Blog Archives
Letters From Atlantis: The Legend of Parakos
Pleistocene – The Legend of Parakos is the debut novel by J.P Conrad and tells a story spanning millennia. It begins with the fall of Atlantis thousands of years ago and catches up with us in the 21st Century. Pleistocene starts with an ending, the destruction of Atlantis. Conrad paints Atlantis as a hyper-advanced civilization, much more advanced than we are today. Conrad doesn’t take much time to explain their technology, but one thing soon becomes apparent. Like modern society, they have become overly dependent on a single power source.
Despite multiple warnings, the Atlanteans have doomed themselves to self-destruction through their own greed. We witness this destruction through the eyes of Avis, a 12-year-old boy whose uncle (and guardian) is one of the engineers working on the said power source. Through Avis, we are also introduced to the Elvanelans, another hyper-advanced people whose technology is more akin to magic. Just as we are becoming acquainted with Avis, the book jumps ahead 12 thousand years and introduces us to Keats, a scientist in the 21st Century. The rest of the book follows Keats’ race against time to avert the environmental destruction looming over the modern world. During his journey, we discover more and more connections between the modern-day crisis and what happened to Atlantis thousands of years ago.
Conrad is clearly an environmentalist at heart, and the whole novel reads as a warning of what happens when society fails to look after the environment. Conrad is successful in his goal; the book is bound to make you think. Keats is in a race against time to save the world, which is reflected in how Conrad writes.
The narrative is speedy, breathless almost. Conrad rarely slows down to explain what is going on before Keats (and the reader) are thrown headlong into the following dire situation. This fast-paced action effectively instills in the reader that this is a race against time with high stakes. There are a lot of jumps in perspective as the author ties the two time periods together in the beginning. The jumps allow the reader to make the connections between the modern-day destruction of resources and the downfall of Atlantis.
Letters From Atlantis: Pleistocene – The Legend of Parakos is an exciting read with interesting ideas. If you like a fast-paced adventure, enjoy science fiction or care about the environment, then this is worth a read.
Page: 346 | ISBN : 1637671555
Pulling Teeth and Other Stories
Grimdark fiction with a paranormal focus can settle like oil underwater when blended with action and gunplay, but Pulling Teeth and Other Stories by Jessa Forest has a balanced blend. Each corner of stark weird or science fiction here is softened by the wolves. Sterile laboratory prison landscapes are brightened somehow with childlike wonder. Bounding through these forests untethered, we find stories of the bond between father and daughter, master and apprentice, trust and honor.
As a collection of novellas and short stories, Pulling Teeth is the beginning of a series about a young hybrid werewolf, Regina Slaughter. Maintaining a similar tone and following in chronological order, each story hits extremes of tension, horror, and the unknown with ease and alacrity.
Regina’s tragic upbringing to the age of nine and the fate of her family unfolds as we follow her from being an imprisoned test subject to her freedom after being taken in by another faction, more of her kind, mercenary werewolves. Considering this is a world where werewolves, magic, parallel dimensions, and vampires exist, in the relatively small space these stories provide, we also delve into friendships, family, loss, and lunacy which is no small feat for a world with such complexity.
Regina was test subject 33 at the HADES facility. After two years of their attempts to control the powers of werewolves with torture and restraint, her rescue comes in a bloody and unexpected ally. Atlas, a werewolf mercenary from a nearby stronghold, becomes her protector and unlikely substitute for her father, who was taken away too soon. Her new pack leader, Thane, who dresses in the hides of mysterious creatures formed into a plague mask, is cold and strict. But, when he unexpectedly takes the feral Regina under his wing, her animal strength and desire to serve her new pack with honor seem to have finally found a place. There are many factions at war or with tenuous alliances in the world that Jessa Forest has created. The world can seem quite complex.
