Maegan's review of Enemy Among Us by Kevin Hamilton

Reviewed by -- Maegan Schaefer        

Book Review of -- Enemy Among Us by Kevin Hamilton        

My overall star rating --- 5 

       

About the book:

Marcus Remalliond awakens on a hilltop overlooking a battle with a fuzzy head and an arrow embedded in his shoulder; he dispatches the archer who attacks him and begins to rush down to join the fray when it hits him, he doesn’t know which side he belongs to or even who he is! 

‘Enemy Among Us’ introduces the world of Larcurion, and the nations of Escrania and Traevinia. The war between the rival nations has been going on for nearly three centuries. Amid this backdrop of conflict, Marcus thrust into a world he can no longer remember. 

He encounters Nathan, a name from his past and self-professed best friend, who begins filling in some of the gaps. Nathan and Marcus begin the long return trek ‘home’ to Traevinia with the rest of the soldiers through wilderness, traverse the cursed mountain Nargonlythe, and encounter dangers and monsters of Traevinian myth along the way. Marcus begins to learn about Larcurion, and the two warring nations of Escrania and Traevinia: their histories, their religion, their conflicts. 

All the while, Marcus is struggling to reconnect with who he is; desperate to fit in. Something’s wrong though; some of Marcus’s memories coming to the surface don’t jibe with what he’s learning of who “he is”. He remembers a lost love, friends from his past, and bits and pieces that don’t seem to fit with what Nathan and the Traevinians are telling him. He was trained to be a weapon for the Traevinian king Keiten, to strike out at the heart of the nation of Escrania. He’ll spread chaos and fear along with the rest of his division- the Masks. What’s true, where does he belong, and can he figure all of this out before it’s too late? What makes a hero, is it his past, or is it the choices he makes of his life? These are the questions that Marcus must answer for himself all while trying to stay alive. 

50% of all proceeds from the sale of Enemy Among Us will go toward the Red Cross and Arkansas Tornado Relief Fund

Book creation ratings:

Overall total -- 27 out of a possible 30

-- Story & characters -- 10

-- Cover & title -- 10

-- Editing & formatting -- 7

* based on a 1-10 scale with:  1-4, poor; 5-7, good; 8-10, very good.*

The review --

Enemy Among Us started out with a hook for me and just kept on reeling me in. I wish I could of read it straight through, but life kept getting in my way. The storyline is one that I have yet to read, which thoroughly kept me guessing at what was to happen next. The way the author has written the story made me care for each of the characters, even the "bad' ones, because it explains their points of view. All of which I could relate to and rationalize with, to an extent. The ending is beautifully written, and has left me hoping that I will get another wonderful story about an incredible adventure with Marcus.   

             

Reader Recommendations

Genre -- Adventure with a bit of Fantasy        

Age recommendations -- 14+, I think that boys would really enjoy reading this.        

Sex content rating -- mild                

Violence rating -- moderate to a lot. There is fights, battles, and death.

        

Links for the book:

Buy it on Amazon

http://www.amazon.com/Enemy-Among-Us-Kevin-Hamilton-ebook/dp/B00EMN0K60  

Author's Amazon page

 http://www.amazon.com/Kevin-Hamilton/e/B00EP70QE4/

Author's facebook page

https://www.facebook.com/

Notice to all authors, regarding reviewer Chez

Dear authors,

I am Jacqueline Driggers, owner of this blog. A little over a year ago, I added a review team to this blog. Previously it had been just me. The review team came together quickly, and I have been busy tweaking the blog ever since, refining things. As a result, I had gotten behind on processing reviews submitted, and just recently had the opportunity to begin getting caught up.

So it came to my attention that the reviewer listed on this blog as Chez, hadn't submitted any reviews at all. I contacted her, and asked her --

Are you still wanting to be on the review team? Because you haven't been active.

This is her response to me --

 Yes please. I've been reading constantly, so many are emailing me direct, that I just give them a star rating on Amazon and moving on to the next. I'm under LizzieM on there. Haven't had time to write up blurbs as usually they've already had them, I just say good, bad, brilliant n give a star rating.

