Tag Archives: apocalypse

Sand and Shadow by Laurisa White Reyes (Book Review)

Winner of the 2015 Houston Writers House Competition!

SandandShadowEbook2

Seven Survivors.

One Monster.

Nowhere to hide.

Mission Specialist Adán Fuentes awakes from cryo-hibernation to discover that most of his fellow crewmates are dead and the shuttle Carpathia is not where it’s supposed to be. Surrounded by a vast barren landscape, he and the other survivors wonder how they can accomplish their mission, to establish a home for future colonists.

When an unseen creature attacks them, the Carpathia’s crew must turn their attention to surviving and solving the true purpose behind their mission.

Inspired by the 50’s sci-fi flick FORBIDDEN PLANET, SAND AND SHADOW plumbs the depths of the human psyche and the power of its influence. As the Carpathia’s crew’s secrets and flaws are revealed, readers may find themselves compelled to examine their own dark places.

Kindle Purchase Link
Print Purchase Link

 

 

Europa, Jupiter’s moon

Zarmina, Gliese 581g

I received a complimentary copy of this book from R&R Book Tours.
I voluntarily chose to read and post an honest review.

 

What makes Sand and Shadow by Laurisa White Reyes so spectacular is it capitalizes on the possibility and probability certain events in the story can happen. 

Earth is dying. Leading experts are trying to buy us more time, but is it working? And if their efforts aren’t working, would they tell us the truth? Would they disclose how close we are to the end of life on Earth?

See, I do believe it’s probable NASA would be secretive in this knowledge. Humans would go bat-shit crazy if they knew we had so many years…weeks…days…or even hours left. The world would erupt in chaos. 

In the story, life in space wasn’t without major pitfalls. When the astronauts woke up from their cryogenic state, things did not go according to script. When you are exploring or starting over on a new planet, you have to expect the unexpected. The crew members had no way to predict or prepare for what attacked them or what would continually attack them. 

Earth has perished.

Numerous astronauts have died as well. 

But, hope is not lost. 

Recommend: Yes! 

 

Heart Rating System:
1 (lowest) and 5 (highest) 
Score: ❤❤❤❤1/2

Kindle Purchase Link
Print Purchase Link

 

Bonus material

 

 

About the Author:

AuthorPic

Laurisa White Reyes is the author of the SCBWI Spark Award winning novel The Storytellers and the Spark Honor recipient Petals. She is also the Senior Editor at Skyrocket Press and an English instructor at College of the Canyons in Southern California.
Laurisa White Reyes | Skyrocket Press | Facebook | BookBub


Leave a Comment

Filed under Uncategorized

The Umbrella Academy (Netflix TV Series: Review)

If you haven’t watched The Umbrella Academy yet, you have no idea the greatness you are missing. Netflix has done an excellent job adapting the comic series, written by  Gerard Way  and ilustrated by Gabriel Ba. 

If you haven’t read the comic volumes yet, no worries, you’ll still love the series. The casting director couldn’t have done a better job selecting the actors portraying seven, Sir Reginald Hargreeves, and Grace. Pogo isn’t a real talking chimp but he looks/feels real to me! 

 

 

After watching season 1 & 2, everyone has their favorite SEVEN character. Mine is a toss-up between two.

Robert Sheehan does a phenomenal job bringing Klaus Hargreeves (Number Four)  to life. He makes me want to laugh, cry, and wring his neck all in the span of a minute. 

Aidan Gallagher (Number Five) is the youngest actor in the super group, but he has the acting chops of someone that’s been the business for decades. He’s impressive on-screen and off. Besides being an actor, he’s a singer and climate activist.
(Click HERE to read more about him)

 

I don’t believe Netflix has renewed a season 3 yet. I hope they will. With the season 2 shocking finale, we fans demand more! Netflix, please make it so! 

 

If you’d haven’t read the Dark Horse comics yet, I encourage you to give them a shot. Links are below! 

 

Volume 1


Amazon Purchase Link

 

Volume 2


Amazon Purchase Link

 

Volume 3


Amazon Purchase Link

 

 

Leave a Comment

Filed under Uncategorized

A Quiet Apocalypse by Dave Jeffrey (Book Showcase)

(Cover by Adrian Baldwin; original artwork by Roberto Segate)

 

The end is hear…

A mutant strain of meningitis has wiped out most of mankind. The few who have survived the fever are now deaf.

Bitter with loss and terrified to leave the city known as Cathedral, the inhabitants rely on The Samaritans, search teams sent out into the surrounding countryside. Their purpose, to hunt down and enslave the greatest commodity on Earth, an even smaller group of people immune to the virus, people who can still hear.

People like me.

My name is Chris.

This is my story.

