Seven Point Eight by Marie Harbon

Seven Point Eight:
The most powerful number in the universe.The number that connects everything.

It is time to wake up....

A physicist begins a quest to measure the soul but soon finds himself drawn into the world of the enigmatic Max Richardson, where research is sold to the military at the highest bid. However, he soon discovers another purpose when an
extremely talented young psychic enters his life. He devises a projec tand builds a team to stretch the frontiers of exploration, only to make areality-shattering discovery...Book Description

My hopes were high for this book as it is my favourite genre, though I normally go for science fiction set more in the future and of a grand space opera style. I found that the first third of this book was more like a mystery/thriller using elements of science fiction that we find are quite current and are and have been researched now and in the past few decades. This I think will appeal to a wider audience than your usual science fiction reader like me.

I have to admit that the story did have me hooked, which after the first few chapters I was unsure of due to the mystery element of the story and the fact it felt more like an academic publication. The reason I became hooked was the fact that it is so well written, it has multiple time periods and characters, which are interwoven wonderfully and are generally fully fleshed out so that you want to know more about them, their situation and how they all fit together. This multiple time period brings the paranormal & alternate realities into play & this has been done very subtly, very imaginatively and with great research. 

The technology and story as stated earlier is more in the now than I normally like, and there are a few threads which as of yet do not go anywhere, but as this is book 1 of 5 I’m sure it will. Though I stayed until the end it was hard work for a while as I enjoy reading for the escapism, and this was a little too much in the here and now, plus it is a decent sized book for what I feel is really an introduction to what could be for me a more interesting main course. For that I can only give a 3.5 which I am sure will for me anyway improve in future books, though I will read the synopsis first to see if it is for me or not.

                                         3.5 Stars!

You may purchase this book here : DarkissReads Bookstore

You may find Marie Harbon on the web here : http://www.marieharbon.com/

Reviewed by Cardmon

That Which Bites & Dread Surround By Celis T Rono

The Gray Armageddon has destroyed most of humanity. Vampires have slinked out of hiding, penning the few human survivors as blood cattle. Young Julia Poe survives the horror. She has dodged the undead since she was eight years old in downtown Los Angeles and has the only untapped vein in the new realm. Now she celebrates her 22nd birthday as a cattle rustler, fighting the vampire factions alongside a gun-toting nun with an even bigger vendetta. Kaleb Sainvire, the master vampire and architect responsible for `milking cattle,' is first on Poe's list. That is, if she isn't taken by his vampiric allure. Book Description

Books that we review reach us from many different ways. Sometimes authors contact us directly, while others are sent to us by publishers, some we find ourselves as we wonder the world of fantasy literature. The two books reviewed here came to me through a friend who recommended them to me. At first look they didn’t seem like something that would rock my literary world. The books shelves of the world are heaving under the weight of paranormal novels featuring female vampire hunters. Girl meets vampire, girl kills vampire, girl meets another vampire, girl falls in love with vampire, girl gets heartbroken by vampire, vampire and girl kiss and make up. That is pretty much how most of the mass market paranormal books go and to be honest these two books didn’t deviate greatly from that formula.

That was my first impression when I first received these novels. Then I started to read them and found myself quickly hooked. Yes these books stick to the normal formula for female vampire huntress books, but Celis T Rono did a few things that made them feel a little fresher. First was the settling of the story, these books take the reader to a post apocalyptic world were human society has all but been destroyed. I am a self confessed post apocalyptic junkie and this fed my habit nicely.

The second thing she did was to put in some pain. Too many standard vampire hunting books see the hero getting kicked and beaten around the room and then get up and walk gaily into the sunset. Not so here, when Poe (the heroin) gets kicked, beat, bit, stabbed, shot and generally ass whipped, she feels it. She feels it for days and weeks. Also the mental scars of living in a world where humans are prey for hungry vamps don’t heal. Poe must battle her own inadequacies as much as she must fight pointy toothed blood junkies.

