Monty's Book Reviews

The King & Kishar Timothy S Currey Fantasy 3 Stars Blurb :  Every word King Adzi Akkatha writes on sacred stones is binding, and lasts for all eternity. But how can he rule when he has been cursed to forget everything? His city is in chaos. Hinatsi rebels clash with his soldiers, and their mysterious leaders try to capture the King. With the help of High Priestess Idza and General Qanatha, he must relearn their laws and customs, and who he was as a King. His former self seemed cruel and cold, and he is plagued with doubts. He is an imposter in King’s clothing—do they even have the right man? They must flee to the great Temple of Mesopos where the King’s memory might be restored. The rebels are never far behind, and day by day the curse progresses. There is little hope they will reach the temple in time. Even if they do, will the King want to continue ruling as a cold tyrant? Review :  I found this to be quite slow and repetitious. The premise is sound but it just took too long to

  Blood Trials Blood Tribe Book 2 Iris Kain 4 Stars Genre: Urban Fantasy Pages: 381 Published: 30 June 2022 Publisher:  Pirate Farm Books Publisher's Blurb Although the battle for Earth’s balance teeters on a precipice, Maysun, a powerful entity who maintains the world’s Balance, has stepped down from her role and blessed her lover, Eoghan, with her power. Days later, she realizes she may have made her decision much too soon. Charles Dunning, the head of the criminal global vampire tribe the Shévet ha Dam, is on the trail of Maysun’s only child, Amara. Amara lives half of her life awake and in fear, the other half in a shadowy world hardly remembered. She holds a power that allows her to resist the vampire curse, but only a select handful know of her ability. Even Amara is unaware of her gift. She believes she teeters on the edge of insanity, taunted by voices that have haunted her for years. She has no idea the voices are vampires trailing her every move. With Dunning determined t

S16 Simon Carr 4 Stars Genre: Humor, Sci-Fi Pages: 290 Published: 8 July 2022 Publisher's Blurb Probably the only thing worse than finding out that nothing you know is real is finding out that you are also not real. Well, that's how Sanjiv's day started, it did not get much better after that, truth be told. Review Struggling to run his own restaurant and having just set fire (accidentally) to a food critic, Sanjiv really needs a break. Finding out that the world he lives in is not real and is just a simulation is probably not the break he was trying to catch. Simon Carr sets his satirical writing skills on all things sci-fi and any resemblance to The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy is purely intentional. From the depressed robot to the lead character in a dressing gown, S16 gives nods to Douglas Adam's seminal novel and is a fun read all the way through. Author Website  https://mailchi.mp/57158efee1aa/simoncarr Simon Carr is, well he is me, hello, I write utter nonsense

Short Stories For The Long Haul John T Buckley 4 Stars Genre: Short Stories Pages: 117 Published: 4 August 2022 Publisher's Blurb Short Stories for the Long Haul is thought provoking and fun. A book written in the spirit of Ernest Hemingway with a very readable writing style. Greater meaning is in the reader’s understanding and interpretation of the plot lines than over explaining things. A perfect book for the beach, the hunting camp, or your favorite recliner. Review Short Stories for the Long Haul is a deliciously eclectic collection that spans a diverse number of genre and themes. The stories range in quality as is only natural for a short story collection and those that appeal to one reader may be different to somebody else. These range from the mildly interesting at one end of the spectrum to the truly excellent at the other. The collection kicks off with a futuristic search for a serial killer in ‘The Billiard Ball Killer’ which sees two detectives being given the runaround

  Sunwalker Sunwalker Trilogy Book 1 S.T. Sanchez 4 Stars Genre: Teen & Young Adult, Horror, Vampire Pages: 277 Published: 27 May 2017 Publisher: Sarah Sanchez Publisher's Blurb Lilly is a sunwalker—a vampire born from human parents, able to walk in the daylight. She lives life as human, hiding her true identity from all those around her. One evening, she comes to the rescue of her best friend, Lex, as a vampire is about to make a meal out of her. Lilly is drawn to him, despite her desire to loathe him for almost murdering Lex, as he is the first of her kind she has ever met. As the vampire, Tread, begins to open Lilly's eyes to a world she has never known, Lilly must decide where she belongs. After she is betrayed by the person she loves most, Lilly is forced to submerge herself entirely in the vampire world, only to discover that Tread has a secret so shocking it could destroy them all. Review Lily was born a Vampire. Forced to hide her secret from the Human population fo

