Wrapped in Rain

Wrapped in Rain: A Novel by Charles Martin 

Front Cover

Synopsis

An internationally famous photographer, Tucker Mason has traveled the world, capturing things other people don’t see. But what Tucker himself can’t see is how to let go of the past and forgive his father.

On a sprawling Southern estate, Tucker and his younger brother, Mutt, were raised by their housekeeper, Miss Ella Rain, who loved the motherless boys like her own. Hiring her to take care of Waverly Hall and the boys was the only good thing their father ever did.

When his brother escapes from a mental hospital and an old girlfriend appears with her son and a black eye, Tucker is forced to return home and face the agony of his tragic past.

Though Miss Ella has been gone for many years, Tucker can still hear her voice—and her prayers. But finding peace and starting anew will take a measure of grace that Tucker scarcely believes in.

My Review

I've read most of Charles Martin books, and I have to admit this one was my least favourite. I've never been a great fan of flashback, but sometimes they can work well, and Charles Martin usually does do them well, but in this book there were just too many for my liking, and not enough progression with the storyline. 

I also felt the plot was a tad incredulous to believe, and while I like to read principled characters; the main characters were too moralistic, to the point they shone so brightly that it hurt my eyes.

Conclusion

This is one of his early works and you could tell it lacks the refinement that his current books have—for fans of Martin, I'd say it's not a bad read, but don't expect it to be great one.

Out of Ten Stars:

6 Stars

Buy it here:

Amazon UK

Amazon US

Reborn: Apocalypse

Reborn: Apocalypse (Volume 1): (A LitRPG/Wuxia Story) by L. M. Kerr

Front Cover

Synopsis

A Time-travel, LitRPG, Apocalyptic story.

If you could turn back the clock and fix all the mistakes you ever made, would you?

For Micheal Care, a swordsman that could only be considered a middling warrior in Humanity's Last Army, the answer to that question would be quite simple.

Yes. A million times yes.

Humanity has fallen, wiped out after being warped away to a new reality, the mystical 7 Layers.

Humanity's goal had been simple. Make it through all 7 Layers and reach Heaven.

Humanity failed.

Humanity died.

Micheal Care's memories have been transported back into his past self thanks to a magical Artifact he found by chance.

He is no chosen savior. He is no divinely picked hero.

Can he change the future? Can he catch up to the mightiest warriors of humanity and surpass them?

My Review 

The main character, Michael Care dies, literally within the first chapter. But don't let that small fact stop you from reading the rest of the book, for Michael gets transported back to his past life, but retains the memories of his lived life—which means he's equipped with foresight, and able to avoid the mistakes that led to his and the rest of humanity's downfall.

I really enjoyed this book, it wasn't short by any means, at around 500 pages, but it flowed well and the pace was frantic, but in a good way. I don't read too many litRPG novels, but this was nicely done for a casual of the genre, i.e. it didn't feel too heavily bogged down with RPG concepts.

Conclusion

I've already finished the sequel and looking forward to the third. For fans of Lit/RPG - you'll love this, and for those not so much, like myself, you may be pleasantly surprised.

Give this a go.

Out of Ten Stars:

8 Stars

Buy it here:

Amazon UK

Amazon US

Changeling's Fealty

Changeling's Fealty (Changeling Blood Book 1) by Glynn Stewart.

Front Cover

Synopsis

A ragged newcomer…With a secret even he doesn’t knowA backwater city…With a countdown to an explosion no one is expectingA secret Covenant…And a conspiracy to break it to pieces 

Jason Kilkenny is a new arrival in the Canadian city of Calgary. Unlike most newcomers, Jason isn’t looking for a job in oil and gas: he’s a half-fae changeling that wants to get away from the politics of the inhuman races.
He soon learns that despite being a supernatural backwater, the city is run by a near-godlike Wizard—and the shadows are full of unseen dangers. Jason’s here to hide, but he finds himself called to service by Calgary’s understaffed Fae Court. 

As supernatural politics collide in his new home, Jason’s plan to keep his head down is shattered and he finds himself testing the limits of his meager gifts. He cannot run, he cannot hide…and if he loses, he loses everything.

My Review

I like Glynn Stewart as an author from his Onset series and I knew this was going to be an interesting book.

The story centres on Jason, a half blood fae who is trying to keep his head down and avoid the supernatural community, and after wandering from one city to the next, he eventually settles on Calgary, however fate has other plans lined up for Jason.

