Daughter of Mythos by Melissa Drake

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Title: Daughter of Mythos

Author: Melissa Drake
Series: Mythos (Book #1)

Genre: Fantasy

Length: 211 pages

Published: 2013

Publisher: Createspace

Brief Synopsis: (Taken from Goodreads) Fifteen-year-old Nora Salvatore thinks wizards, fairies, dragons, and demons are the stuff of myth, but she is wrong. Nora is thrown head first into a life of magic and chaos after learning of a mysterious legend surrounding her birth and the magical powers she is supposed to possess. When an army of demons from a parallel world plans the eradication of mankind, only she can close the portals and keep the demons at bay. Can she learn to harness her new-found powers in time to stop them?

My Review:

I give this book a 5 out of 5.

This was a nice, light fantasy tale. While there is an overall threat that must be vanquished, the story is also about a girl learning about her true heritage and growing up a little. There's a nice lesson about how there is no strict evil or good to people - that everyone lives in a grey area and tend to lean one way or another. For a first novel, this was pretty good, and I look forward to future novels from this author.

You can purchase Daughter of Mythos through Amazon in hard copy or Kindle format. 

Have you read Daughter of Mythos? If so, leave a comment and let me know your thoughts! 

Please note: I was not compensated in any way for this review. It is strictly my opinion.

Deck Z: The Titanic: Unsinkable. Undead. by Chris Pauls & Matt Solomon

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Title: Deck Z: The Titanic: Unsinkable. Undead.

Author: Chris Pauls & Matt Solomon 

Genre: Horror

Length: 222

Published: 2012

Publisher: Chronicle Books

Brief Synopsis: (Taken from Goodreads) Imagine being trapped aboard the doomed Titanic on an icy Atlantic. . . with the walking dead. This fast-paced thriller reimagines the historical events of the fateful Titanic voyage through the lens of zombie mayhem. Captain Edward Smith and his inner circle desperately try to contain a weaponized zombie virus smuggled on board with the 2,200 passengers sailing to New York. Faced with an exploding population of lumbering, flesh-hungry undead, Smith's team is forced into bloody hand-to-hand combat down the narrow halls of the huge steamer. In its few short days at sea, the majestic Titanic turns into a Victorian bloodbath, steaming at top speed toward a cold, blue iceberg. A creepy, tense page-turner, Deck Z will thrill zombie fans and Titanic buffs alike.

My Review:

I give this book a 5 out of 5.

This was incredible. A mysterious virus is brought aboard the Titanic, and then released by an agent sent to retrieve the vial. This mysterious virus turns people into flesh-eating zombies. While the captain is below-decks trying to contain the virus and those afflicted, the owner of the liner orders that the ship go full steam ahead for New York. Then, the ultimate tragedy strikes as the ship is unable to avoid an iceberg. 

Lovers of history and zombies will enjoy this alternate history of the Titanic.

You can purchase Deck Z: The Titanic: Unsinkable. Undead. through Amazon in hard copy or Kindle format. 

Have you read Deck Z: The Titanic: Unsinkable. Undead.? If so, leave a comment and let me know your thoughts! 

Please note: I was not compensated in any way for this review. It is strictly my opinion.

Ten Days by Olivia Mayfield

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Title: Ten Days

Author: Olivia Mayfield

Genre: Science Fiction, New Adult

Length: 187 pages

Published: 2013

Publisher: Independent

Brief Synopsis: (Taken from Goodreads) Nineteen-year-old Cally isn’t like the others. In her society, the Machine caters to every whim, ensuring people don’t have to leave their pods. But Cally and her best friend Marshal find themselves drawn to how things used to be, when people lived on the surface of the earth and relied upon manpower, not technology. When physical contact wasn’t uncivilized, and love was normal, acceptable, embraced. Cally tries to swallow down her increasing dissatisfaction with the “rules,” as well as her rapidly developing feelings for Marshal, a task getting harder each day.

Then, things start going downhill, fast. Food is spoiled. Air grows musty. The population panics about the dysfunction–is it sabotage? Anarchy? But Cally and Marshal discover the truth: The Machine, the answer to all their problems for longer than anyone can remember, is breaking down. Now, these two have to risk it all to save themselves and the people they care about…before their entire world destroys itself.

