Blog Archives
Penny
Penny by Margaret Chu is a story of a zombie-infected world where no one believes the reality until they see it. Kathy and her husband move out to the country in order to give their children a better life. What ends up happing, though is far from their idealistic plans. Kathy is about to leave her home, happy for a new beginning, when she witnesses an unnatural phenomenon around her. While she wants to reach out to her family immediately, she cannot abandon the people in need. Her intervention leads to several survivors helping each other through an apocalyptic zombie-infested world. In an unexpected twist, one survivor, Penny, becomes the key to their survival, and the group must protect her at all costs.
The author presents the story in a clear, exciting sequence of events, focusing on a chronological style and moving forward quickly. Chu’s writing has a stream of conscious feel, allowing the reader to quickly become invested in the storyline. It’s an intriguing story with a few fascinating twists on the traditional zombie theme that will keep you reading and eager to learn more about the character’s plight and the potential for a dire future. I found the story easy to read, and there are a lot of possibilities to develop this story further, as a series or in a follow-up book.
Penny is a captivating sci-fi thriller about survival during a zombie apocalypse. With a hint of mystery weaved in, readers will be engaged in reading about who survives and how they manage. I’m eager to read more from this author, whether it’s a continuation of this story or another story with a similar dystopian theme. Penny by Margaret Chu is a remarkably entertaining tale and a great choice for science fiction and dystopian fantasy fans.
Pages: 336 | ASIN : 1955531862
Zaven
Zaven, written by Jed Cullen, starts us off with Tyler and his friends heading to their first day of school. The day starts relatively typical, but Jake, one of Tyler’s friends, is picked on by a new kid. Their friend, Eli, saves Jake from the massive new student. The day continues as usual, but Tyler gets into trouble and is told to go to detention that afternoon. Tyler skips detention to hang out with his friend at their treehouse. While they are there, an announcement is broadcasted over their radio, informing everyone that there is an outbreak of the virus that originated in Russia. This leads Tyler and his friends to fend for themselves and stick together as much as possible. Life with zombies has its challenges.
The plot is magnificent and leads to a spectacular ending. The plot twist really shocked me, and I loved it! Not what I expected at all. The characters were exceptionally well thought out as well. I could feel the emotions of the characters as they felt them. Tyler’s character surprised me a bit when he made a snap decision, but I think it fits his personality perfectly. Rufus was probably the most shocking character to read about out of all of them. You will need to read this book to see why I say that!
There were only a few things I didn’t like. First, I feel like they should have met more survivors. The action was a little slow to come by, but it was great once it happened. I also noticed a few British terminologies used in the book. That is ok, but I think if it is supposed to take place in the USA, it should contain US terminology.
Zaven is an exciting zombie thriller that will give readers an unexpected plotline. Keeping some traditional elements of zombie novels and adding new twists, Jed Cullen has created memorable characters that readers will want to root for and be anxious to see how the story ends. I would recommend it to a friend that loves books with zombies!
Pages: 302 | ASIN : B0BG7R944H
Poems For The End Of The Age
Author H. Peter Zell’s Poems for the End of the Age is his interpretation of The Book of Revelations. In these thought-provoking poems, the author tells of a catastrophic war between the U.S. and Russia. The poems titled ‘Reflections of a Believer’ and ‘Empire of the Apocalypse’ are the author’s interpretations of the apocalypse. The poems ‘Discourse on the Mosel or The Century Poem’ are from other poets who provide their views of recent historical events and predictions for the future.
I found the preface in the book to be an insightful addition that corroborates the author’s poems which touch upon Christianity and politics and how it all comes back to the apocalypse. In addition, the author’s writing style is conversational and informative. This style allows the reader to form their own opinion of The Book of Revelations, and this combination of providing insight while allowing me to find my own path made this book engaging. I also appreciate that the author acknowledges that some readers may not agree with his interpretation, but the author still discusses his findings and his truth.
After reading the author’s poems, I found it alarming that The Book of Revelations does touch upon many events that have happened and are currently happening in the world today. The most disturbing one of all is the War between Russia and the U.S. by 2030. Zell’s poems serve as a wake-up call for awareness and early intervention of U.S. nationals. The author provides a fresh perspective of The Book of Revelations and challenges readers to question how our nation’s current actions affect the future.
Poems for the End of the Age is a thought-provoking book for those interested in politics and religion. This interesting read will help readers understand how the two topics correlate with one another. In addition, this is a perceptive and intriguing collection of poetry that will stay with you long after putting the book down.
