Tag: book reviewer

Reviewers wanted!

This may be an odd request from someone who reviews indie books, but I’m having a very hard time finding people to review my young adult/new adult e-book, Empire’s Daughter. In part, this may be because it doesn’t fit into any major genre and is difficult to classify. It takes place in a world inspired by Britain after the fall of Rome, but is not historically, geographically, or socially a direct copy. There is no magic. Human relationships cover all pairings, but there is no explicit sex.

You can check it out here:

http://www.amazon.com/Empires-Daughter-Legacy-Book-ebook/dp/B00TXFTZ3G/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24979052-empire-s-daughter?from_search=true

If you’d like to give it a try in exchange for an honest review on Amazon and/or Goodreads, let me know and I’ll send you the electronic file of your choice for Kindle, iBooks, or Kobo (basically, any of .mobi, e-pub, or PDF).

Thanks, and keep sending me review requests for your indie work (review policy here).

Marian

The Quantum Door by Jonathan Ballagh: A Review

The door into another world is as old as Alice in Wonderland and as new as Neil Gaiman’s Coraline, with many many interpretations and reiterations in between (and since). In The Quantum Door, Jonathan Ballagh’s debut novel, it is given a familiar yet fresh treatment in this middle-grades science fiction story set a very few years in the future.

Brothers Brady and Felix are attracted by a faint light in the forest behind their Vermont home, a forest that has recently been purchased and fenced with No Trespassing signs. Felix, the younger and more technologically-oriented brother, attempts to investigate with a drone, leading to the discovery of the quantum door, a door into a parallel universe fraught with menace and danger.

The door has been constructed by Nova, a strong, resourceful female character who appears to be roughly the same age as the boys. With her robotic, AI dog – a canidroid? – Achilles, she is attempting to find a safe place away from the Elder Minds, the artificial, evolving intelligences that now rule her world.

The Quantum Door is imaginative and fast-paced, introducing young readers to many of the classic science fiction themes. The science and the technology is realistic and feasible, building on current knowledge, devices and systems. The scenes of the underworld where the Neurogeists, constructed creatures that house the reprogrammed minds of transgressors of the Elder Minds’ rules, are resonant of many dystopias portrayed in text and film, and yet manage to be fresh horror.

A mention must be given to the outstanding illustrations by Ben J. Adams. Dark and fractured, they convey the dystopian side of this novel perfectly.

The reading level and story complexity are also worthy of mention: they are appropriate to the age group to which this book is aimed, without talking down in any way. This is a book that in my previous career in education I would have been recommending to middle-grade teachers without hesitation. Five stars to this outstanding debut novel, and here’s hoping for a sequel.

This is an independent review of copy of the book provided by the author. The opinions stated here are mine alone.

Mondo Bohemiano by Quentin J. Parker: A Review

Mondo Bohemiano is a sometimes funny, sometimes ironic and largely satirical tale of a man desperately trying to leave the love of his life behind, and, perhaps, grow up a bit in the process. Nigel Q. Bunnytail is our anti-hero, a man living a frenetic and aimless life in Philadelphia, hanging out with friends he’s mostly known since earliest childhood, sleeping with many women, working in a job perhaps not up to his skill level, pining for his beloved Millicent.

The aimlessness and frenzy of Nigel’s Philadelphia life is mirrored in the writing. I found the first half of the book a little hard going, but as I read on, the rapid and rapidly changing pacing and action began to make sense as a mirror of what is going on in Nigel’s psyche. Once Nigel makes his decision to move to the other side of the country – Spokane – the pace and mood of the book changes, reflecting the changes Nigel is making.

While Nigel is referred to as ‘the big bohemian’ several times, there are indications that he is hankering for a more structured life. He is attracted to the discipline of flying, both in real life and in a complex simulation on his computer. His clothes have a military styling. In moving to Spokane to attempt a relationship with Sigrid, he also appears to be leaving not just Millicent, but also the ‘Mondo Bohemiano’ behind. What he’s got himself into, though, is not what he bargained for.

The writing is original, witty, and fast-paced. The book isn’t easy to classify –satirical rom-com is the best description I can come up with. My only niggle with it was the characters’ names, which I found a little bit overdone – although there may be a relationship between Nigel’s last name and one of Sigrid’s obsessions – I won’t go further than that, to avoid spoilers. I am looking forward to the planned sequel, which is not a statement I would have thought I would have made at the half-way point in the book. Overall, three stars.

This is an independent review of copy of the book provided by the author. The opinions stated here are mine alone.

Book Review Policies

I’ll post this on the book review page on my website as well.

For everyone who has asked (and those who might wish to) I review published or pre-publication work from indie authors.  My preference is for young-adult fantasy/dystopia/sci-fi but will consider other work.  I do accept e-books (actually, I prefer them).

My practice is to share the review with the author before I post to anywhere except my website.  As well as my website, I post reviews to the following sites:  Goodreads, Amazon in the UK, Canada, and the US, and Kobo and Smashwords – but don’t unless the author requests it.

My contact details are marianlthorpe at gmail.com.