Red Phone Box, edited by Salome Jones

A red phone box.  It seems innocuous enough, a little outdated but nothing all that unusual.  But this red phone box in particular can take you places, physically and emotionally, that you never imagined you could go.  London is far more dangerous than anyone realizes, and the phone box plays a key, sinister role in this cycle of stories.

I wanted to love this book.  I thought it was such a cool concept.  58 installments, by 28 different authors, all weaving in and out of each other, all focusing on the mystical powers of the red phone booth.  Sounds amazing, right?  In many ways it was.  Despite having so many authors collaborating, the writing style is cohesive, the voices similar, and the tone consistent.  The actual story content, however, I found to be a bit scattered.  There were just a few too many things going on here for me.  I found it difficult to follow who was involved with whom, particularly when certain characters themselves could not keep it straight.

And speaking of characters, there were just too many. When you need to include a downloadable dramatis personae for your readers, you may want to consider scaling back on the number of characters It was hard to feel any real connection to any of the characters or even care what was happening to them because I just could not keep them straight.  This coming from a reader who often juggles up to 6 books at one time.  

I guess I went into this expecting something different (more Doctor Who-ish).  I still think the concept, and the writing, was good, just a little overly ambitious.

I received a review copy courtesy of TLC Book Tours in exchange for my honest review.  See the rest of the tour here.

 

Dark Horizons, by Jenny T. Colgan

The Doctor shows up on a Scottish shore hundreds of years in the past.  Typically, the villagers' only real fear is attacking Viking ships, but now, they are under a much different kind of attack.  A strange creature feeding from fire is attacking ships in the water, and people on the land.  When a small band of Vikings survive such an attack and reach the shore, the Doctor show them that they can work together to overcome the problem.  But will that unity be enough?

Of all the incarnations of the Doctor I have encountered, number 11 is one of my least favorites, so I was a bit nervous going into this book, knowing 11 was the Doctor in the story.  I was pleasantly surprised, and once again reminded that no matter what his appearance is, the Doctor is the Doctor.  I really enjoyed the setting of the story; it involved two groups of fearsome warriors from different cultures, both of which are of personal interest.  I loved the way Norse mythology was woven into the story, and I like that at the end, an actual earthly phenomenon is tied in as well.

The writing is crisp, and true to the feel of the Doctor.  I do wish that there had been a companion written into the story, but I can understand why no one was, so that the story can be more versatile in terms of the Doctor's timeline.  Any die hard fan of the show is going to love this book, even if, like me, they do not care for 11.  And really, this book is a good read for any sci-fan or anyone looking to dabble with Doctor Who literature.  It is aimed at young adult readers, but in reality is engaging enough for adult readers as well.

I received a review copy courtesy of TLC Book Tours in exchange for my honest review.  See the rest of the tour here.

  

The Curiosity, by Stephen Kiernan

Dr. Kate Philo is on a mission with a research team to find life preserved in ice, with the hopes of reanimating it.  The team hopes, if they are lucky, to find small fish, maybe even a mammal.  When the team finds a man in the ice, the research project reaches a fever pitch.  The man, Jeremiah Rice, is removed from the ice, reanimated, and thrust into a time and place he never imagined.  Kate helps Jeremiah navigate this strange new world, and finds herself deeply connected to him.

I was really enchanted by this book.  I thought the storyline was really unique and inventive.  I loved the idea of a man from another time visiting our world, and this certainly is a fresh spin on the time traveler idea.  I thought Jeremiah was a wonderful character.  My heart really broke for him, being thrust into a world without any control over his own life, knowing no one, and not even understanding the very basics of his environment.  The whole scenario calls into question the idea of man versus science, and man playing God.  With all the controversy over things like stem cell research and cloning in the past few decades, I found this to be a pertinent topic for literary exploration.

The book is not without its flaws, however.  The science behind the storyline seems flawed.  Yes, I realize a reader needs to suspend disbelief for a book like this, but the story pushes it a bit far without good solid sounding theory to back it up, in my opinion.  Also, I found Kate a bit stiff as a character.  She just did not connect with me that well.  I found myself much more interested in some of the smaller, supporting characters.  

