Kindle Book Review - The Blandford Fly by D. N. Moore

The Blandford Fly is a ninety-five-page book containing four bewitching novellas that take the reader on a voyage of discovery. Every tale has a different theme, so the reader is always on the edge of their seat and keeps turning the pages to discover what the next story has in store for them; each tale is distinctive and captivating. The anecdotes arise from the science fiction, futuristic, ghost, and horror genres. Why is Danny Carson so obsessed with bugs? How does a doll save Davie McDaniel? Who puts sardines and ice cream together? Furthermore, who is the ghostly presence in "Radio Sweethearts"? Read The Blandford Fly by D. N. Moore to find the answers to these questions.

The cover of this book is beautiful and makes you want to find out what the stories inside are like. D. N. Moore writes exceptional narratives with full-bodied characters and exciting locations, which immediately become real, which I thoroughly relished. Each tale is unique, with unforeseen twists,  which kept me enjoying the story to the end and beyond. Readers will recall them for a long while after they have been read. Although these tales are short, each is fulfilling, well thought out, and well characterized. I believe the story "Sardines and Ice Cream" would work well as a stand-alone book, as Moore could follow so many more avenues.

The story I liked least was "The Living Boy: A Very Strange Christmas Story" it is a futuristic/science fiction story that leaves a lot to the imagination. This novella revolves around a human mother and son who are the slaves of doll people. It was too short; compared to the other stories in this compendium, it needed more substance.

I rate The Blandford Fly, 5 out of 5 stars as it is a compelling selection of stories. Unlike most compendiums, all the stories are very different. There were a few grammar errors, but they did not spoil my enjoyment.

D. N. Moore suggests that The Blandford Fly would best suit young adults. I recommend it to anyone who likes short stories, particularly fans of sci-fi, horror, supernatural, and futuristic genres. I would not recommend it to anyone younger than older teenagers, as there are some swear words but no sexual references. The Blandford Fly is the first book I have read by D. N. Moore. I thoroughly enjoyed it and will be looking out for more books by this author.

I want to thank D. N. Moore for a copy The Blandford Fly in exchange for my honest and impartial review. You can see more of my reviews here http://onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-tara-d-morgan.html

Book review of Hemiphos by stefanie Jacob

Hemiphos by Stefanie Jacob begins at Edar Laxon's mansion in the Vosper Peninsular. It is a ruined castle perched on top of a hill. The elderly aristocrat who once lived there had vanished one night years before. None of the residents dare to go near it since the disappearance of John Hopper. They believe supernatural beings haunt the castle! Visitors to the town have often been curious enough to want to check out the castle themselves, but most of them never returned, and those that did had been driven insane! 

Three teenagers, Jason, Roxanne, and Pyrrhus, swim in a lake near the castle. Jason says that he has been inside the castle many times. The three have spent nearly all their time together since they were children, and Pyrrhus and Roxanne do not believe his boasts. They take up Jason's dare to enter the castle with him that evening. Do the teenagers make it out of the castle alive? What secrets do they uncover? Roxanne was told her father is dead, but she knows he is alive; what is the mystery surrounding him? Read Hemiphos by Stefanie Jacob to discover the answers to these and other questions.

There is absolutely nothing I disliked about Hemiphos by Stefanie Jacob. This book reminded me of being a child and devouring the stories written by the brothers, Grimm. It is a story that blends mystery, ghosts, and the supernatural seamlessly. There is a slow build-up, but Stefanie Jacob has written a powerful dark fairy tale that takes the reader on a magical journey introducing ghosts, spirits, and wolves with unique powers. Every chapter has some new element which kept me turning the pages to find out what happened next. 

I recommend Hemiphos by Stefanie Jacobs to older teenagers and adults who enjoy fantasy fiction involving ghosts, mystery, and a sprinkling of romance; this enchanting book has many secrets to uncover. "For Christ's sake" and "Bollocks" are used, which makes the book inappropriate for a younger audience.

