Category Archives: Three Stars
The Power of Us
![The Power of Us (Us Duology Book 1) by [Skylar Shoar]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41tqAUZg6IL.jpg)
Skylar Shoar’s The Power of Us is utterly romantic. It follows the love story of Harly, a young billionaire and Cassidy, a college freshman. Although they come from entirely different worlds, they are drawn to each other from the first day they meet, their lives becoming deeply intertwined.
Naturally, they face many challenges, some instigated by family and others by foes. But they seem to be tenacious, at least when it comes to their love. However, something much greater than people’s opinions and reactions eventually threatens to wreak havoc on their union.
If there is one thing that makes this story so relatable, it has to be its main characters. Harly and Cassidy are so well developed, so well fleshed out that you would be forgiven for believing you know them personally. By writing the story from each of their perspectives, the author brings us into their inner domain, helping us understand why they act the way they do.
Apart from their love for each other, we also get a glimpse of how their childhoods informed the current personalities and thought processes. Moreover, we encounter powerful themes like loyalty, betrayal, revenge, and the need for belonging; all things that readers can identify with. But if I was to pick one thing that I loved most about this book, it would have to be its easy-to-read language. Its sentences are simple and clear, leaving little to the imagination.
While I enjoyed this story, I would have loved a more dramatic twist at the end, and a few more interesting facets that would make the story more unique in the romance genre and keep things from being predictable. The sex scenes, while steamy, reinstated the powerful man- innocent woman dynamic where I would have loved a unique twist.
The Power of Us is perfect for a mature audience interested in new adult romance. Readers looking for a dramatic love story with riveting scenes of love and violence will find plenty to enjoy in Skylar Shoar’s provocative novel.
Pages: 452 | ASIN: B08LQQ6CMR
Gifted
![Gifted by [Walter Strychowskyj]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41Gb1u0LneL.jpg)
Wally is managing to maneuver through life one drama averted at a time. From the very beginning, he has led an exceptional life and possesses abilities like no one else around him. He is one of a select group of people in the world with highly-developed senses and a memory that never fails; his gifts are both an asset and a curse. Nothing gets by Wally and, unfortunately, everything happens to him. He has lived through his mother being killed and almost losing his dream of graduating from Harvard’s prestigious law school. Somehow, Wally always manages to persevere.
Gifted, by Walter Strychowskyj, is the story of a gifted but troubled man and the many obstacles he faces throughout his life. The primary dilemma Wally must navigate is his blossoming relationship with Elizabeth. Their romance and the drama surrounding the two of them and Wally’s nemesis, Jeffrey, permeates the story. Interspersed throughout the book are the many complications with which Wally must deal with regarding his family’s involvement in drug distribution–a thorn in Wally’s side for much of his life.
This book has great potential, but I felt that the book bounces from one storyline to another without clean breaks and I felt like there were no clear connections between them. While the characters were interesting, I felt like the characters emotions rapidly changed. I was left wanting a deep dive into each of these characters because what was given was so intriguing.
This book definitely has potential to have a riveting plot that uses parallel storylines about the family’s involvement in illegal activity.
Gifted by Walter Strychowskyj has phenomenal potential in each of the characters. With a little more cohesiveness I think this could be a stellar book that explores some deep topics through a compelling character. Readers who enjoy crime fiction stories or family drama grounded in reality will enjoy Gifted by Walter Strychowskyj.
Pages: 332 | ASIN: B08MWVPPMD
Sanctuary (The Dark Days Series Book 2)
![Sanctuary (The Dark Days Series Book 2) by [Christopher Cole]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41pfWNY1BIL._SY346_.jpg)
Dark Days- Sanctuary, by Christopher Cole is the second book in his thrilling post-apocalypse book series. The book is set in a dystopian land and follows the story of a few survivors trying to sustain themselves in an undead infested world, but the story is more than survival and bloodshed. Its focus is on the relationship between the characters in the aftermath of death and its implications on the survivors. A group of people, including Sonny and his friends, are trying to find a safe sanctuary, all the while fighting the zombies. They find a safe haven in Fort Gold Rush. The city was built to protect residents from the zombies and predators secured behind walls. The sanctuary has A Good Place vibe to it, but will this blissful state last, or does fate have more adventures for them?
Sonny, our protagonist, is a 12-year-old boy trying to protect his friends and missing his own family while trying to figure out the world around him. The second protagonist is an older adult, Grim, who is on the lookout for someone to pass his knowledge to. The story revolves around the connection between the two. While Sonny is innocent and pure, Grim is cold, callous, but good at heart.
I was able to connect to the character’s point of view and I also loved the message of the story, but I felt that the structure could have been improved with some editing that would remove some of the repeat sentences and keep the story concise.
I still found myself immersed in this emotional story. The characters were intriguing, but I felt that their actions and relationships were black and white, in a post-apocalyptic dystopian world I wanted things to be a bit more grey in areas that would allow the mind to wonder.
