Reviews By Charline

“Day of Revenge”

Author: Deanna Proach

I just finished reading my copy of “Day of Revenge” by author Deanna Proach and I’ll be honest and admit I’m rather disappointed. Initially I had requested to read / review “Day of Revenge” because it’s a historical fiction set in France during the late seventeen hundreds at a time when the country was in a major religious and political upheaval. Being an actual descendant of those who fled France around this time period I was very interested to read Proach’s book to see how well she intertwined fact with fiction.

The premise of “Day of Revenge” is this: it’s the summer of seventeen ninety-three; four long years have passed since the people’s rebellion against France’s monarchy began; the Bastille has been torn down; Louis the XVI has been executed and the country is now firmly entrenched in a revolution with the phrase “Vive le Republique!” being their passionate battle cry. Unfortunately for the country, Maximilien Robespierre, the very man who was supposed to bring unity and a better way of life to the downtrodden people of France is himself a bloodthirsty megalomaniac who finds spies and sees betrayal everywhere and thus begins the era known as the “Reign of Terror.”

It is in this setting that we, the readers, meet Samuel La Font, a military captain who is intent on rescuing the young prince Louis; removing Robespierre from power and returning peace to his fellow countrymen. In “Day of Revenge” we follow along as La Font, and his close-knit group of friends, attempt the impossible while still trying to live their own lives. Even during a period as volatile as this; life itself must continue on and we hope that those we see joined in love now will not become separated by war later.

“Day of Revenge” was definitely a heartfelt story and I can see that Proach is a passionate writer. I would say that my main complaint (and source of disappointment) is the manner in which this book was written. To sum up: “Day of Revenge” is an awkward and hard to read compilation of past, present, and future tenses all inappropriately jumbled together. While I myself am not an editor, I am a published author, and I know what a book should, and shouldn’t, read like.

With that said, and to be fair, Proach’s story merits four stars while the grammatical problems (which are too numerous and too blatant to be ignored) deserve two. Overall a three star read but if you enjoy historical fiction, and can get beyond the grammar problems, you will truly enjoy “Day of Revenge.”

“Naga Queen”

Author: Pauline Hayton

I just finished reading “Naga Queen” which is a fictional biography about Ursula Graham Bower. Some non-fiction facts about Ursula Graham Bower: she was a fiercely independent woman who became one of the pioneer anthropologists in the Naga Hills from 1937 – 1946 and, as if that wasn’t unprecedented enough for a woman in that day and age, she also became a guerrilla fighter in Burma against the Japanese from 1942 – 1945. Needless to say, Ursula was an amazingly complex and interesting woman and Pauline Hayton, the author of “Naga Queen” definitely did her justice with this manuscript.

We begin our journey through “Naga Queen” with Ursula who, having recently finished her schooling; feeling let down and unfulfilled, travels to India to visit her best friend Alexa in Assam. Ursula’s parents have approved this trip thinking that their daughter will find herself a suitable military husband while she’s there. Unfortunately for her parents, the only thing that Ursula desires is a life filled with excitement and adventure; finding herself chained in a suffocating marriage is certainly the last thing on her mind.

Ursula is given a one-time opportunity to travel into the inner depths of India’s jungles where she meets the Zemi Nagas. She falls in love with the untamed spirit of the Zemi, the wildness of the countryside and, with her heart breaking as she leaves; she vows to find a way to permanently return to the place that feels like her long lost home.

Needless to say, being as strong-willed as she was, Ursula found a way to do just that and while I won’t give away any more of Hayton’s story I will state that Ursula’s actions during World War II did result with her receiving the “Order of the British Empire Medal” and her fame earned her the nickname “The Naga Queen.”

In summary, I found “Naga Queen” to be a completely riveting read. Hayton’s writing style is impeccable and, even though this is a fictional biography, the reader will be hard pressed to figure out what is truth and what is myth. Throughout history it seems all heroes / heroines become larger than life: both because of their deeds and because of the storytelling prowess of those who recount their exploits. In this regard Hayton has gone over and above; she has skillfully woven Ursula’s amazing life into a rich tapestry that was truly a pleasure to read.

“Myanmar: In My Father’s Footsteps”

Author: Pauline Hayton

Having recently finished reading my copy of “Naga Queen,” written by Pauline Hayton, and having enjoyed that historical novel immensely; when I was subsequently asked if I would be interested in reviewing her book “Myanmar: In My Father’s Footsteps” I happily, and immediately, accepted.

Unlike the author’s previous book that I had read “Myanmar: In My Father’s Footsteps” is not a work of historical fiction. Instead it is a written accounting of Hayton’s experiences as she trekked through Myanmar (formerly known as Burma) attempting to make the same journey that her father had during his World War II tour of duty.

