Maria Violante currently resides in Kalamazoo with a series of off-color roommates. She's not sure if she's a hippie, a hipster, or just a redneck that happens to read a little too often. Sources report she may also be the priestess from Diablo II, but those are largely unverified.

Website: http://www.mariaviolante.com
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Blog: http://violantewrites.wordpress.com/

abdication    addict    adventure    akra    alsvior    angel    bad relationship    cairn    cocaine    consortium    creature    crossdresser    de la roca    demon    depression    dreams    drugs    environmentalism    exfiance    fantasy    forest    hell    horror    hunter    jal    kevra    killer    laufeyson    magic    mercenary    monkey    monster    murder    murder as a solution    murderer    nature    norse mythology    pentarch    pranks    psychic    serial killer    stalker    waypoint    zombie   

• Semper Audacia on Oct. 31, 2011
  
  Note: This review was originally written for my author blog at www.mariaviolante.com Semper Audacia, by M. Pax, is a "space-opera" novelette of roughly 13,000 words. I received a copy for free from the author for the review - and then I went out and bought it. No really, it was that good. Let me start out this review by saying that I'm generally not a fan of shorter fiction. If it's under twenty-thousand words, most authors barely find time to squeeze in some exposition and introduce the main hook. As such, shorter works usually feel forced and one-dimensional. Now, don't get me wrong; I'm not saying that's true of all short fiction writers - some of my favorite works are shorter works of fiction (I'm looking at you, Neil Gaiman). I'm saying that it's hard, damn hard, to do it right. That's why this novelette took me completely by surprise. Before I get into the good, though, let me touch on the few things I didn't like about it. 1. There were a few spots that needed a little polishing - a few commas, an adverb instead of an adjective, that sort of thing. I doubt your average reader would even notice, but as an ex-English teacher, those things really stick out to me. I think it says something that "Semper Audacia" was well - written enough that I was willing to overlook that; usually, I get to the second typo and feel like tossing the thing in the trash. 2.) I was a bit confused about how the races understood each other. Was there a piece of technology that did the translating? Were they bilingual? Aaaaaannnndddd...... that's it for the bad. Onto to the good: ***Warning, there are a few MINOR spoilers in here. If you don't want to read them, take my word for it - it's good - or download a sample and get a taste of the novelette for yourself.*** 1. I think that one of the hardest things an author can do is write an engaging story in which the protagonist spends a lot of time in isolation. Human beings are social creatures and we cling to all things interpersonal. The fact that Leda is the last soldier, and largely alone, makes her part a difficult one to write. Yet M. Pax pulls it off swimmingly, largely due to the advent of the quasi-ghost brigades, the special suits, and the injection of relevant (and emotionally touching) flashbacks. 2. The language choice was excellent, as well. M. Pax creates her world through a rich combination of surprisingly accurate descriptors that invoke all five senses and convey a great sense of action, all without being overly wordy. 3. I loved the protagonist. She was complex, well - rounded, and remarkably human, and I quickly became caught up in her fears and struggles. 4. It's a good ending. I wish I could elaborate further on that, but I guess you're just going to have to read it - and at 99 cents, it's quite the steal. If you'd like to purchase your own copy, you can find it on Smashwords or Kindle. 5. OVERALL RATING: 4.5 STARS. You can see more information about this awesome Indie author on her personal website at mpaxauthor.com
  