This book reminds me of AMC’s The Walking Dead in it’s ability to explore characters in a high stress situation, which is intriguing on its own, but then add in a bit of NBC’s The Good Place and you have a unique zombie apocalypse story the likes of which gives readers plenty to be entertained with.
I would recommend Dark Days- Sanctuary to rabid fans of the zombie apocalypse genre. Readers will find a unique story to get lost in and, with a bit of editing, this could easily be one of the best post-apocalyptic stories I’ve read this year.
Pages: 292 | ASIN: B08L84KY32
Skies of Red Dawn
![Skies of Red Dawn by [Matthew Taylor]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41U96f3Ku0L.jpg)
Matt Taylor’s Skies of Red Dawn follows Robert J. Johnathan, a retired CIA agent who is framed for traitorous actions that result in a team of comrades dying during a mission. With his own team going after him he enlists his ally, British MI6 agent Captain Liam Thomas James Sterling, on a personal mission to uncover the source of the ambush, only to find himself tangled in the midst of a dangerous terrorist plot.
Skies of Red Dawn has all the makings of a great spy thriller. It has a fast-paced narrative that keeps readers engaged, and the characters are dynamic and likable. The references to weaponry, reconnaissance language, and battleground tactics also imply that the author completed the necessary research to make this story believable.
While I enjoyed this compelling novel, I felt that there were a few punctuation and spelling errors that distracted from an otherwise stimulating read. If this book had a good proofreading, I have no doubt that this will be a top-notch book.
The story takes Johnathan and Sterling from English-speaking America to Cuba and Cyprus, where both agents encounter other individuals who speak non-English languages. As a Spanish speaker, I was able to fully understand the exchanges in Spanish. However, the exchanges in Greek left me feeling lost since I am unfamiliar with the language. The story keeps an air of authenticity in this way, but I do not feel as though I got a full understanding of each scene due to the lack of translation
Matt Taylor has written a story with action-packed narration, an intriguing spy theme, and a solid plot along with engrossing character development. With some helpful translation and proofreading I think the focus will remain on these solid pieces of storytelling. Skies of Red Dawn will be welcomed by readers that enjoy spy thrillers with an authentic feel.
Pages: 269 | ASIN: B08GM98LMB
1 Law 4 All – Gator
![1 Law 4 All - Gator by [Billy Angel]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51Z8cCxnQmL.jpg)
1 Law for All – Gator is the third installment of a Billy Angel’s political thriller series. This book is a suspenseful crime fiction story set in modern times. There are two storylines that this book follows; Dominica and her upcoming nuptials, as well as the Fair and Freedom Foundation, which is an organization consisting of mostly millennials who fight against voter fraud. They have sought help from the 1 Law for All Foundation as the organization has drawn attention from dangerous people. With the backdrop of a wedding and the action-packed dangers of the political waters, Gator country is in trouble.
There is a lot to unpack in this book thrilling book. It felt like an alternate timeline to our current situation in the U.S. There was great detail put into the the plan to tamper with the election by the Democrats in this high stakes political thriller. They were heavily involved with having votes changed by various nefarious means, Russians were involved, and there was even mention of Clinton conspiracy theories at one point. All are uncanny portrayals of the extreme views both sides take in todays turbulent political climate and that same tension is successfully reflected on the page in Billy Angel’s riveting thriller. I appreciated how well thought out the plan was to commit election fraud as it made it feel real, which allowed me to get further invested in the story and the characters. This story utilizes right-wing conspiracy theories to great affect. Those theories in our current political climate can be dangerous and delegitimize our democracy, but Billy Angel, like any good fiction writer, asks the question of ‘what if’ and sets his story on a path that is entertaining.
1 Law for All – Gator is an intriguing fictional take on election fraud, even introducing nanobot technology at one point, which having a bit of science fiction infused in the story was surprising but welcomed. It was this futuristic take on how to change the votes that I enjoyed. Fans of political thrillers that like complex storylines and well orchestrated action scenes will enjoy this well written book.
Pages: 335 | ASIN: B08HVG8PT1
Random Summer Storms: Book Three – Family
Dee is a surfer who has lived an eventful youth. Managing to survive one dangerous scenario after another, she has pretty much experienced it all. From swimming with Orcas to experimenting with drugs and trying to outwit known criminals, Dee and her friends knew no boundaries. Her summers were filled with one breathtaking encounter after another. She recalls these times fondly and describes the thrill associated with each of their close-calls with an unmatched level of nostalgia. As the years passed, Dee’s family grew and her family meets with their own challenges and successes. Theirs is a life many would look upon with amazement.
Random Summer Storms, by Denise Ann Stock, is the third book in contemporary fiction a series. Main characters, Dee and Ian, have a past rooted in turmoil. They have known nothing but drama since their youth on the coast of California. Wishing to leave their past behind and begin a new life, Dee and Ian set their sights on Florida for their fresh start.