Luckily, we have an introductory short story, Welcome to HADES, that outlines the differences between the organization’s different departments that hunt werewolves, vampires, mages, and other Void creatures in the form of an employee manual. The stories of these animals’ hunters and the hunted unfold in three novellas and two short stories mainly from the werewolf point-of-view. Regina’s Guide to Monster Hunting, later on in the book, serves as a bookend to the first chapter and creatively adds to the readers’ arsenal. Many of our questions are answered as we read on, exploring the world between these two chapters.
The characters of Regina, Thane, and Atlas are broadened expertly in the titular short story, Pulling Teeth. It is somewhat visceral; it reminds us that Regina is the scrappy orphan we envision as a budding werewolf warrior or typical young teen. However, the unexpected change of pace with Demon Tooth reveals that the humans here are largely oblivious to the dark world at their doorstep. Werewolves, understandably, stay within the shadows hiding in the darker recesses of humanity. Inevitably they will cross with this story of bored suburban human teens taunting forces they barely understand, but that Regina knows all too well.
Although we get to know a lot about her past captivity, abuse, and perhaps stunted personality, Regina sometimes comes across as a lot younger than she is. This could also speak to her animalistic and simplistic nature, which may naturally read as a younger girl than 11 years old. This is the only fault in the dialogue or how others treat her; at times, a child is a trusted member of the team. Her attitude vacillating from studious apprentice and bratty teen reads as unstable at times. Ultimately, it is refreshing to see some of the childlike phrases from Regina and see the world through her eyes guide our reactions to those around her to a certain extent.
As with much science fiction or weird tales, it takes a little getting used to the typology, the taxonomy, and jargon. One tactic Forest uses is likening Regina’s situations into contemporary, classic horror, and science fiction films. Without being a casual name-drop, this helps ground readers into the world through Regina’s eyes because she’s watched many films that fans of this literature are likely to have seen.
If anything, we want to find out more about Regina. Although we’ve had a great insight into her past, her future is a mystery. From the human threat to the Void itself, there is peril in our imaginations. The more we understand how she fits within this world, the more we want to see her adapt. As this is the beginning of a series, fans of this first set of stories will eagerly expect the next installment.
Our world of mythology and science blends here as naturally as fur and fang. Definitely a great fit for fans of a strong character storyline, the politics of warring factions, and following guns for hire. And, of course, those who love a new take on monster stories, specifically werewolves and origin stories for all that is dark, occult, and macabre.
Pulling Teeth and Other Stories is a riveting combination of grimdark, science fiction, fantasy, and horror. This collection of short stories will take readers on an unforgettable journey.
Pages: 266 | ASIN : B08M12631P
Sanctum Is Coming For You Once Again!
Sanctum: Forests of Avalon follows a knight and his companion on a quest to save the dying world of Avalon. What was the inspiration for the setup to your story?
In our first book when we had Isolde come to Setesh, and she was a stranger in a strange land. For the readers – we wanted them to experience the “newness” of the world through her eyes. With Forest of Avalon – we wanted to create context for the audience to understand what kind of world she came from and how VASTLY different it was to Setesh in both culture & environment. Both CS & I are fans of Arthurian Fantasy so the concept of the land dying and being poisoned at its heart was our nod to those stories of old, as well as giving us an opportunity to put a spin on it.
How long did it take you to imagine, draft, and write the world your characters live in?
For Avalon – CS began in November of 2020, but then holidays and the world going politically crazy – we really started the engines again in early 2021 and finished officially in September/October. So basically 10 months to create new characters/creatures, personalities, as well as give the land of Avalon substance.
What character did you enjoy writing for? Was there one that was more challenging to write for?
While I can’t answer for CS – personally, it isn’t so much as a specific character – but the back and forth verbal sparring between the main & side characters. My goal is to always make sure that the characters you meet are more than two-dimensional cameos. I want them to seem like they have lives and responsibilities beyond their interaction with the main characters.