Despite the flaws, I think the book is really well written.  It certainly captured me, and help my attention.  I think this is a great book for people who swear they hate science fiction but have never really given it a chance because they think it is all like Star Trek.  This is sci-fi for people who like emotional, romantic stories.

I received a review copy courtesy of TLC Book Tours in exchange for my honest review.  See the rest of the tour here.

  

Doctor Who: Fear of the Dark, by Trevor Baxendale

The fifth incarnation of the Doctor, along with his companions Nyssa and Tegan, finds himself on a moon to the planet Akoshemon, which has a notoriously bad history.  While helping what they first think is a crew of archeologists (but who are really pirates), it becomes clear to the Doctor that something evil is lurking, trying to break free.  The situation escalates to a point beyond darkness.

I have been reading scary books since childhood.  Upon reaching the age of 9 or so, my favorite genre became horror, both in movies and in literature.  Rarely do I ever have nightmares from reading scary stories.  But this book gave me nightmares.  The darkness and evil in this book is so terrifying, and I believe symbolic of the evil that is possible in all people.  I think the writing in the book is terrific.  I was torn between wanting to put the book down because it frightened me, and staying up all night to read because it fascinated me.

I really liked the way the Doctor was written, I felt it stayed very true to the feeling of the series.  However, this story does seem so much more violent that what is typical of Doctor Who, and it made me a little sad.  Sure, there are times when there is a high body count, but the nature of the deaths in this book is particularly insidious, and it make me uncomfortable.  The supporting cast of characters is a little weak as well, though in the end I was glad I did not get too attached to most of them.  For me, the standouts are Stoker and Bunny Cheung, which are sort of like warring factions of the nature of man.  There is strong emphasis on the them-us, dark-light motif in this story, but you will be surprised who all ends up on which sides of the equation.

All in all, a solid story that will appeal to most Doctor Who Fans.

I received a review copy courtesy of TLC Book Tours in exchange for my honest review.  See the rest of the tour of the entire Doctor Who 50th Anniversary Series here.

  

Doctor Who: Last of the Gaderene, by Mark Gatiss

We join the third incarnation of The Doctor, who is working in conjunction with Jo and the Bridadeer from UNIT.  A small town is home to an aerodrome, which has been decommissioned by the Ministry of Defense, and is now being overtaken by an organization called Legion International.  The activities of the group are top secret, but people in town start to disappear, and act very strangely.  It quickly becomes apparent that something sinister is afoot, and the only one who may be able to stop it is The Doctor.

Being such a new fan to the Whoniverse, I have to admit that going into this book, I was completely unfamiliar with the Third Doctor.  I am only familiar with incarnations 9 and beyond.  So, I was worried that I might not be able to enjoy this book completely.  Turns out that fear was completely unfounded, because this book is brilliant.  The writing really conveyed what is at the heart of the series, and I actually saw the story unfold in my mind as if it were an actual episode.  It is writing like this that reminds me that it is immaterial which actor is playing The Doctor.  Because no matter what, it is still The Doctor.

I liked that the story was set on Earth, in a small town setting that was really relatable.  The setting enabled me to jump right in to the story, and start caring about some of the secondary characters from the get go.  The people in town were like people in my own town, so engagement in the story was, for me, immediate.  I also likes the turn of events regarding who Legion International really was, and who was pulling all the strings.  All in all the writing was just so completely solid, I have absolutely nothing but praise for the book.

Die hard fans of Doctor Who will most likely enjoy the book.  But even newer fans, like me, or people not really familiar with the series but still appreciative of science fiction/fantasy will be able to read the book and relate to it.  

I received a review copy courtesy of TLC Book Tours in exchange for my honest review.  See the rest of the tour of the entire Doctor Who 50th Anniversary Series here.

 

Doctor Who: Dreams of Empire, by Justin Richards

The second incarnation of the Doctor, along with his companions Victoria and Jamie, have traveled to an asteroid, which functions as a prison for the Haddron Empire.  While learning about the political environment and the reason the prison exists, the Doctor discovers a murderer is skulking around the prison, trying to gain access to the high profile prisoner.