Having become a lot closer with her father during the writing of her books and having recently fought cancer and escaped its cold clutches Hayton decided to personally visit the lands she had heard so much about. With her husband Peter by her side, and a wonderful film crew to help her capture this trip on film for her grandchildren, Hayton explored remote regions rarely seen by outsiders; traveled the famous Ledo Road and followed in her father’s footsteps as closely as the various governments would allow. Unfortunately Hayton wasn’t allowed to completely follow her initial itinerary but she did see enough to gain a better perspective of her father’s World War II experiences and there were definitely some sad and somber moments. On the one hand it was wonderful to see, photograph, and travel on the still intact roads and bridges built during his time; on the other hand it was sobering to travel to cities and monuments where thousands had laid down their lives for both sides.

In summary, I would say that “Myanmar: In My Father’s Footsteps” is an interesting and well-written book. I also thought that the photographs Hayton included throughout the book were a nice touch. Truthfully I didn’t find “Myanmar: In My Father’s Footsteps” quite as interesting as “Naga Queen” but I do think that’s mainly because it seemed to be written more as a personal journal than a manuscript. Knowing that Hayton brought a film crew with her on this trip, and knowing that she was trying to preserve her experiences so that her children and grandchildren would know her father better also seems to point to this conclusion.

“Myanmar: In My Father’s Footsteps” definitely garners a four-star rating and I would place it in the “books to read” category.

“Soul Trapper”

Author: F. J. Lennon

I recently finished reading “Soul Trapper” from the up and coming author F. J. Lennon. I have to say I found it to be a fast-paced ride through the annals of the supernatural…

Kane Price, the somewhat unlikely hero in “Soul Trapper” isn’t your regular run-of-the-mill guy. Kane isn’t interested in a corporate job; there’s no long term relationship he’s trying to move forward to the “next step” and he has no plans for his future other than to ensure he survives to see each new day. He loves to play music but his tastes are out of sync in today’s world – instead Kane prefers to lose himself in a sound that is several decades old. He’s definitely a substance user and abuser; he has a suspicious and distrustful nature; an amazingly strong self-destructive streak and to top it all off he’s morbidly obsessed with people who have died at twenty-seven. Being that age himself, and with the life that he leads, Kane has a gut feeling that his life will be over soon too.

I forgot to mention that Kane is also a ghost-hunting legend. Dealing with the supernatural isn’t an easy life style and it wasn’t one that he chose for himself; instead it was unceremoniously dumped into his lap after his father mysteriously vanished without a trace. Somehow Kane’s father must have realized that he wasn’t going to be around much longer but before he disappeared he did manage to leave his son instructions that led Kane directly to the Soul Trap; a powerful item that allows the user to hunt down, capture and send ghosts to their preordained afterlife.

Unfortunately, even though Kane uses the Soul Trap in an attempt to do good, more often than not his efforts leave behind a wake of destruction. Kane’s actions, and the fact that he does occasionally shoot off his big mouth, eventually draw the attention of a well known female reporter. While Kane is a womanizer at least he’s smart enough to know to leave this girl alone. Or is he?

I’m not going to give any more of the story away but suffice it to say that “Soul Trapper” was a roller-coaster of a ride. Lennon is a phenomenal author; his writing style is intense and he definitely has the writing ability to make you feel as if you are personally there watching events unfold.

“Soul Trapper” is a fantastic book for anyone who enjoys the paranormal, supernatural, suspense, mystery or…just a great read. Five stars…

“Soon Come”

Author: Alan Dayno

Initially I had a difficult time reading “Soon Come” by Alan Dayno. The sentences and paragraphs were extremely verbose. The grammar, terminology and way of speaking were also quite different than what I’m used to seeing in print. After reading the first few pages I set the book down in order to mull over Dayno’s rather difficult and different writing style.

I found I had to look at Dayno’s book from the aspect of where the story is set, Jamaica, which finally made things “click” for me. Having myself never been to Jamaica its style of speaking is definitely alien to me. Unfortunately, the way that “Soon Come” is written might also present a challenge to other readers who, like me, have no first hand experience with that “island lingo.” Hopefully, if this happens, Dayno’s readers will be able to understand this book’s tale by looking at the aspect of where “Soon Come’s” story is set rather than how unusual the writing style is. Once I was able to understand Dayno’s writing style I did find it was easier to read the book and for the most part I was able to enjoy it.

In summary “Soon Come” has, within its pages, a complicated story of love and hate, friendship and romance, tangled relationships and ultimately murder. Add to that the complexities of being on an island where it seems everyone can trace their lineage back to each other, throw a huge cultural divide into the mix, adversity and man’s overall greed and I guess things like betrayal and murder could become commonplace and not such a surprising ending.