While both CS & I write for both Isolde & Tulok – the most challenging thing is ensuring that there isn’t any character bleed. If I write the actions of one character one way – I want to be sure that the attitudes and actions are consistent when I write. This way, when CS takes up the pen for her sessions – she can look back at that consistency, and know where she can go with her take. Since we don’t occupy the same living space, and have our own lives – we end up sending messages and DMs to one another asking why the other did this or complimenting the direction that was taken. Writing solo is one thing – but writing as a partnership is challenging but extremely satisfying when we’re in tune.
What is the next book that you are working on and when will it be available?
We are currently working on the third book of the series (to be named) and ideally we are also aiming at completing it by the end of the year. So come December – watch out! Sanctum is coming for you once again!
Author Links: Twitter | Facebook | Website
Or at least that was what the dreams said. Charged by Faith and Justice, Knight Wanderer Isolde and the Radiant Priest Tulok must abandon the arid Realm of Setesh and travel across the sea to a land of ancient magics and even stranger customs. A place where the Fae and Morpheum creatures hold court, and the Gods themselves walk alongside mortals! Racing to end the machinations of a rogue Vidria, and the growing corruption of a crazed ancient of untold power, can the knight and her priestly companion reach them in time, or will the land be forever severed from its magic?
Tread lightly in Avalon, for the land is alive, and watching …
C.S. Kading and Tony Fuentes return to the World of Sanctum with the second installment in this epic sword and sorcery series.
Sanctum
![Sanctum: Forests of Avalon (The World of Sanctum Book 2) by [C.S. Kading, Tony Fuentes, Lee Geller, Renee Ritchie]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51kXXYVkBOL.jpg)
Isolde duAvalonne, as she is formally known, is out of her element. She has found herself in a land in which she does not belong and in which she isn’t truly happy. She, however, is not fully aware of this fact. When Safar takes her aside and tells her as much, Isolde realizes that her journey is far from over. There is something she must do and, more importantly, someone she must find. Isolde will not be able to rest until she reunites with Father Tulok. There is a mission awaiting them, and their companionship may prove to be the remedy Avalon needs.
Sanctum: Forests of Avalon is the second in a series by C.S. Kading and Tony Fuentes and takes an extensive look into the adventures of Isolde duAvalonne, a wandering knight and her companion, the Radiant Priest Tulok. Having begun their journey together in book one, the pair reunites in this novel to take on the atrocities being committed in Avalon. Isolde’s dreams are an integral part of the plot of Kading and Fuentes’s novel and provide stunning visuals for readers. Fans of fantasy and science fiction will appreciate the amount of detail in the authors’ writing. As the second book in the series, the author’s take extra time and care to catch readers up on the essential parts from book one, seamlessly melding the two books.
Readers will be left speechless at the twists and turns from one chapter to the next. There is no downtime, and there are no long stretches of wordy narrative. Each of Kading and Fuentes’s characters is a fantastic stand alone entity, well-developed, and exudes his/her own captivating personality. From Isolde and Father Tulok to the Fae who inhabit Avalon, they are all memorable in their own right and truly make the novel all the more extraordinary. Readers will not want to miss the introduction, it catapults them into the story. In the six short pages preceding chapter one, the authors take readers on a journey like no other. Moving from zero to sixty in a matter of a few sentences, it will leave you breathless.
Sanctum: Forests of Avalon (The Word of Sanctum Book 2), by C.S. Kading and Tony Fuentes, is a riveting read for those that enjoy Mythology, legends, science fiction, and a fast paced action packed fantasy series.
Pages: 524 | ASIN: B09LBCTQBV
It Always Felt Incomplete
Dio in the Dark finds the Gods of Greek myth living among mortals, and when Zeus goes missing in Toronto it’s up to his son to find him. What was the inspiration for the setup to your story?
Honestly, this story began as practice. I wrote a short story several years ago to experiment where I felt the Greek gods would fit into today’s world. It always felt incomplete to me, and I revisited it some years later, and it turned into this novella.
Dio is an intriguing and well developed character. What were some driving ideals behind your character’s development?
