Amy Braun's "Damnation's Door"

Title: Blood is Thicker than Water

Damnation’s Door by Amy Braun

Reviewed by K. Royce

10/31/16

9:00 p.m.

Connie and Dro are two sisters who are very close, well as close as people can get when one of them is the offspring of an angel and demon. After opening the gates of both Heaven and Hell it is up to these two sisters and their band of misfits, to fight both Lucifer and Michael, the archangel, all while trying to close the gates and keep Lucifer away from his daughter, Dro. Not to mention, Dro has major internal struggles and Connie…well, she is constantly trying to be the tough older sister who refuses to let anyone get emotionally close to her. But can Connie protect Dro from herself? And how can anyone stop the devil from taking what he believes belongs to him, his daughter?

Damnation’s Door has a cyclic story that follows closely to the plots of the first two novels in the series. The story is written in first person narration told by Connie, so the readers get insights into her thinking and justifications of her actions. She is over protective, and the reader is reminded countless times every chapter. The writing is quite repetitive, almost a quarter of the book is descriptions of fight scenes, which are very descriptive and shows the authors strengthens. However, part of the downfall is there needs to be new scenes to write about and an expansion of the character’s personalities.

Amy Braun created a world that brings together the supernatural realm of heaven and hell in an epic battle. Damnation’s Door is interesting enough to captivate readers who are looking for a good quick read.

I give this book 3 out of 5 stars.

Enjoy!

K. Royce

Jason Helford's "From a Killer's Mind"

Title: A Publisher’s Read

From a Killer’s Mind by Jason Helford

Reviewed by K. Royce

9/26/16

7:00 a.m.

John has a need that drives his every move. This need tells him when to eat, when to wake up and when to go “shopping”.  After one of his shopping trips, to get a middle-aged blonde woman, things begin to unravel. A passing sign triggers some repressed memories of his childhood abuse and causes John to start a break from reality.  Things continue to spiral out of John’s control when he gets home and has further dissociative blackouts. When he finally comes to, the woman is dead. And once the police are involved, John fears he will no longer be able to hide his dark side.

Jason Helford gives the reader a disturbing glance into the mind of a serial killer. The kind of story that should not be read alone at night, well honestly it doesn’t matter when its read. This story  lingers within your thoughts long after the pages have stopped turning. It is believed that matters of the psyche always leave readers examining their own consciousness. And when the author starts a story at 100 mph, not conforming to similar books within this genre which take a steady pace, hooking the reader after several chapters and some never find that sweet spot, “From a Killer’s Mind” is the opposite. This read plagues the mind and hooks readers instantaneously.

This read is for anyone that enjoys a good thrill. It is not a typical horror story where after a few chapters the plot is easily figured out. The twists continue to come from start to finish and the language of the story pulls the reader in, almost as if they are the one suffering the psychotic break. Helford’s writing style and descriptions of the crime scene are not for the faint of heart, but if that can be tolerated this book is definitely worth a read.

I give this story 5 out of 5 stars.

Enjoy!

K. Royce

Zeynep Guvenc's "Homeless"

Title: A PUBLISHER’S READ!

Homeless by Zeynep Guvenc

Reviewed by K. Royce

5/28/16

4:00 p.m.

We see them every day, and yet we don’t…, the homeless. They live on streets, under bridges, in cars, and possibly inside houses. They have become part of the fabric of society; and yet, many well-to-do individuals will walk pass the dispossessed man or woman who is asking for food or money, as if they are as insignificant. And mentally, the passersby will make excuses like, “If I give that homeless man any money he would just spend it on drugs.” But could it be that the person asking for help is really homeless? Is it possible that the streets have become his or her home, the place that they have come to feel comfortable and accepted? Let’s take it a step further.  Perhaps a homeless person has a roof over their head and yet they feel displaced, such as an immigrant.

Author Zeynep Guvenc’s Homeless is an excellently written novel that examines both the homeless on the streets and the displaced living behind closed doors. This story expertly intertwines the lives of five immigrant families and each dealing with their own shortcomings; the plight of immigrants, homosexuality, drug abuse, teen pregnancy, and infidelity all linking each of the families together. As well as giving readers insight into the lives of those living on the streets of San Francisco and their hardships. Guvenc writes about the homeless individuals from the depths of her soul, as if she knows their stories personally, and her understanding creates a connection between the reader and the characters within the book.

Readers will enjoy every word. And fall in love with the author’s writing style. Each chapter has a series of vignettes that moved the story along and addressed each character’s story. Not once throughout the book was a date mentioned or when time had passed an actual amount listed, this gave the story a feeling of timelessness. Some of the chapters were written in a very post-modernist style of a character’s internal monologue; this was an excellent feature to the story as not many authors attempt to do this anymore, and yet Guvenc succeeded.

I give Homeless 5 out of 5 stars and nominate it for a Publisher’s Read.

Enjoy!

K. Royce

Smita Bhattacharya's "He Knew A Firefly"

Title: Fly Away Firefly

“He Knew A Firefly” by Smita Bhattacharya

Reviewed by K. Royce

5/7/16

10:00 a.m.

Akshara possessed a gift that no one should ever have. A gift that allowed her to experience the most vivid dreams, but the downside, she, as well as those around her were at risk. Several major events took place in Akshara’s life in which she blamed herself for and she swore to never allow herself to get close to anyone ever again. But that all changed when she met Olivier. Things appeared to be going great, but her dreams started becoming more realistic and she was faced with making a choice: stay with Olivier and be happy or be alone in order to keep her friends and loved ones safe.

