Mack Moyer's "Sketches of the Wigwam"

Title: Running Scared

“Sketches of the Wigwam” by Mack Moyer

Reviewed by Shelby Jo

10/24/2016

7:00 a.m.

“Sketches of the Wigwam” is a horror novel by Mack Moyer that forces its protagonist, Billy, to return to the Pennsylvania backwoods of his childhood, where he must face a monster he once thought was imaginary. Thoughts of the gruesome creature, the Wigwam, have haunted Billy throughout his life, but they can hardly compare to the torment that will forever follow him after this new encounter.

To the reader, Billy feels unmistakably like a Billy Pilgrim-esque everyman, ripped from his mediocre American life and thrown into absolute terror. However, unlike Slaughterhouse-Five, Billy must battle his horrors alone. Billy tells his story in a voice that sounds similar to Moyer’s own, creating narration that is simultaneously distinct and familiar. A sarcastic thirty-something who loves his simple life as a dish room manager, his girlfriend, and a constant stream of beer, Billy seems to have little place in the supernatural adventure in which he finds himself.

Billy’s crass lifestyle, and even crasser tongue, do nothing to prevent his terrible future from unfolding, which makes the reader wonder why Moyer chooses to define his protagonist with these traits. Beginning and ending with the same tone and characterization does little to highlight the events—the meat of the horror novel—that occur in between. Additionally, the scenes are intense and grisly in the moment, but the overall plot seems out of place because of this lack of character development.

Moyer’s voice is certainly ideal for the horror genre; his vivid descriptions and tight pacing make “Sketches of the Wigwam” a rapid page-turner. Unfortunately, his generic characterization and consequently lackluster plot leave the book to be lost in the masses of the genre.

I give “Sketches of the Wigwam” 3 out of 5 stars.

Read Away!

Shelby Jo

James Roberts' "Pardon Me"

Title: Humor Me

“Pardon Me” by James Roberts

Reviewed by Shelby Jo

8/1/16

3:46 p.m.

“Pardon Me” is a parody of epic proportions set in Victorian England. The story is told as the defense case in the trial of Madagan Run (pronounced Rhune, as he adamantly tells everyone he encounters). Through Run, James Roberts spins a tale of wild adventures across the British Empire to prove that the protagonist is innocent of treason and indicate just who is to blame.

The brightest element of the book is Run’s witty narration, which provides the true humor of the story, rather than the ridiculous scenarios in which the protagonist continually finds himself. In these scenarios, humor clearly takes precedence to plot, as the reader suspends all belief to extort a chuckle or two. Roberts’s prose saves the day, again; the characters’ quick dialogue and Run’s witty interjections make even the most bizarre scenes bearable and keep the reader searching for the true plot.

The story unfolds artfully, albeit slowly and lengthily, beginning with Run’s supposed crimes and revealing in reverse how he is always in the wrong place at the wrong time. This format keeps the reader guessing and eager to learn more, as well as curious as to how Her Majesty, Queen Victoria, will ultimately rule on Run’s case. Roberts populates Run’s tale with hilariously one-dimensional characters—each more crazy and entertaining than the last and each presenting a unique obstacle that Run must blunder through to complete his adventure.

“Pardon Me” fills a void for a niche audience, providing the humor often lacking in stories about history or culture. Of course, the book is by no means factual, but it is littered with references to real historic figures and events—the “pop culture” references that seem to be mandatory in any work of humor.

I give “Pardon Me” 4 out of 5 stars.

Read Away!

Shelby Jo 

Lisa Wylie's "Burning Suns"

Title: Lights Spark

“Burning Suns Book One: Conflagration” by Lisa Wylie

Reviewed by Shelby Jo

6/27/16

5:00 p.m.

Burning Suns Book One: Conflagration by Lisa Wylie tosses tough, back-talking space captain Jennifer Bronwen and her unlikely companion, straight-laced politician Keera Naraymis, into an intergalactic adventure of political intrigue. The story alternates primarily between the two women’s perspectives as they team up in order to maintain peace as they know it.

The largest pitfall of the fantasy and science fiction genres is “plot for plot’s sake,” and Conflagration provides no relief from this trope. The inciting incidents are delicately arranged like a stack of dominoes to throw the main characters into the action of the book, rather than the incidents occurring naturally out of character-conscious decisions.

The characters of Conflagration may make this difficult, however, because they are not especially dynamic or well defined. The powerful female duo that leads the story is refreshing and entertaining, but unfortunately inconsistent. Jen and Keera have great potential to contrast and complement each other, once their characters are more thoroughly developed.

 Wylie cleverly includes planet Earth amidst the other fantastic and fictional galaxies in this space epic, without the planet serving as “home base” for any characters, a decision that significantly advances the world building and easily helps to ground the reader in the story. Wylie’s prose finds a comfortable, and enviable, middle ground; the story reads like fantasy or sci-fi without sounding contrived.

The author’s attempt to tell part of the narrative from the point of view of a cyborg character muddles the story. This was a bold move on Wylie’s part, and it does provide a unique perspective; however, she also attempts to relay intricate political complications in these sections that simply cannot come across to the reader with the stream of consciousness formatting.

I give “Conflagration” 3 out of 5 stars.

Happy Reading!

Shelby Jo