Reviews By Charline

“Chinese Blackbird”

Author: Sherry Quan Lee

I must admit I had to stop and think twice when asked if I would be willing to read and review “Chinese Blackbird” by Sherry Quan Lee. Truthfully poetry has never been able to hold my interest although I am always amazed by those who can recount verse by heart. Understanding that poetry isn’t really my “thing,” I thought the request over once more before finally accepting. I realized that even if I read “Chinese Blackbird” and didn’t enjoy the book because of its genre; I could still offer a valid review of Lee’s compilation. After all, I have no problem acknowledging talent even if it doesn’t always come in a format completely to my liking.

So, I accepted the review request and my copy of “Chinese Blackbird” arrived approximately a week later. The first thing I noticed about the book was its cover. I genuinely liked it. I found it to be tasteful; simple in an elegant manner. Next I cracked open the cover and read the preface which was written by David Mura. Wow! What a great opening statement. After reading those three pages I couldn’t wait to read “Chinese Blackbird.” My friends who write poetry would be stunned if they heard me say that…

As I began to read “Chinese Blackbird” I found myself in unfamiliar territory. Poetry is not my strong suit; I was unsure what exactly to expect therefore I simply allowed Quan Lee’s voice/words/emotions to guide me as I read. I found Quan Lee to have a very distinctive and in-depth writing style. In all honesty, I didn’t always “get” every single entry, probably because she and I have our own unique pasts, yet somehow her words seemed to communicate her emotions. Other poems were crystal clear and I could feel the author’s personal conflict, pain or sorrow depending upon her words. Still others like “Dear M.F.A. Faculty” oozed sarcasm and made me wish I’d been around if/when the author had actually given that one to the faculty. Even the book’s title “Chinese Blackbird” seems to hold a subtle nuance…

In summary, “Chinese Blackbird” is definitely a five-star read. I think it is a book that one will read multiple times in an effort to better understand what the author was feeling when she wrote each entry. However, I feel that with each re-reading of “Chinese Blackbird” even more complexities will be realized and the reader’s questions may never be completely answered.

“All Eyes: A Memoir of Deafness”

Author: Bainy B. Cyrus

Recently I came across the title “All Eyes: A Memoir of Deafness” by author Bainy B. Cyrus. After reading the book’s synopsis I was immediately intrigued and even though “All Eyes: A Memoir of Deafness” is the author’s personal memoir this book seems to fall into the Health/Self-Help Category.

In “All Eyes: A Memoir of Deafness” Bainy shares her personal story with us. She takes us back in time and through her words the reader is able to experience the life Bainy lived, growing up, as a hearing impaired individual. She was firmly caught between two worlds, the hearing and the deaf, and at times it seemed as if she felt she did not belong in either one of them. The first learning establishment that Bainy attended was Clarke School for the Deaf in Northampton, MA and that’s where she learned to speak. That’s also where she met two girls who became life-long friends and she shares with us the importance of those friendships. From there we follow along as the rest of her life unfolds. We watch as she learns about language development, we cheer as we see her graduate from college and we are ecstatic as we see her fierce independence and determination as she finally comes into her own. The awareness and technology in the 1960s and 1970s is not what it is today and even though I don’t personally know the author I’m immensely impressed by the woman she has become.

In summary, I give “All Eyes: A Memoir of Deafness” a five-star rating. I found it to be a truly remarkable story and I’m grateful to have been asked to read/review it. Let me also just say that Bainy B. Cyrus is a fantastic writer. Her words and the story flow smoothly. Her descriptions of people, places, events, feelings, et cetera are nothing if not riveting. She has obviously mastered the art of the English language even though she had to learn it from a completely difference aspect than most of us who can hear. An eye-opening book on many different levels…

“Quintspinner, A Pirate’s Quest”

