The Cure by Douglas E. Richards

It started slow, that's a valid gripe - or slow for Douglas E. Richards. He usually starts with something like pulling the rip cord and the parachute lines tangle. The jumper fails to cut away the tangled parachute and in a panic deploys the back up which only tangles things up further. Petty intense.

This one does start with some traumatically cringe-worthy psychopathic brutality and only one surviving child, who is our protagonist. So my slow argument doesn't really hold up very well. But that's just shoving you in the door. Once you're in the book, you're waiting for grandma to make the tea… there's the fuss about Earl Grey or Cinnamon Apple… boring... metaphorically. Then Erin, our traumatic surviving child has grown up. She has overcome the massive trauma and is now studying psychopathy. It's about that time you think you've figured out where Mr. Richards is going with "The Cure".

You'll be wrong. He does some writer "magic tricks."

While you're looking at the "cure psychopathy" presumption, he changes where you're not looking. When you turn the page you're rubbing your chin thinking, well..., ok..., didn't think it would go that way.

Amped by Douglas E. Richards

I recommend Amped which is another 4-5 star Sci-fi thriller by Douglas E. Richards that reads so fast its 350+ pages seem like a short story. Mystery has been one of the factors Mr. Richards loves to weave into his action, adventure, Sci-fi thrillers. In that way he reminds me much of Isaac Asimov and his way to "teaching" through the dialogue of his characters reminds me of Robert Heinlein.

——————————SPOILERS——————————
Mr. Richards returns to Wired series and delightful co-protagonists Kira Miller and David Desh. By now they have assembled a collection of folks committed to their cause. Kira has found a way to enhance human intelligence for brief periods of time and her collection of brilliant scientists take her drug under strict conditions and while "enhanced" realize discoveries that are far more advanced than current technology.

Wired by Douglas E. Richards

What I probably liked best about his 4-5 star science fiction story is that it hints of golden age Heinlein or Asimov while skipping the golden age's glaring foibles. In those days, science fiction writers were often like having teachers of future science telling you an exciting story about how it will be, THEN. That, and I think Mr. Richards wants to test the idea of how long he can get a reader to hold their breath.

The author, or editor, knows commercial fiction rules, like… something has to be happening at least every other page. This makes the book an extremely fast and exciting read. This is the case with Wired.

In retrospect, the prologue seems odd at best. Introduce one of you main characters with a false name being betrayed by one of the bodyguards she hired to guard her. No doubt that turned out to be a solid hook dragging you quickly into the book, but looking back, it seems irrelevant, except for the mighty fact it does drag you over lumps and bumps well into the story.

The story starts proper with another of our main characters, David Desh, an ex-special forces soldier, being asked by a top tier black ops officer, Col. Jim Connely to come in and consult on an operation their black operatives have already failed more than once. This alerts us that David is extraordinary, and he's being asked to do a job his fellow special ops buddies have already failed. It tells us just by the meeting that the Colonel in charge believes David Desh is uniquely qualified to do the job. Then we learn rather quickly that the mission is a higher priority than trying to stop UFOs from messing with our nuclear arsenal.

The Steel Queen by Karen Azinger

This is a magical mystical fantasy of the medieval "sword and sorcery" genre with multiple viewpoint characters. It feels OLD Disney like, but the darkness in this story feels evil right down to your bones.

I neither recommend or discourage reading this book. It's a good book, 3± stars.

That's all the important stuff.

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My tale of writing this review.
I wrote a review having 5 unread chapters to go. It was very a long and detailed draft. I included many of the characters: It mentions if they are Disney like heroes or heroines. I mention my pet nicknames of the darker characters: "The rat-mouse" and "The Ghoul", aka Danly and Steffan. Both those characters are quite dark and evil, something like — Clockwork Orange comes to mind..., but that's not quite right, — more like something from the dark corners of Stephen King or Edgar Allan Poe's mind, but with dark ages flare. Maybe both actually, Danly out of Clockwork Orange, and Steffan out of Poe's twisted darkness.

I stopped writing the draft review after around 500 words on characters and other details. It was just a draft so I figured I should finish reading before doing more.

I deleted that review after reading chapter 82 where my notes mention WTF? two or three times -- along with mention of exploding a reader's trust and dissolution of my suspension of disbelief which had been in question since the prologue.

Forged in Blood by K. F. Breene

Forged in Fire by K. F. Breene is a short story prequel to the Warrior Chronicles series.

I recommend you skip this prequel, but then pick it up after you've read Invasion. It was Okay. I'm not sure I would have benefited from it much if I read it as a prequel. Perhaps that is a memory issue with me. Most of the characters in the prequel except Shanti aren't significant at least until Hunted.