Pages: 70
Coming Soon
Broken Revelations: Calamity of the Gods
Adrian is back! But, so is the Dominess. She has no shortage of jobs for Adrian, and this one seems like a no-brainer. Of course, nothing is as easy as it seems for Adrian and his entourage. When he pulls out a pad and pen and begins to take inventory of all the stolen items he must investigate as part of his task for the Dominess, he can’t possibly imagine where this list will take him. With one hurdle to get over–getting into the realm of the gods as a mere mortal, Adrian sets out to hold up his part of the bargain, no matter where or how far it may take him.
This is the third book of author Albert Scott’s Broken Revelations series, and I am amazed at the insanely diverse cast of characters created by the author. As classic as so many of them seem, Scott makes it feel like the most natural thing in the world for angels and demons, gods and goddesses, and dragons and werewolves to roam the streets today. The unique personalities given to each one of these characters make for a highly entertaining read, indeed. I love not knowing which one of Scott’s characters is going to come out with a quip or term used by my own teens. I found myself laughing out loud quite often while reading about Adrian’s adventures.
The pace of Scott’s writing is perfect for the genre. I like a fantasy story that moves quickly, gets to the heart of the matter, and puts characters in the forefront. Scott manages to do all this and more. Again, dialogue dominates the text. This isn’t always a welcome technique, but Scott’s ability to have his characters interact while simultaneously telling the story through their exchanges is unmatched. With quick wit, the author moves Adrian and his wives through the rising action and to the climax effortlessly all the while drawing readers in for the long haul.
With so many references to current pop culture, this extraordinary novel is a sure-fire hit. Scott is a master at the action/adventure/fantasy combo. Characters like Adrian don’t come around often–he stands out among all the other main players I have read in recent years.
Broken Revelations: Calamity of the Gods is a riveting adventure and fantasy novel with both memorable and relatable characters. Readers will experience Adrian’s quest along with him and his wives with vivid details in this installment of the trilogy.
Pages: 130 | ASIN : B09MV9T8BW
Time’s Up
Time’s Up by Mike Ross is a science fiction novel based on the end of human civilization and the politics behind it all. When a strange flying object appears outside the United Nations Headquarters building, the whole world goes into a panic. Then, voices are suddenly heard, issuing a warning about the approaching danger that will end human life on Earth. From this first contact with aliens, the United Nations leadership finds out that the sun is about to experience a series of very large Coronal Mass Ejections, an event that humans can do nothing about. There’s only one choice: to trust these alien voices and prepare a selected group of human beings that will evacuate the earth and start civilization on a new planet. But, will the political structures of the different countries allow for this evacuation to proceed fairly and peacefully?
There is tension from the beginning of this riveting story, the main point being that politicians’ humanity has been destroyed by their lust for power. The plot is presented so that we are always following the political figures dealing with this apocalyptic event across many countries, which allows the author to showcase the good and the bad that is present in most bureaucratic political organizations. The story’s pacing can feel somewhat slow at times, but this is balanced out by the intrigue and the need to find out how the story resolves. With time, the reader starts to engage with the plot, and the interest in the characters begins to spark.
The way the story is told leaves the reader wondering if what’s happening could be real or if it is just a hoax. Rumors start to spread, and even the most prominent political figures in the world are not sure if the appearance of this alien ship is the result of an elaborate prank or a terrorist act. This sets the plot in motion and keeps the reader guessing until the very end. Alongside the story, important aspects of the modern political world are displayed, opening a discussion about the many problems that some abusive, overbearing political powers pose to the world.
This well-crafted story is detailed and illustrates excellently how our current society would react to an apocalyptic event with its varied and complex political structures. The author makes sure to expose everything, from the interactions between different people to the preparations needed to ensure the continuation of human civilization. The result is a holistic book that deals with current human and political affairs as a commentary on how some of these structures have to be fought to avoid the sabotage that they impose on humankind.
Time’s Up is a gripping science fiction and a socio-political novel about how world leaders might handle an apocalypse situation. For those that enjoy a good conspiracy theory story and political maneuvering, this novel will keep them entertained and, perhaps, questioning how real could this be.
Pages: 386 | ISBN : 0578257890
I Create Relationships that are Multifaceted
Broken Revelations: Horsemen Rising follows four people that realize they are the prophesied four horsemen and must work together to save Earth. What was the inspiration for the setup to your story?
It was an episode of Supernatural where the Winchesters were fighting the four horsemen of the apocalypse when I thought to myself “ I don’t think I have heard or read anything about the origins of the horsemen.” So I began doing some research into them and the idea for the Broken Revelations universe grew.
What was the inspiration for the relationship that develops between the characters?