Author: Dianne Greenlay

The year is 1717 and sixteen-year-old Tess Willoughby and her family reside in London, England and…just in case you were wondering, the London of 1717 is not what it is today. As the daughter of a trusted and well- known physician, Tess has seen her share of horrors and visited some of London’s seediest neighborhoods. However, none of what Tess has experienced so far in her young life has prepared her for the shock of witnessing the murder of one of London’s renowned seers. This seer is also the owner of a rare, prophetic, spinner ring and with her dying breath she charges Tess with the keeping of it. At this point what’s a girl to do except say yes? Panic-stricken, Tess rushes for the safety of her home. Unfortunately the bizarre happenings of this day have started a chain of events from which she is unable to escape. As the story unfolds, Tess learns a shocking family secret, finds herself trapped on a merchant ship and is unwillingly betrothed to the very murderer who covets the power of the mysterious spinner ring.

Overall, I did find “Quintspinner, A Pirate’s Quest” to be an interesting tale but unfortunately I wasn’t always thrilled by the author’s writing style. In certain places the writing came across as “short” which caused these passages to read as “terse” or “clipped” and because of this, at times, the book lacked “draw.” Also, while this book is classed as historical fiction it seemed to read more like a Harlequin novel, minus the love scenes, which isn’t a bad thing as long as you enjoy that style.

In closing, it would appear that Greenlay has left the ending of “Quintspinner, A Pirate’s Quest” open for a sequel. Even though this book didn’t exactly hold me “captive” I am looking forward to reading her next installment for two reasons: to learn what plans fate has in store for Tess Willoughby and to see how Greenlay grows as a writer.

“Lodestone; Book Two: The World of Ice and Stars”

Author: Mark Whiteway

I just finished reading “Lodestone, Book Two: The World of Ice and Stars” last night.“ This is the second book in the “Lodestone” series which is written by Mark Whiteway and for those of you interested in reading this fantasy saga I’m going to quote Maria from The Sound of Music. “Let’s start at the very beginning, a very good place to start…” In this case the start, or “beginning,” can be found by reading “Lodestone, Book One: The Sea of Storms.”

In this installment, “The World of Ice and Stars,” we follow along as Shann – the fiery tempered orphan, Lyall – the stranger Shann saved way back when, Alondo – the loveable and often underestimated musician, Keris – the feared Keltar turned traitor, and Boxx – the cute but childlike Chandara battle together, and apart, to save the Kelanni planet and its inhabitants from the Unan-Chinneroth; the one who poses as “The Prophet.”

“The World of Ice and Stars” begins with Shann finding herself, and Boxx, washed up on a distant shore on the unknown side of her planet. She has no idea what waits for her, or what she will find, all she knows is that she must try and reunite with her party, she must protect Boxx, and she must still try to locate the hidden artifact which will insure her planet’s safety. Her travels take her deeper into the heart of this new land and she encounters strange sights, discovers new enemies and meets new friends. With each new trial, she becomes stronger and more sure of herself, until, finally, she is forced to come face to face with a truth from her past.

Once again in “Lodestone, Book Two: The World of Ice and Stars” Whiteway spins a fantastic and creative tale. The Kelanni planet is divided in half, neither side sure if the other is there, and Whiteway vividly describes for us a new world of unique beauty, technology, and more.
Also, in this particular book we become better acquainted with each character. We learn more about their inner selves and we finally understand the fierce determination that drives each one of them based upon events they have experienced in their past.

In summary “Lodestone, Book Two: The World of Ice and Stars” is another five star story by author Mark Whiteway. A definite “must read” for anyone who loves fantasy and the tale can be enjoyed by readers of all ages. The only real downside is that book three is not out yet. Write faster, Mark, write faster…

“Lodestone; Book One: The Sea of Storms”

Author: Mark Whiteway

A few weeks ago I was looking for some books to read/review when I came across “Lodestone, Book One: The Sea of Storms.” I definitely found the title to be unique so I popped over to Amazon in order to learn more about it.