Stock’s third book in a series is, by and large, a narrative. With few exchanges between characters, Random Summer Storms reads more like a memoir than a story with a clearly-defined sequence of events. Dee, the narrator, relates a detailed description of every family member’s activities and challenges. From her own husband and children to her extended family members, she paints a clear picture of each one’s celebrations as well as their business dealings, legal or otherwise.
Random Summer Storms is written in a unique style. While I prefer more dialogue in my realistic fiction, I enjoyed the feel of the memoir. I would have appreciated a little more organization to the story as I felt like it was a bit aimless at times, which left me with questions. This family fiction story felt as though it contained a little bit of everything, there was a motley collection of striking dilemmas and curious conflicts.
Random Summer Storms has the potential to be a truly engaging story, but I felt like the characters are not given an opportunity to flourish in a well-developed plot. Had Random Summer Storms been touted as memoir-esque and edited to read in a more diary-type narration, it could have been quite a fascinating piece of literature.
Pages: 252 | ISBN: 1952269474
Lost Universe
Captain Patrick and his team are out to find the end of the universe, and they believe they have arrived at their destination. But they are not prepared for what’s coming next. Upon arrival, they receive news from aliens that earth and all its inhabitants have been vaporized. It turns out the captain and his three crew members are the only humans left in the entire universe. Now the Federation must protect these people and help them start a new race on a new earth. But there’s more to all this than meets the eye. Humans hold a deep secret that affects every creature in the universe. Now different forces are jostling to lay hold on it. What’s this secret, and to what length would the powers that be go to extract it from the last known humans?
Keith Brandon’s Lost Universe is a sci-fi novel that is brimming with activity and all of it is wrapped in an intriguing story line. Brandon sets up shop on extraterrestrial worlds. He takes us on a journey through the universe and tickles the imagination with accounts of aliens, spaceships, psychic powers, and advanced technology.
Keith Brandon builds his story around the common existential questions – who are we? Why are we here? And where did we come from? Interestingly, in his book, it is not man that’s asking these questions. In fact, it’s man who has the answers to them, buried deep in his subconscious. I find this interesting because it’s as if Brandon is saying if we looked deep enough, we’d discover the answers to these questions within ourselves.
Alongside the central theme, he also tells a story about leadership, unity in diversity, tolerance, and communal cooperation. Not to worry, all the convoluted conspiracies and cool alien tech transformed what would have otherwise been a snooze fest into a bubbling tale.
I like Brandon’s simplicity. It made the book easy to read. He also doesn’t try to cram so many details into the story. Instead, he keeps things concise and I could get through the book at a decent pace. With only a few grammatical errors here and there, the story was overall engaging. While Brandon weaves an engaging plot, I wanted to dig deeper into the exotic worlds he’s created in this book. Science fiction fans looking for a space opera brimming with adventure will have plenty to enjoy in this story.
Pages: 302 | ASIN: B07QWB8GJB
Crown of Crowns
![Crown of Crowns by [Clara Loveman]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51-+heJ0olL.jpg)
As a daughter of one of the ruling families of Geniverd, Kaelyn has never known anything outside of her life of privilege and protection. She begins to realize the depth of that privilege when she meets Roki and learns more about the struggles of the common people. Through personal tragedies and charitable work, Kaelyn’s life changes drastically in just three years, but she is unaware that the changes are about to escalate quickly, and in ways she could never have imagined. Suddenly faced with more power and knowledge than she thought existed, Kaelyn has to become the savior Geniverd didn’t know it needed.
Crown of Crowns by Clara Loveman takes place on a dystopian-esque planet named Geniverd where disease has been nearly eradicated, natural births are against the moral code, and machines do every job previously held by humans. The ruling class, with royal families on each of the six continents, live in luxury and are insulated from any of the problems faced by the rest of the population. Kaelyn never questioned the traditions that her family, and the other elitists, followed until her mid-teens when she realizes just how much of a division they have actually created within the world and the majority of the people. At that point, Crown of Crowns moves the narrative along at a breakneck pace, as Loveman introduces a barrage of situations that forces Kaelyn to quickly mature, as she struggles with an ever-changing worldview. The story is a smooth and easy read for the most part, although the language occasionally reverts to almost adolescent type slang, which is jarring and a departure from the overall competent tone of the book.
Crown of Crowns deals heavily with the theme of morality, and the idea of doing what is right versus doing what has always been done. Kaelyn makes it clear early on that she believes tradition isn’t always what’s best, especially when a majority of people are suffering as a result. Her beliefs form initially from a place of selfishness (tradition would keep her from being with the person she loves) but as she grows and learns more about the world, she sees that genuine change is necessary for the people to thrive.
Reading Crown of Crowns right now was also incredibly interesting because there were key plot points that reflected issues in our current society, namely an unforeseen pandemic and severe social unrest caused by years of disregard for the “common” people. The characters were engaging and I was invested in discovering what Kaelyn would do next, however, the book ends abruptly, leaving loose ends and questions to be answered in a followup novel. Crown of Crows is an epic dystopian fantasy novel that will entertain young-adult fans.
Pages: 238 | ASIN: B08BJGNHT7
LITERARY TITAN 