Tag Archives: fantasy

Gladiator (The Arena Book 1) by Casey Lea (Book Review)

One Arena. One Love. ONE DAY.

Happy-ever-after is never guaranteed but that’s the gladiator’s mission. It wasn’t his plan to fight to the death, but plans change. When Harvesters steal his wife, he tracks them down. The hunt takes all of his money and most of his self-control, but she’s worth it. He joins her as a slave forced to fight for his life without hesitation.

His wife is a deadly warrior, so it’s too bad she doesn’t know him. Memory stripped and struggling to survive she has no interest in the fool claiming to be her husband. He’s just another target standing between her and freedom, but not for long. She’ll take down anything and anyone in her way.

Can the gladiator live long enough to win his wife’s love? Unlikely. It’s the end of the season and the final day of fighting. They’re about to enter the Carnival of Death which leaves only a single survivor.

One of them must die.

Purchase Link

 

 

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

 

Imagine waking up and not knowing who you are, what species you are, where you are, or how you got there. That’s how Gladiator (The Arena Book 1) by Casey Lea begins. Haze’s com (nicknamed Connie) informs him that he is on the slave-trading planet Vertigo. It claims he’s seeking work in the arena as a gladiator. Haze is confused. Nothing makes sense. 

Slowly, snippets of who he is resurface and, with it, a name. Silk is his wife, and he’s on a mission to find her. The path takes him to the Carnival of Death, a battle where many walk in, but only one will leave…alive. 

Haze will do anything, sacrifice anything to ensure Silk makes it to the center of the area (the maze) and claim the prize, the knife. However, there are several obstacles in Haze’s way. For one: the other contestants vary in size and species from an enormous dragon to a scrawny guy. Two, he has to face non-contestants who love to snack on the fighters: eels and wolves. Thirdly, there’s Umpyre, the guard of law, who is a stickler for following the rules he made up. And finally, the most challenging obstacle of all, Haze’s wife, Silk, doesn’t remember her hubby. 

The cards are stacked against Haze, but he is a tenacious S.O.B. He will battle creatures, contestants, and even his wife’s stubbornness. I won’t disclose what Haze is, but he’s not your typical lawyer. He puts fear in many, and you’ll understand why once you see him lose control. 

Many shall enter. Only one is supposed to win. The road to victory was hard. The fights were intense, bloody, and brilliantly written. 

There were several shocking developments as the day came to a close. I did not see the twists coming. I was left stunned, like the characters in the book. 

Who survives 24 hours of hell, aka the maze cut out of stone? That question will only be answered by reading the book. So read it! 

The story did end with a set-up for a sequel. I can’t wait to read it as well!

 

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

Purchase Link

 

 

Meet the Authors

Casey Lea is the pen name for a mother and daughter creative duo, dedicated to sharing their passion for all things sci-fi and fantastical.

A doting grandmother with too much time on her hands took the opportunity to put pen to paper.  Her older daughter kindly placed the resulting scribblings in one of those new-fangled so-called “computing machines” and a writing partnership was born.

The Lea (pronounced Lee) half of Casey Lea now spends her days wrestling with words and her memory while reading aloud to any cat careless enough to settle nearby. Daughter Casey edits the results while wrangling her adorable offspring.

After a decade on the rollercoaster ride of indie publishing their shared passion for epic love and grand adventure, spiced with advanced tech and ancient magic, remains undimmed.

 

You can find us at:

Sci-fi Fantasy Authors / Caseyleabooks.com
Casey Lea | Facebook
 Casey Lea (@CaseyLeaBooks) / Twitter

 

 

 

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Find Me In Time: Meeting Columbus by L.T. Caton (Book Review)

A group of young friends travel back in time to key periods in history in this new chapter book adventure series, making learning fun!

A normal day of hide-and-seek turns into a discovery of a lifetime when five young friends are transported back in time after finding a secret clubhouse at the top of a sycamore tree. Dubbing themselves the Tree House Club, Ashley, Emma, Keith, Aaron, and Harry learn that events of the past didn’t necessarily unfold the way they learned in school.

The treehouse has magical abilities that take Ashley and her friends to Guanahani in 1492, a time the kids requested to witness Christopher Columbus’s first arrival on his voyage to the New World. There, the friends—dubbed the Tree House Club—meet the kind and generous Taino Lukku-Cairo tribespeople who welcome their new visitors with food and gifts.

