In The Dunes - John Leahy

Title: In The Dunes
Author: John Leahy
Genre: Horror
Published: 2011
Formats: Ebook

Available at:
Amazon
Amazon UK

In The Dunes is a short horror story about Neil Marshall, a retired banker from the US who is on a golfing holiday in Ireland with his friend Cliff. During one of their games, Cliff manages to send his ball into some dunes that lie behind one of the greens. Neil waits as Cliff ventures into the dunes, never to return. Neil then begins a search and talks to locals and the authorities as he tries to uncover what has happened to his friend and what is actually hidden in the dunes.

I found this short story to be a quick and entertaining read although I do think that some of the possible suspense was limited. This was mainly due to the fact that the secret hidden in the dunes was uncovered in a rather detailed way slightly earlier than I would have expected . However, this was a minor issue and in a short story like this there probably wasn't much more the author could have done really. I also felt that Leahy has a good writing style and I did enjoy the earlier stages of the book wondering what could actually be hidden in the dunes.

In summary, if you are after a quick read for an evening that will provide a few creepy moments then pick this short story up. For myself, I look forward to reading more from John Leahy in the future and am interested to see what type of story he could create if he had a full length novel to work with.

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Books I Feel As Though Everyone Has Read But Me

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish which I am taking part in. 

I have to admit it has been quite a while since I took part in the Top Ten Tuesday Meme but I really liked this week's question so made a concerted effort to make sure I could post something. Anyway, here are the top ten books I feel as though everyone has read but me.

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins: This book seems to have been read by almost everyone on the internet except for me! I do have copies but just never seem to get around to reading them.

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen: This novel has spawned seemingly endless movies and so many of my female friends, family and internet peers seem to have watched them all and read the book. Maybe it is just me being a "man" but I just can't find any desire to read this book. Maybe if I read Pride & Prejudice & Zombie by Seth Grahame-Smith it will almost be the same?

The Vampire Diaries by LJ Smith: I read Twilight because people told me to and it didn't do anything for me so I just can't face another "popular" vampire series, I just can't do it.

Foundation by Isaac Asimov: This novel seems to be a classic for many of my Sci-Fi reading peers but I just haven't gotten around to reading it. I am not sure why, the synopsis just never fills me with any excitement.

The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson: My parents, friends, work colleagues and a multitude of internet peers seem to have read and loved this book. For myself it is just another book that sits on the to be read pile and never seems to make it to the top.

The Catcher in the Rye by JD Salinger: I don't even know what this book is even about but it seems to put up in blogs and conversations all the time. One day I might actually look it up and see if it may actually interest me.

Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card: Another book that as a Sci-Fi fan I feel I really should have read. I do at least have a copy of it now!

The Host by Stephanie Meyer: I always wonder if most people seem to have read this because they also read Twilight. Either way, due to me not being a great fan of Twilight, this book will probably never make it to my reading pile.

Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen: Reviews seem to be everywhere for this book and everyone seems to like it. I may watch the movie and if I like that I will go give the book a try.

A Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin: This has been made worst since the TV show. Originally it was just my Fantasy reading friends, etc. but now it seems most people I know have read it.

What about all of you? Is there anything out there that it seems everyone has read except for yourself?

Ashfall (Ashfall Book 1) - Mike Mullin (ARC)

Title: Ashfall (Ashfall Book 1)
Author: Mike Mullin
Genre: Sci-Fi
Expected Publication: October 11th 2011
Formats: Hardback

Available for Pre-Order at:
Amazon
Amazon UK
Alibris UK

Ashfall is the first book that I received via Netgalley and as I have always enjoyed dystopian stories I was excited to see that I could get this ARC through the site. Now that I have actually finished the book I really have to thank Netgalley, Tangelwood Press & Mike Mullin for enabling me to read this enjoyable page turner.

