#441 ~ The Island (Fallen Earth) : Part One

The Island: Part One by Michael Stark

My rating: 4 of 5 stars





Part #1 in the Fallen Earth Series



This was an interesting diversion for me, I've never really read a serialisation before.

On the whole this first part was fairly enjoyable, with a decent plot pace and characterisation. I enjoyed the building of the main character, William Hill.  In particular, I enjoyed the little scene with the 'Little' cop.

The idea of a pandemic is no so far fetched, and it's interesting to consider just how modern man would cope with the withdrawal of its spoon-fed lifestyle.

As an aside, the cover art is very well drawn, and it was what drew me to feature it as a DSOA on the blog in April 2013.

There were one or two bug bears/errors, but nothing major, and on the whole I enjoyed the first part of this journey.


Product Details

As mentioned above, it was featured as a DSOA back in April 2013, and at the time of writing this post it's still available for free Kindle download HERE.


82 pages
Indie Writer (Self-published)
Fiction, Science Fiction, Magic Mystery


Errors/Bug Bears

Gotten more time than I care to count - is it just me?

Loc 65:  There was some bizarre font going on with "The" in "The war of words, which was just a tiny bit jarring - yes, I am Miss Nit Pick 2014.

Loc 626:  The Durango into slid easily into one of those long ....


Happy reading.

Hugs

Kay

#409 ~ Alexandria

Alexandria by John Kaden

My rating: 4 of 5 stars





Centuries after the collapse of the civilised world as we know it, a peaceable forest tribe are murdered, their children and stolen and taken to what on the face of it could be a Utopian Society at the Nezran Temple.

However, all is not as it seems and their new world is built on lies, megalomania and tyranny, and is very much Dystopian.

The main protagonists, Jack and Lia, were childhood sweethearts, and many years later they manage to escape following a small raid by others. On the so called attackers gives them assistance to escape, put is horrendously tortured to find out where Jack and Lia have gone.

On the run from the young adults not only have to navigate their way through an alien and hostile environment, but have to follow the vague directions given to find the answer to all their questions. All of which has to be done whilst avoiding vicious foes and the Nezran Scouts out to kill them.

It was wonderfully paced, with nice twists, turns and glimpses of kindness and humanitarianism.

There was a downside though, and that was the cliff-hanging ending. I've just checked John Kaden's blog on GoodReads, and he announced in September 2013 that there will be a sequel eventually, so fingers crossed it won't take too long - this could definitely turn into a saga of epic proportions.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading of their travails, awarding 4 Stars. If I'd had the ability to give half star ratings, there is not doubt it would have been 4.5. Why not 5? Well, there were a few errors/bug bears that kept it off the top spot - please see the fuller Blog Post #409 in January 2014.

Can I just say that the cover artwork was stunning, and really says so much about the world that Jack and Lia inhabit. Kudos to the author for choosing it.


Product Details:

I featured this as a DSOA back in April 2013 - yes, I am that far behind with my WTR list!

You can download a copy HERE.

Listed price for the Kindle file is currently £2.56 - excellent value for money, and the paperback is £8.85.

444 pages
Indie Published by John Kaden the Author
Genre:  Fiction, Futuristic, Fantasy
No overt sexual content


Errors/Bug Bears:

Loc 1548:  The caravan curves around back of the Temple ...

This is a bug bear:  The caravan curved around behind the back of the Temple ... 

Loc 1878:  In the high cloistered dormitory, a group of new boys crowds around the thin windows.

It would have been better to use crowded around.

Loc 2140:  You used laughed at me all the time.

Correct to:  You used to laugh at me all the time.

Loc 2993:  A family of deer traipses through the grass....

It would have been better to used traipsed.

Loc 3486:  ...feeling a pang of desire to go be with them.

It's a difference between North American and Queen's English, it should really be:  ...feeling a pang of desire to be with them.

Loc 4638:  ...and asked us to come find you.

Again, the difference between North American and Queen's English, it should be:  ...and asked us to find you.

Happy reading.

Hugs

Kay

My Daily Selection for Free Kindle Download at Amazon

Gateway to Faerie

MD Bowden

Kindle Store > Books > Fiction > Science Fiction > Fantasy > Fairy Tale > Dystopian

Indie Writer (Self-published)

*Introducing a New Author to the Blog*

I thought I'd mix it up a bit today .... after all, romance is everybody's cup of tea ..... and have gone for a Dystopian Fantasy/Fairy Tale:

A gateway has opened to the land of Faerie. Can one girl close the portal in time to protect her world from the destructive powers of darkness?

Set two hundred years after the world has been destroyed by a terrifying faerie invasion, Fayth Blackman is busy studying for her final exams. She has no idea that a gateway has opened to the land of Faerie and that dark haunting creatures are filtering through into her own world. But then tragedy strikes and her life turns upside down. She finds out that she is the descendent of a powerful faerie, and that the key to closing the gateway is in her blood. She must embark on a dangerous quest to find the Bell Stone, and with it stop the world from being destroyed once more. But can she make it in time?

Follow Fayth on her quest for the Bell Stone in 'Gateway to Faerie.'

As it's a New Release there are only 3 Reviews, but they are all 5 star - normally I would be a bit suspicious about that few being 5 star, but I've checked out here other work (Vampiric Series) and they are pretty much 4.5 to 5 star), so I think we're safe.

This one isn't overly long, probably more a Novella, but what the hey it's on free download HERE.

My reading rate has thankfully picked up since Brat when back to School, and she's got so much Prep when she gets home that it's fairly quiet, so plenty of reading time for me.

Hope you all have a great day, and happy reading.

Hugs

Kay