 

“A Quiet Apocalypse is told from the perspective of ex-schoolteacher Chris, a hearing survivor. He has lost everything, including his freedom, and through his eyes we learn of what it is like to live as a slave in this terrible new world of fear and loss. I was keen to write a piece that preyed upon people’s traditional misconceptions of deafness as an illness, and the imposition of ‘hearing’ norms. It is a story that has poignancy in any understanding of the struggles of minority groups.” – Author, Dave Jeffery

 

Kindle Purchase Link

~ EXCERPT ~

We’re ten miles out when we come across the body. Until this point my first hours of freedom have been uneventful. The road we walk upon is the A38, the main tributary to Birmingham, which is currently twelve miles behind us, and now known as Cathedral.

The re-christening of Birmingham is based on the nature of its rebirth, though it has about as much to do with righteousness as Margaret Atwood’s Gilead. In the city’s cathedral the last survivors of MNG-U took consensus and decided to overwhelm the few hearing people amongst their number and place them under the yoke. Thus, the emasculation of the hearing began, but it also gave rise to something equality as sinister.

Social order at a price.

The body hanging from a nearby lamppost has been there some time. It bears the usual vestiges of retribution, hands tied together above a head covered by a hood of sackcloth, the legs and torso cocooned in swathes of fabric, bound together with electrical tape. The material is gouged in places where the crows have become too impatient to wait for the wrists to flay under the weight and allow gravity to do the rest. 

There is a wooden plaque about the effigy’s neck and the single word scrawled across it is both statement and crime. 

HARBRINGER!

I wink out and there is no longer a streetlight with a body hanging from it. Instead I am back in my classroom and standing by the media wall watching as a small boy sits at a desk as he robustly colours a circle with a bright, orange crayon on stark white card. Concentration has turned his face to stone, his mouth is an inclined hyphen, but the tip of his tongue emerges from the corner of his lips, a red strawberry that almost matches the colour of his hair.

Tim Muller has been in my class for over nine months and it is during this time that I have learned the intricacies of British Sign Language, or BSL to use the vernacular. I have managed Stage 2 and can pretty much communicate enough with the boy to be able to understand him without an interpreter, although there is always one present to make sure he is not disadvantaged in his learning. I’m destined to be his form tutor for another three years before he moves on, and during that time I will become fluent, with frequent visits to Deaf Club where I enjoy a pint and sign away the evenings as I become infused with Deaf Culture.

I wonder where Tim is now, and my heart feels heavy as I think of the effigies hanging from their lampposts, and those in trees leading up the Cathedral. Harbingers come in all shapes and sizes, all ages, but the mode of disposal is always the same. Retribution is as indiscriminate as the disease that turned mankind into monsters poisoned by hate.

Kindle Purchase Link

 

Dave Jeffery is author of 14 novels, two collections, and numerous short stories. His Necropolis Rising series and yeti adventure Frostbite have both featured on the Amazon #1 bestseller list. His YA work features critically acclaimed Beatrice Beecham supernatural mystery series and Finding Jericho, a contemporary mental health novel that was featured on the BBC Health and the Independent Schools Entrance Examination Board’s recommended reading lists.

Jeffery is a member of the Society of Authors, British Fantasy Society (where he is a regular book reviewer), and the Horror Writers Association. He is also a registered mental health professional with a BSc (Hons) in Mental Health Studies and a Master of Science Degree in Health Studies.

Jeffery is married with two children and lives in Worcestershire, UK.

Visit his WEBSITE for further information.

Leave a Comment

Filed under Uncategorized

Molten Dusk: The Norse Chronicles Book 3 by Karissa Laurel (Book Review)

While recovering from a devastating betrayal, Solina becomes increasingly drawn to Thorin as he helps her hunt down Skoll, the mythical wolf who vowed to kill her. If she can find and destroy the beast, she’ll bring a swift and brutal end to her enemies’ schemes. But nothing ever goes as planned in Solina’s strange new world.

During her search for Skoll, Solina uncovers a plot to unleash a battalion of legendary soldiers and launch an apocalyptic war. Before she and her allies can locate the fabled army, several ghosts from her past return to haunt her. Solina must fight for life and the fate of the world, or her hopes for love and a peaceful future will go up in flames.

Kindle Purchase Link

Print Purchase Link

Barnes and Noble Purchase Link

Kobo Purchase Link

Google Play Purchase Link

iTunes Purchase Link

 

 

(review request submitted by the author for an honest critique)

 

I decided to write an acrostic poem summing up Molten Dusk. Enjoy!

 

Mystery and deception go hand in hand in the battle for ultimate power.
Odin and Thor’s descendants call forth their allies; no one plans to cower.
Lord of the Rain Dance shall stand by his Sun.
The Valkyries will fight to protect the chosen one.
Every move they make is being watched.
No room for error; their plan must not be botched.

  

Do not let your guard down when you see a wolf or a raven.
Unite and fight or retreat to a safe haven.
Solina must survive; she shall not perish.
Keep her safe Thorin for she’s the one you truly cherish.

 

Okay, I don’t know if that poem is cheesy or not but I love it. Guess what else I love? If you said Molten Dusk then you’d be correct. 

