Shell Game: A Contemporary Thriller by K.H.Bixby

As I had a couple of days holiday and a 4 hour train journey, I had time to read. So here is the review of one thriller and I'm halfway through the next. This one was quite innocent in its tone, no sex or swearing. But it did have some scenes of torture which came as a bit of a shock considering how the rest of the story was handled. I gave it 4 stars.

A young boy loses his closest family and is taken to New York by his uncle. They are Jaharin, a fictional ethnic group without statehood. When oil is discovered on the land they inhabit; their powerful host is ethnic cleansing without the world noticing. We catch up with the young boy Sami many years later and he now works in finance.

This story has many elements which make this thriller seem eerily familiar; one group of people oppressed by a more powerful group, the world turning a blind eye to a small ethnic group. And the all-powerful oil and financial companies that put money before people. Sami is a sympathetic character; he has made a success out of his life despite difficult beginnings. Money and a cosy life has not made him immune to the plight of his people and I can understand his need to help the Jaharin, even though the way he does it isn’t legal. The romance between Sami and Sarah is developed slowly and with a somewhat innocent touch. (Rather refreshing to not have any sex scenes!) The pace of the book is slow and steady but keeps the reader engaged. The only criticism I have is that the scenes of torture come as a bit of a shock (I had to skip a few pages as I can't stomach animal cruelty even if it is fictional), it contrasts sharply against the innocent romance of Sami and Sarah and the warm relationship between Sami and his uncle. It does however illustrate that even though life might seem comfortable and cosy, brutal reality (like the Syrian conflict at the moment) is never far away.

Protecting William (Litmus book 2) by Kayla Howarth

A writer never stops, not even on holiday in Milan. Hope this fine Italian city will inspire me to write, however the weather is not very inspiring and the grey and wet day is more suitable for curling up with a good book. Talking of good books, just finished Protecting William, which is the second book in the Litmus series. (I reviewed Losing Nuka a few months ago) I liked this one a lot and gave it five stars.

Protecting William by Kayla Howarth on amazon.com

Of all the illegal fight joints, William had to walk into Litmus.  It’s not how either Nuka or William had hoped to see each other again after four years. What started out as a sneaky lad’s night out has consequences no one could have foreseen. So starts the next instalment in the exciting Litmus series. I was hooked from the first page and grew to like the main character, William, Nuka’s younger brother, very much. He is one of these good guys, but without being smug or annoying by being a holier than thou saint. If you’ve not read the institute series I would recommend you do, as the same characters feature in the Litmus series and it is nice to see them have grown up in the books. The book is narrated in the first person so we see the world through William’s eyes. It’s always a hoot to be part of somebodies thoughts and insecurities, especially if they are the opposite of the actions he takes. Great work again Kayla, I loved protecting William. (And I’m glad you went easier on him than Nuka, I guess you have a soft spot for him too.) Look forwards to reading saving Illyana which came out a few months ago.

Vikings: Taken (The Great Heathen Army series Book 1) by Ceri Bladen

Vikings get a bad rap and initially I wasn't happy with how brutish they were made out to be. Some reading was required and I'm shocked to admit that the Vikings probably did deserve their reputation. One of their main incentives was to 'Harvest' slaves and especially women! So the fact that our young Heroine is carted off back to Denmark as a thrall (the Nordic word for slave) was very likely.
If you're interested here is an article on National Geographic about it:
Vikings, slaves, thralls and archaeology

Viking: Taken by Ceri Bladen on Amazon.com

It must have been a terrifying sight to medieval Britons to see the Viking longboats appear on their shores. News of their raids must have spread and the local population could only hope that they would have some property and their lives left at the end of the day. This is what a twelve year old Rosfrith has to endure at the start of this book. These were brutal times for the ancient Britons, when tribes from Scandinavia saw their lands as easy pickings. Ceri Bladen describes this well and we feel the fear and hardship this girl suffers after her father has abandoned her in an attempt to safe his own skin. I always appreciate when a writer does her research and uses the political wrangling of the time to give their story an extra dimension.

Amongst all this chaos, Rosfrith finds an unlikely protector. Ubba, a chieftain in his own right but here on his brothers command, notices the spirited girl and after his clairvoyant brother tells him their destinies are linked he keeps an eye on her. As the spoils are divided, Rosfrith is claimed by Ubba and is taken to their lands as a thrall (a slave). Years pass, but as Rosfrith blossoms into an attractive woman, Ubba’s eye is once again caught. Love can be ignited under the most difficult of circumstances, but will it flourish? Glad there is a second part in the writing so I we can find out.

Soul Survivor (Spirit Shield Saga Book 0) by Susan Faw

I read the first in this series a little while back. Thought it would be nice to take in the prequel as well before continuing. A five star for lovers of fantasy.

Soul Survivor (Spirit Shield Saga book 0) by Susan Faw on Amazon

I read Seer of Soul by Susan Faw first. When the prequel; Soul Survivor, (Spirit Shield Saga Book 0) came out I wanted to read that first before going onto; Soul Sanctuary, book 2 in this saga. This book takes you quite a long way back in time and stands therefore perfectly well on its own. It does explain a bit more about the magical world we find ourselves in. This is a time when godlings were still very much involved with earth and mortals. Sisters Artio and Helga create havoc when they start messing with the natural elements. Love, jealously and hatred are a dangerous combination when Godlings are involved. As in Seer of souls Ms Faw is poetic with her description of her magical world, but it doesn’t get in the way of a fast pace and exciting action. I’m glad I read the prequel and look forwards to continuing with Soul Sanctuary.

 

80mg A story of an Addict a screen play by Joe Osborne

I did a review of another Joe Osborne last year, these are not the same writers. This is quite a young writer who published his first book 'Bullied' as a school project when only 18. I think this is his first screen play. Screen plays are not that enjoyable to read, but it was short so I focused on story and dialogue. The story in itself is good, just needs a lot more work, starting with picking an audience and age group. I gave this 3 stars.
I also had a battle with Amazon about this book. It doesn't work with Kindle Paper white, but it does with all other formats. Apparently this was the publishers decision. Hmm I sense Amazon wants to move us all to the Kindle fire.

80mg A story of an Addict a screenplay by Joe Osborne

I liked the idea of this film script; a young student takes a drug addict as the subject of a film project. His reason for doing this is rooted in his own family's history with drug addiction. We meet Simon, an addict who is manipulative but also very charming and fun. He is always on the look-out for money for his next hit and seems to care little who he borrows and steals from. I found this quite a hard book to review as I'm not that familiar with reading film scripts. It was a little hard to get into a flow of a story as it was broken up with setting the scene etc. The main reason I only gave 3 stars is that I think it needs more work. I'm not entirely sure who this is aimed at. If it is a cautionary tale for the high-school student, I would take out the swearing and pot smoking. If it is a short aimed at adults, I would go more gritty and flesh out the dialogue. Promising idea that could be worked at when actually making a film.