To all authors who contacted her, expecting a review in this blog --
I deeply and sincerely apologize. If you are one of those authors who contacted her, and gave her a free book in exchange for a review, please contact me via the link at the end of this post.

Going forward, from this point on, in order to ensure that this does not happen again, I am changing blog procedures. Currently, contact info for all reviewers has been removed from the Our Reviewers page of the blog site. I will be creating google drive request forms for all reviewers through my google account. A reviewer will only receive their review requests as long as I consider them to be in good standing with the team.

And I want to send this message out to every author:

If you have contacted someone associated with this blog, about a review, and haven't received your review in this blog,
please contact me via the blog's facebook page:

The Leisure Zone facebook page

This blog means a lot to me, and I have spent a lot of time on it, since it's birth in 2012. I am serious about this blog, and the reviews I share. I want to sincerely thank all authors who share their books with me in exchange for a review, and want you to know how dearly I hold the trust that you give me.

I promise you, going forward, things will be handled differently and more efficiently.

Sincerely,
Jacqueline Driggers
blog owner

Jacqueline's review of Primitive Fix by Alicia Sparks

Reviewed by -- Jacqueline Driggers

Book Review of -- Primitive Fix by Alicia Sparks

My overall star rating, from 1-5 --- 2.5

About the book:

PRIMITIVE FIX – Meet two brothers, tiger shifters, and the women who bring out the beast in them. 

Part 1 - Kenyon 

Sage Villalobos has been destined to marry Kenyon Maddux since the day she was born. As the second-born in her wolf clan, she came into this world owing a debt to the family of shape-shifting tigers who rule the Louisiana swamps in the Atchafalaya Basin. Kenyon is the only man she’s ever wanted, the man who sets her blood on fire, but she’s tired of being indebted to his family for something she didn’t do. She wants him to choose her because he loves her, not because he owns her. When Kenyon’s brother, Nik, is taken prisoner, Kenyon turns to Sage for help. Using her unique skills, she knows she can help him free his brother, but there will be a price. If she agrees to do this, she wants Kenyon to release her from her debt. However, the only thing Kenyon wants to do is hold on to her and never let her go. 

Part 2 - Nik 

After months of captivity as part of a roadside attraction, Nik Maddux is finally able to escape. Injured and at death’s door, he makes his way through the swamp only to collapse near Juliette’s home. Juliette pulls the naked man into her cabin and begins nursing him back to health, marveling at the black stripes which cover his body and the feline features of his face. She knows he’s not quite human and realizes she may have found a kindred spirit, someone whose secrets are as deadly as her own. When Nik awakes, his attraction to Juliette is instant. While she heals his body, he wants to heal her soul. But danger is lurking in the swamp, and the longer they stay together, the more likely they are to lose everything. 

**Content Warning: May contain graphic content and sexual situations. Intended for 18+ Audience 

Book creation ratings:

Overall total -- 18 out of a possible 30

-- Story & characters -- 5

-- Cover & title -- 5

-- Editing -- 8

* based on a 1-10 scale with:  1-4, poor; 5-7, good; 8-10, very good.*

My 5 point review:

I got this book on a free download, and it's actually 2 novellas in one book. Both stories leave a lot of things hanging, and I didn't like that. Since I thought that it might be continued in the second book, I messaged the author, and this is what she said:

"There are a lot of questions purposefully left unanswered in the first book. They will be answered in future books but not in Primitive Need, the second book." 

Which I found to be extremely disappointing, and according to the Amazon website, this is book 1 of a 2 book set, so I guess the questions left hanging will just stay that way.

In the first story, the one brother is so set and determined on rescuing his brother; but once the brother is rescued and out, lost in the swamps, the other brother doesn't go after him.  I have a problem with this.

Final thought - It's a decent book, and interesting read since I got it free.  But it's not one I would pay money for.  It's not one I would recommend.  Would I bother with reading more in this series?  No. There are too many other books out there to spend your time on.