• The Doll on Nov. 16, 2011
  
  "The Doll" had a few rough moments, specifically with participle tenses - I caught a few cases where "have lost" should have been "had lost", or using "may be" for a past scenario (should be "might have been"). There was also a passage where a set of quotation marks was missing, which gave me a little confusion as to the number of tour guides. (Additionally, the Spanish spoken by the native guide had a few mistakes as well; "munecas" should have been "muñecas" with a tilde, and as a feminine plural, the correct modifier is "las", not "la". "Trajineras" is a plural noun; if referring to only one canoe/gondola, "trajinera" should have been used instead.) Overall, though, the mistakes were quite minor and didn't merit much more than a brief pause. Now, my favorite part - onto the good! First of all, this author has a real talent for description, creating imagery that you can experience in all five senses. The descriptions are both complex and succint, a winning combination that really brings the page to life. Take the following passage for example: He heaved his sunburnt bulk onto the rotting pier, the arthritic planks groaning and shivering in protest of his weight. Or how about this? Vines and weeds strangled the decomposing structure, dragging it into the earth, returning its elements back to nature. Just superb! Great verb choice, sparse yet perfect adjectives, and a sense of movement throughout the entire passage that built dramatic tension. Another thing I really liked about this work was the depiction of interpersonal relationships. The dynamic between mother and child was touching and true to life, and I could really empathize in the frustration between the mother and her ex - especially in scenes about parenting (not that I have children.) Finally, I originally thought that the ending would be fairly easy to guess. I mean, it was pretty clear where the work was going, right? So I was pleasantly surprised by a twist ending that was both creepy and chilling! All in all, I'd have to give this 4.2 stars. Great descriptions, a decent plot, in need of some more editing.
  
• The Warden Threat on Nov. 23, 2011
  
  The Warden Threat, by D.L. Morrese, is like a Shirley Temple – light, sweet, fun and sparkly. It’s part of a grown-up genre, yet appropriate for all ages. Actually, that said, it’s more of a Dirty Shirley, in that it’s laugh-out-loud funny (and as you probably have no idea what I’m talking about, let’s move on.) I did catch a few typos and a couple of missing commas, but other than that, the grammar is refreshingly precise and the vocabulary, well, scrumptious. I admit, I had to look one or two words up, but at the same time, it wasn’t a “too-smart-for-its-own-good” book, which I liked. And as for the bad, that was about it. The characters are believable and well-rounded, although slightly cliche at times. The book avoids all of my major pet peeves. POV is logical, solid, and easily followed. Character motivations are clear and make sense. Descriptions are long enough to be engaging, but short enough to avoid clumsiness or awkwardness. I should make a note here; they are occasionally redundant, like the following passage - “He approached it slowly, staring up into the stern black face and the cold black eyes that somehow seemed alive.” - but then you get passages like this little tidbit that make you overjoyed you picked up your kindle in the first place: “The serving girl began to laugh in the friendly but uncommitted way waitresses do to make customers feel appreciated and more generous when it comes time to leave a tip.” One of my favorite things in the work were the little “easter eggs” that would make sense later – little pieces of our modern world in the medieval setting. Take, for example, this scene of a messenger learning to read for the first time: “Grandpa Nash produced another book for her … about a dog named Spot that also seemed to like to run …” Cute, right? And that’s just it. The whole book is filled with little gems that I just want to quote to you, but I’m quickly coming to the point where it’s no longer me reviewing and more me violating intellectual copyright. So, in order to help you understand the experience of the book, I will leave you with this note. Usually, when I am reviewing a book for my site, I highlight and make little notes as I go, so that I’ll have a lot to say. In this case, I was too busy reading it; I literally read the entire thing straight through in one sitting. \ Aaaa-and it just so happens that the author has agreed to give me a free copy of the sequel, The Warden War, in exchange for another review, so … you know … I gotta go. I’ll, um, call you .. or something. Overall Score: 4.8 stars. (Seriously.) The Warden Threat is available from Amazon here, or from Smashwords here, or you can check out the author’s homepage here. Reviewed for Maria Violante's review site, mariaviolante.com
  
