Book Review - The Contract, by Biju Vasudevan

A young boy loses his innocence; a young man takes it back by storm. In this beautifully symmetrical novel, we see the cycle of innocence to evil to innocence completed, the circle closed.

Vasudevan's English works in the veins like champagne, sparkling and fizzing and making one happily dizzy. I'd have liked to see him hold a little more tightly to the conventions of English grammar, and I do feel the book needs editing, but it will take a special editor with extreme delicacy of touch to do justice to this book, and to this very gifted author's unique and distinctive voice.

The Contract is available from Amazon, in both paperback and kindle formats.

Short story review - A Question of Defense, by Terri Main

If only this story could be true. It paints a so-enticing picture of a race of people who actually practise Christianty. A whole planet full of them.

Well written and conceived. I wished it had been longer, but that was just because I was enjoying it.

A Question of Defense is available from AMAZON.

Book review - The Irrational War, by Ray Anselmo

Following on from the events in The Slave Auction, The Irrational War depicts, as may be expected from the title, a war waged against the Scotia community.

The book is structured very differently from its predecessor, with the single problem stated right at the beginning of the book, which gave it a unity that perhaps the first book did not have; on the other hand, I enjoyed the slow build and stripping away of layers that characterised The Slave Auction, and found this, more simply structured, book less compelling.

It's a good read, though, and embodies the very best of Christian fiction, in the way that right principles are shown, are demonstrated, and never, ever is there any preaching. Would that more writers could master this more difficult, but so much more satisfying and effective technique of storytelling.

The characters are sympathetic and the plot well constructed, and the whole is beautifully resolved at the end. A very satisfying read.

The Irrational War is available from AMAZON, both singly and in a paired deal with The Slave Auction. While you're there, you can also preorder my own new romantic comedy, Operation Tomcat.

Book review - Genevieve, by Barry Peabody

At first this book presents as a deep, broad, wide family saga in the tradition of R.F. Delderfield. And a very nice one, too. But wait - there's more! As the book unfolds, more and more aspects become evident, each one nestling within the enfolding hills of the story of the extended Wetherby family like wrapped gifts under a Christmas tree.

The first surprise is the element of erotica, with its naughty spanking scenes. Although I'm not in general a fan of erotica, I had to say this is very well done, with authenticity (as far as I can tell) and grit, while at the same time good taste is never offended. Peabody well knows the distinction between erotica and pornography and never strays from the right path, even while one can almost taste the sweat. I've not often seen erotic passages handled so well - especially given the extreme nature of some of it, the fact that at no time did this rather prudish reader find it offensive speaks volumes.

The second surprise is the gripping adventure novel of the trenches of the First War, which emerges in the second half of the book. Again, I'm not a fan of battlefield scenes, but I could hardly put the book down. I could smell the cordite so that it stung my eyes. Beautifully executed, and if Mr Peabody is not a veteran of active service I should be very much surprised.

Finally, as the book draws to a close, the mounting tension of the final chapters gave me one of the most exciting espionage reads I've ever encountered.

It's an unusual combination, but the disparate elements somehow manage to combine and work well together, giving the reader a wonderful read across at least four genres, even if romance is not taken to be one of them.

There were a few places where I felt the work could have done with a little more polish, but all in all a highly satisfying read, and I really cannot wait to see what Mr Peabody will give us next.

Genevieve is available from AMAZON and SMASHWORDS.

Book review: The Morwitch and the Dragon, by Jennifer Redmile

A fast-paced, action-packed fantasy thriller, The Morwitch and the Dragon is sure to appeal to the YA audience. It opens excellently well, with immediate character engagement, and the action doesn't let up throughout the book.

I would have liked to see the characters a little more developed and a bit more dramatic tension - if I had one criticism of the book it was that the solutions to the many problems faced by the intrepid hero and heroine always seemed to fall a little pat; at no time is the reader in any real doubt of their eventual success, and I thought a bit more uncertainty at times would have enhanced the story. But a very creditable beginning to a series which I feel sure will enjoy great success.

The Morwitch and the Dragon is available from AMAZON.

Book review - Not Every Cloud Has A Silver Lining, by N. Lalit

This is a charming story, and I did like it, very much. I was unable to give it more than three stars, though, because the author's English is just not up to the job. He can clearly write; whether the problems with this story's language are due to an overly ambitious attempt to write in a language which is not his own first language, or whether they have been caused by less-than-competent translation, who can tell; I can only judge the finished product, and the language needs a lot of work.

This story is available from AMAZON.

Book review: Brendon & Carson's Ninja Training and Adventures, by Rod Stoner

When I accepted this book for review I was mistaken about the nature of it; I thought it was going to be one of those novels that turn out differently when you choose different options at various points. It is actually a book of puzzles, and I wasn't willing to spend hours doing them, especially on my Kindle. I really don't know how suitable e-format is for a book of puzzles that include a lot of mazes and 'hidden letter' puzzles, but then I'm reviewing the content, not the formatting.

The puzzles themselves seemed like good ones for anyone who likes that sort of thing and there are plenty of them. The way they were all bound together by the ninja story was nicely done. The book would be a good resource for a rainy day, or for a sick child confined to bed.

A word of caution, though. The book needs to be properly proofread. Things like 'have went', and plurals formed with apostrophes, may be overlookable in independent fiction for adults, but a book that's intended for children should never set such an appalling example. Because of this, I was unable to award the four stars I'd have given the book otherwise.

Available from AMAZON  in both ebook and large print paperback.