It isn’t long before the Taino chief, Tiburon, and the Tree House Club friends see three sailing ships approaching. With history on their side, the kids realize it is the famed explorer, Christopher Columbus, who quickly makes his claim for the Taino’s native land for the Queen of Spain. The kids soon learn that what their history books did not teach them was some of the lesser-known facts about Columbus, his greedy intentions in Guanahani—or San Salvador, as he named it—and his poor treatment of the humble Taino people. But the children’s friendships with the Taino put their own lives in danger from the European colonists. Will the treehouse save them in time?

Amazon Purchase Link

 

 

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Reedsy Discovery.  I voluntarily chose to read and post an honest review.

 

Imagine, if you will, casually playing hide-and-seek with your best chums when the unexplainable, the imaginable, occur. One moment, you’re seeking a prime hiding spot; the next, a ladder appears out of nowhere, leading to an extraordinary treehouse. Five best friends entered the treehouse and noticed that the interior didn’t measure up to its exterior. Looks were truly deceiving. While that alone would boggle anyone’s mind, what happened next shook them— literally. As if the treehouse comprehended Harry’s question of who built this home, it answered him by transporting all five friends into the past. Floor shaking. Lights flashing. The experience was disorienting, but it didn’t negate they were, in fact, in the past. They were observers of the events unfolding, frozen and scared about what they witnessed. Their first trip to the past was short-lived, but they did manage to time travel again and again.

The group chose many points in history to visit. Their brief time at the Alamo in 1936 was frightening. War is never a pleasant experience for any age. But, a bright spot came out of the adventure; they met Davy Crockett. Since their second trip was quite jarring, they decided to do more research before they haphazardly asked the treehouse to work its magic. Great idea. Their next trip had them setting sail to the time of the infamous Christopher Columbus. Young readers will learn interesting information about the explorer as the group discloses what they learned during their research. 

Readers will enjoy how this journey differed from the other voyages. This time, the five friends were active participants in the past. They looked like they belonged. They walked around the village. They could smell the flowers and food. They had the fortunate opportunity to touch hand-crafted objects displayed in modern-day museums behind touchless glass. They also spoke to the Native Americans and bore witness to the arrival of Christopher Columbus. 

Many revere Christopher Columbus, but they shouldn’t. Find Me In Time: Meeting Columbus shows the truth about the explorer. He did not respect the natives or their land. He devastated their land, destroyed the natives’ way of life, and was a brute. When the children revisited the Taino tribe, they were stunned by what Christopher Columbus and the colonists did to the tribespeople and their home. The children can’t fathom why we still celebrate this man, and I don’t either.

While the truth of Christoper Columbus and his mark on his history isn’t pleasant, children must know the truth about him and his actions. 

The story concludes with possible more journeys ahead, even to outer space. I can’t wait to read that one! 

I concur with Amazon’s recommended reading age of 6-11 years. 

 

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

Amazon Purchase Link

 

 

Meet the Author

Children’s book author L.T. Caton knew early in her teaching career that she wanted to be a writer. When she was a young student, history was her least favorite subject. She found it boring and often questioned why the delivery of historical facts presented in school only provided one perspective.

As a teacher and writer, her goal is to provide students with an entertaining opportunity to learn about people in history who are often not mentioned in textbooks, and to explore the many conflicting versions of history that exist. She hopes to achieve this goal through her new chapter book series, Find Me in Time, a collection of chapter books covering significant events or periods in history.

L.T. thinks a great book has relatable characters, an engaging plot, and a lesson learned that can be applied to real life long after the book is closed. She hopes her books inspire a love of reading, and in particular, inspires children of color and young girls to learn about people in history who look like them.

Hailing from New York, when she’s not writing fascinating historical fiction stories for young readers, L.T. enjoys being near the ocean—fishing, walking on the beach, sailing, and cycling. She also enjoys baking, cooking, traveling, community service, and being with family and friends. Her family has been supportive in her professional journey, including her parents, sister, and late grandmother.

Find Me in Time’s debut title is Meeting Columbus, about the famed explorer’s first landing in the New World.

 

 

 

 

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Gladiator (The Arena Book 1) by Casey Lea (Book Spotlight)

One Arena. One Love. ONE DAY.

Happy-ever-after is never guaranteed but that’s the gladiator’s mission. It wasn’t his plan to fight to the death, but plans change. When Harvesters steal his wife, he tracks them down. The hunt takes all of his money and most of his self-control, but she’s worth it. He joins her as a slave forced to fight for his life without hesitation.