Thank you! Dio was a challenging character for me to write for the same reasons that he experiences challenges in his life. How can one forgive their father for murdering their mother? How do you respect yourself when the only thing people like about you is the same thing everyone mocks? His story is very much about learning to accept himself as a god, while tuning into a sense of familial responsibility rooted somewhere deep within.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
Acceptance of oneself, familial responsibility, and the long-lasting effects of trauma.
What is the next book that you are working on and when will it be available?
I’m working on the sequel to Dio in the Dark! It doesn’t have a title yet…or a release date, though I’m hoping it will be out by late-2022 or early-2023.
My next release is a children’s picture book called “City Kitties”. It’s scheduled to release on December 3rd, 2021.
Author Links: GoodReads | Twitter | Facebook | Website
When Zeus – King of the Gods – goes missing in modern-day Toronto, it is up to his estranged son, Dio, to find him.
And with rumours of The Darkness coming, Dio will have to race to find his father, and uncover the truth before it’s too late!
Dagger’s Destiny – Book Trailer
A Celtic warrior princess accused of treason for aiding her enemy lover must win back her father’s love and trust
In the rich and vibrant tale, Author Linnea Tanner continues the story of Catrin and Marcellus that began with the awarding-winning novel APOLLO’S RAVEN in the Curse of Clansmen and Kings Series. Book 2: DAGGER’S DESTINY sweeps you into an epic tale of forbidden love, mythological adventure, and political intrigue in Ancient Rome and Britannia.
War looms over 24 AD Britannia where rival tribal rulers fight each other for power and the Romans threaten to invade to settle their political differences. King Amren accuses his daughter, Catrin, of treason for aiding the Roman enemy and her lover, Marcellus. The ultimate punishment is death unless she can redeem herself. She must prove loyalty to her father by forsaking Marcellus and defending their kingdom—even to the death. Forged into a warrior, she must overcome tribulations and make the right decisions on her quest to break the curse that foretells her banished half-brother and the Roman Empire will destroy their kingdom.
Yet, when Catrin again reunites with Marcellus, she is torn between her love for him and duty to King Amren. She must ultimately face her greatest challenger who could destroy her life, freedom, and humanity.
Will Catrin finally break the ancient prophecy that looms over her kingdom? Will she abandon her forbidden love for Marcellus to win back her father’s trust and love? Can King Amren balance his brutality to maintain power with the love he feels for Catrin?
Dio in the Dark
![Dio in the Dark by [Rizwan Asad]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41fkhjQkOTL.jpg)
In this modern take on classic Greek mythology, Rizwan Asad creates a world poisoned by darkness in this short novella, Dio in the Dark. Dionysus, “Dio,” is over thousands of years old, and yet, in the twentieth century, he has chosen to play the role of a young adult. Sadly, over the years, he has become moody and depressed; constantly at odds with his father, Zeus. Night after night he explores the city of Toronto going from one party to the next in a haze of alcohol-induced numbness and crowded by sweaty, dancing bodies. One night, after partying and drinking, Dio spots a woman tied to a bridge. He rescues the woman fated to be sacrificed to the darkness only to discover that without her sacrifice the world would be destroyed. With his father missing, it is up to Dio to save the world from an unknown entity.
The author’s passion and creativity are shown through his vivid, descriptive writing. Asad creates an air of humanity around the gods, displaying the worse and the best parts of people. For some minor characters, Asad stays true to their original depiction in Greek mythologies and does it well. Asad changed some of the stories and information from the original mythologies to conform to his story making this an intriguing twist. For example, Semele, the princess of Thebes was not tricked by Nyx (Goddess of the Night) but Hera (Queen of the Gods) when Hera discovered Zeus’ infidelity. Though, true to the mythology, after Zeus killed Semele, he sowed Dionysus into his thigh and gave birth to him. In Dio in the Dark, Hades is portrayed as one of many antagonists. His role in the story was a little confusing. It is hard to tell if it is Hades who kidnaps Zeus for the sake of a bargain he made with Apollo, or if it was Nyx, to prevent him from stopping the end of the world.