In closing, I found “Soon Come” to be an engaging read. The author, Alan Dayno, has definitely written this book with a Jamaican flair. It is also obvious from his writing style that Dayno has spent enough time there to allow him to write this story with an authentic Jamaican feel right down to some of the island superstitions. This is definitely an insightful book into their culture and I would recommend “Soon Come” to anyone who enjoys reading fiction, intrigue, murder and mystery that reads more realistically than not.

“Family Affair”

Debbie Macomber

I found “Family Affair” to be a cute story and at only one hundred and two pages (which includes the Homemade Treats for Your Cat recipe chapter) it was also a very quick read. One could almost read it completely through on a lunch hour and it would definitely provide a nice “pick me up” for anyone having a bad day.

The premise of “Family Affair” is this: Lacey Lancaster has just recently suffered through a painful divorce. Once the divorce has been finalized she uproots herself and moves to San Francisco, California intent on immersing herself in a job she can love, finding an apartment she will enjoy living in and sharing her new life with a beautiful Abyssinian kitten named Cleo. Lacey has decided to breed Cleo when she’s old enough and also plans to live “happily ever after” and she’s decided that she doesn’t need a man in order to do so.

Unfortunately she didn’t factor in her neighbor, Jack Walker, when she came up with her brilliant plan. Jack constantly disturbs Lacey’s peace and quiet at home. He argues seemingly day and night with his girlfriend, who he’s trying to convince to move in with him, and let’s not forget about his cat, named Dog, who is constantly chasing after Cleo. When Lacey finds out that Cleo is expecting, and that Jack’s mongrel that is responsible, she’s furious and understandably so. She’s even more irate when she sees Jack’s rather cavalier attitude about the entire situation.

Dealing with Cleo’s impending motherhood forces Lacey to be around Jack much more than she initially wants to be but, as time progresses, Lacey realizes that things are not as she thought they were. Jack’s “girlfriend” is really his sister and all of a sudden Lacey’s world is turned upside down as she learns the joy of “falling in love all over again.”

In summary I found “Family Affair” to be a cute read although it definitely falls into the “Romance” genre which I generally don’t read. Debbie Macomber is a talented writer and is able to convey this story in an interesting manner. “Family Affair” is a great book for anyone who loves reading romance and also a great birthday gift / socking stuffer depending on the time of the year.

“2nd Earth”

Authors: Edward and Eunice Vought

So, here’s the premise for “2nd Earth;” co-written by Edward and Eunice Vought…

Good friends and Navy SEAL comrades, Jon and Tim are on leave and headed for home. They board the subway together and since both are extremely exhausted from their most recent search and rescue operation they fall into a deep sleep. When they awaken, seemingly hours later, although they know it’s not possible, they find that the subway car they are on is completely deserted. The train is stopped and Jon and Tim are left trying to figure out what they slept through. Is this particular train’s service done for the night and they somehow missed the all the activity? Has something on the car broken and they both slept through all the noise of its evacuation? Or has something much more sinister happened?

Intent on finding an answer to their current dilemma they step off the train and into a foggy and desolate world. As they walk through this murkiness they hear what sounds like a woman screaming. Jon and Tim’s protective instincts kick in and they hurriedly move in the direction of the sounds. What they see shocks them. A lone woman is chasing after three young men while four other men who look like hoodlums are chasing her. Needless to say the hoodlums don’t stand a chance against two trained Navy SEALS especially when they know they are defending a woman’s honor.

Jon and Tim save the young lady in question and give a stern lecture to the three men who were leaving her to fend for herself. Jon and Tim then find out that this isn’t the same world they fell asleep in and they now realize they must build a new life and possibly a new civilization.

“2nd Earth” has a decent plot but unfortunately the writing skills of the authors are mediocre at best. “2nd Earth” is a strange compilation of past and present tenses throughout its entirety and the story itself drags on for four hundred and seventy eight pages. (Yes, I read them all.) Truthfully this book would have had the same impact if it had been shaved down to a mere three hundred.

While I appreciate the authors need to explain almost every little minute thing; I think the Voughts need to understand that when you’re dealing with the rebuilding of an entire culture / civilization detailing everything out becomes…tedious…to read. Not to mention that the good fortune of everyone was extremely…unbelievable…at best. Anytime anything was needed it was miraculously and almost instantaneously found. Amazing! Especially since 21st century technology was also frequently found in a 1960’s setting…

In summary, not a terrible book to read so long as you can handle the poor grammatical structure and the many, many, many pages of explanation.