• The Other Side of Life (Book #1, Cyberpunk Elven Trilogy) on Nov. 24, 2011
  
  If I had to pick a word that summed up my feelings about The Other Side of Life, it would be … ambivalent. Creative and stylish in theory, but lacking in execution, it has been the hardest book to review thus far, and I’ll tell you about why. First of all, the bad. There are a number of mistakes (okay, you can call them creative license, I still call them mistakes) the author has made here that made the book hard for me to read. For starters, the POV is all over the place, jumping from character to character, and then into an omniscient state. We’re never fully in one person’s head for long enough to really understand any of the characters, and in sections where multiple people are together and talking, it can actually be hard to know who said what until you’re three or four lines down the passage. I found myself having to constantly go back and reread things and kind of “force” myself into the narrative, especially in the first 25%. This is the opposite of what you want, i.e., a book well written enough that grammar and technique are playing in the shadows while you fall into the story! Additionally, and more minor, Scott throws in a bunch of extra commas, meaning that I’m pausing mentally when I shouldn’t be. Another thing I had a major issue with was character motivation. While Scott *does* give us insight into why her characters do the things they do, I find the explanation to be thin, hard to believe, and lacking – both for minor actions, like “Why do Anya and Nin initially each other,” all the way to major things, like, “Why is Anya risking her neck to help Nin in the first place?” I would have really liked it if the thought processes that led up to the actions were better explained – either through memories, pieces of backstory, or a more detailed description of feelings.” I also (and this one may just be my fault) didn’t really understand how the rules of this new universe worked, especially in how characters suddenly “knew” incredibly complicated and important pieces of knowledge. Like, how does Julius understand that he can choose between his own welfare and Leticia’s without anybody telling him or giving him a clear sign? Did he sense it from the “tree’s” force? If so, that needed to be better explain. This was a pattern I found repeating itself throughout the course of the novel; I just kept saying – How did they know that? The final complaint that I had with this book is that at times, it felt like a diatribe with a novel pasted on top of it. I understand that cyberpunk is all about being against commercialism, the machine, and the danger of misusing technology, but there were entire, oddly timed passages, that espoused these viewpoints without really weaving them into the story. It was frustrating; while writing with a meaning is important, it should always (in my opinion) fall second to the flow and development of the narrative itself. Oh, and minor point. The Mayans were the first with Cocoa as in “chocolate”, coca leaves as the forerunner to cocaine were actually an Incan/Quechua device. The Good: Wow, that felt mean. Unfortunately, it also felt honest. Luckily, there are also quite a few good things to say about this work that will help pull the punch. For starters, it’s pretty imaginative, and it has many of the elements we all look for with a good story. There’s a plucky heroine, a dreamy hero, a loyal sidekick, and an evil but redeemable villain (revealed only after a nice plot twist!) Nobody is invulnerable and everybody is quite human. There are also passages where the author manages to stay in just one POV for long enough to create some real human meaning; my favorite is where the main character is giving her mom an, um, package at the mother’s place of employment. The mother’s concern and unspoken thoughts were both real and touching, and it was a definite point of light in the work. And the author should be applauded for weaving her beliefs and a deeper message into her work, even if the execution isn’t always perfect. She’s definitely attempted something that we don’t see everyday, both stylistically and in her intended message, and she gets full points for bravery in that regard. Finally, there is a lot of creativity in both her descriptions of the near future and in some of the things we see in the Elven domains. I was pretty excited at both the presentation of Nin’s homeland and in the unique method of transport that was discussed, although I felt like these things should have been developed an explained further. Final Score: 3.2 stars. An interesting read that misses the mark of greatness, but an excellent start for this author. I look forward to see how she might handle these issues in the future.
  