Like the other stories in the series, Karissa gave us more than one suspenseful – lives on the line – battle scenes. We also finally got what we were all waiting for….. Solina and Thorin give in to their feelings for one another. Like Baldur said, “It’s about time.”

Similar to Midnight Burning and Arctic Dawn, Molten Dusk has deception, blood, surprise twists, tears, and love. It was a great book and I highly recommend others buy it today.

 
Heart rating system:
1 (lowest) and 5 (highest)
Score: ❤❤❤1/2
 

 

Want more? Check these out! 

 

 

Karissa lives in North Carolina with her kid, her husband, the occasional in-law, and a very hairy husky named Bonnie. Some of her favorite things are coffee, dark chocolate, super heroes and Star Wars. She can quote Princess Bride verbatim. In the summer she’s camping, kayaking, and boating at the lake, and in the winter, she’s curled up with a good book.

 

Twitter Link  / Website Link

Pinterest Link / Facebook Link / Instagram Link

 

4 Comments

Filed under Uncategorized

Earth Sucks: the Fringeants by Heather Chambers (Book Review)

It’s the apocalypse.
And Feng has a knack for pissing people off.
There are certain things you come to accept when Earth comes closer to its expiry date, like being invaded by bloodthirsty creatures you didn’t even know existed. 
He just wanted to find his family. Now he’s being hunted.
With the love of his life dead, his family missing and every surviving human on the run, Feng is feeling a bit grouchy.
The death, he expected. Her? Not so much.
Meet Diem, an adorable alien healer with boundless curiosity and a glowing crimson mouth. She grew up on stories of Humans but never thought she’d meet one. Now that the opportunity has surfaced, she wishes she never did.
Something far more sinister is at play.
The mystery surrounding the fate of the disappearing humans is not all that it seems. What Feng and Diem discover will change everything. For both sides of the war. 
But will it allow them to get out alive?

Kindle Purchase Link (US)

Kindle Purchase Link (UK)

 

(review request submitted by the author for an honest critique) 

This story, overall, contained a lot of information. We learned why the Fringeants were here on Earth, why they hated us, the purpose of their body’s light, the significance of the light’s color, and the lengths they’d go to protect their people. It was almost overwhelming keeping up with everything in the book.  

However, despite the overload of information, I will say Heather Chambers (the author) created very unique aliens. They could change their appearance with a pill, attend markets to trade goods, and they also sought out a soul mate. They were like us, fighting to survive. And, like us, they weren’t all bad.

Diem, Fringeant healer, didn’t like violence. She assisted a human (Feng) on more than one occasion and she seemed lonely. She just wanted to be accepted, like many Earth dwellers do. I liked her, even when she hit Feng with books and a frying pan. In her defense, she was scared and trying to defend herself.

The first 200 pages did point out how the Earth was drastically altered from how we see it today in real life. Heather pointed out what could happen if we don’t protect our planet: acid rain, undrinkable water, mutant plants and animals, cities in ruins and the list went on. I’m not sure if Heather actually believes in aliens BUT I do believe she was emphasizing the importance of taking care of Earth before if becomes uninhabitable. I agree, we should protect and preserve our planet for many generations to come.

 

The next 200+ pages……. 

 

We pick up right after Drachn (Fringeant) shocks the hell out of Feng with a startling and almost unbelievable revelation. The second half of the story also revs up the torture into submission scenes. The Fringeants use water torture, whips, remove body parts, pour hydrochloric acid down throats, and use room 191 to have the humans face their upmost fears and painful memories.  

Of course, the Humans fought back. No animal wants to be caged up.

The population of Earth has dwindled down to almost nothing but the final page was a sign of hope.

Before you purchase Earth Sucks: the Fringeants, I must warn you there are some intense exchanges between the Fringeants and the Terrants (humans). However, Heather did add humor and tender, loving moments here and there. I grinned when Feng was teasing Diem about reading Fifty Shades of Grey. The Sun and the Moon story was very romantic. And, I smiled every time Feng called a fellow prisoner Mr. Rogers.

In a world where there was no reason to laugh, Heather Chambers gave the characters and me a reason to smile.

Recommend: Yes!

Heart Rating System:

1 (lowest) and 5 (highest) 

Score: ❤❤❤1/2

Kindle Purchase Link (US)

Kindle Purchase Link (UK)

 

 

Heather Chambers is a 19-year-old Canadian writer with a knack for exasperating English teachers and dreaming up the macabre. Sarcasm and horror have been her splash-pad since she first learned to write. She brings a keen awareness that one only has to look outside to see it resides not only in fiction. However, some people have closed the curtains. Her debut novel, Earth Sucks , brings teen characters and What Ifs to life for Gen Z readers who want their own writers to throw a wet cat on those blinds. 

Amazon Author Page Link
Twitter Link 

4 Comments

Filed under Uncategorized