“When Reality Hits”

Author: Teresa Amanda Allen

I just recently finished reading “When Reality Hits” by Teresa Amanda Allen and having to write its review is a bitter pill to swallow. On the one hand the message contained within “When Reality Hits” is a great one; on the other hand the delivery of this message was poor at best…

For the good stuff… “When Reality Hits” is meant to be an inspirational / self-help book that showcases one woman’s struggles with finding both herself and love. Author Teresa Amanda Allen shares with us some of her heart wrenching past experiences in an effort to help other women realize that they don’t need to jump through hoops in order to win a man’s affections. Through her words she tries to explain that above all else you must listen to your inner self. She wants other women, both younger and older; to understand that they must first make the right decisions for their own lives rather than trying to mold themselves to a man’s ideals. She tries to coach her women readers to size a man up; see him for who he is before falling head-over-heels in love with him. In other words, if the guy is bad for you then just walk away from the start; save yourself the needless pain and heartbreak.

Now on to the bad stuff… In reading through my copy of “When Reality Hits” it’s pretty obvious that this manuscript was not edited by a professional before being published. By “professional” I mean someone who makes their living solely as a book editor not someone who just has a degree in English Lit. I’m not trying to pick on the author. I applaud Allen for having the drive and determination to complete and publish her book. However, as a published author myself; I do understand the importance of having a book that uses proper English while also being grammatically correct. “When Reality Hits” has many misspellings, misused words and words that are oddly hyphenated just to name a few of the oddities that caused this to be an extremely difficult read.

My advice to the author: find yourself a good editor; make the revisions and re-publish this book because it really does have a great message…

“The Poison Glen”

Author: Ashley Simmons

Where do I begin in my review of “The Poison Glen” by author Ashley Simmons? Well, I guess I could start by saying I loved it… I was definitely hooked even before I finished the first page. Truth be told, I enjoyed “The Poison Glen” so much that once I had finished reading it I sat down and read it again. That is rare indeed for me…

The premise of “The Poison Glen” is this: many years ago a cruel race called the Zadok came to Caspria’s shores from across the sea; their leader intent on enslaving the people of Caspria. The Casprians fought valiantly but it was in vain. They relied on their god Uriel to save them and that too was for naught. Now, twenty years later the Casprians are a broken people; robbed of their dignity, their culture, their religion, and even more importantly their freedom.

Amariah is the sole heir to the Casprian throne but, having been raised in secrecy, she is unaware of her true identity until a foolish act on her part puts her life and the life of her beloved “uncle” at risk. Suddenly Amariah learns she is not really the daughter of a simple farmer and she now struggles with the truth of who she is and what her ultimate purpose is. She is a strong-willed woman and at first she refuses to accept her royal lineage. The legacy of her noble blood will allow her use of a magical talisman; but the question is whether or not she will acknowledge and embrace her gifts. And if she does, will she be able to free her country and save its inhabitants or will the Zadok prove too strong for her?

There are many different facets within “The Poison Glen;” each of them unique; each of them interesting and all are woven skillfully together. Simmons is a fantastic writer; her words are descriptive and the story contained within the pages of “The Poison Glen” flows as easily as a river winding its way downstream.

For those of you who enjoy the fantasy genre then “The Poison Glen” will hold you completely captive; riveted and on the edge of your seat. Five-stars…

“F.N.G.”

Author: Donald Bodey

I just finished reading my copy of “F.N.G.” by author Donald Bodey and I have to admit it wasn’t really my cup of tea. No, “F.N.G.” is not a terrible book. For the most part it’s well written and readers can definitely empathize with the various characters that have roles in this story. “F.N.G.” is also descriptive but unfortunately the writing style itself is extremely direct, clipped, and short which didn’t allow Bodey’s story to have that “flow” which is one of the major components that makes a “good” book “great.” I know there are some who appreciate and enjoy this type of terse writing style but I am not one of them; consequently “F.N.G.” read more like the short-hand version of a Vietnam Vet’s journal rather than the fictional, historical, and biographical story I think the author was intending it to be.

The premise of “F.N.G.” is this: Gabriel Sauers, the “F***ing New Guy,” has just arrived in the beautiful country of Vietnam. He’s still wet behind the ears and if he wants to survive this savage war he’s going to need to find his courage while still keeping his wits about him. He will have to face his enemy; he will have to go through incoming mortar fire and he will eventually become certain that Vietnam is hell. Forty years later Gabriel Sauers is now a “death-hardened veteran” and his grandson Seth is about to be deployed to Iraq. Knowing what awaits Seth; knowing that he will come back from Iraq a man forever changed by what he will have to see and endure, Gabriel wars with himself about taking an action that, on the one hand, will spare Seth from the Iraq war but, on the other hand, will have a lasting effect on his grandson and their relationship from that day forward. When it comes to war what’s really right and what’s really wrong? Does the line blur when you’re faced with the possibility of never seeing a friend or loved one again?

In summary I feel “F.N.G.” is an accurate accounting of one man’s life journey during the Vietnam War. While I wasn’t crazy about the writing style I would still say that the premise of “F.N.G.” was a good one and I would still recommend this book to readers who enjoy the War / Military genre or that historical time period.