Ail-Kar, a white-hole portal from another universe, consistently rains meteors down on a planet called Kelanni. These meteors, also called “lodestones” behave according to different physical laws due to the fact that they are from another planet. These “lodestones” and their unusual properties transform Kelanni’s society. Unfortunately there always some who look for ways to capitalize on other people’s ignorance, naiveté and / or superstitions. Such is the case with the Keltars who have helped to enslave the Kelanni people; forcing them to mine this meteoric ore all in the name of the one known as “The Prophet.”

Shann is an orphan with an incredibly fiery disposition. One night she witnesses a fierce battle between one of the feared Keltars and a stranger who uses the same Keltar technology. After saving his life she joins this man in his quest to free the enslaved Kelanni people.

Keris is a Keltar who has been sent to hunt down and destroy this small band of rebels. Along the way she is attacked by a huge winged predator only to be saved by an almost forgotten race known as the Chandara. The Chandara’s home is known as the “Great Tree” and while she is there she learns the true nature of “The Prophet.” She is made to understand that the prophet’s ultimate goal is the complete eradication of the Kelanni people. Somehow this small group must now put their differences and hatreds aside and work together in an attempt to save their people.

As I read “Lodestone, Book One: The Sea of Storms” by author Mark Whiteway I have to say I was impressed with his writing ability. There were multiple storylines throughout this book and yet Whiteway managed to seamlessly bring them together into a cohesive and interesting tale. The world he has dreamed up comes across as larger than life and I dare say anyone who reads this book will follow its tale with bated breath. There’s definitely a cliffhanger of an ending which of course is a great lead-in for “Lodestone, Book Two: The World of Ice and Stars.” Luckily for me I just happen to have a copy of this one already in my possession…

“The Sky Suspended”

Author: R. P. Moffa

Several months I read “The Vaulted Sky” by author R. P. Moffa and found it to be a fantastic book. Moffa has a phenomenal ability to pull his reader into his story and he writes with an uncanny knowledge that seems to come from personal experience rather than imagination or hearsay. Consequently when I learned that “The Sky Suspended” which is the sequel to “The Vaulted Sky” was available I immediately set out to read it.

“The Sky Suspended” is a continuing look into the life of Patrick Montalto, the main character in this historical fiction series. Montalto is a fighter pilot, now an Ace and Lieutenant, in World War II and he’s an American citizen who had to enlist in the Canadian Air Force in order to help fight this war against a Nazi run Germany and its Axis allies. In the “The Sky Suspended” Montalto is transferred to the 3rd Fighter Squadron of the 104th Fighter Group and finally finds himself fighting for his country of citizenship, the United States of America. In this sequel we follow along as Montalto starts over in a new command group not flying the P-40 he’s been using for the past eighteen months but instead a British Spitfire, the plane he originally trained in. We watch him make new friends, re-meet old ones and travel around the globe as he battles for what is right.

As usual, Moffa brings his book to life with vivid descriptions and a well-written storyline. The aerial dogfights are riveting, the book’s characters are well thought out and the interactions between them are flawless. Since “The Sky Suspended” centers around World War II there is, of course, sadness and heartbreak within this tale however, there is also love, kindness, chivalry, integrity and honor which is heartening to read about.

“The Sky Suspended” is definitely a “must read” book but…if you haven’t read “The Vaulted Sky” yet I would suggest you start there in order to get acquainted with Montalto’s character and his life prior to joining the 104th Fighter Group.

In summary, another excellent book by R. P. Moffa and I give it a five-star Amazon rating. Just don’t expect to finish it in one sitting…

“Cephrael’s Hand”

Author: Melissa McPhail

I always enjoy reading a good fantasy and even though my “free” time is limited and this book is a whopping six hundred and thirty-four pages I decided to read it. Just to let you know, “Cephrael’s Hand” is the first in the “A Pattern of Shadow & Light” series. In other words don’t expect this book and its tale to finish together and don’t expect to read it in one sitting…