This was an enjoyable book with an interesting plot and characters that grew as the story unfolded. I liked Jason as a protagonist, he was smart, not too powerful and was resourceful.  The pace was at the right speed in that it never lingered at any one place and kept your attention fixed.

Conclusion

Overall as urban fantasy goes, this is a good one, particularly for fans of the genre.  I've read the other books in the series but I'm not going to review them, other than to say that they get better with each subsequent sequel. 

Out of 10 Stars:

7.5 Stars

Buy it here:

Amazon UK

Amazon US

American Operator: A Tier One Story

American Operator: A Tier One Story (Tier One Thrillers, Book 4) by Brian Andrews (Author), Jeffrey Wilson (Author).

Front Cover

Synopsis

A shocking attack in Ankara leaves the US Ambassador to Turkey dead and his chief of staff, Amanda Allen, in the hands of brutal terrorists. But Allen is no ordinary diplomat. She’s undercover CIA. The DNI and the President turn to Ember, America’s premier black-ops task force, and its deadliest weapon, former Tier One Navy SEAL John Dempsey, for help. To find Allen, Ember gets embedded in the most dangerous battlefield on Earth: Syria. But when all communications are disabled by an attack in Turkey, Dempsey finds himself with no backup—a lone shadow warrior racing against time to rescue Allen from her captors before she reaches her breaking point. 

What Dempsey doesn’t realize is that Allen is just a pawn in a much larger game. A new player has already been unleashed: a legendary mercenary who matches the American Operator in skill, tactical prowess, and a killer instinct for survival. Now there is far more at stake than a kidnapped CIA agent. Dempsey and his team better get this one right, because the balance of power for the entire Middle East rests on their shoulders. And the new threat is far more dangerous than any Dempsey has encountered in his decades waging war against terrorism. Game on.

My Review

I guess it's going to be a little strange reviewing this book, the 4th in the series whilst not having reviewed the previous books, but *shrugs* I guess I'm strange like that.

Nowadays it seems like most military action novels are based on the same routine story line, with the usual badass Rambo-like main character who takes on a whole army with a toothpick, and this series may seem like the usual troupe, but is it? 

The protagonist is a former tier one Navy SEAL operator, John Dempsey (formerly known as Jack Kemper), who lost his entire team in a terrorist attack.
However, John, is given the chance to get revenge by faking his own death and joining a secret anti-terrorist group called Ember.

All seems quite standard stuff right? Well, it is and it isn't, for me what sets this apart from most other action novels is the clear progression in the authors writing ability, from the 1st book to the 4th; there is continued growth in all of his main characters, and the plot becomes more dynamic. 
Simply put, with each book in the series, my enjoyment is raised even higher, which in my experience is usually the opposite, with my interests normally waning as a series drags on.

Just a final word on the main character, John Dempsey, at the start of book 1, he was your classic all American action man with as much personality as a rock, and I was tempted to call it a day, but near the end of the 1st book something changed, his character started to peel like an onion and you got to see different layers to him, you got to see his fears, you got to see more than a cookie cut-out, and seeing his growth with each passing book is what makes this book so enjoyable for me and makes it different from most of the others.

Conclusion

A pulsating, edge-of-your-seat action series that pits the good guys against the bad - what more could you want?

Out of 10 Stars

8.5 Stars

Buy it here:

Amazon UK

Amazon US

My Best Book of 2018

Wow, another year has flown by and it's time for me wrap up the year by revealing my favourite book of 2018. 

Unfortunately, I haven't been as active this year as I would have liked, not because I haven't read many great books, but I've just struggled with a busy year and motivation, particularly these last few months with a change of job and city - so whilst I haven't written as many blog posts as I would have liked, it's still way more than my feeble attempts in 2017.

Okay, so without further ado, my favourite book of 2018 is......*drum rolls please* ....

Send Down the Rain By: Charles Martin.

Now you may be thinking that it's weird for a blog called Fantasy Muse to have chosen a non-fantasy book... well..... it is my blog, and you can't expect me to read just fantasy books all year long *shrugs* what can I say? At times I like to broaden my horizon with other genres.

Admittedly, I am quite particular when it comes to romance novels, I avoid as much as possible the cheesy ones (I'm sure you know what I mean) and prefer a more mature and endearing tale, and Send Down the Rain pretty much ticked all of my boxes when it came to the perfect romance novel - it was packed with substance, an intriguing protagonist, plot twists and action (including a Mexican cartel).

