Brownbird’s Luck |
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Book Title: Brownbird’s Luck Author: Kriss Erickson Niche: Fantasy Price: $2.50 Size: 38,000 words (143 pages paperback equivalent)
This delightful fantasy is the first in a new series called The Land Behind the Veil. It features elves, unicorns (always a favorite), evil forces, and a quest.
If I had to criticize anything in the book, it would be the rather slow start. The scene setting seems to be necessary, but I’m one of those who wants to get into “the good stuff” right away. However, Erickson handles even that part of the book skillfully. I could almost taste the dust of the barnyard in my mouth and smell the crops her “Da” grows. Her characters are real and engaging. Although they speak with an almost backwoods accent, it doesn’t get in the way of the story nor is it difficult to follow. Rather, it adds to the “reality” of the yarn and draws you into Deila’s world. The sense that this is more than just a story about a poor farm girl becomes evident early on with the mysterious death of a new foal and the strange new foal that takes its place. Lessons in life given by her grandmother, “The Dark Weaver” add to the conviction that something extraordinary is happening. Erickson doesn’t disappoint. Soon Deila is drawn into events that are far beyond the mundane world she lives in. A great setup for the next book in the series, Brodentia, which is due out in April. Let go of your grip on reality and enjoy this trip into a different world of fantasy and mystery. Formats: Adobe Reader (pdf), ePub, Kindle (prc), Microsoft Reader (lit), Mobi (prc) No DRM Reviewed by Allan Kalar, Washington state By it now at AKW Books |
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Review: KGB in High Heels |
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Book Title: KGB in High Heels Author: Valentina Maltseva Niche: Mystery / Spy Drama Price: $4.50 Size: 65,000 words (250 pages paperback equivalent)
Written in Russian, it’s been excellently translated into colloquial English. It reads just like it was originally written in English. Valentina works on an artsy Newspaper in the old Soviet Union. She’s not political and is happy puttering around in the art world, writing stories and reviews. Unfortunately for her, her boyfriend gets her involved with non other than Yuri Andropov (head of the KGB) and she finds herself shipped off to Argentina and plunged into the world of espionage. Nothing goes as planned and the body count rises as her chances for survival plummet. Three spy agencies are after her and two of them would rather see her dead. Valentina is no James Bond. She’s not suave or sure of herself. She’s just terrified and wants to go back to her safe life in the art world. Like many people, I love the Bond movies. I also read all of the Ian Fleming Bond books. This isn’t Bond by any stretch of the imagination. This is much more realistic than Fleming’s books ever were. A refreshing look into the spy world from another perspective, where spies are highly fallible and plans rarely go well. I enjoyed every paragraph. My only complaint is that it wasn’t a longer book. However, sources tell me there may be a “part 2″. Oh goody! So, grab your knife and gun, and sit down for a great roller-coaster ride into danger. Formats: Adobe Reader (pdf), ePub, Kindle (prc), Microsoft Reader (lit), Mobi (prc) No DRM Reviewed by Allan Kalar, Washington state By it now at AKW Books |
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Review: A Convenient Solution by Howard Johnson |
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Book Title: A Convenient Solution Discussion of the energy crisis and some practical solutions.
The world is facing an energy crisis. Well, a large part of it. The causes of the crisis are part economics, part supply/demand, and part political. Many myths abound along with quite a bit of greed and chicanery. Mr. Johnson dives into this morass with a hard-headed attitude that cuts through the “BS” and gets to the basics. In doing so, he debunks some of the myths while realizing that as long as some of the myths are adopted, for whatever reason, into public policy, any solution is going to have to work around them. The book is basically aimed at the problems as they impact the United States, but I can see where a lot of the content would apply to a number of “developed” nations. The book covers present energy systems, proposed solutions, distribution problems, and tradeoffs. Mr. Johnson finally proposes a number of solutions that are economically and politically possible and would, he claims, make this country energy independent within 10 years. President Obama must have read this book, because one of several solutions Johnson proposes is a nuclear option — the same thing the President is currently touting. If you want to be current and knowledgeable about energy for homes, autos, portable toys, etc. this is a book you should have around to educate yourself and as a handy reference for later. Formats: Adobe Reader (pdf), ePub, Kindle (prc), Microsoft Reader (lit), Mobi (prc) No DRM |
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