The Goodreads blurb says:

Before Shanti was the most wanted woman in the land, she had yet to master her sword and the potent Gift with which she was both blessed and cursed. But the threat won't rest, and her people may pay the price.

The short story takes place when Shanti was still a child. A time after a Graygaul attack which devastated their village but before the time Shanti and her people are entirely decimated by the Graygual.

I think the joy of this book isn't as a prequel. It is actually kind of a dud as prequel. But it is a jewel if you've read Chosen and Hunted, and perhaps even after Shadow Lands and Invasion.

I think if you wait and read it after Invasion, it serves better as a flashback that gives some insight into why Shanti's childhood peers were so precious to her. I suspect I would have forgotten anything significant in the prequel by the time the characters are mentioned in the prequel show up in the series.

Read on Friday, September 13, 2019.

See my Goodreads reviews here.

Siege by K. F. Breene

Siege by K. F. Breene is book number five in her Warrior Chronicles series. Loved it. 5 stars. Highly recommended for fantasy fans and woman warrior lovers. The Warrior Chronicles is not a Young Adult series. ^#suspense ^#adventure ^#thriller ^#quest ^#medieval war fantasy ^#supernatural ^#explicate sex ^#violence

The Sales Blurb from Goodreads:

The land has become unnaturally quiet. It’s as if everyone is waiting for some sign that Xandre can be beaten. That someone will stand up to him, and win.

With Shanti calling the shots, and Cayan’s battle know-how, it seems certain that the Chosen can be the catalyst. That they can lead the oppressed to freedom.

But Xandre didn’t become the Being Supreme by chance, and he doesn’t intend for his rule to be stripped away so easily. He has already started to gather his forces, and with the entire land under his control, gaining a foothold against him seems impossible.
The final battle is brewing, and the winner is anything but decided…

So far in this fantasy of medieval myth and magic we've been treated to four parts of a six part story, the story arc reaching one of its zenith points of increasing crescendo in Siege, our fifth book of the series.

At the beginning of the book we are in the quiet time of uneventful activity after having...

Invasion by K. F. Breene

Invasion by K. F. Breene is book number four in her Warrior Chronicles series. Loved it. 5 stars. Highly recommended for fantasy fans and woman warrior lovers. If you loved Terry Goodkind's Sword of Truth Series, odds are good you'll like this one.

If you've been following my reviews on this series, I've mentioned both Dean Koontz and Terry Goodkind in my reviews. If you have read either of those authors you know what I'm saying about K. F. Breene. If you haven't read those authors, I'm giving Ms. Breene the blue ribbon of excellence and hope they win some prestigious prize for their writing.

With multiple book series, good writers usually develop several minor characters. You know some or all of them are going to be fodder -- sacrificed to the reader's emotional roller coaster ride, but you hope it won't be one of your favorites like Shanti's Westwoods Honor Guard when the next one has to be sacrificed for the reader's emotional entrapment.

Ms. Breene has certainly taken lessons from the Star Trek writers as there often appears an appreciated supporter who makes a difference… but are wearing the proverbial doomed red shirt, so to speak. While that IS an emotional train wreck, Scotty and the Doctor remain live. Still, when the rookie character catches a Hail Mary to win a battle, you don't want to see them cut from the team before the next outing.

Ok, enough babble, time to spoil the book. Those of you wise enough to walk away, now's the time to move along. Those who have read the book. What do you care? You already know. And if you've just checking to see if I have it right, you need a hobby. Read the next book instead.

Shadow Lands by K. F. Breene

Shadow Lands by K. F. Breene is book number three in her Warrior Chronicles series. Loved it. 5 stars. Highly recommended for fantasy fans and woman warrior lovers.

The Sales Blurb from Goodreads:

***Book three in the bestselling series.***

In order to finally claim her title of Chosen and lead the Shadow People out of the Land of Mist, Shanti must make it through a century's old system to test her battle awareness, her fighting skill, and her ability to stay alive. She's about to enter The Trials, and she must do it alone.

Separated from Shanti on a dangerous island, Cayan must learn to use his mental skill while keeping his men safe from the people set out to kill them. But as more Inkna and Graygual flood the island, Cayan hears of a sinister force deep in the woods, rigging The Trials and killing any who venture too close.

It is now a race against time. The battle to become the Chosen has begun, and the victor is anything but decided.

It seems it has all been sprinting to this point from the beginning. They have arrived in the Shadow Lands. I had more than a few tense moments reading this one.

Well, if the blurb hasn't spoiled it, maybe I can!. Those of you wise enough to walk away, now's the time to move along. Those who have read the book. What do you care? You already know. And if you've just checking to see if I have it right, you need a hobby. Read the next book instead.