The story itself follows Alex, a regular 15 year old boy who is left alone for the weekend at his home in Cedar Falls, Iowa when his parents and sister go away to visit his Uncle. His life is changed forever however as the super volcano in Yellowstone Park erupts in a huge explosion spewing debris & ash across the entire country. With his home badly damaged, communications cut off and chaos beginning to descend Alex decides to set out alone to find his parents. Alex then travels on a dangerous, long and fearsome journey across a bleak and dystopian landscape.

I have to admit that I do enjoy post-apocalyptic and disaster related fiction, so Ashfall was probably always going to appeal to me. However, I do think that even if this hadn’t been a favourite genre of mine I would have enjoyed it anyway. The descriptions of the volcanic explosion’s aftermath are superb and Mullin has created some really intense scenes that came across with a feeling of genuine realism. I could easily imagine the social breakdown evident in the story coming to pass in the face of such a cataclysm.

I would add that there are some rather mature topics covered in the story due to the setting. This includes references to cannibalism, rape and murder, but these events are not dwelt upon and are all relevant to the story that is being told. Mullin’s does try and temper these sections though with the odd bit of humour and a mild romantic side plot. In fact, I was happy to see that the romantic plot wasn’t some example of instant love at first sight. The two characters actually develop a relationship through the hardships they face together.

My only small criticism is that at times the story would slow down quite notably and some bits felt a little bit repetitive. Of course, when you consider that a lot of the story relates around people trying to struggle through deep ash and snow it is probably understandable. It didn’t really detract from the overall story though as around these slower sections, the plot flew by with action and thrills aplenty.

In regards to the characters, Ashfall is mainly built around two major characters and the author has worked hard to develop them. They both have their own flaws but are also intelligent people who are incredibly likeable. Alex has an internal strength and nobility that he at times seems blind to and his determination to find his family is admirable. Then there is Darla who is smart and witty, with a knowledge of machines that I would love to possess. These two characters really suffer throughout the journey but their core personalities and beliefs keep them going.

In conclusion, I found Ashfall to be a great page turner. It is a superb dystopian post-apocalyptic story full of intensity, despair and yet a little bit of hope. I think anyone who enjoys this genre should pick this book up and give it a read. For myself, I am looking forward to the second book in the trilogy, Ashen Winter which is due out in 2012.

Book Blogger Hop #7

Book Blogger Hop is a weekly meme hosted by Crazy for Books

This week’s question is;

“As a book blogger, how do you introduce yourself in your profile?”

To be honest, most of my profile is about myself and my family. I only lightly touch on books specifically as I tend to read almost any genre anyway although I do highlight my favourite types. I actually think that I could do with improving my profile a little bit but it always seems to be far down my list which is probably a shame as it is something that many new visitors tend to check when they visit a blog.

So how do any of you introduce yourself in a profile, be it blog related or on some other website?

Blood For Love (The D'ot Hexalogy Book 1) - Chris M. Finkelstein

Title: Blood For Love (The D'ot Hexalogy Book 1)
Author: Chris M. Finkelstein
Genre: Fantasy
Published: 2011
Formats: Paperback/Ebook

Available at:
Amazon
Apple iBookstore US
Smashwords
Amazon UK
Apple iBookstore UK

Blood for Love basically tells the story of a mother and son who live in a society where love is considered to be a dangerous perversion. Anyone found to enjoy the premise of love, the so called "love lovers" are sentenced to death by torture. Love is only permitted between a mother and child until the child's 5th birthday which is when both are made to attend love de-programming rehabilitation. The story covers both this love de-programming school and the subsequent results as it almost tears the family apart.

The story is actually very interesting and quite original, with the humanoid reptilian race and their society being quite distinct. However, I do have to admit that the country being called the Nation of Vengeance really didn’t fit with me as I couldn’t imagine anyone actually calling themselves this, even in this strange world that has been created. I will add here that due to the nature of the story some of the scenes are quite extreme and at times difficult to read as the violence and cruelty being conducted by both the government and regular citizens is rather vivid.

One of the issues I did find with the book was that there was a large amount of acronyms and detailed explanations that are thrown at the reader in the first few chapters. They are required due to the fact that the author has created a whole new vastly complex world that needs explaining but I think it did make the beginning of the book feel a little bit disjointed.