My Review:

I give this book a 5 out of 5. 

Ten Days is based off the short story "The Machine Stops" by E.M. Forster. Instead of following Kuno, the story instead follows Cally, a young woman who embarks on a journey with her friend, Marshal, to understand why they are different. We do get to meet Kuno, which is a nice touch, and the author did not change his fate. This was a delightful story, and included hints of romance as both Cally and Marshal learn how to interact as the ancients did.

I can no longer find the link on Amazon for this e-book, so I can only assume it's no longer available for purchase. Hopefully it'll be re-released some day, so others can enjoy it.

Have you read Ten Days? If so, leave a comment and let me know your thoughts! 

Please note: I was not compensated in any way for this review. It is strictly my opinion.

The Alienist by Caleb Carr

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Title: The Alienist

Author: Caleb Carr
Series: Dr. Laszlo Kreizler (Book #1)

Genre: Thriller / Mystery / Historical Fiction

Length: 599 pages

Published: 1994

Publisher: Bantam Books

Brief Synopsis: (Taken from Goodreads) The year is 1896, the place, New York City. On a cold March night New York Times reporter John Schuyler Moore is summoned to the East River by his friend and former Harvard classmate Dr. Laszlo Kreizler, a psychologist, or "alienist." On the unfinished Williamsburg Bridge, they view the horribly mutilated body of an adolescent boy, a prostitute from one of Manhattan's infamous brothels.

The newly appointed police commissioner, Theodore Roosevelt, in a highly unorthodox move, enlists the two men in the murder investigation, counting on the reserved Kreizler's intellect and Moore's knowledge of New York's vast criminal underworld. They are joined by Sara Howard, a brave and determined woman who works as a secretary in the police department. Laboring in secret (for alienists, and the emerging discipline of psychology, are viewed by the public with skepticism at best), the unlikely team embarks on what is a revolutionary effort in criminology-- amassing a psychological profile of the man they're looking for based on the details of his crimes. Their dangerous quest takes them into the tortured past and twisted mind of a murderer who has killed before--and will kill again before the hunt is over.

Fast-paced and gripping, infused with a historian's exactitude, The Alienist conjures up the Gilded Age and its untarnished underside: verminous tenements and opulent mansions, corrupt cops and flamboyant gangsters, shining opera houses and seamy gin mills. Here is a New York during an age when questioning society's belief that all killers are born, not made, could have unexpected and mortal consequences.

My Review:

I give this book a 4 out of 5. 

So the plot was excellent. I enjoyed the search for the killer, the use of "new" technology to examine the bodies and the crime scenes, and the use of what we now would call profiling. There were some great little subplots by including political intrigue, sinister crime bosses, and even romance. 

My main issue with the book was that it was slow to develop the story. Things didn't really pick up for awhile and it was hard to get into the book. There were a lot of philosophical type debates that went on and sometimes those would make my eyes glaze over, so I'd find myself having to put the book away for a day or so. Otherwise this was a pretty good read.

You can purchase The Alienist through Amazon in hard copy or Kindle format. 

Have you read The Alienist? If so, leave a comment and let me know your thoughts! 

Please note: I was not compensated in any way for this review. It is strictly my opinion.

Make It Right by Megan Erickson

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Title: Make It Right

Author: Megan Erickson
Series: Bowler University (Book #2)

Genre: New Adult, Romance

Length: 384 pages

Published: September 9th 2014

Publisher: William Morrow Impulse

Brief Synopsis: (Taken from Goodreads) Max Payton lives by two rules:Size and strength win any fight, and never show weakness.

When a rash of assaults sends Bowler University for a tail spin, Max volunteers to help teach a self-defense class. One of the other instructors is the beautiful pixie-faced girl he keeps butting heads with…and who challenges everything he thought he knew.

Lea Travers avoids guys like Max - cocky jocks who assume she's fragile because of a disability caused by a childhood accident. She likes to be in control, and something about being with Max makes her feel anything but. But during the moments he lets his guard down, Lea sees a soul as broken inside as she is outside. Trusting him is a whole other problem...