Throughout both books there are a myriad of pop culture references. These are fun and give the books a lighter feel and prevent it getting too dark. The style of writing is easy to read and very descriptive, while the action scenes are very well portrayed. Everything flows well and the novels are light reading.

My only fault with the books is the standard girl meets vampire melodrama that feels very formulaic. The author has an enjoyable writing style and I would love to see her think out of the box. Girl loves vamp is a so over worked genre and Celis T Rono is worthly of so much more. If you are a fan of Paranormal Romance then these books are right up your street. If not then they are still an enjoyable read that will pass a few hours.

Both books get a 4.5 star rating

Reviewed by Darkiss

Cyber Circus by Kim Lakin-Smith





Hellequin, last of the HawkEye military elite, is desperate to escape the legacy of Soul Food, the miraculous plant food that leeched the soil, destroyed his family, and instigated a bloody civil war. For a man awaiting the inevitable madness brought on by his enforced biomorph implant, there’s only one choice. Run away with the circus…

Drifting above a poisoned landscape, Cyber Circus and her exotic acrobats and bioengineered freaks bring a welcome splash of colour into folk’s drab lives. None more so than escaped courtesan turned-dancer Desirous Nim. When Nim’s freedom and her very life are threatened, Hellequin is forced to fight again. But, even united, will the weird troupe and their strange skills be enough to save Nim and keep their home aloft? That’s assuming, of course, that Zan City’s Blood Worms, mute stowaways, or the swarms don’t manage to bring them down first…

Welcome to the greatest show on Sore Earth! Book Description.

I only picked this book as it came up when I looked at the Science Fiction/ Fantasy Book section on Amazon,and it grabbed my attention. Now I think what intrigued me was the Title, plus for me the slightly sinistercover. I’ve never been a big lover of the circus, but I think with a lot of people it has macabre elements thathave always intrigued me, so how it was going to be depicted in this sci-fi & seemingly steam punk setting was curious enough to purchase.

It did start off well, if a little slow for me. In fact it took we a couple of chapters to fully get into it, and even then as with most of the way through the book I was unsure as to the whole story & were it was heading. Thatis actually a huge plus as it constantly kept you thinking, theorising, speculating and all those things a well written book should do. You are not force fed the story, which I found quite liberating.

The characters, which as you might expect with a circus set in this world, are definitely a strange mix of cybernetic and biological creations. Bearing this in mind and the fact that some feel a bit sinister, they are still well developed with intriguing stories. Surprising to me was the fact that you did have empathy for them, and I wanted them to do well, and this made me want to turn every page.

The setting is as equally strange as the characters, though the more you read the more you realise the similarities of our Modern world. The Author has a marvellous and refreshing way of writing, descriptions are excellent, and sometimes it seems purposefully vague, with no punches pulled. Despair and failure play a bigpart, but the way hope shows its head is remarkably refreshing.

At the end, well it doesn’t feel like the end just an interlude, there is a separate short story depicting theprequel for one of the characters, who I feel after reading this segment has a huge contribution to offer. As usual I have left it fairly vague, but I hope that there is just enough to get you interested. I was unsure at first, and even now I am going to have to read it again as it has left me curious though a good curious. The Authors style for me is definitely her own, and she mixes all the elements of this sci-fi/cyber/adventure/love story very well (can’t really pigeon hole genre).

I definitely want to know more, and can’t wait to see were the various stories that are available might take them and this imaginative world.

Out of my own comfort zone, but definitely recommended.

                                         4 stars

You may purchase Cyber Circus here DarkissReads Bookstore

Reviewed by Cardmon

The Dragon's Harp by Rachael Pruitt

Before Gwenhwyfar became Queen - before Arthur met Merlin - a tribal Welsh princess met a young Heatherlands Mage. Together, they will create a legend. Inside a mist of beauty and brutality waits the Arthurian legend as you’ve never heard it before. Enter the world of THE DRAGON'S HARP, a realm of blood lust and vengeance, of spellbinding magic from the beginning of time. The realm of Princess Gwenhwyfar: a young girl torn between magic and desire, born with magical powers she can either wield to save her people from destruction - or deny to save her soul.

