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mattdoylemedia's reviews
81 reviews
Bloodshot by Cherie Priest
4.0
This book was a happy surprise for me. I picked it up for a little over £1 from The Works, mostly because I was in the mood for something new. I had never heard of Cherie Priest and in truth, I tend to find vampires quite dull (yes, even Anne Rice's books bore me...with a few exceptions).
Both the the cover and synopsis drew me in, and then I realised that the sequel was also in the store so I decided to take a chance on them.
Raylene Pendle is by and far one of the most intriguing vampires I've come across. She has quirks. A lot of them. She has faults. Plus, she's cool. The book ran along at a wonderful pace as Raylene gathered her supporting cast, including an ex-military drag act, and built up to an ending that would feel comfortable to any Urban Fantasy fan.
If you're looking for a vampire that stands out from the well known regulars, the Cheshire Red books are well worth taking a risk on.
Both the the cover and synopsis drew me in, and then I realised that the sequel was also in the store so I decided to take a chance on them.
Raylene Pendle is by and far one of the most intriguing vampires I've come across. She has quirks. A lot of them. She has faults. Plus, she's cool. The book ran along at a wonderful pace as Raylene gathered her supporting cast, including an ex-military drag act, and built up to an ending that would feel comfortable to any Urban Fantasy fan.
If you're looking for a vampire that stands out from the well known regulars, the Cheshire Red books are well worth taking a risk on.
Hellbent by Cherie Priest
4.0
Another wonderful vampire piece by Cherie Priest. As per my review of Bloodshot (the first in this series), I bought this despite generally disliking vampire books. As a result, I found a brilliant series with one of the most likeable leads (vampire or not) in recent memory.
Raylene Pendle brings humour, frustration and the cool-factor in equal measure and comes dragging a blind vampire, some street kids and an ex-military drag act in tow.
While perhaps not quite on par with Bloodshot, it's worthy of the same rating and it is a shame that no third book was released.
If you're looking for a vampire that stands out from the well known regulars, the Cheshire Red books are well worth taking a risk on.
Raylene Pendle brings humour, frustration and the cool-factor in equal measure and comes dragging a blind vampire, some street kids and an ex-military drag act in tow.
While perhaps not quite on par with Bloodshot, it's worthy of the same rating and it is a shame that no third book was released.
If you're looking for a vampire that stands out from the well known regulars, the Cheshire Red books are well worth taking a risk on.
River Marked by Patricia Briggs
4.0
River Marked is an interesting book in that it takes some time in filling in some of the blanks about Mercy's past. It also does not heavily feature too many of the Pack or other regulars other than Adam. The story moves along at a wonderful pace, and Mercy continues to be a joy to read as a POV character.
Frost Burned by Patricia Briggs
4.0
Another strong outing for Patricia Briggs and Mercy Thompson. After a slow building run towards a middle section that almost seemed like a climax, the book then speeds to a superb finish that introduces a new vampire and throws in some good action to boot. Consistency is part of what makes this series so good, and long may it continue.
Average Joe and the Extraordinaires by Belart Wright
5.0
Today’s review is ‘Average Joe and the Extraordinaires’, the debut novel by Indie Author Belart Wright, and the first in his ‘Average Joe Series’. I came across this one after I spoke to Belart about reviewing my own debut novel, WICK. He subsequently gave me the opportunity to review this one and I was more than happy to oblige.
Background: Detroit born Belart Wright originally released ‘AJatE’ on December 18th 2014, so it’s been out there for around a year at the time of writing this particular review. It stars Joe Black, the titular Average Joe, who finds himself thrown headlong into a mish-mash of terrorist plots, hard boiled detectives, criminals and magic. The setting places the book into the Urban Fantasy genre, but the way the plot plays out means that it leans just as much towards Science-Fantasy. You could also argue for a YA classification based on Joe’s age.
As a side note, first novels are difficult, especially for Indie Authors. Even in today’s more accepting world, Indie Novels can be tarred with the ‘no publishing deal = no good’ brush, which leads to sometimes unfair criticisms. I will attempt to be far more objective than that in this review.
The Good: Joe has a lot of different characters to interact with and play-off here, and I am glad to say that Belart avoids one of my least favourite books traits: characters that are all too similar. The cast of AJatE is suitably varied and Joe’s relationships with each are usually a joy to read. In particular, his relationship with his girlfriend Kate and her little brother Mod really shine. Their interactions are natural, fun and full of the sort of humour that will make them relatable the vast majority of potential readers.
The story itself flows well and moves at a good pace with the action coming thick and fast. The character development never feels forced, and the overall plot has enough twists and turns to keep you coming back when you should be doing something else.
While it would be fair to say that some of the characters fit standard character types, I’ve never really viewed this as a bad thing in books. Some familiarity helps give a good jumping on point to care about the heroes and villains we’re reading about. And if you’re not generally into standard tropes? Well, you’re still in luck. Creativity has been applied with full force, meaning that Belart has been able to weave something interesting and fresh feeling in spite of any comparisons you may want to draw.
The Bad: While mostly well written, the dialogue is presented in a script style as opposed to the normally expected novel style. This will potentially take a little while to get used to, which may put some readers off. From my own standpoint however, I would say that not sticking with it would be unfair as once the style beds in, it becomes easy to follow.
While we’re on the dialogue and how this affects the story, I would say that there are the odd moments where the speech can feel a little stilted. They don’t happen often, but if you’re like me then you may find yourself rereading short sections when it does.
