Sunrise Destiny by Mark Terence Chapman

This book was brought to my attention by Kindle Unlimited.

I almost didn't bother writing this review because this novel is just terrible: a textbook 1 star. Is there a literary term to describe a plot that hill jumps? That is what this book does. Every mini-arc in this novel, which reads like a main arc, spans at least 2 but not more than 5 chapters. It is exhausting. The characters get in trouble, get out of it, and then they are right back in it. And with aliens, you expect weirdness but not this much new weirdness introduced during each arc! The plot is just unnecessarily overwhelming.

And in light of that, summarizing this story has been challenging. But I am going to try: Sunrise Destiny starts out starring dishonored cop, Donatello Sunrise, and a bit later introduces prostitute, Lola as our two heroes. Girls have been going missing all over town. One of those girls is the daughter of local mob boss, Antonio “Tony the Shark” Scarpacci, and Sunrise owes him. So in exchange for not ending his life, Sunrise agrees to help locate missing the Sarah.

When Sunrise finds Sarah (within two chapters), it is revealed that she was kidnapped by an alien race called the Azarti (think Elvis, from Perfect Dark, with telepathy) who need to extract hemoglobin to synthesize a cure for a disease they contracted by traveling to close to our Sun fleeing from pursuers. Sunrise agrees to help them if they will stop kidnapping girls to extract hemoglobin. So Sunrise starts returning the girls. But he didn't think that returning them would make it look like he was the kidnapper! So he has to explain himself to the authorities.

But before he can, Scarpacci and his goons kidnap him and beat the tar out of him because they think he kidnapped the girls. Looks like it's all over for Sunrise. But it isn't! Lola, local prostitute and friend of Sunrise's, shows up and saves the day with her friends (who might be a gang of pimps? It's not explained). He tells Lola about the Azarti and they work together to get them enough hemoglobin so they can make it off planet to get an actual cure instead of a bandaid. But at the precise moment they are getting ready to get off planet, the pursuers find them, and with Sunrise in tow, they are racing to get away from them. So what does Sunrise do? He figures out by being around these telepaths he's become telepathic and he saves the day!

They return to Earth and Lola helps orchestrate a blood drive and, now finally with enough, they can roll out. And because of both the local authorities and Scarpacci looking for the two of them, they retreat to have new identities and built a new life. That sounds like the end but Scarpacci finds them, the Azarti come back, and the cycle continues. Lola becomes telepathic, we visit the home Azarti world, get involved in the local conflict, it just goes on and on. We think our heroic duo is safe but they are never safe! They just keep getting kidnapped, beaten within an inch of their life, and dramatically saved and rehabilitated so they can do it all over again.

When the book isn't taking us through high action and terrible things being done to Sunrise and Lola, it is moving at a snail pace, meandering through day-to-day life (and, honestly, it is greatly preferred to the beatings). I'm almost ashamed to admit I read the whole thing. But at least no one can tell me "it gets better." I can definitively tell you: it does not. If you must, visit Mark Terence Chapman's site for more information about the author and how to purchase his books.

Outlaw by Edward W. Robertson

This book was brought to my attention by Kindle Unlimited.

After reading the description of this book, I thought it would be mostly about Mazzy Webber, newest member of the junky cargo ship Fourth Down that has turned pirate. But that's only half right. Webber shares the first half of the novel with Rada Pence, an employee of an eccentric billionaire, who is following the trail of recently murdered Jain Kayle. The two don't meet until about 65% into the book when they join forces and solve Kayle's murder.

At first, I did not like alternating between Webber and Rada. I didn't like reorienting to each character's very different story lines. And, for obvious reasons, their connection wasn't made clear until closer to their meeting. But, to my surprise, it did not take away from the story. Of the two, I found Rada's experience more interesting (as murder mysteries often are) rather than Webber's entry into piracy. I think more time could've been spent with Rada and Webber could've summarized his experience when they meet--but I think he will be a main character of the series over Rada so I think that is why the author did it that way. Overall, I thought the story was well written and had good flow. I'm looking forward to reading the second book.

I selected this book because I thought it was the first book in a series. And while I'm right that it is, I feel like I would've enjoyed the book more had I known it was a sequel series to a previous series written by the author (The Breakers). There are some things in the novel that are foreign concepts that I hope are clearer to familiar readers. Since I liked this novel, I am seriously considering reading those prequels. Whether or not I'll also review them, time will tell.

Visit Edward W. Robertson's site for more information about the author and how to purchase his books.

The Immortal Circus Trilogy by A. R. Kahler

This book was brought to my attention by Kindle Unlimited.

In Act One of The Immortal Circus, our narrator, Vivienne, has signed a contract that binds her to the titular circus. However, she doesn't remember the terms, why she did it, or anything about her past. It doesn't bother her so it is not the focus of the book. She quickly learns her friend (and love interest) Kingston is a real witch, the ringleader is Queen Mab, and the rest are shape-shifters and fairies, with a few humans thrown in. The novel opens to the discovery of a murdered performer and pulls Vivienne into figuring out whodunit. Through her informal investigation, she learns Mab is using the circus to feed her people (fairies, who live on dreams). But Mab isn't the only show in town and minions of Oberon roll up and an intense battle ensues over Mab's monopoly of the Dream Trade.