This book was a whole new experience for me.  I have, historically, never been a fan of science fiction, aliens, all that jazz.  However, I recently fell in love with the modernized Doctor Who series, which has made me rethink the sci-fi genre.  I decided to give this book a shot.  It involves the "second" Doctor, from the original show.  His appearance was during the 1960's, and, having not watched the original series, I was totally unfamiliar with this Doctor, his appearance, his personality, his quirks, and his companions.  Yet, as soon as I jumped into this book, I realized, at his heart, the Doctor is the Doctor, regardless of his incarnation.

The book has a lot of political overtones, and very focused on strategy (with the recurring chess theme).  The action is fast paced, the dialog well written, and very imaginative.  While this story may seem different from the "original" feel of the series, with the modern continuation of the series, I felt like this story felt true to the heart of the show.  I could easily imagine the 9th, 10th, or 11th Doctors playing out this story, so to me, that means it fits well within the mythology of the show.  I think fans of the show should give this book a real chance.

I received a review copy courtesy of TLC Book Tours in exchange for my honest review.  See the rest of the tour here.

   

The Demi-Monde, by Rod Rees

The Demi-Monde is a sophisticated computer program created by the US Military for training purposes.  In this virtual world, major historical figures, many of them evil, reside in a truncated version of the world, in the worst possible combinations of social, political, and economic conditions.  However, it has been discovered that if a real world person enters the Demi-Monde and dies there, they die in real life as well.  This has recently become a problem, as the daughter of the President of the United States has been lured into the Demi-Monde.  Will the she get saved in time?

This book is, in a word, explosive.  I was intimidated, at first, that this book would be to difficult for me to follow.  I sometimes struggle with technological dramas and action packed stories, because I cannot follow the line of the action.  Not so in this story.  The author has done such a superb job in creating this alternate, virtual reality of the Demi-Monde, including maps laying out the different territories.  The story mostly consists within this virtual world, and it has been brilliantly, and vividly created.  I had absolutely no difficulty imagining it in my mind.

Similarly, the characters in the book, particularly the personalities residing in the Demi-Monde, are frighteningly realistic.  The figures based on real historical figures were most striking to me, particularly the psychopathic "singularities".  There is a tremendous amount of word play involved in the naming of the territories, ethnic groups, religions, and philosophies that make up the Demi-Monde, and it is all wonderfully clever.  

The book is a dense read, full of nonstop action and many plot twists and turns.  There were times it was so intense, I had to walk away for a few moments, yet I found myself pulled back.  While not totally dystopian in nature, it will certainly appeal to fans of that genre, as well as those who enjoy technological thrillers.

I received a review copy of the book courtesy of TLC Book Tours.  See the entire tour off books from this series here.

  

The Red Serpent Trilogy, by Rishabh Jain and Delson Armstrong

 Not only are vampires real, they have taken over Earth and driven the humans away.  Alex, born to a human mother and a vampire father, is Chosen One of prophecy, the one who can destroy vampires forever.  But to Vampires, he is the Falsifier, the one who will hasten the second coming of the vampire god.  Will Alex be able to come to terms with the warring factions of his ancestry?  If forced to choose a side, which will he chose?

I will start off by saying that the author of this book is very young to be undertaking writing a published book.  I give him a lot of credit for pursing his creativity.  However, I think his youth is quite apparent in his writing.  First off, the book starts with an historical introduction to the story that accomplishes setting the scene and developing the story world.  But it reads like an encyclopedia entry, and for me, it simply felt like cheating.  I want the scene to be set within the context of the story, not through an introduction presented in outline form.  Similarly, I found the characters to lack a lot of development.  I felt that the whole story was presented at arms' length, never allowing the reader to get close, and really care about the characters.

The story develops at a very fast pace.  Part of the reason this happens is the author tells us a lot of the action, as opposed to showing it to us.  Again, this keeps the story distant, and made me feel as if I were reading a book report of a lengthier, more substantial book.  I just found it very hard to get into.  