Hunted by K. F. Breene

It has been a long time since I've been very clear on 98% of the characters. Most stories get really deep in their Persona Dramatica, leaving my Swiss Cheese memory challenged.

Well let's do this.  4.5 Stars & highly recommended for fantasy fans and adventure lovers who are are excited to watch a high-octane, indefatigable women heroine. Shanti is not an Amazon Wonder Woman, more like the Hayden Panettiere/Claire of Heroes kind of maelstrom.

This mythic fantasy is set in some middle ages type setting. The anticipation and excitement make putting it down difficult at best. It reminds me quite a bit of Sword of Truth series as there are a number of similarities. The Graygual are analogous to the Imperial Order of the Old World and the Being Supreme sound's Jajang-like, with the Hunter being similar to some Jajang minion who Richard and Kahlan struggle with. The length of the "Warrior's Chronicles" would equal maybe one and a half — of the Sword of Truth books -- say the Blood of the Fold through Naked Empire books, tops.

I suspect if you liked Terry Goodkind's Richard and Kahlan you're going to like Shanti and Cayan, as long as you aren't expecting the series to be anything other than similar. Which reminds me. I have a couple of the Nicki Chronicles I haven't tasted yet - and just now learned Mr. Goodkind has returned to the Sword of Truth series with "Children of D'hara" series.

Now, if you prefer to skip the unavoidable spoilers, go pick up your copy of "Chosen" the first of the "Warrior Chronicles" and start enjoying the fun. I've loved these type stories since I first read The Swordswoman by Jessica Amanda Salmonson.

Chosen by K.F. Breene

I completely enjoyed "Chosen". 3.6 Stars. I recommend it to fantasy fans who love female protagonist and like books with a good dose of sexual tension. It's PG13 for language, violence, and sexual innuendo.

Shanti, our protagonist, is a clone of Millicent in Fate of Perfection in Ms. Breen's Finding Paradise series and the sexual tension is the same as well. I thought Millicent was fun, but Shanti, not so much in the romantic push-pull Ms. Breene likes to write. She did a lovely job of having Shanti speak a foreign language and pick up the local language quickly. I would recommend the book on that alone if you're a blooming writer. It was the kind of humor that deeply amuses me.

The sales pitch is Shanti is The "Chosen" one, who, via prophecy, will bring powerful warriors out of some mystery place and conquer raiding hordes of Tolkienesk dark and evil foes.

I think that sales pitch will eventually be accurate for the entire series. That isn't what happened in this book. I admit I can forget what I read yesterday and read it today like I'd never read it before, but I was paying attention as this is good book with interesting characters.

Ok, I believe it is time to tell you as much as the sales blurb spoilers, so if you like going in blind, get the book and move along. If spoilers whet your appetite for more, dig in.

Out of the Dark

Gregg Hurwitz only gets better. I really liked, "Out of the Dark". 4.4 stars. I recommend you start your Evan Smoak journey with "Orphan X", which made Mr. Hurwitz one of my favorite authors. Then get through "The Nowhere Man", then put on your seat belt for "Hellbent" and "Out of the Dark".

Four books into a series even the official sales blurbs are spoilers, so if you want to enjoy this book without preconceived impressions from this review, it's time to move along. If spoilers only encourage you, lets get with it.

Hellbent

Hellbent by Gregg Hurwitz

Hellbent is the 3rd Orphan X novel. I really liked this one. 4.2 of 5 stars. I recommend it. Yes, you can read it alone, I think that would be a horrible idea and may spoil the 6 book experience (as of Jan 2020).

Evan Smoak has become one of my favorite characters. I think the molding of Mr. Hurwitz's character, Evan Smoak, is being done with a hammer on an anvil — and I'm confident Mr. Hurwitz has been required to routinely open a vein and pour some of his writing heart and soul into the character. He didn't pour the Orphan X books into the genre mold, tweak it here and there, and then put some extra meat or bones into the plots. By the end of Hellbent, if you're a seasoned reader, you know that our author has spent countless hours with Evan Smoak, and he knew what Evan was going to do in book six before he was half finished writing book one. I may be wrong…

What would it take for you to become "hellbent"?

Movie goers may recall when Jason Bourne's girlfriend is murdered. Bourne was hellbent! Similar excitement junkies clearly understand "Hellbent" when John Wick's dog is killed and his car stolen.

The Nowhere Man by Gregg Hurwitz

I liked The Nowhere Man by Gregg Hurwitz: 3 Stars. Recommend 👍.

I thought book #1, Orphan X, and book #3, Hellbent, were better. This book seemed to lag and become tedious several chapters before the climax.