Paralyzed Emotions Rodney D. Roby 5 Stars Genre: Memoir, Autobiography, Mental Health Pages: 248 Published: 30 August 2021 Publisher: Page Publishing Inc. Publisher's Blurb When I was first diagnosed with a mental illness, I sought after information that could tell me just what in the world was happening to me. There was nothing. Or at least I didn’t find anything. I wrote these letters to my first psychiatrist so she could see inside my head. To see all the fear, confusion, hurt, and multitudes of thoughts that hounded me. When I read these letters to my wife, I actually cried. I completed this book with a prayer that it will help people who suffer to understand what they are going through and see that there is hope. Also, so people can understand what their loved one is going though. Prayerfully, this book will help doctors and counselors. This is very powerful! Not only will you see all the illness but a lot of hope and healing. Review Told through a series of letters from the a

The Portal Keeper The Keeper Archives Book 1 S.T. Sanchez 5 Stars Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy Pages: 330 Published: 2 October 2019 Publisher:  Scene Company   Publisher's Blurb A mysterious portal, which opens at dawn and closes again at dusk, is located deep in the woods and kept secret from the vast majority of the people who inhabit the kingdom of Rastella. Only a few are aware of its existence and fewer understand the confusing prophecy that accompanies it. Now, Ajax Maxwell, who is approaching his 14th birthday and has been in training for the past 2 years, is preparing to fulfill his family’s legacy by becoming the next keeper. But Ajax is afraid. He’s worried that he won’t live up to the expectations placed upon him and will let down his family, like his brother Axel did when he took over from their father and then promptly disappeared. When the prince of Rastella comes to visit for the first time, accompanied by Ajax’s childhood friend Nivara, it doesn’t take long for thing

Reverence Reverence Trilogy Book 1 Raena Rood 5 Stars   Genre: Christian, Fantasy Pages: 326 Published: 1 August 2022 Publisher:  One Foundation Publishing Publisher's Blurb Twelve years ago, a global pandemic known as the Job virus decimated the world’s population. One city withstood the virus by going into lockdown during the early days of the pandemic and erecting a massive barricade wall to insulate themselves from the sick and the dying. Now called Vita Nova—meaning New Life—the city is overcrowded and its resources are quickly dwindling. The area outside the wall, known as the Unregulated Zone, is a vast wasteland filled with crumbling buildings, overgrown highways, and the Lawless: brutal bands of marauders intent on breeching the barricade and claiming the city’s resources for themselves. To combat the problem of overcrowding, the leadership of Vita Nova has implemented two programs: The Compulsory Program, which requires that anyone over the age of sixty—or anyone who requ

  Feathers In The Sand Seahaven Sunrise Book 1 Anne Marie Bennett 5 Stars Genre: Family Life, Women's Contemporary Fiction Pages: 355 Published: 11 July 2022 Publisher:  KaleidoSoul Media Publisher's Blurb Savor a breath of fresh salty air in this feel-good story about one woman’s journey back to her daughter . . . back to happiness . . . back to herself. Single mom Tess Gilmore has been moving so fast to keep her life together that she’s hardly had time to notice how unhappy she is, and how distant she’s become from Eva, her preteen daughter. An unexpected job opportunity offers a chance to leave her Connecticut home for Seahaven, the idyllic coastal Maine town where she spent her childhood summers. With a reluctant Eva in tow, the two begin to carve out a new life in Seahaven, surrounded by colorful, quirky neighbors and soothing sea breezes. Within weeks, Eva begins to discover mysterious, brightly-colored feathers in surprising places. As Tess and Eva are embraced by their