His wife is a deadly warrior, so it’s too bad she doesn’t know him. Memory stripped and struggling to survive she has no interest in the fool claiming to be her husband. He’s just another target standing between her and freedom, but not for long. She’ll take down anything and anyone in her way.

Can the gladiator live long enough to win his wife’s love? Unlikely. It’s the end of the season and the final day of fighting. They’re about to enter the Carnival of Death which leaves only a single survivor.

One of them must die.

Purchase Link

 

 

A Beginning

I want to tell you my story—or at least my part in a much larger story. It may seem sad, but like all of us, this story is a work in progress.

                                                                                           The Old Man’s Journal

 

 

The man standing in darkness had no idea who he was. That realization hit like a fist in the gut—folding him forward to rest his hands on his thighs. His head ached and dizziness came with the movement, tipping him to one side.

His shoulder collected a cliff face. He let the rough rock hold him in place while his fingers explored the pain in his temple. He found a sticky mass cutting across his brow. It felt like a furrow that was damp in the middle, but dry and crusted around the edge. When he lowered his hand to inspect his fingertips, they looked dark in the low light.

It took him a long slow minute to realize they were wet with blood. His blood.

The man sucked in a breath. He was shocked to be hurt, but not surprised. The wound explained his amnesia, although little more. Was he a fighter? A criminal? Someone who courted danger, or an innocent who’d suffered an unprovoked attack? More importantly, was he still at risk?

A careful step let him turn to brace his back against the wall.

Sweat coated his bare skin and he tasted bile when he tipped his head back to rest it against the cool rock face.

The stars above were strange.

He took a long breath and held it until his panic settled.

The confusion still made him dizzy, but he ignored it to look around, gathering information. It was night-time, with no sign of dawn or dusk on the horizon. His fingers drifted carefully across the cliff supporting him until they found a straight line of something more brittle than rock. It flaked away under his touch, and he realized it was mortar. He was leaning against a wall made of massive blocks.

They scraped the man’s bare shoulders, and he was suddenly aware of the chill night air against his uncovered skin. He looked down and was relieved to find he wasn’t naked. He was wearing a leather vest with a cloak thrown back over bare shoulders, and trousers with reassuringly solid boots beneath.

There was a matching wall opposite, across a rough path. He was standing in an alley that felt more like a gully. It fell away to angle down toward a cluster of lights in the distance.

Where the hell am I? he wondered and shrugged. He was jumping ahead, but questions were like that. They tended to stack up quickly. He needed to start at the bottom of the pile. He drew a deep breath, and his voice was surprisingly steady. “Who the hell am I?”

“Your gene tag identifies you as a gladiator. You are seeking work in the arena on the slave-trading planet Vertigo,” a warm female voice said beside him.

Purchase Link

 

 

Meet the Authors

Casey Lea is the pen name for a mother and daughter creative duo, dedicated to sharing their passion for all things sci-fi and fantastical.

A doting grandmother with too much time on her hands took the opportunity to put pen to paper.  Her older daughter kindly placed the resulting scribblings in one of those new-fangled so-called “computing machines” and a writing partnership was born.

The Lea (pronounced Lee) half of Casey Lea now spends her days wrestling with words and her memory while reading aloud to any cat careless enough to settle nearby. Daughter Casey edits the results while wrangling her adorable offspring.

After a decade on the rollercoaster ride of indie publishing their shared passion for epic love and grand adventure, spiced with advanced tech and ancient magic, remains undimmed.

 

You can find us at:

Sci-fi Fantasy Authors / Caseyleabooks.com
Casey Lea | Facebook
 Casey Lea (@CaseyLeaBooks) / Twitter

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As Red as a Munka Bean by Kristin T. Dethlefsen (Book Review)

Beings from all over the universe have gathered on Kamim for the yearly Interstellar Beauty Contest. Fifteen-year-old Liam and his best (and only) friend Absalom are there to represent Earth, although they never actually agreed to come. Now Absalom must put his reservations aside and convince the judges of something he doesn’t quite believe himself: that his short, fat, brown body is beautiful.

Liam only has to announce Absalom and translate the other beings’ sign language for him, a simple enough task for a deaf boy. But when he meets pretty Sadie right before the announcement, his mind goes blank and his hands can’t find the right words.

And then there is Topher, the boy who bullies Liam and Absalom on Earth and was accidentally brought to Kamim with them. He is sullen and mean, but he knows how to be cool and confident, two traits which would help Absalom immensely in the contest…

This contemporary fantasy for young adults and tweens is an adventure story about the power of friendship and believing in yourself.

