A PRISONER WITHING by J.M. Northup

A PRISONER WITHING by J.M. Northup 

What a dark, twisted tale.  And I loved it.  From the first opening pages, you’re thrown into the violent, abusive relationship between Tiffany and her mother.  The first half of the book bounces between past and present, as J.M. Northup shows how the Mother has trained Tiffany to be the perfect slave to her aggressive needs for control and domination.  With her smart intellect and knowledge of the human mind, he Mother spins tales and lies to turn everyone against Tiffany, even the people in authority that are the only ones that can save Tiffany from her abusive lifestyle. 

As the story progressed, my hatred for the Mother and step-dad grew.  But at the same time, as Tiffany started doubting herself, thinking maybe she was really the problem, I started wondering if Tiffany was suffering from Schizophrenia.  What a roller-coaster ride of emotions.  And then everything culminates with Tiffany’s 18^th birthday, her day of freedom from her tyrannical mother. 

Growing up in this type of lifestyle will bring out the dark nature in anyone.  How do you be true to yourself, when everyone around you sees you as evil?  All the self-doubts instilled in you as a child are very difficult to overcome as an adult.  How do you stop yourself from repeating the abusive nature of your parents?  One of the reasons child abuse is so rampant. 

There are gaps in the storyline that I found slightly confusing as I tried to follow the linear path of the story.  But, overall, a well done job.

I highly recommend this book for a peak into the dark nature of abusive relationships.  I give it 5 feathers.

KISS OF LIFE by Brian L Porter

KISS OF LIFE by Brian L Porter 

Freelance reporter, Alan Dexter, accepts an assignment in Bucharest, Transylvania to investigate the mysterious deaths of five people whose bodies were drained of blood.  His contact in Bucharest is the sexy, journalist Christina Radaluc.  Dexter, as he likes to call himself, scoffs at the idea of vampires, but soon, he might have to change his beliefs.

This is a pretty standard plot for a vampire story.  No hidden surprises.  You know how it’s going to end from the first chapter.  The only slight twist is how Dexter and Karen meet their fate.

The description of the surroundings and places was interesting and in-depth.  I felt like I was right there in the freezing countryside.  The characters were a different story.  I couldn’t relate to Dexter or Christina.  I thought Dexter was too full of himself, but I think that’s from Brian Porter’s writing style.  There was something about his writing that really put me off.  Plus, I thought the dialogue was flat, no spark between the characters, other than what you read in Dexter’s mind. 

For all the accolades at the back of the book, I thought I was missing something.  So I started rereading the story, but no, it’s his writing.  He uses a lot nice vocabulary, but the sentence structures are too wordy and full of redundancy. 

If you like vampires and a dark tale, you’ll probably find this a good read.  Myself, I feel its average, so I give it 3 feathers.  

UNHOLY TESTAMENT: Full Circle By Carole Gill with Creativia Publishing

UNHOLY TESTAMENT: Full Circle

By Carole Gill 

This is the third book in a series, and the only one I’ve read so far.  Not knowing the background of the characters may have influenced my review, but I feel this story does well as a standalone book. 

The story starts with Rose being held hostage on a ship bound for America by the evil, immortal being called Eco.  Trying to win her love, he wrote a journal about his life and how he ended up the terrible evil creature that she knows.  The majority of the book is from his POV, through his journal.

This is a well-written, Gothic style of writing.  The settings and events are well-defined, along with the characters.  As the journal unfolds, you can’t help understanding Eco and how he became the mad creature as known by Rose.  I even felt sorry for him.  But that all comes to a crashing halt at the end, when the story goes back to Rose and what transpires afterwards.  Not having read the first book, I didn’t develop an affinity towards Rose that I probably should have.  That familiarity would have put more UMPH into the ending, I’m sure.  What happened to Edmund and Daniel, the true victims in this tale, affected me more.

I really enjoyed Carole Gill’s personification of Satan and Death.   Louis I saw as a self-righteous twit, with a God complex, turning people into the undead to justify his own existence.  I thought the children were too weak for being vampires, probably due to be being smothered by Eve. And poor Eve, who was condemned to a life of evil from almost her mortal birth, because of Satan’s lust for her.  I’m sure my perception of them will change once I read the first book.  The author did a great job getting me to identify with each them.  

The only complaint I have is the length of the book and the never ending sin and debauchery.  There’s only so much a girl can take.  It all started sounding the same, over and over.  Halfway through, I found myself looking at the percentage read, thinking, are we there yet?    

If you love dark, vampire, Gothic tales, this one’s for you.  After I read the first book, I might have to update my review on this one.  I give it 4 feathers.  

WRATH: Prequel to Tredan’s Bane by Lita Burke

WRATH: Prequel to Tredan’s Bane by Lita Burke

Tredan, owner of a Potion Shop, is hounded by an Enforcer who has been sent to recover a secret journal that Tredan hid after leaving the Enchanters.  He has to find a way to warn his wife and still keep the journal out of the hands of the Divine.

This is a well-written short tale.  In only a few chapters, I became invested in Tredan and how he was going to overcome the Enforcer.  There are a number of things not addressed in this prequel, that I assume will be explained in the full-length novel.  I enjoy the premise and look forward to the actual story. 

I can’t see giving 5 feathers to a prequel, so I will give it 4 feathers.  I received a free copy of this book for a honest review.  No review was returned in favor.

FEARS OF DARKNESS by J.M. Northup

FEARS OF DARKNESS by J.M. Northup 

As Dakota’s safe, secure world comes crashing around her, she has to learn how to survive in a new, brutal world. Along with her boyfriend, two sisters and a best friend, they strive to stay alive and build a new world for themselves. Which wolf will they feed: the dark wolf or the white wolf?

I was pleasantly surprised at the Author’s use of herbal treatment in this book.  But, when you’re trying to survive the end of your civilized world, that’s all you’ll have.  I’m a firm believer in the curing benefits of herbology, and her usage is spot-on.

I don’t agree with the premise of the plot.  As stated in a prior review, it’s thin and I just don’t see the US falling apart as quickly or completing as she depicts.  I do believe we've been complacent far too long, but any type of government failing will be due to outside sources.  Not some gangs or groups of dis-satisfied people joining together.  Her premise was more a ban on guns sort of thing, which I’m against.

As for the characters, I loved them all.  They were very well-developed and each one brought a different strength to their group.  I thought Dakota looked at the world too much through rose tinted glasses, but I did too at that age.  At the end of this book, Dakota has to face the question of the wolves.  It’s easier giving into the darkness and a person has to fight all the time to stay true to themselves.  

I really liked the different settings, towns and other people they ran across in their trek to find a safe haven.  I thought the ending was kinda rushed and didn’t make sense either, from no government to full military support. 

This book is perfect for the young & older adult alike.  It has a lot of moral challenges and issues that should be addressed in today’s society.  I highly recommend and give it my 4 feathers.