You can check it out here:

My Review

Amazon UK

Amazon US

Goodreads

*****

Before I finish this post, I'd like to wish my readers (yes, that one person - you!), a fantastic New Year, and I hope that 2019 is filled with new beginnings and achievements.

Finally, I leave the below to ponder over.

A Gathering of Fools

A Gathering of Fools (Vensille Saga Book 1) by James Evans (author)

Front Cover

Synopsis

A loyal soldier betrayed. A kingdom full of enemies. Can he clear his name and unchain his magic before the Empire cuts him down? 

Marrinek lost everything in an instant. Framed for a crime he didn't commit, the faithful courtier spent two years in prison before a sudden, near-lethal escape. Hunted by his own former allies, the double-crossed magic user journeys to reunite with his wife and get revenge on those who deceived him.

Hiding amongst devious criminals in a seedy underworld, Marrinek unveils a kingdom-wide conspiracy that goes far beyond his own imprisonment. To save all he holds dear and against impossible odds, the soldier must lift the haze from his magic and expose the plot before his enemies strike a fatal blow.

A Gathering of Fools is the first book in the Vensille Saga epic fantasy series. If you like magic and mayhem, dark violence, and heroic redemption, then you'll love James Evans’ immersive world.

My Review

The book follows Marrinek who, after spending almost 2 years locked away for crimes he did not commit, finds himself in a fortunate position to escape. The story then follows as Marrinek attempts to stay free and keep away from his captors.

I haven't read any of the author's other work but the start of the book felt a little disjointed, there were some sentences or words that just didn't read right, and one of my pet peeves is when authors make words more fancier than they should be, but as the novel progressed I'm glad to say that it flowed much better.

The POV changed throughout the book and whilst the main protagonist and his wife were written well, I had little interest in the other characters, I just felt that their segments could have been made more interesting or removed.

There is a magic system in the book with Marrinek being a very talented wielder, and whilst the author explains the system, I honestly can't describe it to you as I'm still not entirely sure how it worked.

Conclusion

After reading this brief review, you're probably thinking I didn't enjoy the book, but I can't say for certain what my thoughts are. 
Maybe the biggest indicator yet is that I bought the sequel soon after finishing it, which is mainly down to the well written and exciting ending.

I would also like to add that the book cover is one of the better illustrations that I've seen in a long time.

Out of 10 Stars

6 Stars

But it here:

Amazon UK

Amazon US

The Grey Bastards

The Grey Bastards (The Lot Lands) by Jonathan French.

Front Cover

Synopsis

Jackal is proud to be a Grey Bastard, member of a sworn brotherhood of half-orcs. Unloved and unwanted in civilized society, the Bastards eke out a hard life in the desolate no-man's-land called the Lots, protecting frail and noble human civilization from invading bands of vicious full-blooded orcs. 

But as Jackal is soon to learn, his pride may be misplaced. Because a dark secret lies at the heart of the Bastards' existence - one that reveals a horrifying truth behind humanity's tenuous peace with the orcs, and exposes a grave danger on the horizon. 

On the heels of the ultimate betrayal, Jackal must scramble to stop a devastating invasion - even as he wonders where his true loyalties lie.

My Review

An intriguing book that was bought more on a whim than with any great expectations and after finishing the book, I'm glad to say I took that chance.

The book focuses on the half-orc Jackal, who is a member of a group of orcs (named hoofs) called the Grey Bastards, they are very akin to tribes / biker gangs and there are several other half orc tribes that all reside in a barren place called the Lot Lands.

The story follows Jackal as he struggles to survive amidst internal politics and infighting as well as trying to save his hoof from potential extinction. He is joined as well by his two best friends; Oats, and Fetch - who is the only female member of the the Grey Bastards.

Admittedly I wasn't quite sure about the book and the start of the story felt a bit slow in regard to pace but roughly half way through the book the story really kicks off, finishing with a dramatic and enjoyable ending.

I should also add that I thought the characters were well written, with good depth added to not only the main protagonist but also to the secondary characters. 

Conclusion

A very good read that leaves the book open for further sequels which I will certainly be keeping an eye on, whilst the book started off a little clumsily, the author finished it with a flourish.

Out of 10 Stars:

7 Stars

Buy it here:

Amazon UK

Amazon US