So, there are three major parts interwoven throughout “Cephrael’s Hand.” First is the realm of Alorin. Alorin, and its Adept race, are dying because of a genocidal war that happened three hundred years earlier. Only Bjorn van Gelderan holds the knowledge to revert this decline but, unfortunately, he’s the same man who was branded a traitor for his heinous betrayals during those Adept Wars. Raine D’Lacourte, an Adept himself, has been charged with the saving of his race but to do so he must first locate Bjorn who isn’t really interested in being found…

Next we move on to the kingdom of Dannym where the sole surviving heir to the Eagle Throne, Prince Ean val Lorian, faces a tenuous and tempestuous future. Lorian’s blood-brother Creighton is slain during a failed assassination attempt against the Prince, and now Prince Lorian is determined to find the responsible party. His quest for justice leads him ever deeper into a sinuous plot masterminded by the one his people call “First Lord…”

Lastly we visit the Nadori desert and meet Trell, a well respected soldier, who has no recollection of his life before he came to be known as Trell of the Tides. As he heads off to try and uncover the mystery of his past disaster befalls him, placing him squarely in the debt of those who are sworn to serve the First Lord…

I finally finished “Cephrael’s Hand” and I have to say it was a fantastic read. It was interesting. It was well written and, believe it or not, it was descriptive without becoming verbose. I was pretty much on the edge of my seat as I read wondering what was going to happen next. Melissa McPhail is an extremely talented writer and she did a phenomenal job of cohesively winding these different strands together throughout “Cephrael’s Hand.”

Needless to say, I give “Cephrael’s Hand” a five-star rating and am anxiously awaiting the release of Book Two…

“Angel or Not?”

Author: Lori Diez

“Angel or Not?” by Lori Diez looked like a cute, albeit short, book so I asked to review it. Angel, the book’s main character, is the youngest of four children in the Hennessey family and believe it or not she has been looking forward to the start of 4th grade all summer long. Apparently summer vacation was really boring that year…

The first day of school finally arrives and, boy, is Angel ever in for a shock. Her day was nothing like she expected it to be. For starters, the teacher that all the 4th grade students love, the one whom Angel was looking forward to having this year, is out for several months. Angel takes one look at her new substitute teacher and doesn’t particularly like what she sees. Then she learns that Sonya, a girl who has bullied Angel in the past, is going to be in her class. As the day progresses Angel contemplates her misfortune. She is certain that somehow all these mishaps can be traced back to her forgetting to kiss her father goodbye earlier that morning. To top it all off not one but two people close to her are injured and Angel is left wondering how to handle things.

As I read “Angel or Not?” it seemed that “Angel or Not?” was the non-stop question throughout the book. However, I’m not going to give anything away by telling you whether she finally decided if she was an angel…or not…

I did find “Angel or Not?” to be a cute read. Lori Diez did a good job of writing her book from the perspective of a 4th grade girl and this does; of course, include all the drama that goes along with being that age. “Angel or Not?” was a funny read. I did enjoy Angel’s sense of humor although I must say; at times, it did come across as more mature than that of a 4th grader.

In summary, “Angel or Not?” is a nice fictional story for juvenile readers but be aware that there are a lot of religious overtones throughout so don’t gift this book to anyone who may not appreciate that aspect.

“The Ride”

Author: Patti Day

There are two times I dislike being a book reviewer. One of them is when I have to finish reading a book that anyone else would have set down after chapter one and the other is when I have to write a bad review. To be honest I’m unsure which aspect I dislike more. I just know I hate ruining someone’s day…

So, to start, I had a difficult time reading and getting into “The Ride” because of the mix of formal and informal dialogue. Generally, in today’s day and age, we use contractions regularly in our speaking habits. When an author chooses to write without using contractions, to me, it comes across as very formal. I have no problem with that style as long as it’s consistent. However, if one character is going to speak “formally” then let’s make sure he or she does so all the time. Don’t have that formal speaking character say “Well, Brook, I probably do not need an attorney, but I will write down his name” only to follow it up with “Thank you. I wouldn’t have known who to call.” Or, even worse, mix formal and informal together in the same sentence. Because of this inconsistent writing style the story came across as stilted.