Reader Recommendations

Genre -- paranormal

Age recommendations -- 18 plus

Sex content rating -- hot

Violence rating -- intense

Links

Buy it on Amazon

http://www.amazon.com/Primitive-Fix-Alicia-Sparks-ebook/dp/B00FPRGSWW/ 

Author's Amazon page

http://www.amazon.com/Alicia-Sparks/e/B00GAA4LEU/ 

Author's facebook page

https://www.facebook.com/thealiciasparks 

Author's website

http://www.beaucoupllcpublishing.com/alicia-sparks/ 

Jacqueline's review of Outpassage by Janet and Chris Morris

Reviewed by -- Jacqueline Driggers

Book Review of -- Outpassage by Janet and Chris Morris

My overall star rating - from 1-5 --- 2

About the book:

Sgt. “Det” Cox has just spent three years under psych observation on Earth; now that he’s out-system, he isn’t about to tell anyone he’s seeing aliens again. Paige Barnett has lost everything, even her name, because she knows too much about the rebellion spreading through the Earth-Space mining colonies.

Together Cox and Barnett stumble upon the mystery at the revolution’s heart and learn why the rebels are willing to die for it.

Is their discovery humanity’s worst threat or greatest gift? The authorities are willing to destroy whole planets to keep the revolution’s secret from reaching Earth… What’s to stop them from destroying two people

Book creation ratings:

Overall total -- 16 out of a possible 30

-- Story & characters -- 3

-- Cover & title -- 5

-- Editing -- 8

* based on a 1-10 scale with:  1-4, poor; 5-7, good; 8-10, very good.*

My 5 point review:

It starts out like a good old-fashioned science fiction novel, but it's not. I initially thought it was going to be about characters Cox and Barnett on the trail of some good old fashioned space intrigue. But it's not. It was disappointing that Cox and Barnett spend most of the book separate.

Yeah, there's aliens involved; but not the cool kind.  They seem to start fights so people will die, so they can take the corpses and resurrect them into religious fanatics and spread the . . . . whatever. Just what it is they are spreading . . . not so clear. They sort of become religious zombies.

Summing it all up, it's a disappointing book with a very unsatisfying ending. Had the makings, initially, of a good old science fiction romp. But it's not, not at all. There's a substantial amount of violence, and distinct religious overtones.

Reader Recommendations

Genre -- science fiction

Age recommendations -- 17 plus

Sex content rating -- moderate

Violence rating -- high

Links

Get it on amazon

http://www.amazon.com/Chris-Morris/e/B008L41JNO

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chris_Morris_(author)

https://www.facebook.com/JanetMorrisandChrisMorris/timeline

Maegan's review of Human Instincts by Ioana Visan

Reviewed by -- Maegan Schaefer

Book Review of -- Human Instincts by Ioana Visan

My overall star rating --- 5

About the book:

Dr. Deanna Nichols is a geneticist searching for a cure to save the world. After the war nearly destroyed it by releasing an aggressive virus, it was the vaccine that killed the humanity’s chances for progress and survival. Deanna feels guilty because she has participated in creating the vaccine, and General Mackenzie never lets her forget that.

Their luck changes when they are contacted by the convicts held in a secret military prison hidden in the arctic desert. The C deviance criminals are willing to negotiate and provide unaffected DNA samples in exchange for supplies and a visit paid by the doctor herself. Suddenly there’s hope, so Deanna embarks on a dangerous journey to a grittier reality than she had expected.

Could a woman alone save the world?

Book creation ratings:

Overall total -- 28 out of a possible 30

-- Story & characters -- 10

-- Cover & title -- 8

-- Editing & formatting -- 10

* based on a 1-10 scale with:  1-4, poor; 5-7, good; 8-10, very good.*

The review:

This book is a post apocalyptic story where the main character is trying to save the human race. I really enjoyed the morals that were in the story. One of them is how even in rough/horrible times, some people still try to be human. Another one is how even though one makes a mistake, they can come back from it.

This book for me wasn't slow at all and just kept me on the edge of my seat till I finished the book. I really don't recall any slow  parts in the book at all. There are some parts were people get hurt, but the author did not go into much description about what happened to them. I really like that it was up to the readers imagination to fill in those parts.

There was a twist at the end that really caught me off guard the first time through, but when I re-read the story, I was able to see foreshadowing for the twist. Loved it!!