• The Other Side of Life (Book #1, Cyberpunk Elven Trilogy) on Nov. 24, 2011
  
  If I had to pick a word that summed up my feelings about The Other Side of Life, it would be … ambivalent. Creative and stylish in theory, but lacking in execution, it has been the hardest book to review thus far, and I’ll tell you about why. First of all, the bad. There are a number of mistakes (okay, you can call them creative license, I still call them mistakes) the author has made here that made the book hard for me to read. For starters, the POV is all over the place, jumping from character to character, and then into an omniscient state. We’re never fully in one person’s head for long enough to really understand any of the characters, and in sections where multiple people are together and talking, it can actually be hard to know who said what until you’re three or four lines down the passage. I found myself having to constantly go back and reread things and kind of “force” myself into the narrative, especially in the first 25%. This is the opposite of what you want, i.e., a book well written enough that grammar and technique are playing in the shadows while you fall into the story! Additionally, and more minor, Scott throws in a bunch of extra commas, meaning that I’m pausing mentally when I shouldn’t be. Another thing I had a major issue with was character motivation. While Scott *does* give us insight into why her characters do the things they do, I find the explanation to be thin, hard to believe, and lacking – both for minor actions, like “Why do Anya and Nin initially each other,” all the way to major things, like, “Why is Anya risking her neck to help Nin in the first place?” I would have really liked it if the thought processes that led up to the actions were better explained – either through memories, pieces of backstory, or a more detailed description of feelings.” I also (and this one may just be my fault) didn’t really understand how the rules of this new universe worked, especially in how characters suddenly “knew” incredibly complicated and important pieces of knowledge. Like, how does Julius understand that he can choose between his own welfare and Leticia’s without anybody telling him or giving him a clear sign? Did he sense it from the “tree’s” force? If so, that needed to be better explain. This was a pattern I found repeating itself throughout the course of the novel; I just kept saying – How did they know that? The final complaint that I had with this book is that at times, it felt like a diatribe with a novel pasted on top of it. I understand that cyberpunk is all about being against commercialism, the machine, and the danger of misusing technology, but there were entire, oddly timed passages, that espoused these viewpoints without really weaving them into the story. It was frustrating; while writing with a meaning is important, it should always (in my opinion) fall second to the flow and development of the narrative itself. Oh, and minor point. The Mayans were the first with Cocoa as in “chocolate”, coca leaves as the forerunner to cocaine were actually an Incan/Quechua device. The Good: Wow, that felt mean. Unfortunately, it also felt honest. Luckily, there are also quite a few good things to say about this work that will help pull the punch. For starters, it’s pretty imaginative, and it has many of the elements we all look for with a good story. There’s a plucky heroine, a dreamy hero, a loyal sidekick, and an evil but redeemable villain (revealed only after a nice plot twist!) Nobody is invulnerable and everybody is quite human. There are also passages where the author manages to stay in just one POV for long enough to create some real human meaning; my favorite is where the main character is giving her mom an, um, package at the mother’s place of employment. The mother’s concern and unspoken thoughts were both real and touching, and it was a definite point of light in the work. And the author should be applauded for weaving her beliefs and a deeper message into her work, even if the execution isn’t always perfect. She’s definitely attempted something that we don’t see everyday, both stylistically and in her intended message, and she gets full points for bravery in that regard. Finally, there is a lot of creativity in both her descriptions of the near future and in some of the things we see in the Elven domains. I was pretty excited at both the presentation of Nin’s homeland and in the unique method of transport that was discussed, although I felt like these things should have been developed an explained further. Final Score: 3.2 stars. An interesting read that misses the mark of greatness, but an excellent start for this author. I look forward to see how she might handle these issues in the future. Reviewed for Maria Violante's review blog, www.mariaviolante.com
  