Amazon Purchase Link

 

 

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

Beings from around the universe gather together in an interstellar beauty contest. Liam, Absalom (Sal), and Topher were swept up in a green cloud and transported to Kamim, the host planet, for the extraordinary event. The three boys took everything in stride. They didn’t freak out about the situation. Topher, the class bully, was actually more upset about being mistaken for a girl than being abducted by a little green alien. 

Sal, the chosen contestant for Earth, wasn’t comfortable showing off his body. Fairies forcibly removed his shirt. Topher asks him to jiggle his fat. And he was repeatedly in a state of embarrassment. The aliens thought he was beautiful; he did not. I didn’t particularly appreciate how “fat” was constantly used to describe Sal’s physique. Words hurt. 

Luckily, as the story progressed, Sal became more confident with his body. However, it was a long road to this moment. I was saddened to see Sal body-shamed. I was upset to see how the cops manhandled him. They grossly abused their power. Unfortunately, that display of injustice happens far too frequently in real life. 

They were comedic moments in the story and had spectacular galactical beings with unique and fascinating skills. The aliens came in all shapes and sizes; some nice and some not so much. 

Whether you are on Earth, Kamim, Windshippers, or another planet, we are all different, and those differences shouldn’t divide us; however, they often do. 

Being comfortable in your own skin is hard for many people. 

Standing up to bullies is a challenging feat too. 

Both issues are addressed in As Red as a Munka Bean.

While I am thrilled Sal gained confidence, I would like another outcome for Topher. (Staying vague to avoid spoilers.) In a nutshell, I wanted him to do the right thing. 

This story did have a marvelous blend of hearing and deaf characters. It taught Sal to embrace his size and not let other people’s opinions weigh him down. For that, I recommend this story to teens. 

 

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

Amazon Purchase Link

 

 

Meet the Author

Kristin has always been an avid reader of many kinds of books: young adult, adventure, fantasy, travel, the classics. As with her reading tastes, her novels don’t adhere to just one genre. You’ll find elements of fantasy and contemporary, books for young adults and those for middle grade readers. Travel often figures into her stories as well.

Kristin grew up in a small town in Connecticut and began writing after her daughter was born. She lives in Germany with her family, where she teaches English as a foreign language to adults. To find out more about Kristin and her current projects, take a look at her website: www.dethlefsenbooks.com or follow her on Twitter @dethlefsenbooks

 

 

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Orientella by Elisabeth Vildstjärna (Book Review)

 
 
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Reedsy Discovery. I voluntarily chose to read and post an honest review.
 
 

I’ve been captivated by magical carpets ever since I first watched Aladdin. While the magic rug, known as Carpet, in the blockbuster movie was fascinating, it does not hold a candle to Orientella. She’s the Rolls-Royce of carpets with her 24-carat gold threads, made from the finest worms Angelland. While she is masterfully constructed, her uniqueness comes from her ability to speak and express emotions. She cares for her owner/roommate/friend deeply, so when Madame Algarine Castel gets abducted, she doesn’t give up until they are reunited. 

As one would imagine, flying on top of a magic carpet comes with potential hazards, which the characters experience. But, being a magical carpet has its dangers as well. To perform at its best, the wondrous rug has to stay tightly woven. In addition, it has to avoid villains who want to own and control them. Speaking of villains, I love the last name choice, Tarantula. 

All the above came into play, but luckily Orientella wasn’t alone on her journey. She has acquired new friends: a talking church mouse (Walter), a sometimes cranky kitty (Frizzle), and a young neighbor (Emilia), plus additional help along the way. 

Orientella by Elisabeth Vildstjärna was a glorious, imaginative, magical read containing suspense, shocking disclosures, and the legendary Loch Ness Monster. It’s a story that could benefit from more images strewn throughout because readers will want to see Persley, the pirate ship, the castle, and more action and adventure shots. The cover illustration by Henry Johannes Matilainen, though, was spectacular. I adored Frizzle’s facial expression. He looked like a true scaredy-cat, whereas Walter, the mouse, appeared to enjoy the ride of a lifetime. 

I could see this story appealing to three-year-olds, possibly four if it had more images. As it stands, I would recommend the book to school-age children. 

Buy the book; you won’t regret it! 

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

Amazon Purchase Link

 

Meet the Author

Elisabeth Vildstjärna is an author from Sweden who writes fantasy for middle graders.

Reedsy Author Link

 

 

 

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