The Nowhere Man is the 2nd "Orphan X" novel. The novels are "Secret Agent" type of action thrillers. In these novels orphans vanish into the "Orphan Program"-a CIA type of agency where these select orphans are trained from childhood to be invisible and extraordinarily dangerous. Orphans are one person Mission Impossible agents. Evan Smoke is Orphan X a designation similar to 007. For reasons established in the first book, he has gone rogue. As our protagonist he becomes a John Wick type of Ray Donovan except he fixes the nightmares of desperate folks who have nowhere to turn for help.

She stops sleeping. She starts plucking out her hair in patches. She cuts herself at school, hoping the pain will wake her from this nightmare.

Father of one of her classmates see the signs. He finds her sobbing in a 7-Eleven bathroom when she should be in homeroom. With a cane and fresh limp he goes and gives her a phone number: 1-855-2-NOWHERE. "He'll answer. He'll help," the injured friend's father says. She dials.

Wuthering Heights

Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë 

My Rating: 3 of 5 [I liked it]

This review is of the Amazon Classics ebook edition and the companion audiobook. For the folks who might read this review and have not read Wuthering Heights but plan to, I'll try to save you some likely frustration. 

The first three chapters are from Mr. Lockwood's point of view, which is read by Michael Page in the audiobook. Mr. Lockwood rents Thrushcross Grange and visits the landlord at Wuthering Heights to be sociable. He becomes bewildered by how he is mistreated.  Despite being informed his visit was not appreciated, Mr. Lockwood vows to return the next day.  Upon returning the next day he is stranded there by weather and discovers his earlier horrible treatment is not unusual.  I suspect he felt it similar to an undesired visit to Newgate Prison or The Tower of London Prison.

Prince of Thorns

Prince of Thorns by Mark Lawrence

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Jorg is the Prince of Thorns. As a ten-year-old prince he witnesses his brother and mother endure X-rated brutal murders. Meanwhile, he escaped being murdered himself by flinging himself into bushes of thorns so thick, he might have been a fly on flypaper.

It is clear the thorns were as horrid an experience for Jorg as the slaughter of his brother and mother. While he escaped being brutally murdered, it took him years to heal from the near death experience in the thorns. We are given clear images of how brutally he was damaged mentally and scared physically by these thorns.

The Count of Monte Cristo

The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Links may lead to spoilers

The story of The Count of Monte Cristo is a marvelous adventure that likely rates with Homer's epic poem the Odyssey. Edmond Dantès is Dumas's protagonist. There are a number of antagonists and contagonists. Indeed, the number of significant characters in this volume challenges my ever more feeble memory.

Dantes is a young and talented sailor, but ignorant of politics. His primary concern is his aged father and his soon to be fiance, Mercedes. Nothing is of much importance to him beyond father, fiance, and perhaps the possibility that M. Morrel may promote him to Captain of the Pharaon, which would greatly enhance his future prospects for providing for his father and future wife. Unfortunately young is often naive. Additionally, happiness and success too often produce enemies unknown. Such as Dangler's, the supercargo on the ship Pharaon, which Dante's sails home to Marseilles after her Captain Leclere unexpectedly dies on their voyage to Smyrna, Trieste, and Naples.

Miniatures: The Very Short Fiction of John Scalzi

Miniatures: The Very Short Fiction of John Scalzi by John Scalzi

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

"Old Man's War" is John Scalzi's masterpiece. I will always admire him for that book. I devoured the rest of that series. To those moved by my praise that "Old Man's War" deserves: Scalzi's writing gradually devolves there after. Slowly at first. His writing was always good enough. He may have lost interest in the series after the first few books?

Today we are reviewing his, "Miniatures: The Very Short Fiction of John Scalzi". I'm not impressed. Not initially.

When doing mindless chores and listening to the conclusion of "The Count of Monte Cristo", I set up this Scalzi's "Miniatures" book should Monte Cristo conclude before my chores were complete.

One Word Kill

One Word Kill by Mark Lawrence

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

May 31, 2019: I've just re-read this review.  It is a pretty massive spoiler, I suspect.  Maybe not so much of you don't click, "read more".

One Word Kill might remind folks of the TV show Stranger Things as its primary characters are youngsters, perhaps who should have grown out of Dungeons and Dragons (D&D), but haven't. So our co-protagonists are bonded together as a set of socially prosecuted people by their evil peers because they are, or nearly are, "geeks". At that age, 15ish, perhaps only thinking nerds who can understand complex math, philosophy, history and retain an imagination are the least likely to be evil to their "not-the-same-as-me" peers. -just a cultural observation.

Nicholas "Nick" Hayes is our leukemia riddled, Chemo soaked protagonist. His D&D character is Nicodemus, who studied the arcane; he's a trainee wizard, if you like. Our remaining D&D band of brothers is Elton, who may have seen the Avenue of the Baobabs as an infant. He is The Game Master. There's Simon who can easily paint miniatures with his fat fingers. He plays Finious the thief, but he'd never steal in real life. I think Simon's a functioning Asperger's with a savant gift of math skills, but that's barely implied in the book.