I was tired of reading the same flat type of relationships between characters that I have read in other fantasy books. I wanted the relationships in Broken Revelations to be a little more complicated and multifaceted especially between the Angels, Demons and Fallen who have loved, hated and perhaps pitied each other for eons.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
I would say adaptation would be the most important theme since that is something Adrian needs to survive in the new world he was thrown into.
Can you tell us what the second book will be about and when it will be available for fans to purchase?
Broken Revelations: Brides of War is about Adrian uniting the Angels, Demon and Fallen factions with a marriage and it is Available now on Amazon.
Author Links: GoodReads | Twitter | Instagram
That is until his life took to a sharp turn into the extraordinary after a one night stand with a beautiful woman calling herself “The Tattoo lady” leads him to the discovery that he was anything but ordinary as he quickly discovers that he and The Tattoo Lady are Nephal: the children of Angels and Demons, and are two of the prophesied four horsemen of the Apocalypse and meets the other two horsemen Matekai and Iku just in time for all of heaven and hell to break loose and uncovering a renegade angel’s plot to free the pagan gods to cause even more havoc on earth.
Now it’s up to the four horsemen unite to save the world that they were destined to destroy… that is if there anything left to save.
Broken Revelations: Brides of War
Adrian has quite the burden to shoulder. The Dominess has made an appearance and has a job offer for him. As one of the horsemen, he has been tasked with forcing the Nephal to buckle down on their out-of-control families, an incredible undertaking. While trying to decide how he might be able to accomplish this task, Adrian is also dealing with what can only be described as harassment by a pesky cult. Luckily, he won’t have to go it alone–if he can pull himself together long enough to keep things from going haywire and ruining his plans. To add to the drama, Adrian has less than a week to accomplish all this.
Broken Revelations: Brides of War is the second book in the series by Albert Scott. Adrian, one of the horsemen of the apocalypse, exists in a modern-day world with all the experiences and memories of centuries gone by. His life is filled with the drama of living in the present, with a few exceptions, one being the fact that his best friend is a werewolf. In addition, he is attempting to follow through on an order from the Dominess. Not one to back down or give up, Adrian forges ahead with every obstacle possible being tossed his way.
Author Albert Scott has a particular knack for creating memorable characters. The way in which he describes his characters is visually stunning. He has some of the most unique ideas for character types. I must admit that I had to reread the paragraph in which he introduces the Dominess’s Teeth. The imagery this line conjured up was nothing less than amazing. I enjoyed picturing what these two men looked like in Adrian’s world. The author’s writing style is dialogue-heavy. For many readers, this will be a dream come true. Many novels like this in the fantasy genre tend to rely mostly on narrative. Scott manages to shift the focus from long stretches of narrative to many spirited exchanges between characters, all of which lay out both the setting and plot without the need for extra filler. Scott truly does write efficiently.
Broken Revelations: Brides of War is a fantasy adventure novel that is an easy and fun read filled with humor, though dark at times. Readers will appreciate the unique blend of pop culture and references to figures from Biblical times. To anyone looking for a fresh take on apocalyptic tales, this is for them.
Pages: 194 | ASIN : B08HJLPGKS
Broken Revelations: Horsemen Rising
Broken Revelations: Horsemen Rising, by Albert Scott, is the first book in a new fantasy adventure trilogy. We begin the book following the seemingly mundane life of a security analyst named Adrian Gray. However, we soon find out that Adrian Gray is far from ordinary or mundane. After meeting a mysterious woman that goes by the name of “The Tattoo lady,” Gray learns he is one of the four horsemen of the apocalypse. Together the two of them meet up with the other two horsemen before embarking on a quest to stop a renegade angel from destroying the earth.
Throughout the book, we’re introduced to a variety of interesting characters, including the other three horsemen, the Cambion, the Nephilim, and even a dispensary-owning Jesus. Each of these characters, along with the others introduced throughout this action-packed novel, plays an integral role in a much bigger war that has been raging since the beginning of time. Scott does a fantastic job at building the suspense for this upcoming battle. Each new character brings something new to the storyline and adds another layer to the growing plot.
This first installment of the series does an excellent job of worldbuilding for the following two books. However, the author left some gaps in information, leaving the reader with questions likely to be answered later in the series. This allows the suspense to build not just for this novel, but the whole series.
In some books that use religious elements, the build is awkward and feels forced; this one, however, felt natural and flowed seamlessly into the storyline. It reads like an action and adventure novel that just so happens to have angels and demons in it.
Broken Revelations: Horsemen Rising is the action-filled start to the Broken Revelations trilogy. With occult horror themes and fantasy elements, readers will be hooked on this intriguing series from the start and anxiously awaiting the next installment to see what happens to the four horsemen.
Pages: 208 | ASIN : B07P1NN91B
LITERARY TITAN 