I have a great respect for those who write science fiction. To write great science fiction is no easy task, but Samuel Odunsi, Jr. has demonstrated a grasp of the genre. I predict Odunsi, Jr. has the potential to be one of the best science fiction writers of our generation.
When you read Age of the Aura, Phase 1: Champions of Power by Odunsi, Jr. you will see that Odunsi, Jr. is a master world-builder. I was taken aback by the setting of the novel-The Blessed Galaxy.
Moreover, the protagonist of the story, Lowen Sars speaks to the difficulty of discovering things about yourself, good things and bad things. Sars is a captivating character that will keep you entertained in this book and in the rest of the saga I’m sure.
Because I’m a busy person, I liked the short first book in the series (about 140 pages), but for true science fiction buffs you might be disappointed by the book’s brevity.
Nevertheless, I think the book is worth checking out.
Check out information about Odunsi, Jr. and The Age of the Aura here.
I’m fascinated by The Tower’s Alchemist, the first book in The Gray Tower Trilogy by Alesha Escobar. Who would have thought to add magical elements to the turbulent history of World War II?
The Tower’s Alchemist follows Isabella George, a spy who trained in the Gray Tower’s alchemy program, but drops out. George wants to retire from her life as a spy, but has one more mission to save the Allies from dark forces. The opening scenes are riveting, and I sweat along with George as she and her colleagues hide from the threatening, fantastical Black Wolves.
George is a dymanic character who is good at her job, seen from her witty comments in the heat of dangerous missions to her dealings with the love interests in her life. George is a main character who makes me proud to be a woman.
Escobar’s well-written and edited piece genius lies in the very idea to rework history with a touch of magic. Escobar is a genius.
I recommend this book.
More information about Escobar can be found here.
You can get the first book in the series here. (It’s free btw 
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I don’t know how to describe my reaction to Status Emo by Egyptian novelist Eslam Mosbah.
I wish I spoke and read Arabic because I don’t think the translation did the novel justice.
Status Emo follows the story of a young man who discovers his identity through emo culture. At times, I felt the theme of emptiness was overdone, but the constant repetition of the theme as felt by the narrator, who is bucking against a traditional culture, adds authenticity to the novel. By the end of the novel, you feel the protagonist’s pain.
While Status Emo depicts emo culture, I was hoping for a more nuanced view. Nevertheless, the novel exposes to readers who might not have been privy to the culture to front-row seats.
What’s fascinating about Status Emo is the author’s willingness to write honestly and candidly about the search for belonging in Muslim culture.
While I’m still working through my views about the book, I think it would be an interesting read, even more so if you speak Arabic.
This first time effort from Jennifer Raygoza takes the best of best of the vampire genre, forbidden love between a human and vampire, hot sex, and amplifies it by adding a war between devils and vampires.
The tension between protagonist Gianna Botticelli who is destined to save the world, and her brother who is the main flunkie for the demon side is interesting. Not to mention the protagonist’s ex is also a member of the enemy camp, as well.
Lucky for Ms. Raygoza, she has time to improve. The plot oozed melodramaticness, and characters not as developed as I would have liked.
After reading this, I realized I’m tired of vampires, but perhaps you, like many of the world population who loves vampires, aren’t.
If you want a predictable, quick read, check out The Guardians.
Ms. Raygoza also gives away freebies, and I’m sure she’ll improve in her next book.
You can find out more information here.
From the moment I read the first page of Sam Neumann’s Memoirs of a Gas Station, I laughed non-stop.
Neumann does an excellent job of taking readers along on his three-month journey as a gas station employee at the edge of Denali National Park in Alaska.
While Neumann claims life in Alaska was mundane, readers have no sense of that supposed mundaneness. The 313-page tale was a light, hilarious read (the perfect read during slow shifts on your job as a waitress.)
What I like the most about this memoir is not the colorful depictions of out-of-touch co-workers, bizarre hitchhiker personalities, awkwardly successful interactions with members of the opposite sex or pinings for free food, but the subtle AHA moment in this travel narrative.
The subtle AHA moment is wrapped up in a delightful bundle of jokes and musings of a young American from the mainland who steps out of his comfort box and survives.
I highly recommend this book even if you don’t like Alaska; it will be well worth the laughs.
You can find more information about Sam Neumann here.
And be sure to buy his book here.
YEEEEEAASSSS!
This is the best indie fiction I have read in a long time.
Vivid-fast moving, entertaining scenes. Complex characters. Innovative storyline. The opening scene is perfect.
You need to read this book.
The Senior Moment follows senior Jean Henderson as she travels to New York to visit her son, his girlfriend, and new baby. The only problem is once she gets to his apartment, he isn’t there. Not to mention he leaves her a note telling her she needs to go home ASAP, and whatever she does, don’t answer the door.
Now imagine reading this note after witnessing a murder by two men in Obama masks on the first day of your American trip.
From the first page, The Senior Moment leaves me, and most likely you too, watering at the mouth for more.
Main protagonist Jean Henderson is one lady with spunk despite her age. She snags a lover and arranges a group of seniors to protest their horrible mistreatment at the hands of banks who have taken their livelihood while trying to get her grown son out of trouble.