John is the "Fonz" of the group who would never admit to having geeky friends, but his debonair facade doesn't annoy his D&D pals. He's always on time for Saturday D&D, so his ego is ignored.

THEN ONE DAY Elton, The Game Master, brings the mysterious Mia to the sacred Saturday D&D session, destroying all decency and protocol. Mia is next seen in the novel with John the faux Fonz throwing pebbles at Nick's window around midnight the day of this first Chemo treatment.

The Hundredth Queen

The Hundredth Queen by Emily R. King

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I tragically did not review the book when I read it the first time. Emily R. King is an excellent author and if she did not outline this book prior to writing it, she's a remarkable "seat of the pants" writer. "Outliners" near always have tidy plots that are a joy to read. "Pantsers" are fun too, you're as surprised as they were when they write something. This one was brilliantly tidy. Having read it, I know that she knew how the book would end before she finished the first chapter.

That's a spoiler by the way. Now you know that there are things in chapter one that are relevant in the climax of the book and beyond.

Briefly, Kalinda lives under a monarchy, but she is physically in a 'far off' monastery type of place that is a woman only facility. The monastery is funded by 'benefactors', who from time to time show up to "claim" a woman as wife, mistress, or some other form of chattel.

TRAGICALLY... THERE ARE SPOILERS AHEAD, not the "ruin the book" kind, but spoilers. Not the kind you can blank out and still have the review seem coherent. I do recommend the book later...

The Kill List

The Kill List by David Archer

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Spoiler Alert: This is Sam Prichard Mystery #5. Anything said may spoil Sam Prichard Mysteries 1-4. I think they are an endearing and entertaining set of mysteries that might be fun for anyone to read, so if you think you might enjoy these G rated books in the future, stop after the next two or three paragraphs until you've read books 1-4.

This review included the ebook and audiobook narrated by the most excellent Mikael Naramore who makes the audiobook exceptionally pleasing. I liked it. 3 stars. I recommend "The Kill List" and the previous 4 mysteries.

In a previous Sam Prichard review I called these novels "Gum Shoe Musicals". While this one retains this moniker, I may be changing the moniker to "Gum Shoe Country Musicals" or possibly - in the future to "Gum Shoe Gospel Musicals". Guessing the trend goes as I presume (possibly incorrectly).

I gave them this label as Sam Prichard is a private investigator, aka Gum Shoe, and David Archer has added links to his ebooks that play songs on his website. You can sing along with the lyrics in the ebook. If you have purchased the audiobook, there's nothing to click, where the lyrics are in the ebook, they actually play the song on the audiobook making it, at least in part, a "music audio file".

Frankenstein

Frankenstein by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I loved it and HIGHLY recommend Frankenstein by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley. Don't wait 65 years to read it, it is surely better than near anything you might read this year. Try Frankenstein instead.

This review is of Frankenstein (Amazon Classics Edition) ebook ($2.99) and companion Whispersync Audiobook ($1.99) narrated by Nico Evers-Swindell, who I hope to comment on later.

I believe the book is a classic in the same class as Robinson Crusoe, and Gulliver's Travels, both books with deep and significant examinations of human behaviors, emotions, ethics, and morals. Frankenstein in the same vein examines the darker side of human ethics, compassion, morality, and our responsibilities to our society and neighbors.

My impression upon completing the novel is that nothing in my experience related to "Frankenstein" had prepared me for what is actually written in the book. After writing 2500 words of draft review, and revisiting several sections of the book I realize I may not have been giving it my full attention at all times. I was regularly surprised at the directions the story took and was gobsmacked when the "dæmond" demanded an audience with Victor Frankenstein, and with the content.

Corruption - (Debt Collector 17)

Corruption by Susan Kaye Quinn

My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Debt collector 17, "Corruption" is our next to last "episode". Our crew of co-protagonists, Zach, Wyatt, and Alex/Wraith have a trilogy of options to stop the criminal slaughter of thousands of people via a computer hack that makes these folks appear to be subject to legal debt collection. Five stars for the idea, two stars for the episode meaning it was OK.

This episode is predictable to some degree. I do admit I missed my guess about Zach's number one option and hadn't thought that the third option would fail as quickly as my initial guess at what was next. You'll have to read the episode which isn't really a bad thing.

Since it is episode 17 of 18, I must leave you knowing that this is where all stories peak in excitement and the next episode must reach the conclusion of the story, for us to see if good or evil prevails. Click on read more or the spoiler link for the entire Cliff Notes spoiler extension to this review.