If you prefer to have all loose ends tied up by the end of the book, the ending will disappoint. While some questions are answered, some are intentionally left open for the sequel. Again, this is not an issue for me as I like things to keep building for the next book, but it will come down to personal taste.
Final View: Viewing this in the context of being a debut novel from an Indie Author, it would be difficult to be disappointed. Action, adventure and a likeable cast of characters help build a fun story that deserves to be read. If this had not been a debut novel, I would have been tempted to drop the rating to a four on account of the occasional speech issues detailed above, but as the groundwork for future work, this is a great piece. For that reason, full marks are a fair appraisal.
Final Score: 5 / 5
Background: Detroit born Belart Wright originally released ‘AJatE’ on December 18th 2014, so it’s been out there for around a year at the time of writing this particular review. It stars Joe Black, the titular Average Joe, who finds himself thrown headlong into a mish-mash of terrorist plots, hard boiled detectives, criminals and magic. The setting places the book into the Urban Fantasy genre, but the way the plot plays out means that it leans just as much towards Science-Fantasy. You could also argue for a YA classification based on Joe’s age.
As a side note, first novels are difficult, especially for Indie Authors. Even in today’s more accepting world, Indie Novels can be tarred with the ‘no publishing deal = no good’ brush, which leads to sometimes unfair criticisms. I will attempt to be far more objective than that in this review.
The Good: Joe has a lot of different characters to interact with and play-off here, and I am glad to say that Belart avoids one of my least favourite books traits: characters that are all too similar. The cast of AJatE is suitably varied and Joe’s relationships with each are usually a joy to read. In particular, his relationship with his girlfriend Kate and her little brother Mod really shine. Their interactions are natural, fun and full of the sort of humour that will make them relatable the vast majority of potential readers.
The story itself flows well and moves at a good pace with the action coming thick and fast. The character development never feels forced, and the overall plot has enough twists and turns to keep you coming back when you should be doing something else.
While it would be fair to say that some of the characters fit standard character types, I’ve never really viewed this as a bad thing in books. Some familiarity helps give a good jumping on point to care about the heroes and villains we’re reading about. And if you’re not generally into standard tropes? Well, you’re still in luck. Creativity has been applied with full force, meaning that Belart has been able to weave something interesting and fresh feeling in spite of any comparisons you may want to draw.
The Bad: While mostly well written, the dialogue is presented in a script style as opposed to the normally expected novel style. This will potentially take a little while to get used to, which may put some readers off. From my own standpoint however, I would say that not sticking with it would be unfair as once the style beds in, it becomes easy to follow.
While we’re on the dialogue and how this affects the story, I would say that there are the odd moments where the speech can feel a little stilted. They don’t happen often, but if you’re like me then you may find yourself rereading short sections when it does.
If you prefer to have all loose ends tied up by the end of the book, the ending will disappoint. While some questions are answered, some are intentionally left open for the sequel. Again, this is not an issue for me as I like things to keep building for the next book, but it will come down to personal taste.
Final View: Viewing this in the context of being a debut novel from an Indie Author, it would be difficult to be disappointed. Action, adventure and a likeable cast of characters help build a fun story that deserves to be read. If this had not been a debut novel, I would have been tempted to drop the rating to a four on account of the occasional speech issues detailed above, but as the groundwork for future work, this is a great piece. For that reason, full marks are a fair appraisal.
Final Score: 5 / 5
Moirae by Mehreen Ahmed
5.0
Moirae was an interesting read for me, thanks in part to the stream of consciousness style in which it is written. What this means is that the book runs in a ‘free flow’ with little in the way of punctuation and a focus instead of letting the story run its course in a natural way. While it can be said that this style of writing is divisive amongst readers, one thing that you often hear is that it will put you straight into the character’s heads, perhaps even more so than conventional styles. While how much this rings true will vary from person to person, I really do recommend that you give it a try. Once you find a natural rhythm, you’ll breeze through the book with relative ease.
Now, the story itself will take you to some uncomfortable places. While set on the fictional world of ‘Lost Winds’, the book takes you through some unfortunately familiar issues such as rape, oppression and political unrest. That is not to say that the book is without uplifting moments however. After all, even in the darkness, a light can still shine. Faith also features as a strong theme throughout the story, which will no doubt resonate. In particular, the familial conflict of MD converting to a religion that worships the same God as his family, but different is something that will be familiar to many on one level or another. While the situation is different, the sheer number of different Christian denominations always comes to mind for me when reading such things: all worshipping the same God but at times viewing others with disdain for a different interpretation of the same texts.
In summary, Moirae’s style and subject matter ensure that it is not an easy read, but it is a rewarding one. Find your way through the rich world that Mehreen has created, and you’ll be glad to have given the book a shot.
A free copy was supplied by the author in return for an honest review.
Now, the story itself will take you to some uncomfortable places. While set on the fictional world of ‘Lost Winds’, the book takes you through some unfortunately familiar issues such as rape, oppression and political unrest. That is not to say that the book is without uplifting moments however. After all, even in the darkness, a light can still shine. Faith also features as a strong theme throughout the story, which will no doubt resonate. In particular, the familial conflict of MD converting to a religion that worships the same God as his family, but different is something that will be familiar to many on one level or another. While the situation is different, the sheer number of different Christian denominations always comes to mind for me when reading such things: all worshipping the same God but at times viewing others with disdain for a different interpretation of the same texts.
In summary, Moirae’s style and subject matter ensure that it is not an easy read, but it is a rewarding one. Find your way through the rich world that Mehreen has created, and you’ll be glad to have given the book a shot.
A free copy was supplied by the author in return for an honest review.