I don’t want to give away too much, but let’s just say Jean Henderson takes advantage of those who don’t give their elders the respect they are due.
I hiiiiigggghhhlllyyy recommend this book.
Hudson has done a fantaboulous job writing this novel. For more info about The Senior Moment and Eva Hudson, you can click here.
Set in an Angelo, Texas, this story follows Charlie Kee an investigative reporter from New York as he uncovers the shady details surrounding the death of his young relative’s purported suicide.
The book offers a peek into the life of a Chinese immigrant family as they assimilate into American life despite people in the community make their new home unpleasant. The surprising twist into this oh-so-common American immigrant story is vigilante justice.
Ping attempts to uncover racist ideologies that allow the horrendous murder of a Chinese teenageer in a sleepy town to go uninvestigated, but at the same time perpetuates those same racist ideologies evidenced in the schools ‘slave day,’ which students can buy a slave, or student who does whatever you want for a day, at about three dollars.
And what’s a story like this without a love interest? Kee enters a relationship the school’s psychologist while digging for more dirt about his nephew’s murder, but in the end, there is an unsuspecting hero, even if he has to break the law. ( I guess certain murders are ok as long as it’s not your family.(?!) Although, you can’t help gleefully watching as a cold dish of kick-ass served to those who deserve it.)
This is Ping’s first novel, and sometimes, he can become sentimental in the way writers can be when they want to be overly deep when discussing lofty ideals such as justice, love, enter any ‘deep’ emotion here.
Nevertheless, The Day the Tigers Broke Free is an interesting read, even if some scenes are questionable. If you like crime and watching bad guys brought to justice, then this book is for you.
More information about Ping and The Day The Tigers Broke Free can be found here.
If you are a writer, you need this book.
The Emotion Thesaurus lists emotions and gives a definition of the emotion plus physical signals, internal sensations, mental responses, cues of the long-term or acute emotion, and cues of the suppressed emotion. After the cues of the long-term or acute emotion, Ackerman and Puglisi include cross-references to similar emotions.
The dense, 150+ page thesaurus is a handy tool to use when you’re confused about how to show an emotion. The ability to combine different emotions is mind-blowing.
If you don’t believe me, check this out.
Want to describe a character in love, go to the love entry in the thesaurus.
Love is described as deep affection, attachment, or devotion for another
One physical sign of love from about 50 physical signs is the licking of the lips. An internal sensation of love is getting tongue-tangled. A mental response is feeling whole when the love interest is present. A cue or sign or long term or acute love is living together. Then love is cross referenced to feelings of peacefulness and satisfaction to name a couple. Cues of suppressed love would be a high pitched voice.
I forgot to mention after each emotion, helpful writer’s tips are given to make your writing better.
We do not receive any commission or affiliate pay for our reviews, so believe me when I say the emotion thesaurus is well worth the price.
For more information about The Emotion Thesaurus and/or to read Ackerman and Puglisi outstanding blog, go here.
It will be well-worth your time.
Keith Wild’s The Local is a drama thriller set in Surrey, UK. The third book in Wild’s drama trilogy, The Local follows the story of former military man Alan Fisher as he puts together the pieces surrounding his parents’ violent death. Along the way, his love interest Cheryl offers support and tada! We all know what happens in the end, the bad guys are caught.
The plot of this story has numerous twists and turns, but overall the novel reads like a summary. Most information is relayed in passing instead of vivid scenes. Disturbingly, Keith uses the all too-common villainizing of Middle Eastern men.
YAAWWNN.
The intimate scenes were funny as they were written from the male’s point of view; thus, Alan appears to be a breast man.
The Local could be your regular ol’ Western thriller movie with a tinkering of a few details here and there.
The Local might read better with a local crowd, but don’t take my word.
Perhaps the first two in the trilogy are better than the grand finale.
More information about Wild and The Local can be found here.
Letters From An Expatriate in Europe Translated By Rabindranath Tagore Translated by Ansuman Datta
2013
What a treat!
Translated by Ansuman Datta from Bengali to English, Letters From an Expatriate in Europe is written by Rabindranath Tagore, the first non-European to win the Nobel Prize in Literature. Seventeen-years-old at the time when he penned the letters, Tagore addresses them to his older brother, Jyotirindranath.
A travel lover, this book is a perfect exploration of Victorian England by an Indian and Bengali man. I was arrested by the similarity of Tagore’s experience with other peoples of color experiences whom touched England’s soil no matter what century.
Certain passages were hilarious, including Tagore’s admiration of English and Indian women at a ball he was invited to, “What a pageant!: it bedazzled my eyes!” or his candid observations about his fellow Indian brothers’ courting of English women.
From the opening seasickness to the ending sentiments about what it means to be anglicized, Letters from an Expatriate in Europe is still relevant in our global world today.
I highly recommend this read. Letters and other translations of Tagore’s work can be purchased at Datta’s Smashwords profile, here.
Datta is a testament to the power of indie publishing’s ability to preserve cultural legacies for future generations of vast cultural backgrounds to enjoy.