Judegment - (Debt Collector 16)

Judgment by Susan Kaye Quinn

My rating: 2 of 5 stars

This episode was OK. 2 stars. I still struggle with Ms. Quinn's erratic quality of writing this 'season' but she long ago earned me as a fan (with her Mindjack series). This is episode number 16 of 18 that I'm aware of, so not recommending it would be like ordering a meal and leaving before it was served.

We start off exciting enough. Telling you too much would spoil episode 15, so let's say the episode opens with Wraith and Zach trying to escape Gehanna thugs in a taxi that is stuck in traffic, with their sanctuary within sight and not knowing if the thugs are 2 hours or 2 minutes behind them. To complicate matters Zach is lethally injured and Wraith is doing all possible to keep him alive. This is sincerely a suspenseful scene. The next scene is entirely unbelievable, in a noxious kind of way.

Penance (Debt Collector 15)

Penance by Susan Kaye Quinn

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I liked "Penance" Debt Collector 15. At least as much as Shattered's 3.2 stars. The first chapter is something akin to the hopes of a honeymoon couple staying in bed for a couple days. So it is voyeurism into what it might be like if you could increase the pleasure of sex with soul sucker abilities.

For the record I do recommend every episode I've read and not read of the two seasons of Debt Collector. The two seasons might be vaguely analogous to the Lemuel Gulliver in Lilliput AND Brobdingnag. The difference being Season one and two have different protagonist rather than different cultural environments that Lemuel encounters. Despite how bad one episode might be or how good another might be, the season is something similar to a full plot arc. I completely despise the idea of "seasons" in the writing of fiction. I hope this experimental form of writing dies a horrible death, while wishing it well on Television scripts.

Chapter two is less exciting that the voyeurism chapter. In this chapter Moloch carries on and on with how villainous and brilliant he is and how dangerous and harmful that is going to be to Alexandra who isn't convincing at being terrified, despite being killed a day or so earlier.

Shattered (Debt Collector 14)

Shattered by Susan Kaye Quinn

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Where "Temptation" (Debt Collection 13) failed, Shatter (Debt Collection 14) succeeded. I liked it. 3.2 stars. Not enough to bring it to 4 stars but enough to let you know you will enjoy this episode.

I highly recommend you stop reading this Cliff Notes spoiler edition review if you want to enjoy it yourself.

It opens in Sterling Cybernetics. Alexandra Morgan Sterling is being escorted by Zachariel as Moloch's leash on her. Alexandra has a very brief time to prove herself to Moloch. Her life continues to depend on passing Moloch's tests to see if she's really fit to join his Gehenna organization, which has been at the heart of all her anti-Sterling, anti-her-late-father's-wishes, anti-Lifetime Organization activities that has to be confusing everyone who has ever known her.

Temptation (Debt Collector 13)

Temptation by Susan Kaye Quinn

My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I will recommend Temptation, Debt Collector episode 13, as a significant part of the entire season while giving 1.5 stars. One star being "I didn't like it". It didn't go that low, but it was barely OK. Two stars.

This would barely rate as a story, which is why zero or one star might serve. Stories have beginnings, middles, and ends. This was more like a transition sentence to the next paragraph. The 6 chapters that make up this episode did supply some plot moving information so while I felt little significant happened, it seemed to have a point.

Ms. Quinn may have called it Temptation for a couple things that take place. One being some kind of life energy seduction where Ishtar and Moloch keep pumping life energy into Wraith. It is written to make it appear as if this "life energy hit" was causing some extreme addictive euphoria. It appears to work. Then they pass Wraith off to Zachariel for the purpose of being sexually and emotionally seduced.

Zachariel announces this seduction is his "job". Then he doesn't try to do it. By not doing it he appears to accomplish the job, just the same. Yeah, you'll have to read it. It'll make sense.

Menace (Debt Collector 12)

Menace by Susan Kaye Quinn

My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I feel like I'm in literary review hell. Earlier I gave Emma by Jane Austen 3 stars and was about to give this "episode" three stars. That seemed ridiculous to me.

I went in search of my old "rating charts" to verify I really wanted to give this 3 stars. Having located them I see that 2 stars is "OK". This episode is "OK". Subjective ratings in my analytical mind isn't a good thing, I suspect.

First two chapters of this episode had me frustrated. Chapter One I became excessively aware that Wraith was wearing black stiletto heels. Here are my entire notes for Chapter Two:

Ch2: 1-almost go down with my stiletto heels. // 2-help me climb from the cab in my tight skirt and heels. // 3 -The crumbled pavement is tricky in my heels, but I manage it //4 -up, even with my five-inch heels. // 5- from my black stilettos up to my red tailored jacket. // 6 - stepping out of my heels, shucking off my jacket…

Emma

Emma by Jane Austen

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I believe this novel, Emma, by Jane Austen rates 3 stars but still recommend I as a 5 star classic. I might have given it 4 stars if I hadn't thought more than once to abandon it entirely. My frustration isn't entirely an issue with the book. I was trying to listen to the book while doing other things.