I also found aspects of this book to be extremely unrealistic. Tina, the main character in “The Ride” suffers a horrible tragedy and a terrible loss. But where is her passion? Where are her feelings? Where is the emotion that drags the reader out of their happy existence and makes them want to weep from heartfelt pain? Honestly if this book could read its own story aloud I’m pretty sure it would do so in a monotone because unfortunately that’s how uninspiring it is…

Sadly I found almost nothing positive in this book. It was problem after problem, one issue after the next. “The Ride” seemed filled with almost non-stop negativity and I can honestly say it’s one of the most depressing books I’ve ever read. This book is a novel. It states so quite plainly on the cover: “A Novel By Patti Day.” In my experience a novel is always fictional even if it does draw on fact or real life experiences. In my opinion a novel, aka fictional story, should, if nothing else be an enjoyable read. In case anyone was wondering…this book was NOT an enjoyable experience for me.

Lastly, my copy of “The Ride” was hand corrected on at least four different pages and I must say I found this practice to be extremely unprofessional. I understand the thought behind the corrections, but as the person doing the review/critique there was still a slight chance that I might have missed those errors. Unfortunately, crossing them out and writing in the correct information definitely brought my attention to each and every mistake.

Best part of the book? The excerpt…but that’s probably because it was written by another author…

“The Keya Quests”

Author: Glenn Skinner

Every year RebeccasReads hosts their annual “Written Art Awards” program and I was asked if I would be willing to read/review/critique “The Keya Quests” by author Glenn Skinner. The book sounded interesting enough: a brave young woman being chased by her kingdom’s enemies opens a magical portal and finds herself in modern-day America. She’s been charged with the finding of a “great warrior,” the only person who has the ability to save her world. I enjoy reading fantasy so I, of course, accepted the invitation. Boy was I ever unhappy once I started reading my copy…

Before I begin my review I would like to comment that I couldn’t help but notice a striking similarity between this book’s “The Introduction” and parts of the trilogy “Lord of the Rings…”

Now that my previous statement is out of the way, allow me to move on to my actual review… As I began to read “The Keya Quests” I discovered almost immediately that Glenn Skinner has an uncomfortably stiff and “robotic” writing style. “The Keya Quests” reads more like a court reporter’s transcript than a well-written fantasy. Sadly, the author’s repertoire of adjectives is slim therefore, when adjectives were actually used, they were the same tired ones that had already been used over and over again. The dialogue between characters had way too much “proper” name usage. Generally, we, the reader, understand who is speaking or being spoken to. An experienced author would understand this and would exchange some of those proper names for their corresponding pronouns like: he and him, she and her, or they and them.

I would also like to recommend that the author learn to use words other than “say” and “replies” when writing character dialogue. Don’t use “say” multiple times in the same paragraph; it sticks out like a sore thumb. Instead try something that coincides with what’s happening in that section of the story. Example, instead of writing: “Fine,” says Julie, pulling her hand back. “Didn’t your mother ever teach you to share?” she says as she reaches instead for a slice from the pile of cold cuts on the counter. Try something like: “Fine,” scolds Julie, pulling her hand back. Didn’t your mother ever teach you to share?” she asks as she reaches instead for a slice from the pile of cold cuts on the counter. This is especially important since the last part of that original dialogue is actually phrased as a question…

Grammatically this book was a train wreck and unfortunately there’s really no “nice” way to say that. I also had a challenging time following the separate sections in “The Keya Quests” because the author did not use any form of division between the differing parts. In future I would suggest the author learn to write using chapters as dividers or if he can’t because the scene is too short than please, for your reader’s sake, use asterisks as a divider.

In summary I found “The Keya Quests” to be a difficult, odd and un-enjoyable read. While Skinner may feel that his “true calling would be that of a bard, spinning a rich tapestry of tales by firelight, infusing magic into the grey sameness of everyday life” I’m going to just say that I did not find this tale richly spun OR infused with magic…