A Port In The Storm

     Kevin Summers has joined the captain and the rest of the survivors on the ship to watch in horror via satellite TV the devastation advancing throughout the Pacific Rim. They have located a geologist on board who is helping Kevin advise the captain on their next moves. There is nothing they can do but watch as the world as they knew it succumbs to the tsunamis and earthquakes striking it well.

Forsyth’s second novel in the Sedulity Series, Aftershock continues the tale of a cruise ship at the site of a disaster in the Pacific due to an asteroid strike. What’s left of the crew and passengers are now trying to clean up and regroup. Not all the ship is up and running, and a lot of the outside staterooms have been destroyed. Tensions are high as passengers are scared not knowing what the future will bring.

There was one continuity error from book one to book two. Kevin’s daughter was five years old in book one and she’s three years old in book two. Otherwise, it’s well written, well-paced, and overall, a very good story. It has been six years since this book was written, and the third in the series has not yet appeared.

Four out of five stars.

Out Foxed

     Freya Walker is not content to sit still and wait to see if the Biocentrics will attack again. While most of the clans seek shelter further into the rainforest, Freya gathers a group to take out the Biocentrics once and for all. Realizing they are undermanned and outgunned they seek another clan to join in their quest. They plan to use Cassidy Warden, a Biocentric governess to help them gain entrance into the stronghold.

Fanning’s third novel in The Red Fox Series, Earth of Foxes concludes Frey’s story. It is a long book and much better written than the second one. I was a little skeptical at first, but it turned out to be a very good story with a satisfying conclusion.

As the saying goes, not everything is as it appears. And, that can be said more than once throughout this book. Though Freya is the main protagonist we also see things from Khar’s point of view. What surprised me the most was Fanning’s ability to make me cry.

Five out of five stars.

New Beginnings

     Mike Crenshaw, his girlfriend, and his best friend decide it is time for them to search out family in hopes that they have survived the Scourge and/or the upheaval that followed. The remainder of their group stays on to search out the rumored utopia of central Florida. The government is desperately trying to re-engineer the virus to suit its nefarious purposes. And, the Cartel is taking hold in the territory formerly known as Texas.

Abrahams’ third and final novel in The Scourge series, Grounded follows each group as they grapple with the new normal. Life is hard; and survival is harder. There are several story arcs to follow. Some tie directly to The Traveler Series. Others follow the new characters.

It is interesting to see how many of The Traveler Series supporting characters arrived in their positions. Though in at least one case the plunge in their career is not fully developed.

4 out of 5 stars.

The Mind Is Gullible

     Stan and his wife, Charmaine have lost it all and are living out of their car. They are miserable. They are desperate. The Positron Project seems to be the answer to their prayers. Alternating each month from living in the city of Consilience and submitting as a prisoner their new lives are almost perfect. There is something much more sinister going on than either of them is aware.

Atwood’s novel, The Heart Goes Last is a dystopian utopia gone bad. It meanders along with not much happening worthwhile. And, it’s ending is stupid.

3 out of 5 stars.

A Mother Scorned

     Riley Meemick has managed to escape with Ethan and Clay from the Believers at The Citadel. It is now her mission to find and liberate her Auntie Bell. Fate is a cruel mistress and Riley is taken prisoner only to be sold into a gladiator-type sport. Ethan and Clay are captured by Clay’s deranged mother and are used in her twisted experiments.

French’s third novel in The Breeders series, The Benders continues to explore the romance between Riley and Clay in a dystopian world where fertile women are a prized commodity. As with the other books in this series, it is fast passed and full of tension.

There are six books in this series as this review is written. I plan to read them all. The world-building is some of the best I’ve read.

5 out of 5 stars.

When Black Ops Collide

Daniel and Jessica Petrovich along with more of General Terence Sanders’s elite Black Flagged operatives are preparing to take down Dr. Anatoly Reznikov once and for all. As the most dangerous bioweapons scientist in the world Dr. Reznikov has been captured and liberated more often than a cat with nine lives. The Mossad has a team going after Reznikov’s handler. Both groups are targeting the same place at the same time. Neither knows the other is there. The fireworks are about to begin!

Konkoly’s latest entry into The Black Flagged Series, COVENANT: A Black Ops Thriller, book 4.5 is right on target. It has all the thrill and suspense you’ve come to expect with this series. Fast-paced action, well-developed characters, and a Russian mafia are all packed into this novella. It is also professionally edited.

This story focuses more on Jessica’s character. While not a back story it does show you how she processes a situation out of the norm for an op. I was not originally a fan of the cold-blooded killers that the Petrovichs are. Konkoly has made them likable and somewhat normal.

5 out of 5 stars.

Government Misdirection

Steven Bryant, his family, and friends are in a fight for their survival and that of their beloved pets, man’s best friend, their dogs. After a corrupted medical study goes viral chaos overtakes the country as everyone tries to save his or her dogs from euthanasia. But, why was this false report issued and with such great urgency? What is the ultimate goal of those that would cause such an upheaval?

Walker’s first novel, Canine Plague: A Post Apocalyptic Thriller is a refreshingly new entry into the apocalyptic genre. There are twists and turns and the ever-present government misdirection. When the lies and evil intents are exposed will the country fight back?

This book is obviously written by a highly educated person based upon the language used. It does not contain foul language but does have some violence.

For the most part, I loved this book. It showcased how a behind the scenes operation could easily be used to derail our constitutional liberties. The issues I had with the story are SPOILERS. So, stop reading now if you don’t want to know specifics about the book.