I'm reviewing two versions of the audiobook and the ebook by Feedbooks. Volume 1 of this 3 volume book I primarily listened to the audiobook read by Juliet Stevenson. Ms. Stevenson is a fine narrator but the speed of her reading and my unfamiliarity of Jane Austen's style, verbiage, and vocabulary of the era, along with a large Dramatis personæ with regularly changing names via marriage or adoption left me feeling lost and confused. Such was my first 5½ hours with the audiobook.

I obtained another copy of the audiobook read by a full cast of the "online stage". I don't generally like dramatic readings of books but it was an unabridged edition and I thought I'd try it since I was struggling with Ms. Stevenson's reading. My next 10 hours and two volumes was more pleasant. I didn't struggle so much with the dialog with different artists reading the dialog, which is a largest portion of the novel.

Specter (Debt Collector #11)

Specter by Susan Kaye Quinn

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Let me start with a dismal 3 stars and a "take it or leave it" recommendation. I read Season Two, Debt Collector 10 "Wraith" last December. For me that's a long time between "episodes" so I had to review notes to remind myself of the Season up to this second episode.

To promptly flesh this out, "debt collecting" is when a specially skilled person drains all the life from someone who has been deemed unable to financially contribute to society equal to or above the amount they owe society. Usually in medical bills.

"Debt collectors" are soul suckers, or if you prefer quasi-vampire substitutes, who suck life force instead of blood. (Think Lifeforce) I believe it is a genetic mutation in which the government has become heavily invested. This naturally means it is corrupt, being used ineffectively, immorally; ruining every life it touches from debt collectors, debt collectees, managers, administrators, lobbyist, and syndicated crime, ad nausea. With government involved, typically, there is approved soul sucking that is legal and other soul sucking that is illegal. Of course this makes debt collecting very profitable for nefarious slackers and ne'er do-gooders.

Framed

Framed by David Archer

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I'm giving this pretzel plotted gumshoe musical 3.1415926535 stars and recommending it as if it is a 5 star blockbuster to lovers of mysteries or people who know what an Edgar award is.

It is a very fast paced private eye detective novel that feels a bit like Father Knows Best, Mayberry R.F.D, or The Brady Bunch. I don't know how to explain that comparison. Hanging out with Sam Prichard, Indie and Kenzie while investigating mysteries rife with danger and intrigue is like playing Monopoly with a few of your good friends. It's entertainment. It's fun. You may or may not lose sleep with it but only because you won't mind returning to be with your friends again tomorrow. Ok then…

*Warning* contains spoilers related to Sam Prichard novels 1-3. How can you not write a spoiler about book 4 in a series? I'll try not to ruin your enjoyment of the earlier books.

Gulliver's Travels

Gulliver's Travels by Jonathan Swift

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

3.5 stars yet highly recommended. This book is so much more than what I remember reading as a child.

I would still say children may enjoy Gulliver's adventures with Gulliver as a giant man among the tiny people of Lilliput. Children won't help but smile imaging Gulliver as a very tiny human stranded in a land full of giants and fighting off mice who might devour him. These vivid images have been the delight of children for at least a dozen decades.

Then again, Gulliver's Travels is very clearly a book for grown-ups. It probably should be mandatory reading before graduation of high school or college.

I've considered how I might best review this book. I believe the best would be to aim you at a great review with which I wholeheartedly agree. So in that line, here's a really great review by "Stephen" at Goodreads.

Secondly I thought I should review "by example or illustration". I selected Part 3, Chapter 6, [A further account of the academy. The author proposes some improvements, which are honourably received.]

Public Folder our path for Reading Classics

Our Reading Classic Program & Original HTML Reviews

Sagely Fox has an alternate 'private' site where you may:

• Access my 2021 reviews as they were originally written in HTML.
• From that page you may access our Public Files Index.

The original purpose for this 'private' site was to store our 'Free Reading Classics Program' E-books and Audiobooks! But it has become slightly more over time.

The Reading Classics Program

There you can download epub e-books and audiobooks, usually the audio in zipped files containing the book's mp3 files. Some links are simply to where you may access the e-book and/or audiobook online for yourself. There are two ways to access The Reading Classics Program. You may either scroll down to the list of available downloads on the 'private' Index/Public Files page or you may click on The Reading Classics Program heading at the top of the Index/Public Files page to directly access the directories.

You're free to download any document or file in the Sagely Fox Public Files or share them with your friends. You'll not be doing anything illegal. They are all public domain files.