In regards to the characters, the mother named Martha has been well-developed and shows quick wits throughout the book that help to enhance the story. The son named Jan is at times rather endearing in the way he faces the challenges before him, however I did find him to be utilised many times as a vessel for the various visions and religious aspects that were driving on some of the plot which I felt weakened his overall development. The other characters in the book are utilised well by the author to support the main two characters and each one is developed in a manner that helps enhance both the plot and the world that has been created.

In summary, Blood for Love is a very unique and exciting fantasy adventure with a novel storyline that should appeal to anyone looking for a unique experience. I would just note that any potential reader should be wary of the more brutal and violent scenes within the book. I suspect I will read the follow up book to this when it is released as I want to know where the plot and characters are going to go next.

Pale Queen's Courtyard (Moonlit Cities Book 1) - Marcin Wrona

Title: Pale Queen's Courtyard (Moonlit Cities Book 1)
Author: Marcin Wrona
Genre: Fantasy
Published: 2011
Formats: Ebook

Available at:
Amazon
Apple iBookstore US
Smashwords
Amazon UK
Apple iBookstore UK

Pale Queen's Courtyard is the first in a series of novels that will be set in a fantasy world that has a Mesopotamian influence; this made it enjoyably different in my opinion to many other fantasy novels that use the standard medieval European influence. The book itself had a very enjoyable and exciting storyline that delved into this world's religion and politics.

The plot basically revolved around two major characters, the first is called Leonine who is a thief, musician and secretly, is also a sorcerer. Unfortunately for him, the land he inhabits has deemed that the use of sorcery will result in a death sentence. The second named Kamvar, is a soldier who has dedicated his life to this faith and is a member of an elite group that was created to hunt down sorcerers. When the young daughter of a high priest is revealed to be a sorceress, both men become involved in the hunt and are taken on individual but intertwined journeys that test both their beliefs and convictions.

I have to be honest and say that as I started reading I wasn’t very sure about the book. It initially moves along at quite a slow pace and was throwing up various names, places and details at me which I didn’t know about or really understand. This is the type of thing I always like to flick to a glossary for in other books but wasn’t present here. However within a few chapters I began to gain an understanding into who the various people were and how the world was actually set up which meant I could actually now relax and enjoy the book as it began to pick up into a slightly faster pace.

I was glad that this happened as Marcin Wrona has created a really varied and interesting world and has managed to add in sorcery into the story with a very realistic feel. Basically, the world and society he has created here in this book is one that I could imagine reading multiple books about without getting bored.

The main characters are well developed, Leonine is a superb antihero; who is initially unwilling and reluctant to face what has been forced upon him, but ends up fighting for something he really believed in. Then there is Kamvar whose honour, love and devotion to his family and friends makes him easy to understand and believe in. I enjoyed seeing the potential for both good and bad in these characters and how and why they ended up choosing the paths they finally followed.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book as I couldn’t put it down by the time I reached the final third. The world that has been created is basically superb and the plot once it picks up is fun and exciting to follow onto its conclusion. I am looking forward to reading more books set in this world that we have so far only seen a small but really interesting part of.

Book Blogger Hop #6

Book Blogger Hop is a weekly meme hosted by Crazy for Books

This week’s question is;

“What are you most looking forward to this fall/autumn season – A particular book release? Halloween? The leaves changing color? Cooler temperatures? A vacation? (If your next season is other than fall/autumn, tell us about it and what you are most looking forward to in your part of the world!)”

Another non book related question this week and to be honest I couldn't quickly think up an answer to be honest. In the end though my answer has to be that I am looking forward to a flight in a light aircraft and the chance to actually fly it. My parents bought me this 40 minute trial flying lesson for my 30th birthday and I can't wait to actually control an aircraft. As a child I always dreamed of being a pilot so this has to be the thing I am looking forward to most this Autumn. I just hope that the Scottish weather actually clears up enough to let the plane take off as I have already had to cancel this flight once.