SPOILERS

The Kentucky Patriots have very good intentions to try and fight back against the State of Kentucky’s declaring of Martial Law. Their execution is very flawed. Taking out the power grid will cause many deaths of those whose health is dependent on medical devices run by electricity. Hospital generators will only be fueled for the short run and those within receiving critical care will surely die. Then those that need emergency care due to the violence from shortages and general mayhem will most likely die for lack of personnel showing up for work. In fact, this tactic is more of what I would expect from a terrorist group trying to overtake the populace.

Also, the KP wasn’t as sophisticated as the bragged to be. The lax OPSEC allowed a mole to uncover their plans and almost got them all killed.

Overall it is a good read and I would highly recommend it.

4 out of 5 stars.

The Reawakening

As I sit here pecking away at the keyboard writing this blog I am trying desperately to remember the four blogs that I outlined while trying to go to sleep the past few nights. It’s amazing how creative one can be while tossing and turning away the hours. You would think that I’d had the sense to at least jot down a few of my ideas on my cell phone before the sheep found me. But no, I can’t for the life of me come up with a single idea from that nocturnal restlessness.

Yesterday I had tons of creative juice flowing through my veins and wrote two book reviews in a matter of minutes. Today nada. It’s as if the faucet was turned off. I guess that is what writers’ block is all about. I’m way behind on my reading. And, I haven’t studied for my HAM license like I should. So, what is it that has my mojo out of whack? I can’t blame my disability anymore as I am so much better and able to do so much more. So, I’m thinking it’s a slight bout of depression. Nothing serious. More aggravating than anything else. It too shall pass.

The more I can do the more I want to do. Patience forgets to come along part of the time. Then, of course, the pain hits me and tells me to slow down. I can’t even remember a life without pain. No, I do not take narcotics though I could if I asked my doctors. It’s generic Tylenol and Aleve along with muscle relaxers and ice or heat packs that usually work. I do my best not to take them very much. The liver apparently doesn’t like them or so I’ve been told.

Tax season is finally over! Yay! That means my husband is back to a regular 8 to 5 schedule. Aha! I bet that’s it. His odd work hours over the past 4 months have thrown my schedule out of sync too. I had not thought of that until now. It’s as good an excuse as any, very plausible, and most definitely possible. Dang. I see daylight at the end of the tunnel now! I feel better just knowing this week will be the beginning of my turn around. Creativity will smack me right upside the head now and I’ll beat this keyboard to death with all my words.

So, there you go. The more I write the more I think. The more I think the more ideas come to the forefront. And before long there will be blog after blog written with such insight. I feel like Arthur when he pulled Excalibur out of that stone. My heart is just a thumping away with anticipation. My feet are tapping in tune. Watch out! I’m back!

Who Will Teach The Children?

Arthur and Wendy Steele have established themselves by pretty much living off their land. They feel that they are prepared for most anything that life can throw at them. All their skills will be put to the test when Wendy finds herself stranded on a cruise ship while Arthur is at home tending the farm as the world struggles with a flu pandemic.

The Watson’s first co-authored novel, Viral Misery: Book One, takes the reader from the very beginning of the flu and shows how quickly and quietly it is spread throughout the world. It then goes from the worldview to following Author’s and Wendy’s plight. It’s a slow read at first but picks up speed quickly about a third of the way through.

At first, I did not like the Steeles. Something about their personalities rubbed me the wrong way. Maybe I was a little jealous of their lifestyle and a bit insulted by their crudeness. But, once the flu filtered into their lives I came to like them both very much.

The subject matter is rather grim and the scenarios presented are for the most part feasible. I did find some of the interactions too good to be true. The most telling being that a sizeable group of children was always well behaved and disciplined.

What I appreciated the most was levity interjected to break up the tension of the subject matter. I will forever have pictured in my mind a two-year-old running around in pink cowboy boots after she has stripped off all her clothes with others chasing after trying to redress her. And, I can still hear the others gagging as a stinky diaper was being changed in the close quarters of a closed vehicle. Too funny!

All in all, it is a good read. I look forward to book two.

4 out of 5 stars due to typos.

Escaping Indianapolis

The gang’s all here and then some. Dr. Chang, Larsen, Emma & Jack, and David & Justin are hiding within NevoTech in downtown Indianapolis trying to access Chang’s research and get it to . . . who? Who is the $64k question. Someone wants Chang captured or killed because of his research. He is one of the few in his field that has studied the virus before it was unleashed in over 20 major cities across the US. Unbeknownst to the powers that be Chang has studied this new version of the virus and determined it has been weaponized. Who can he trust to give this information to? And, can he get his group to safety at the same time?

There are zombies everywhere. That is the best way to describe those infected with the weaponized virus. They are a murderous bunch attracted by the least little sound or at night, to light sources. Getting past them and the two quarantine zones are some of the challenges Chang and his group face trying to leave NevoTech.

Konkoly’s second novel in The Zulu Virus Chronicles, KILL BOX: A Post-Apocalyptic Pandemic Thriller, takes off running and never stops. There is a sense of urgency throughout the story to get out of the quarantine zone and hopefully, to safety away from those that caused this outbreak. The odds are not looking so good in that regard.

Even amongst all the chaos and confusion, Konkoly is able to interject some moments of levity. My favorite quote is “Yeah. I’m fine. But I’m taking up cross fit when this is over,” said Jack. “I didn’t realize the apocalypse would be this demanding.” Larsen continues to use his sarcastic wit to take the edge off and to defuse serious situations. And, even David is starting to add humor to his dialog.

This book is very well written. It grabs your attention immediately which makes it hard to put down. I do not like zombie books but will make an exception in this case. I like this book. I don’t like that it is full of zombies. That is a personal preference and in no way reflects upon Konkoly’s ability to spin a tale. I would dare say that this is one of the better books that he has written.

5 out of 5 stars.