IN AN ERA OF DRAGONS A YOUNG GIRL COMES OF AGE

First in a five book series of historical fantasy, Rachael Pruitt’s unique take on a beloved legend reintroduces the mythic characters of Gwenhwyfar, Merlin, and Vortigern against the gritty backdrop of sixth century Wales, where scenes of shape-shifting and heartbreaking romance vie with torture, murder, and battle in a dragon-haunted land.

Every once in a while we have a book that more than one reviewer wants to read, as is the case with the novel The Dragon’s Harp. So we have a treat for you!  Two book reviewers on male and one female. Let’s see how The Dragon’s Harp measures up!


Reivew by Cardmon :


Apologies for not putting too much of the storyline in, but I feel that the reader should experience that for themselves, so I try to keep all of my reviews about the experience and the overall feel that it gives to me. I love and study this period of time & as there is already so much out there that is pretty poor I generally stay clear unless it is non-fiction, in fact the last fiction that I read on this subject was the Stephen Lawhead trilogy quite a few years ago, so I thought that it was about time that I took the plunge again.

I have to say that the Authors preface was a revelation, this was obviously somebody who loved and researched this period in history, and even though this is a work of Fiction you could sense that this hopefully should give the story a bit more meat on its bones, and in that I was definitely not disappointed.

The story mainly revolves about the young Gwenhwyfar & her early upbringing, her trials & tribulations during this period. The settings and characters are fantastically drawn, very complex and interwoven, very evocative, you feel you are there and because of that it draws you into the story and the people more, you find quite subtly that you care a great deal about the people and the outcome at every climatic scene.

I found that the younger characters seemed to react like any young person would, quite petulant at times with no thought for consequences, which is refreshing as I don’t normally see that portrayed. The magic in the story is not in your face which again is refreshing, but woven throughout the story in such a manner that it doesn’t feel unnatural, it belongs and that is a skill that the Author possesses and it is a great introduction to the Druidic elements. This introduces Merlin who isn’t the main focus as Gwenhwyfar is, and quite rightfully for this chapter in the proceedings, but he is by no means a bit player more a teacher and a teacher I wish I had in my younger days. His acts of Magic and pretty much all of the supernatural activities in the book are beautifully observed and told, great and glorious when required but also very sinister when appropriate.

Even though you know that more volumes are planned, future characters and storylines are sown throughout which just adds to the tantalization for the future.

Overall the Author is a great storyteller, her writing is quite sublime & her love of the period and endless research into all aspects of this really shine through and I for one like little Mica am impatient for the next story.

Highly recommended.

                                           5 stars !

Review by Midnight Ruby : 

This is a typical historical story woven from myths and legends and fleshed out from a great imagination to bring these people to life.

The first book in a series of five The Dragon’s Harp is set in northern Wales during the 5^th century and follows the coming of age of the young Gwenhwyfar.  Merlin who is her mothers' brother appears in the third chapter and will remain through the series. Its a treat to find a young Merlin in an Arthurian book and he comes across as a fantastic character, full of mystery and magic and yet very understanding and patient with Gwen and her young brother. He takes over their schooling and teaches the young Gwen the beginnings of her magical skills aided by her grandmother.