The recap mentioned above gives some readers the impression that this book was more interesting than it really was. Unfortunately, the story was slow and extremely difficult to understand. The chapters jumped from character to character and at sometimes, the reader had to make it halfway through a chapter to realize if the events taking place were in the past, present or future. And lastly, there was the issue with dialect. He Knew A Firefly, was set in India for the majority of the story, and often times during character conversations Indian dialect and jargon was tossed into the story; this made it impossible for someone who does not speak the language to know what was being said.

I took a few extra days on this review to truly figure out, why I did not like this story?  And more importantly, I wanted this to be honest and offer a fair review. I loved the author’s writing style - the language, when it was English, was beautiful; the descriptions of emotions felt by the characters and the characters themselves were very developed and expressed wonderfully. However, there was not enough action with the characters. Even if this story was supposed to mimic life, which is perfectly fine, there still was not enough taking place to keep the story moving. The book lulled in some spots and came to a complete stop in others.

I give it 2 out of 5 stars.

Enjoy!

K. Royce

Eric T. Knight's "Watching the End of the World"

Title: Would You Survive?

Watching the End of the World by Eric T Knight

Reviewed by K. Royce

2/21/16

4:00 p.m.

Reality TV has become a huge part of society and anyone looking to get rich quick should look no further than an audition. A group of contestants, five men and 5 women, signed up thinking they were traveling to Madagascar to participate on a show in which Survivor meets The Real World. However, on their way to the island there is a major terrorist attack, the island closes its borders, and the contestant’s plane crashes in some jungle in Africa. These contenders now must survive while watching the rest of world crumble.

This book has a plot that once you think you have figured it out, you probably have, however, the twists are still there. The story is well-written and it is a page turner throughout, not once slowing down. From start to finish the reader will be captivated. Although the plot is not too unexpected, honestly, it is just that good. My adrenaline did not slow down until I read the last word.

Eric Knight has written a novel that if it ever were to become a reality I would be terrified and yet enthralled. The ideas he presents in this read speaks to the very nature of society, as it is today. We are desensitized to horrific acts, we can’t turn away, like a bad car wreck you have to keep looking. While it was not a mystery book nor that difficult to deduce where they plot was heading, the ideas presented are very intriguing. It could be seen as a glimpse into the future of TV if the right people and the right prices are involved.  With all the dystopian and zombie apocalypse movies and books filling the shelves this book was a great change of pace. It was a good dose of reality.

I give this book 4 out of 5 stars.

Enjoy!

K. Royce

Truth Devour's "Illuminarium"

Title: Publisher’s Read

Illuminarium (Soliloquy’s Labyrinth Series Book 1) by Truth Devour

Reviewed by K. Royce

10/30/15

8:00 p.m.

Imagine walking along a path, only to find that this path is going to change your life forever. That is exactly what happened to Harper while hiking in the woods. She happened upon a mysterious owl who led her to an even more mysterious book, a memoir of a young boy. Harper quickly feels this book was meant for her and it touches the very heart of her soul. She decides to follow the journey it has started for her, which introduces some friendly and unfriendly faces. Nonetheless, she decides to continue onward, after all this feels like destiny.

Truth Devour has written an amazing paranormal fiction/fantasy thriller. I devoured it (Oh yeah, pun intended). The descriptions quickly draw the reader in and does not let go until the final word on the last page. Like every paranormal story it has a language that is confusing at first, but almost right away it is explained. The story is so fantastic you almost don’t even care that you have no idea what they are talking about.

This captivating story will keep you rushing along with Harper and her friends the entire time. Illuminarium is the perfect set up for the remaining books in this series, the time spent on character development is obvious; Harper is a dynamic heroine that all people can relate to on some level.

Author Truth Devour has started a story that I have no doubt will keep readers guessing up until the very end. The very night that I finished the story I went out and bought book 2, try not to do it yourself, I bet you can’t.

I give this story 5 out of 5. I also recommend it for Publisher’s Read.

Enjoy!

K. Royce

Jason Parent's "Seeing Evil"

Title: What is in Your Future?

Seeing Evil by Jason Parent

Reviewed by K. Royce

9/27/15

7:00 p.m.

How do you stop a crime that has not been committed? That is the issue for Detective Samantha Reilly when she receives information about a murder that has not happened; especially when that information comes from high school freshman, Michael.

Seeing Evil is a suspense thriller that will keep you turning every page. After a traumatic event, author Jason Parent’s main character, Michael, awakens with a strange new talent. The teen’s new ability enables him to assist Samantha in solve a missing person’s case. He is deeper into darkness when a shy and abused girl, Tess Masterson, asks him to look into her future. What he sees sends him right to Samantha. Together Samantha and Michael will try to prevent one murder. Meanwhile, Michael tries to save the woman that had rescued him.

You will be drawn into the struggle that Samantha faces between serving her community as a detective and fighting to stay alive. In addition, Michael is a character that most can relate to, the severely misunderstood kid who just wants to make it through high school. This well-written book is a quick read, seeing, as you do not want to set it down. It is perfect for a cold day with some hot cocoa.

I give Seeing Evil 5 out of 5 stars.

Enjoy!

K. Royce