I want to give Hemiphos 4 out of 5 stars. The book has been translated into English perfectly, and I found no grammar or spelling errors. The cover art is beautiful and gave me a feel for the story before I even began to read it. The last chapter is excellent and left me wanting more. I am pleased that this is the first book in a trilogy.

 

Book Review - Just Die by E. Alan Fleischauer

 

In his book, Just Die, E Alan Fleischauer introduces the reader to his main character Jake Silver when he finds himself in the hospital recovering from a stroke. Jake is far from impressed that he is sharing a room with another stroke victim who spends all his time moaning loudly. As a teenager, Jake was taught to drive by his Mum, who advised him never to show his anger to other car drivers as this could get him into trouble. Instead, she says he should point his finger at his protagonist and say, "Just Die." By midnight Jake is still being kept awake by his roommate; he is so frustrated that he points his finger at him and says, "Just Die." Before he can think, nurses rush into the room, and the man dies. Many people imagine what it would be like to have a superpower for Jake Silver; that day has come, and there is no going back. Just Die by E. Alan Fleischauer is a supernatural thriller that takes the reader on a fast-paced journey into real life with super-human abilities.

The writing is clear and concise; it is descriptive enough to paint a decent picture and allows the reader to visualize the story and the characters portrayed in it. The plot is unusual, and Fleischauer builds the story while keeping the reader on the edge of their seat, turning the pages as quickly as possible to find out what will happen next. I also found that the book was exceptionally well-edited.

I love the suspense that builds up, but I feel there are areas of the book that waffle along, especially in the dialogues between characters. For me, Just Die was a good story, but I feel it did not reach its potential of being great. In my opinion, Fleischauer could have used more detailed descriptions to draw us into Jake's life and his relationships with the other character's in the book, particularly his fiancee. The sub-stories were very loose, and Fleischauer let himself down here as I feel the narrative could have been more substantial and detailed.

 

I rate this book 3 out of 5 stars.

I would recommend this book to an adult audience as there is a lot of swearing and drug use. Due to the way Jake can kill people after his stroke, I think Just Die by E Alan Fleischauer would particularly appeal to readers who are fans of superheroes or the supernatural.

 

Thank you to Alan Fleischauer for a free copy of this book in exchange for an impartial review.

Book Review - Hattie Vavaseur by M. Rebecca Wildsmith

 

M Rebecca Wildsmith introduces the reader to Hattie Vavaseur when she is at a funeral. Hattie is perturbed that she doesn't know why she is at the funeral and has no idea who has died! After the funeral, Hattie is whisked off by John Bertram, who seems to think that at one time he was employed by Hattie as a chauffeur, to a mansion with a taciturn owner. In the beginning, I wondered if Hattie had dementia, it's not until chapter 4 that we find out the truth of Hattie's situation. Until then, all we know is that Hattie can only remember being a child brought up by a strict aunt and uncle who disliked her and that Hattie hates the color pink. Every character brings their own story, which means the reader is constantly on the edge of their seat, turning the pages to find out what happens next. We travel with Hattie while she learns about her past and future. Wildsmith is a writing genius. Her book contains humor, mystery, suspense, ghosts, the supernatural, and romance.

M Rebecca Wildsmith gave excellent descriptions of the people and places, and they became real instantly, which I really enjoyed. I also liked that the reader is slowly given information about Hattie's situation. There are constant twists in the tale which keep the reader on their toes. I also thoroughly enjoyed the humor throughout the book.

This book should have been a quick and easy read, but Wildsmith continually uses outdated words interrupting the flow of the story while the reader checks their meaning. For instance (on page 20), 'Hattie descended the grand staircase in the main hall, smartly dressed in her befurbelowed blue suit.' It is almost as if the author has looked up all the most complicated and outdated wording in the dictionary and tried to use all of it in this book; it may not be such a significant issue to other readers, but I found this both annoying and frustrating.

I recommend this to anyone who likes a good old-fashioned murder mystery with lots of twists and turns and some romance thrown in for good measure. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and will be looking out for more books by this author.

Thank you to M. Rebecca Wildsmith for a free copy of this book in exchange for an impartial review.