The book begins with Gwen as an old lady reminiscing over her childhood and then her voice as a child telling her story takes over. Merlin is still a young man and Arthur still a child, mentioned only in this book and we'll meet him in later ones. It's a realm of blood thirsty feuds and battles, lords and ladies, slaves and servants – the young Gwen sees life as it is, tough and bloody at times and is not hidden from the realities of life by her father, the kings son. She is born with magical powers, and its fascinating seeing how these develop and how she grows, sometimes struggling with her conscience and what she must do for her people. Merlin and her grandmother are steeped in Druid history and help her in her journey. There are magical dragons and snakes, all tied in with everyday minutiae of life that carries in in a castle containing so many people. I love the way Rachael brings Gwen to life, turning her from an historical person into a real one along with the rest of her family. 

The book covers such a vast realm of experience from traditional bloody battles, torture, and murder to ones fought using magic, the power of the druids and nature and along this journey we see Gwen grow from a rebellious tomboy child to a brave young princess ready for love and romance. As the first in a series of five its a great start and I’d especially like to read how Racheal treats Gwen when she's a little older and ready for romance – we've already been introduced to Lleu – and I'm sure she has a great treatment in store for Arthur and look forward to those books as they are written.

In many ways this book reminded me of the writings of Sharon Penman in the way she takes a historical legend and turns it into a story to be read and enjoyed. I love Sharon’s books and it was interesting to read in the authors foreword (which I read after reading the book) that she was inspired by Sharon. I think her writing is comparable in quality and for a new author she has done exceptionally well. It's great to find a book of such good length too – 367 kindle pages – so many kindle books are terribly short and little more than extended short stories and I get disappointed when what I want is a book to get my teeth into. Its currently only available on kindle from Amazon.uk but on Rachaels blog there are links to buy in in print from US. It contains very few grammar or spelling errors – one of my real kindle gripes are books that are poorly edited.

I enjoyed this book and would like to read more in the series but my one negative comment is at times I found it hard to get really engrossed in the characters and what they are doing – possibly because there are so many and maybe because its some time since I’ve read a solid historical novel, being a fantasy fiction devotee for last few months and have got too used to different worlds. Its not a criticism of the book per se but of my enjoyment of it, and possibly reading further into the series when they appear the characters will feel more familiar – its often something I notice in the first book of a series – it must be difficult setting the scenes and introducing so many new people, in further books we are already familiar with them.

Its not often I notice artwork being a kindle reader but I did find that the cover for this book caught my attention and as an artist I have to say how much I love the cover. Nothing to do with the content of the book but for some people the cover is also important and I thought it worth saying how beautifully executed it is.

The dreaded stars – four stars. A well written, good length novel and if I could have engaged a little more I’d go for 4.5 – maybe the next book will fix this.

                                           4.5 Stars! 

You can purchase The Dragon's Harp here : DarkissReads Bookstore

Rachel Pruitt on the web :  http://www.rachaelpruitt.com/
                                        Rachael Pruitt's Facebook page
                                        https://twitter.com/#!/EraOfDragons

Voyage of the Elysian by Paul Vincent

Interstellar colonisation vessel Elysian's vital mission is to deliver a small group of colonists to an uninhabited planet in the Proxima Centauri system. Disaster strikes near their destination and, after crash-landing on Proxima 3, the survivors must fight for their very survival. They soon discover the deadly environment is not all that will be challenging them.  

Voyage of the Elysian is the first volume in the continuing Astronomicon series. Book Description

I thought I would give this a try, not normally something that I would pick, purely as it is quite a short story by a new Author, where I tend to go for the Space Opera style by now well-known Authors.

As stated the story is short and the whole feel from the outset is one of looking to the earlier themes of science fiction. There is nothing new here for the avid reader of science fiction, but that is not a negative as it is a good starting point in the introduction of a new universe and characters. The story moves along well, the plot is good, the technology is more now than in the far future and I enjoyed the style of writing, though the ending was a little quick for me. There are definitely some interesting points in the story, which hint at future possibilities. 

I would quite happily recommend this as it is a beginning, hopefully of a bigger and more expansive story, as this story and universe offers a great deal of potential.

                                          3 Stars

You may purchase this book here : DarkissReads Bookstore

Reviewed by Cardmon