Reader Recommendations

Genre -- science fiction, post-apocalyptic 

Age recommendations -- 18+ due to some violence and scientific explanations

Sex content rating -- mild, there is none in the story just the thought that it might happen

Violence -- moderate, due to the fights that happened in the middle to end

Links for the book:

Get it on Amazon

Author page on Amazon

Get it on Barnes & Noble

the book on Goodreads

On Smashwords

Author's facebook page

Author's blog site

Jacqueline's review of Allegories of the Tarot

Reviewed by -- Jacqueline Driggers

Book Review of -- Allegories of the tarot by various authors

My overall star rating, from 1-5 --- 5

About the book:

An anthology of short stories of the Major Arcana of the Tarot by talented new and established award-winning writers, edited by Annetta Ribken.

Book creation ratings:

Overall total -- 30 out of a possible 30

-- Story & characters -- 10

-- Cover & title -- 10

-- Editing -- 10

* based on a 1-10 scale with:  1-4, poor; 5-7, good; 8-10, very good.*

My review:

You don't have to be familiar with tarot cards to enjoy this book.  The cards are the inspiration for some really fascinating stories, and you get to meet a great variety of excellent writers in this book.

I loved all the stories.  Some I enjoyed more than others, but I liked them all. Fascinating angle for an anthology, neat idea for a theme.

Reader Recommendations

Genre -- fantasy, science fiction

Age recommendations -- 15 and up

Sex content rating -- not applicable

Violence rating -- not applicable

Links

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Allegories-Tarot-Annetta-Ribken-ebook/dp/B00G6S9EYI/

Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/363468

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18109513-allegories-of-the-tarot

http://www.allegoriesofthetarot.com/

Jacqueline reviews Phantom Bigfoot Strikes Again by Simon Oneill

Reviewed by -- Jacqueline Driggers

Book Review of -- Phantom Bigfoot Strikes Again (Phantom Bigfoot Series Book #1) by Simon Oneill

Overall star rating, from 1-5 --- 5

About the book:

Late Teen Duane Dexter thinks he has it all, money, the hearts of Big Beaver’s women, hero-worshiped by every kid in Big Beaver and The Elders have chosen him to be Guardian of the Forest.

The Elders are tall, Swedish-looking blond aliens from the planet Abba with a penchant for loving their pets and have chosen young Duane to continue in his father's Bigfootsteps to look after the tribe of Bigfoot deep in the forest. They have genetically altered Duane to have access to his sixth sense.

With this sense, Duane can pick out thoughts and feelings of those close to him and not so close. He can also heal wounded animals with a touch of his hand. But becoming The Phantom Bigfoot has its perks for this notorious prankster, scallywag, and local celebrity.

A side-effect is masquerading as The Phantom Bigfoot and leaving a trail of ludicrous crimes for Sheriff Louise Harper to solve. This he does to keep her mind off her long lost love, Virgil Tuckerwood. But Lou's misery infects the whole town, so Duane must get creative. His creativity leads to all sorts of insane problems for the whole town of Big Beaver, least of which is the abduction of Beau, another notorious prankster.

Now Duane must keep the sheriff and FBI from finding out his big secret in the woods as they search for Beau. But can he keep the Tribe of Bigfoot a secret and protect the forest as the authorities search for the missing teenager? Or will the alien Elders come to regret their choice of Protector and banish Duane from the forest forever?

Book creation ratings:

Overall total -- 26 out of a possible 30

-- Story & characters -- 10

-- Cover & title -- 8

-- Editing & formatting -- 8

* based on a 1-10 scale with:  1-4, poor; 5-7, good; 8-10, very good.*

My review:

Who knew that bigfoot (or would that be bigfeet, if you're talking about more than one) could be so much fun?  Well, this book is a world of fun to read.  If you need a book to sit down with and take a load off your mind, this one is it.  I so very thoroughly enjoyed this book.  Simon Okill's descriptive writing style is wonderful.  You can almost smell and feel the big forests he describes.  And his imagination is genius.  Great book for most any age. 

Reader Recommendations

Genre -- fantasy

Age recommendations -- 12 and up

Sex content rating -- next to none

Violence rating -- none

Links for the book:

http://www.amazon.com/Simon-Oneill/e/B00SN9TNAI/

https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/tassyoneill

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/500521

https://twitter.com/simoneillauthor

https://www.facebook.com/simononeillauthor