When the assaults ramp up and hit close to home, Lea and Max must learn, before it’s too late, that true strength can come from vulnerability…and giving in to trust is sometimes the only way to make things right.

My Review:

I give this book a 5 out of 5. 

Max Payton was the "villain" in the first book of this trilogy, Make It Count. So getting to see things from his point of view and learning about why he was such a jerk to Kat and Alec. I loved that the majority of the book was through his eyes, though I did enjoy reading through Lea's eyes. The book itself was light in tone, but the romance was great and the sexual tension was heavy early on. Probably the only negative thing that I could say about it was that as soon as the author introduced the attacks on campus, I knew that either Lea or Max was going to get attacked. But the fact that you couldn't tell until right before it happened WHO was going to get attacked made up for it. Definitely a great book for fans of the emerging New Adult genre.

You can purchase Make It Right through Amazon in Kindle format. The hard copy version releases in October 2014.

Have you read Make It Right? If so, leave a comment and let me know your thoughts! 

Please note: I was not compensated in any way for this review. It is strictly my opinion.

The Machine Stops by E.M. Forster

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Title: The Machine Stops

Author: E.M. Forster 

Genre: Science Fiction, Novella

Length: 48 pages

Published: 2008 (original: 1909)

Publisher: Dodo Press

Brief Synopsis: (Taken from Goodreads) "The Machine Stops" is a science fiction short story (12,300 words) by E. M. Forster. After initial publication in The Oxford and Cambridge Review (November 1909), the story was republished in Forster's 'The Eternal Moment and Other Stories' in 1928. 

After being voted one of the best novellas up to 1965, it was included that same year in the populist anthology 'Modern Short Stories'. In 1973 it was also included in 'The Science Fiction Hall of Fame, Volume Two'. 

The book is particularly notable for predicting new technologies such as instant messaging and the internet.

My Review:

I give this book a 5 out of 5. 

I truly think this story will haunt me for awhile. Forster has created a world where humans live beneath the earth, never touch, and never truly live - at least not live in the way that we do. And then one day, the machine which keeps them alive begins to fail. It is the end of civilization as these futuristic people have known. 

You can purchase The Machine Stops through Amazon in hard copy or Kindle format. 

Have you read The Machine Stops? If so, leave a comment and let me know your thoughts! 

Please note: I was not compensated in any way for this review. It is strictly my opinion.

Beyond the Wall: Exploring George R. R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire by James Lowder

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Title: Beyond the Wall: Exploring George R. R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire 

Author: James Lowder

Genre: Non Fiction Essays

Length: 220 pages

Published: 2012

Publisher: BenBella Books, Inc.

Brief Synopsis: (Taken from Goodreads) Go beyond the Wall and across the narrow sea with this collection about George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire, from A Game of Thrones to A Dance with Dragons.

The epic game of thrones chronicled in George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire series has captured the imaginations of millions of readers. In Beyond the Wall, bestselling authors and acclaimed critics offer up thought-provoking essays and compelling insights:

Daniel Abraham reveals the unique challenges of adapting the original books into graphic novels. Westeros.org founders Linda Antonsson and Elio M. García, Jr., explore the series’ complex heroes and villains, and their roots in the Romantic movement. Wild Cards contributor Caroline Spector delves into the books’ controversial depictions of power and gender.

Plus much more, from military science fiction writer Myke Cole on the way Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder shapes many of the leading characters to author and television writer Ned Vizzini on the biases against genre fiction that color critical reactions to the series.

My Review:

I give this book a 4 out of 5. 

Most of these essays were pretty interesting. They explore the world of Westeros through varying topics: feminism, PTSD, redemption, and psychology, among many others. There were a few that I found boring which led me to lower my rating for this book. Otherwise, I really enjoyed the essays that really delved into the world and characters of Westeros. Definitely a must-read for fans of the series. 

You can purchase Beyond the Wall: Exploring George R. R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire through Amazon in hard copy or Kindle format. 

Have you read Beyond the Wall: Exploring George R. R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire? If so, leave a comment and let me know your thoughts! 

Please note: I was not compensated in any way for this review. It is strictly my opinion.