I thought this was a creative spin on vampirism, pairing it with Christian apocalyptic themes and creating its own mythology.  And  I think the story shows a lot of promise, as does the author.  I just want to see more depth in the story, the characters, and allowing the scene to be set naturally within the context of the story itself.  Fans of sci fi will probably like it, as it has a lot of sci fi elements, as opposed to paranormal ones traditionally associated with vampires.  

I received a review copy courtesy of Tribute Book Tours, in return for my honest review.  The rest of the tour can be viewed here.

Shadow Show, edited by Sam Weller and Mort Castle

Every now and then, an author comes along whose impact is tremendous, whose mark on the face of modern literature is indelible.  Such is the case with Ray Bradbury.  The name alone conjures up iconic images of post Apocalyptic book burnings and rocket ships.  Bradbury's genius touched many, including some writers who are brilliant in their own rights.  This book is a collection of short stories inspired by and celebrating the works of a truly incredible man.

Having not really spent much time with Bradbury's works (a pitiful situation I hope to change soon), I was a bit nervous to read this book.  Would it be all Martians and robots?  Would I fully appreciate the impact of the stories?  In short would I "get it"?  Imagine my surprise when I not only "got it" but felt the desire to immediately read everything Bradbury had ever written.  This book is brilliant, and I desperately want to learn more about the man who inspired such brilliance.

As with any short story collection, some stories were more my style than others.  In a book full of stories by well know writers, the two that stuck out to me were the book's opener, "The Man Who Forgot Ray Bradbury" by the incredible Neil Gaiman, and the beautifully melancholic "Children of the Bedtime Machine" by Robert McCammon.  Something about these two stories, in particular, struck at the very heart of my humanity, at the depths to which I love literature.  

There was not a single bad story in this book.  Bradbury recently passed away, but he knew this collection was being done, and even wrote a short introduction for it.  I cannot imagine the pride with which he is now looking down, seeing the lasting impact he will forever have on American Literature.  I am so thankful to have said yes to this book, and to have a newly sparked appreciation for a truly gifted writer.

I received a review copy courtesy of TLC Book Tours.  See the rest of the tour here. 

 

The Trouble with Thieves, by Maurice X. Alvarez and Ande Li

If you think life on Earth is wild, try living in Averia, where the natives are bird like humanoids.  But how would one get there? Cecil finds himself there after he falls into a portal, owned by a thief named Kormer.  Anndrew, Cecil's school mate, travels into the portal with Kormer and his traveling companion from the future, Jeransy, to try to get Cecil back to his own world.  However, life in Averia agrees with Cecil, and he becomes incredibly powerful; why should he return to his mundane life?

I think the reason I struggle so much with reading fantasy novels is because I lack imagination.  Clearly, the authors of this book do not have the same problem.  Multiple planets, languages, and storyworlds have been artfully created for this book.  As I read, I had trouble picturing it in my mind, not because it was not well developed (it certainly was) but because I lacked the imagination.  It made me sad that I was not able to enjoy the story as fully as it deserved to be enjoyed.

I found the character of Kormer to be fascinating.  He flits through time and space via his portal, creating relationships with individuals he knows he will never see again.  He is an adventurer.  I would have liked to seen the story focus more on him individually, instead of adding Jeransy to the mix.  I found her presence a bit on the distracting side.  Similarly, I liked Cecil's character, and enjoyed watching him grow in his powers.

Overall, I think this book is well written, and highly imaginative.  It would appeal best to fans of fantasy writing, particularly that involving other planets or galaxies, such as the writings of Douglas Adams.

I received a review copy courtesy of the author.

Doctor Janeway's Plague, by John Farrell

The Rev. Doctor Janeway appears to be middle aged, but appearances can be deceiving.  When his cousin Miriam shows up in Massachusetts to confront him about his past, he pulls her in to his web of deceit and manipulation.  People begin dying, golem like creatures roam the streets, a star in the heavens is sending out radioactive rays, and those investigating Dr. Janeway cannot fathom what they are finding out.