The structure of the story is similar to a murder mystery, revealing pieces of the story bit by bit making the reader want to read more. Asad has creatively recreated these stories and the reader can tell a lot of hard work and love was put into this novella. There’s no definitive antagonist and protagonist, though Dionysus is a strong contender for the role of protagonist. I would’ve liked for the story to have been longer so I could’ve learned more about the characters.
Dio in the Dark is a great short story that takes the reader on a mythical adventure.
Pages: 170 | ASIN: B09FFR4M6D
An Ancient Matriarchal Society
Dancing the Labyrinth follows a young woman from an abusive background who discovers the veiled history of the Minoans. What was the inspiration for the setup to your story?
The kernel of this idea came from a concern: How, as a mother, can I raise my son to be a decent human being? The unspoken part of this question is – ‘in a patriarchal society.’ Australia has escalating numbers of domestic violence, and because I am contributing to raising the next generation, I feel I have some accountability. As a theatre writer I was surprised the idea came as a novel, so I thought, having planned to live in Crete for a year, I would write it there. At that time I had no idea about the Minoans. So you can imagine my delight to find myself walking the paths of an ancient Matriarchal society. The more I researched, the more the story blossomed. I could never have written it anywhere else. Crete is a very strong land, and is very inspiring. It is full of stories.
Cressida is an intriguing and well developed character. What were some driving ideals behind your character’s development?
To be honest, it was always Cressida’s voice I followed. I have tamed her down a bit – initially she swore like a trooper. In writing, I believe there are aspects of oneself that seep through and I drew on my love of Greek mythology and some of the experiences I had in Crete – like getting sick and being told that “Kriti has me” – which it does. I also drew on my experience of running circus workshops for young women who were survivors. I used their experiences as appropriate. For example, traits such as anxiety, lack of self-worth and distrust. In terms of character development, I am aware of the stages of the ‘hero’s journey,’ and this worked beautifully for Cressida’s growth and development. I also included concepts from psychologists Carl Jung and Erich Newman.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
All my creative work tends to explore transitions. I am really interested in those undefined areas between boundaries where something is transitioning from one thing to another. In Dancing the Labyrinth one theme was the movement from matriarchy to patriarchy. The Minoans didn’t have any weapons for war and yet were the most advanced civilization in the Bronze Age. Patriarchy from the north brought violence with it. I also explored transitions in consciousness, where our mind shifted in ways of thinking: from the mystical to magical, introducing rational thinking, and because it was a different way of thinking we were unable to contain both. Vrados exemplifies this shift. This research drew on a great book called The History and Origins of Consciousness.
What can readers expect in the next book in the The Women Unveiled series?
I have just finished the first draft and started my editing process. It is called ‘the Bringer of Happiness.’ My pitch to date is: Imagine if Jesus and Mary Magdalene had a daughter who could time travel. This could be her story.’ I would be very happy with your feedback on this 😊
Sara floats into other people’s bodies. Through her we witness early Christianity – leading up to the Cathar’s massacre at Montsegur. It refers to Greek mythology, especially Persphone and Ariadne, and references the connections between the Eleusinian Mysteries and that of the Mysteries purportedly taught by Mary Magdalene in the South of France – Languedoc region.
My third book in the series will return to Cressida, and follow Ashtar as she leaves the community and establishes Delphi.
Author Links: GoodReads | Twitter | Facebook | Website
Dancing the Labyrinth moves between contemporary and ancient Crete in this tale of a young woman from an abusive background who discovers the veiled history of Europe’s most advanced civilization of the Bronze Age – the Minoans.
PERFECT FOR FANS OF MADELINE MILLER’S CIRCE, PAT BARKER’S THE SILENCE OF THE GIRLS AND KATHLEEN MCGOWAN’S THE EXPECTED ONE
Karen Martin’s spellbinding debut brings women’s history to the fore – relevant in the landscape of the #MeToo movement and #EnoughisEnough
LITERARY TITAN 