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Book Review: Absalom’s Wake, Part Five: Ocean Born by Nancy A. Collins

Absalom’s Wake Part Five: Ocean Born by Nancy A. Collins

Biting Dog Publications, 2013

ASIN:  B00G4LMYGW

Available: eBook(Smashwords, Kindle)

 

Absalom’s Wake Part Five: Ocean Born picks up where part four left off.  The crew is recovering from the fight with the savage shark-men of the Mano Kanaka tribe.  Ten crew members lie dead, including Captain Solomon.  The only surviving officer is Mr. Godward, and he assumes command as captain.  Captain Godward decides they are too close to catching King Jim’s harem to stop the hunt and look for new crew members.  The hunt continues!

That evening Koro reveals to Jonah that he is descended from one of the Ocean Born, the gods of his people: Ikatere, the Dolphin God. After they fall asleep, Jonah dreams of swimming under the sea with Koro.  He is told that it is taboo to hunt King Jim’s harem in these waters.  The Absalom is doomed!

The next morning dawns blood red, and the Absalom is in the midst of the harem.  Koro refuses to break his taboo and hunt the whales.  Captain Godward orders the crew to clap Koro in irons.  Eager hands hold Koro until his secret is revealed.  Koro is a merman!  The shocked crew cries, “Monster!” as Koro dives into the sea, narrowly escaping torture.

This part is as splendid a read as the others in this six part series.  The descriptions are just enough to keep it interesting without bogging down the action.  The characters each have distinctive voices and have developed to show more depth in each part.  The tone has maintained throughout the series very well.  The multi-layered plot line is a lot of fun.  The mystery and tension keep building as one question leads to another.  This is what keeps me hooked!  Previous works by this author I have read are: Absalom’s Wake, Part One: Gone A’ Whaling; Absalom’s Wake, Part Two: Blood on the Beach; Absalom’s Wake, Part Three: The Whale Rider; Absalom’s Wake, Part Four:Terror Comes Aboard.  Recommended for adult readers.

 

Contains:  Racist Language, Swearing

 

Note: Absalom’s Wake is a six-part ebook serial. Check out these reviews of earlier parts of the story!

Absalom’s Wake, Part One: A Serial Adventure of Terror on the High Seas

Absalom’s Wake, Part Two: Terror on the Beach

Absalom’s Wake, Part Three: The Whale Rider

Absalom’s Wake, Part Four: Terror Comes Aboard

Posted on March 6, 2015 by , Reply

Book Review: Wyatt in Wichita: A Historical Novel by John Shirley

Wyatt in Wichita: A Historical Novel by John Shirley

Skyhorse Publishing, 2014

ISBN-13: 978-1629143132

Available: Paperback, Kindle edition, audiobook download

 

Wyatt in Wichita is a novel I have been reading about for a long time. John Shirley, while known as both a horror and science fiction author, transcends genre in almost everything he writes, and I was intrigued to learn that he had been working on a historical novel set in the Wild West.

Shirley’s fascination with the legendary lawman Wyatt Earp was the seed for this novel, which is based in solid historical research. Focused on a lesser known aspect of Earp’s life, this novel is a fictionalized account of his search for the murderer of a girl from Wichita. Shirley uses the plot as a tool to explore Earp’s character. While legend sometimes paints a black-and-white picture of Earp as a hero, or villain, Shirley uses shades of grey. While the novel has plenty of action, it is, above all, a character study.

While a historical novel is a departure for the writer whose stories were once called “Lollipops of Pain”, Shirley delivers, with his intense view of the world expressed through this new setting and genre. His use of tiny details sets the tone effectively. While description can overwhelm a story and slow the pacing, Shirley’s writing remains fluid. All the elements of a successful Western are here: period accurate action, engulfing natural landscapes that jumped off the page, and characters that made me a little uncomfortable.

Authors writing outside of their traditional genres often have trouble getting their readers to follow them. Wyatt in Wichita is an excellent choice to get readers to step outside their genre and try something a little different. This should be in any library with a serious eye to western and historical fiction.

Reviewed by David Agranoff

 

 

 

Posted on February 22, 2015 by , Reply

Book Review: Traitor’s Blade by Sebastian De Castell

Traitor’s Blade by Sebastien De Castell

Jo Fletcher Books, 2014

ISBN: 978-1-62365-809-0

Available:  Hardcover, paperback, Kindle edition

 

The King is dead.  The land is burning.  The King’s Magisters, known as Greatcoats, have been disbanded and scattered to the winds.  Their leader, Falcio, is trying to finish his dead King’s final secret order.  With him are Kest and Brasti, his two best friends and also members of the now disbanded Greatcoats, reviled as traitors for stepping aside and letting their King be murdered by the Dukes.  The resulting power vacuum has created chaos throughout the kingdom, as the Dukes fight for supremacy.  The only hope is for the Greatcoats to reunite.  Falcio, Kest and Bresti must restore order, or their Kingdom will be destroyed.

Traitor’s Blade was a fun, swashbuckling adventure to read.  The three main characters brought to mind the Three Musketeers as they fought their way through the adventure.  Each of the characters had distinctive voices and the dialog flowed very smoothly.  The desciptions worked well and set the stage for the action without slowing it down.  The action was great fun!  The chases and sword fights kept the tension flowing.  The plot twisted and turned and kept me guessing what would happen next.  The political intrigue was enough to keep me wondering, without bogging it all down.  All in all, great fun!  Recommended for adult readers who enjoy swashbuckling fantasy.

 

Contains:  Sexual situations, swearing

Reviewed by Aaron Fletcher

Posted on February 22, 2015 by , Reply
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