I will be the first to admit, I am not a huge fan of science fiction, and I rarely read it.  I think my unfamiliarity with the genre actually served me well in the instance of this book, because I really did not know what would happen, and was compelled to keep reading at any cost.  I could not stop reading because I did not know where the story was going, and I wanted to see what would happen.  I really liked the plot; it seemed well researched and intense.  With the astronomical aspects of the plot, I was a little lost, as I know very little about astronomy.  However, readers can fully appreciate the story without having knowledge of astronomy.

There are a lot of characters in the book, but I found them well developed, and all contributed to the furthering of the story.  Throughout the story there does seem to be actions and themes that at first may seem a bit repetitious but in the end, it does serve a purpose, and helps deliver a bit of a plot twist.

All in all, I am glad I stepped out of my comfort zone and read a book from a genre I normally would not try.

I received a review copy courtesy of the author.

Shadow Run, by A.C. Ellis

Susan would give anything to get back into deep space.  It has been ten years since the tragic events on Aldebaran, but she had not piloted a ship since.  Now, she had been commissioned for a top secret mission, but the closer she gets to engaging in the mission, the more confusing and mysterious life seems to become.  How badly does Susan want to go back into space, and what is she willing to do to get there.

I have to admit, I am not much of a fan of science fiction, so, this is not a book I would normally read.  However, I decided to give it a go, and stretch my literary muscles a bit.  I had no idea the workout I was in for.  The storyline of this book, which is the first of a series. was actually quite good, and involved a lot of time travel.  Some of the logic, philosophy, and physics behind the time travel premise put forth in the book did make my mind spin, but the same happened to the main character, so I do not feel so bad.  There were times I did not completely understand what was going on, but I think a second reading would clear up any confusion.

I liked the development of Susan's character; as a reader I was invested in her well being, and anxious to see what would happen in the story.  For a book outside my genre preferences, I think that is a huge accomplishment.  And although the book takes place in the future, it is not a terribly cheesy rendition of the future, which is so common in sci fi.  I think the setting was actually really relatable, and pretty believable for sci fi.

All in all, I really enjoyed the book, and am glad I stepped out of my reading comfort zone.  While I do not think I will be converted to a sci fi junkie, it is nice to find authors in the genre that I like, and will most likely read more of in the future.  As for die hard sci fi fans, you will probably love this book, so be sure to check it out!
I received a copy of this book from the author as a prize from a contest.

The Sand Dragon, by Michael F. Stewart

Set in Canada , the story opens with the discovery of a large pterosaur skeleton at the site of Synthoil. Kim Axon is a paleontologist who arrives on site to preserve the skeleton, but immediately is at war with supposed archeologist Sebastian Blythell, who Kim suspects is not quite on the up and up. In the middle of the night, Blythell steals the skeleton, and Kim discovers there are secrets to this ancient land, secrets like vampires, dragons, and ancient tribal spirits. Also mixed up in all the madness are Patrick, a local meat cutter with a fondness for reptiles, and Jamie, a worker at Synthoil, with a fondness for women. The community is fractured due to the government’s treatment of the aboriginal population, as well as the shadow, or immigrant, population. When people start getting sick, and the sickness is traced back to the skeleton, sides must be picked. Which side will Kim end up on?


This book was a new journey for me, in a lot of different ways. While I am an avid horror reader, this book had slightly more of a science fiction or fantasy aspect than most horror books I read, so that was new. The setting was new, and completely foreign, so that took some getting used to. When I started chapter one, I felt a bit like a fish out of water, and was a little worried I would not acclimate well. By chapter four, I was completely hooked. Stewart made very real, relatable characters, even the ones whose background was so vastly different from my own. His ability as a storyteller is very sophisticated, to the point where I could not even imagine how hideous his monsters may have been, and yet, because of his wonderful descriptions, somehow, I could. It was the oddest sensation.


Some of the mythology is the book is familiar, yet told in very new ways. I do not want to speak to this too much, as I do not want to give away too many plot details, but suffice it to say, there were twists and turns that I did not see coming, right from the very beginning. The way it all comes together in the end is brilliant. This book is excellent for horror fans, and I can see fans of Stephen King and Michael Criton. I highly recommend this book to any horror fan, even if this is not your usual kind of book. It was a stretch for me, and I am glad for it.

This book was provided for review courtesy of the author.