A Name in the Dark by G.S. Fortis, a Review Pros: Action packed plot. Vivid, cinematic prose. Characters with emotional depth. Possible Cons: High graphic index (violence). First two chapters with minor issues. Thanks my character Pam’s experience with an inner demon, I’ve become interested in literary portrayals of possession. Any kind of possession will […]
Poetic Post-Apocalypse Amongst the Palmettos In R.L. Jackson’s novel, The Ages of Entanglement, Samson, an aged man, strives to protect himself from the intrusion of others as he wanders a near future Southeast nearly depopulated by a technological blunder. He fears entanglement with others, because entanglement precedes loss, and he’s already suffered enough loss for
Harmony Lost received its first review today! Thank you Kari for reading and reviewing and for your kind words.
Pros: Action packed plot. Vivid, cinematic prose. Possible Cons: High graphic index (violence). Low to medium graphic index (sex) but much unpleasantness implied, including non-consensual and abusive gay relationships. In The Raidships, Mercenaries from a near by planet brutally attack Whit’s peaceful village on Alesia. He’s enslaved and transported to Valkra, a cold, cruel world
iROMANCE When mild mannered accountant Otis receives a stray text from an old friend, he’s pulled into a world of technological and industrial intrigue. Turns out, the old friend has been brutally murdered, and conveniently, just as he receives this mysterious text, he encounters the highly competent and well informed Cynthia.
Pros: Masterful descriptions and characterisations. Haunting language. Possible Cons: Open-ended story telling. This book is horror (various unpleasantries occur). Whilst floundering in Internet quicksand, I stuck a foot into North American Lake Monsters: stories by Nathan Ballingrud. I clicked on the sample thinking the book described legends of “real” monsters, curious, having never heard of
If light science fiction/fantasy with a dash of humor and romance is “your thing,” you might enjoy Harmony Lost.
Pros: Very funny, priceless witticisms. Possible Cons: Only for those ready to suspend disbelief from a flagpole. Valuable Lesson: Don’t stress too much over cover art. Finding comparable works to Harmony Lost was no easy task; the tale is a mixture: a dash of Sci Fi, alternate reality, an atypical romance, a struggle to the
Pros: Intricately imagined world. Timely themes. Much wisdom. Possible Cons: Suspension of disbelief mandatory. Many informational passages, characters and indefinite nouns. Tell/Show Ratio – high Graphic Index Sex – low Graphic Index Violence – medium World Building – excellent Internal Veracity – medium Science fiction novels often magnify current societal concerns. The opening quote from
(You can’t melt a frozen heart with anger) Pros: Lovely prose. Fabulous world building. Engaging plot with mystery, peril and hope. Deep themes including population control, religious hypocrisy and societal constraints, the human-animal connection. Fine characterizations including a portrayal of a failed marriage, and an intriguing protagonist. Characters act from in response to well-depicted psychological
