did I Like it: Yes! I think this an excellent adventure story, complete with betrayal, murder, and suspense. The story is carefully constructed with thrilling action scenes. This wasn't the first time a novel took me to a wayward island, but I enjoyed the author's spin on this theme.    What I liked best about this story is the action from start to finish. There are very few stagnant moments, and I think that works well this type of story. The characters are in danger, they face life threatening situations, and their decisions are crucial. There is a sense of urgency but the situations the characters are in leave them few options and this creates a constant tension between them. They won't all survive their ordeal, some will perish, others will be captives, but no one is going home.  I admit that I'm sucker for books with flowery detail. But I found the author's clear and concise writing style refreshing. In place of length description the author does a fantastic job of using dialogue to tell this story. Because of some of the language I recommend this book for teens or adults. 

Caveats: None

Overall Rating: 5/5

Who's it for?:

Adventure/action lovers
Suspense/ Thriller readers
General readers
Adult fiction readers.


Get Red Sand Click Here

Hiatus

Reviews and blog hops will resume at the end of the month.

For All the Hoppers and Shakers!

This Week's Question: 

Q: What book do you think would make a great Halloween movie? Please explain in graphic detail of goriness...

I'd have to go with "The Mephisto Club" by Tess Gerritsen provided it wasn't done by the same people who made the show "Rizzoli and Isles". This novel is one of her typical medical thrillers, but it has a fantastical undertone with demons and the supernatural. This gave the book an air of creepiness that some her other thrillers didn't have. A mysterious organization and ritualistic murders.  I don't want to go into graphic detail but I'll post the synopsis here  

Via Amazon:

Evil exists. Evil walks the streets. And evil has spawned a diabolical new disciple in this white-knuckle thriller from New York Times bestselling author Tess Gerritsen.


PECCAVI
The Latin word is scrawled in blood at the scene of a young woman’s brutal murder: I HAVE SINNED. It’s a chilling Christmas greeting for Boston medical examiner Maura Isles and Detective Jane Rizzoli, who swiftly link the victim to controversial celebrity psychiatrist Joyce O’Donnell–Jane’s professional nemesis and member of a sinister cabal called the Mephisto Club.

On top of Beacon Hill, the club’s acolytes devote themselves to the analysis of evil: Can it be explained by science? Does it have a physical presence? Do demons walk the earth? Drawing on a wealth of dark historical data and mysterious religious symbolism, the Mephisto scholars aim to prove a startling theory: that Satan himself exists among us. 

With the grisly appearance of a corpse on their doorstep, it’s clear that someone–or something–is indeed prowling the city. The members of the club begin to fear the very subject of their study. Could this maniacal killer be one of their own–or have they inadvertently summoned an evil entity from the darkness? 

Delving deep into the most baffling and unusual case of their careers, Maura and Jane embark on a terrifying journey to the very heart of evil, where they encounter a malevolent foe more dangerous than any they have ever faced . . . one whose work is only just beginning.

I'm Been Hopping All My Life!

Today's Question:

Q: What do you hope to accomplish with your blog? Is it to one day become an author yourself, just for fun, maybe get some online attention, or maybe something very different?

I'd like my blog to be a popular place for indie authors and readers in general. Initially I started it to promote my own book, but over the last few weeks I've found that I like reading and reviewing other's people's work a lot more. Mainly I just want to connect with other people that have a passion for reading and writing. 

It's A Hop Thing!

Today's Question:

Q: What is the BIGGEST word you've seen used in a book lately - that made you stop and look it up? Might as well leave the definition & book too.

 "Aztec" by Gray Jennings had me running to the dictionary and feeling like a grade school kid instead of a college student. An excellent and lengthy read featuring fun words like "promptitude"  and "adjuration" and "salacious" . But learning new words has always been one of my favorite parts or reading.

So get reading:

http://www.amazon.com/Aztec-Gary-Jennings/dp/0765317508/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1348802752&sr=8-1&keywords=aztec


Carry on the hop; I always follow back, thanks for the visits. 

Let's Read It: "Heaven's Fate"

"Scheming Empress, Legendary Swords, A prince, sounds like an epic adventure..." 

Teaser: Protagonist, Thame Elliot is an expert in a magic based martial art called “Rietsu”.  He is on a journey to avenge the untimely death of his father and rebuild a mystical sword, known as the “Sword of Tundra”. He is constantly troubled by the meddlesome ways of his aunt, Empress Autumn, whose grand design will place their nation on the path to a devastating war. Thame will have to resist the manipulative ways of both his aunt and his spiritual guide, who habitually impedes his pathway to the greater good. Faced with the ever constant quandaries and the looming threat of his spiritual twin, bent on his assassination, will young Thame become the hero he is meant to be?

Did I like it? : It has a wide array of characters, with decent pacing and doesn't tend to drag between plot points. The novel has a complete concept and encompasses the proper scale of a fantasy world. The story is meant to be grand and that is exactly how it feels. The dialogue between characters is generally engaging and adds to the development of the plot.

This book has a lot of merits however at times the author’s  writing style tends to make the story feel disjointed and leads exponential detail that is not always necessary. Though the story is based in a fantasy world, the use of modern terms can sometimes be slightly confusing. Some of the terminology makes the fantasy too ambiguous to place.

  However, as an introduction to the fantasy genre I think readers would enjoy this book. For readers that aren’t regulars of the genre, fantasy worlds can seem cumbersome and over bearing.  What I liked best about this book is that it was enjoyable for me to read as a non fantasy aficionado ( I do dabble in it though).  It is an epic classic type grand story. Overall I liked this book, and with a little polish, I think this author can be a real contender in the fantasy genre.

Caveats:  None

Who’s It For:

• ·         New fantasy readers
• ·         Casual readers
• ·         All ages
• ·         Heavy fantasy readers

Overall Rating: 3.5/5 

Get it here: http://www.evaporent.com/

http://www.amazon.com/Heavens-Fate-Andre-Alan/product-reviews/0615634249/ref=sr_1_1_cm_cr_acr_img?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=1

Let's Read It: "Disemblance"

“There are three worlds that we live in, fantasy, reality, and actuality, murder crosses between all three…”

 Teaser: Jason and Isaac Tanner are brothers, they don’t always get along, but there is one thing they can agree on. Their father is not the murderer known as the “Comfort Killer”.  The child of technological mastermind, Jason spends most of his young life living in the holographic world his father created. When their father is murdered, Jason, Isaac and their spunky next door neighbor Boston, are thrust into dire situation of life and death. Someone was trying to frame their father for murder and Jason is the next target. ..

Why You’ll Love It/Did I like it?:  I’m not an advent science fiction reader, but suspense thriller is one  of my absolute favorite genres. As introduction to either of these genres “Dissemblance” is an excellent addition. The novel is well written. The pace is a bit slow in the beginning, however this necessary to set up the intricate details of the scenario and gives the reader a chance to understand the respective characters.  When the story does pick up the pace it transforms into a real thriller. At times I had difficulty discerning whether Jason was in the real world or in the holographic reality. At some points it seems the like the main character is simply losing his mind, but that is truly part of the fun.  The author makes good use of dialogue, and gives the characters their voices rather than constantly narrating the story and I found this refreshing and enjoyable. Like most thrillers the novel has plot twists and turns, all of which work well. I liked that the author did not try to overwork the story with twists. Overall, I liked and enjoyed this novel.

Caveats: None

Who’s it for:

·         Casual readers

·         Advent readers

·         All ages

·         Suspense lovers

·         Science fictions readers

Overall Rating: 4.5/5

Get it here: 

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1477527761/ref=cm_cr_mts_prod_img