Review: KILLING FLOOR by Mark Gillespie

5 Stars

Every single title I've read by author Mark Gillespie l enjoyed,  but above all my favorites so far are WAXWORLD and KILLING FLOOR.  Both rendered me speechless,  as the horror is so subtle at first,  creeping up to characters and reader on "little cat feet, like the fog." But make no mistake: the eventual delivery is deadly. Implacable,  inescapable,  unavoidable.  In KILLING FLOOR,  we watch as a tautly-knit but as yet unsuccessful rock band gets a weekend getaway to compose five new songs.  Then the horror is announced, but "oh, it's just a prank. Just BBC foolishness.  Just advertising." How wrong! KILLING FLOOR is a story you really cannot set aside or ignore. I can't stop wondering "BUT WHAT IF?"

Review: NOTHING TO SEE HERE by Kevin Wilson

5 Weird Stars!

Tremendous,  deep, and rich. The characterizations are superb: the protagonist/first person narrator Lillian, her "best friend"  Madison, the "Fire Kids" Bessie and Roland; even secondary characters such as Lillian 's mother,  Madison's horrid father, Senator Jasper Roberts, his henchman Carl, the children's maternal grandparents. Also here the quality of "Weird " is a character all in itself. You're familiar with "Place" as Character? Author Kevin Wilson introduces us to "Weird" as Character; as Flavor; as Setting.  Welcome to the contemporary Twilight Zone. 

NOTHING TO SEE HERE is a "Wow" book. Termed "perfect " by the Washington Post,  I agree. I"ll be coming back to this one!

Review: NIGHT OF THE DRAGON by Julie Kagawa

5 Fantasy Stars 

An endearing and educating Asian fantasy, NIGHT OF THE DRAGON is the concluding volume in Julie Kagawa's exciting SHADOW OF THE FOX Series [SHADOW OF THE FOX; SOUL OF THE SWORD; NIGHT OF THE DRAGON]. Enjoyable fantasy,  lots of sword-and-sorcery action, views into a different culture not our own: NIGHT OF THE DRAGON wraps up all ends and brings a satisfying conclusion; but if you haven't read Books 1 and 2, you can certainly enjoy this novel on it's own. 

Review: VULCAN'S FORGE by Robert

5 Space Stars

Thoughtfully-presented future science fiction,  offered from a sociological or cultural viewpoint rather than from hard Science, VULCAN'S FORGE reminded me of the early decades of Communism in both the Soviet Union and Russia. The new planet's human culture seems so controlling, so determined to "guide" the species into culturally approved "right thinking" and away from the least taint of  "immorality. " Of course,  there are always going to be free-thinkers and rebels,  too.

Review: TWO LIVES by A Yi

3 Stars

YARC

Seven divergent tales of contemporary Chinese life by a police officer, detailing characters often non-empathetic but others admirable, in the new series from Flame Tree Press.

Review: WHO IS THE DOCTOR 2?

5 Stars

56 years and 37 seasons: the unstoppable Dr. Who, the Time Lord who regenerates, battles monsters, and travels in the Tardis.  From the authors of the original WHO IS THE DOCTOR? (2012), here is the second Guide to all the information,  facts, and genuine good fun you ever wanted to know about the totally unique "Doctor Who."

Review: THE KRAKEN KING PART 1 by Meljean Brook

3 Stars
Steampunk Adventure/Romance presented in serial format (serial form popularized by Charles Dickens,  fell out of favor,  enjoying a renaissance as it lends itself to contemporary shorter attention spans and the cliffhangers bring readers back for subsequent installments). The eponymous "Scribbling Spinster" could be the poster child for Women's Suffrage, were this not Alternate History; she is one strong,  determined,  very adventurous, female.