Learn More Here...

The Life and Adventures of Robinson Crusoe (1808)

The Life and Adventures of Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Four Stars, recommended as a classic.

In summary this is written as an autobiography of an English youngster, born in the year 1632, in the city of York, anxious for adventure against his family's advice. He sets upon the sea to satisfy his adventure yearnings. He endures some hardships, some enslavement, and some fortune obtaining a plantation in South America. To enhance his fortune he voyages to find laborers to work on his plantation, slaves. (He had been a slave to moslems for some years during his adventures, this isn't a controversial point in this 1600s novel)

During his voyage he is shipwrecked and is the sole survivor on a deserted island for some 27 years when circumstances change to allow him to return to England. There after are some other minor adventures, re-obtaining his properties and monies he had entrusted to others before he vanished at sea.

The meat of the novel is his adventures as a sole survivor on a deserted island.

Don Quixote

Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I found a list with the top ten best classic books and Don Quixote was at the top. I read the Kindle edition and listened to an Audible edition, alternating and sometimes reading and listening simultaneously.

Any blurb anywhere (Goodreads, Wikipedia, Amazon, book cover) can give you a more in depth summary of the stories. Everyone, even those who have not read the book know of the gallant Knight Errant... The Renowned Don Quixote De La Mancha attacking windmills with his faithful squire Sancho Panza right behind him.

The book is so much more. First thing I would note is the fact I laughed to tears, stopped reading (and laughing), then laughed some more. 

If laughing until you cry isn't encouraging, the wisdom and quantity of puns streamed together by Sancho Panza is surpassed in wisdom by Proverbs which also makes more sense -- but does not have the reach of Sancho who may have expressed every pun under the sun.

2019 Goodread's Challege

I've upped my prediction to 30 and included the top ten classics in my challenge.  I've offset that ambition with 8 or so books from the Debt Collector's season that are all very short books.  But then compared to the classics I'll be attempting... the number of pages I'm attempting is the largest every, I think.

I was told to make plans... don't plan results.  So the plan for the 2019 Challenge of 30 books is as follows:

The Art of War

The Art of War by Sun Tzu

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I read The Art of War by Sun Tzu translated by Lionel Giles in 1910 as it had been suggested to me in a variety of ways for decades and this afternoon I thought, just do it and get it off this list of things other people think I should do.

Chapter one caused me to remember As A Man Thinketh by James Allen. For the record that actually is one of the best "self-help", "spiritual-growth", "wisdom-obtaining" books in the last century and I suspect there have been 2000 books written every year since that says what "As A Man Thinketh" says, except they didn't say it as well or as concisely.

After chapter one of The Art of War my natural habit of "thinking" kicked in to high gear and I started asking myself, "What?" and "Really?"

Love and War

Love and War by David Archer

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Again, I really liked another Sam Prichard Mystery. This book. That would be four stars. I liked its writing, and Mikael Naramore's reading of it. I'm reviewing both the ebook and the audio-book.

In this book we open with Sam singing in the shower with joy of his upcoming nuptials. Which reminds me of a review of the previous Sam Pricharcd novel, “ Death Sung Softly”. I’m reminded because I mention the previous novel is a “musical”. This book is also a musical in the same ways. The audio-book sings, the ebook has the lyrics and links to the singing, but it isn’t as extensive a musical as “Death Sung Softly” where Sam became the lead singer of band who hired him as a private investigator to find their missing lead singer.

I digress.

The Goodreads blurb tells more spoiler info than I like to provide in order to encourage folks to read a book. My additions will, however, spoil it further, sorry.

Wraith - Debt Collector 10

Wraith by Susan Kaye Quinn

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The story, as short as it is, remains exciting. This book is very much about establishing Wraith, who she is. I give it three stars for some "internal-editor" reason I may remember to mention, but I do recommend the season and all the books in it as I've grown to respect Susan Kay Quinn as a person trying to do some remarkable things with her writing. I do pray I will write something about this at length at some future time.

This second season likely will be about Wraith's "growth", if my editor-critique-gut is working. This "Season" will be about Wraith going from being a mainly naive debt collector to accepting the reality of actual "good guy" debt collectors (as far as such a thing can be imagined). While Wraith will have some exceptional qualities, the events will shape her from one barely surviving situation until the next until she finally "gets it"- and my great hope is that Susan Kaye Quinn allows her to survive the entire season. I do know for a fact that Mr. Quinn does have the writer's courage to make remarkable literary decisions, even as monumental as killing off primary characters.

I would like to mention differences from Debt Collector Season One and Season Two. Season one was about Lirium, a "government" worker "life debt collector" doing legitimate "government" -- work that must have been a foresight written into Obama-care or the UK health system. BTW, he makes a cameo appearance in this story.