In Act Two of The Immortal Circus, we continue with Vivienne who has shifted from not caring about her lost memory to desperately wanting it back. The entire circus has been made to forget all the ruckus of the first act except for Vivienne, Mab, and Kingston with whom she is now in a relationship. But the peace doesn't last when Vivienne starts having intense headaches and dreams, and she decides she has to know what she's been made to forget. So, at Kingston's suggestion, they run off for a vacation from their contracts and end up in the court of Oberon. We find out practically everything you want to know about Vivienne: what she is, what that means, and how it impacts everyone around her.

The Final Act of The Immortal Circus opens with Vivienne assuming the role of leader and ringmaster of the circus while Mab goes off to prepare her subjects for war with Oberon. The show must go on or all of the troupe lives are forfeit. Vivienne finds herself at odds with the troupe, even though she is not the holder of their contracts: she wears the top hat, she bears the burden. But that problem doesn't last long as Mab appears to demand Vivienne help her deal with three demons that were created by Oberon.

There is a lack of descriptive fight scenes with the character where instead she blacks out and we are left assuming what took place which, at the end, leaves us with "wait, what?" It didn't seem lazy until the very end of the series when I really wanted to know how everything worked out. That being said, I still really liked this trilogy. I think what most impressed me is how well it is organized (and it has to be with the richness of the world). The first book offers an introduction to the world, offering minimal background on our heroine, and waits until the second book to provide discovery on who she is and why we care. I liked this style because I wasn't inundated with information: it came gradually and allowed me to want to know more. The third book brought it to a mildly satisfactory close.

Visit A. R. Kahler's site for more information about the author and how to purchase his books.

Horns by Joe Hill

As a writer, Joe Hill definitely takes after his father, Stephen King, although he goes by a different last name to deflect any claims of birthright. I became a fan of Hill long before I learned of the family connection, after reading his recently concluded comic book series Locke & Key, and horror novel NOS4A2. So when I found out one of his earlier books was being adapted into a movie for release this Halloween, it seemed like a perfect time to give it a look.

Horns starts with a brief chapter that serves to give the reader an uneasy feeling within minutes. Twenty-six-year-old protagonist Ignatius Perrish wakes up with horns sprouting from his forehead.  The titular horns make people tell Ig their most sinister opinions and desires when they look at his forehead. Then when Ig knows those desires, he has the power to prod the person to act on impulse, such as making someone eat the last donut when she's already full. He discovers other devilish abilities as the story progresses. Ig goes to his childhood home and hears straight from his family's mouths how much they hate him... for allegedly raping and murdering his girlfriend. The paranormal element of the story takes a backseat for roughly the middle third of the book, which flashes back to how Ig met and courted Merrin, his presently dead significant other, as well as insight on friend/romantic rival Lee Tourneau. These flashback chapters went a little long and left me impatient to see what would happen next in the present, as the heinous crime had new details come to light and I wanted to know how Ig would proactively handle that information. Lee and Ig have a lopsided friendship, that mostly involves Ig doing favors for Lee after he saved Ig's life. It surprised me when Hill explored Lee's point of view of certain pivotal events, after most of the novel had closely followed Ig as he learns to accept the literal devil inside him and investigate Merrin's murder.

Horns will shock you and keep you on your toes as a reader, though some of the violence may be a turn-off if you're not into the genre. There are also surprises to learn about Merrin, and Ig's celebrity brother Terry, showing that nobody is entirely infallible. The cat and mouse game and fight that Ig has at the end seemed cliched, but ultimately the conclusion was satisfying. If you like a horror story and don't mind sexual and violent content mixing with religious overtones, you'll probably find Horns an intriguing read, and I look forward to reading more by Joe Hill.

I am curious to see how Daniel Radcliffe handles the lead role in the movie, since he is clearly trying to grow as an actor rather than be known as Harry Potter his whole life. What might not have been the best idea was to hand directing duties over to the director of Mirrors and Piranha 3D, but maybe he found a worthy approach. It certainly can't be much worse than the majority of movies adapted from Stephen King stories.

The Paper Magician by Charlie N. Holmberg

This book was brought to my attention by Kindle Unlimited.

The Paper Magician by Charlie N. Holmberg is about a graduate of the Tagis Praff School for the Magically Inclined. She always wanted to be a Smelter (Metal Magician) but is assigned as a Folder (Paper Magician) because there aren't enough around. In Holmberg's well-thought out world, once a magician "bonds" with a material, they are limited to magic with only that material. And within the first chapter, our heroine is bonded to paper, effectively cutting herself off from metal forever.

Our student-now-apprentice, Ceony Twill, quickly grows to love and enjoy being a Folder while living and learning with her teacher, Magician Emery Thane (the titular Paper Magician). The first 30% of the book is following Ceony as she learns the magic of Folding which, to me, gets right to the edge of "alright, I get it, let's start the story." And Holmberg kicks it off by introducing the evil Excisioners (Human Flesh Magicians) who have bonded to blood and use it to rip magic through the body of their opponent. And so begins Ceony's real adventure.

The beginning had me a bit annoyed with Ceony but she grew on me as I kept reading. I found her infatuation with Thane predictable student/teacher, but Holmberg is creative in how it comes about. For the majority of the book, Ceony is put inside a human heart by the Excisioners and it took me a chapter or two to become desensitized to the gore and be able to focus on story over setting. Overall, I liked the book and I'm looking forward to the rest of the series. I recommend in future books that Holmberg devote more of the story to the conflict between the rest of the magical world and the Exisioners as it will make for a more compelling read.

Visit Charlie N. Holmberg's blog for more information about the author and how to purchase her book(s).