• Water on Nov. 27, 2011
  
  Water, by Terra Harmony, is a debut novel that is strikingly devoid of many of the common debut novel mistakes. There are occasional errors in spelling, especially where homophones are concerned (“peaking” instead of “peeking”, “wretched” instead of “retched”), but the novel flows smoothly enough even with these problems. My only other real complaint is that the author tends to over-explain or over-describe, especially in the beginning. I hate redundancy as a general rule, so sentences like, “Gaining consciousness was a greater struggle than ever before in my life” make me cringe. Those are my only real complaints with the novel, and when you’re talking self-published, they aren’t a lot. I do want to make a particular note that the novel is not appropriate for minors. There are adult scenes in there, and not necessarily consensual ones, which is something to keep in mind if you are sensitive about that sort of thing. For what it’s worth, it’s pretty clear that the sex isn’t just added for steam; it makes sense, it drives the plot, and it helps us see a lot further into the mind of the characters. Speaking of the plot – it’s terrific, not just in creativity or in the “twist”, but also in the pacing. Water is balanced between giant, crashing catastrophes and quiet, tense moments, yet it rarely lags or feels stale or repetitive. That’s a pretty hard thing to do. It starts to really open up about ten percent out of the gate and just really picks up from there. Water really shines, though, when it comes to characters. They’re highly developed, with good backstories and clear motivations, and they act like real people do. For example – I found myself slightly upset at one point, thinking that the protagonist’s choice to go back to a man with whom her relationship was both illogical and unintelligent – before remembering that I’ve probably done the same thing a few times myself! As a final note, I’d like to touch on the subject matter. Water focuses on an ancient organization, devoted to extraordinary beings that manipulate elemental magic. As such, the idea is nothing new, right? But Harmony does a decent job of reinventing the genre, adding in clear roots of Paganism/Witchcraft, nature-worship, and modern day environmentalism. The myriad of influences help move the book away from something stale and into the field of a really enjoyable read. Overall Score: 4.5 Stars. Well-developed characters and a balanced plot that make for an enjoyable, almost guilty read – sort of like a YA novel for grownups. Reviewed for Maria Violante's review site, http://violantewrites.wordpress.com/2011/11/27/review-water-the-akasha-series-by-terra-harmony/
  
• Children of Aerthwheel on Nov. 29, 2011
  
  Children of the Aerthwheel is a half YA, half grown-up fantasy novel that has been also been placed in the horror genre. I can kind of see it there, but then again, I kind of can’t. There certainly are some pretty terrifying moments, replete with monsters and mayhem, but overall, the sense of absolute wonder I get makes me place this one squarely in the fantasy genre. Then again, that’s not important, so we’re just going to move on. I have a few grammatical complaints, as always. The author has a slight issue with missing necessary commas, and there are occasional spelling mistakes – most of them involving two homophones, like “clicks” vs. “cliques” and “sore” vs. “soar”. The vast majority of the writing is error-free though, and seeing a properly used semicolon made me smile so hard I thought I was going to split my face open. When there is an error, it is glaringly obvious, largely because the rest of it is so good! The pacing is incredibly effective. The novel starts with a series of news articles that at first, I didn’t like, yet as the plot expanded, the author did a great job of tying everything together. Hensler uncovers events in an order that keeps the plot interesting, peeling his story-onion in such a way that each new layer is full of surprises. The novel takes a ton of twists and turns, yet all of them seem “believable” in the sense that there is very little “deus ex machina” going on. In the end, everything is foreshadowed, and clearly – you’ve just got be bright enough to see it. If you aren’t, no fear, you’ll just want to read it again, reveling in the little clues the author has placed on the way. And the reader isn’t left hanging in the end; you find yourself burning for the sequel, but at the same time, you feel like the story has reached a logical stopping point – a balance that is hard to do. Hensler has a gift for description, neither over-describing nor telling too much. He works in all senses; I would have never thought to describe the smell of a magic stone arrow, especially not with such a creative scent as “clean bed sheets.” Many moments, like a kid’s bullying or a daughter’s forgotten pain, are poignant and heartbreakingly realistic. Take, for example, this scene where Andrew is meeting his Alzheimer’s-stricken grandfather, Grant, for the first time in years. “Andrew carefully moved in and they embraced. At first, it was like two sheets of tin grinding into one another during a storm, awkward and unbearable. Then Grant felt the boy’s arms go tight and heard a muffled sob pressed against his weathered neck. Grant’s arms tightened and the hug became something real and definite and meaningful. Grant told himself not to forget this moment, that he had to cherish it for however long he ended up staying in this horrible little room. He had to remember this one thing more than anything else.” This all brings me to my favorite part. The human element of this book is terrific. As a person that was previously estranged from family for a long section of my life, I was blown away by how well Hensler captured the situation. The characters are all believable teenagers with screwed up family arrangements, resulting in the simultaneous quest for approval, independence, and a hiding place. Each one is an underdog that appeals to us on a fundamental level. Many of them represent an interesting dichotomy of good and evil, and none of them are without essential hubris. Your heart really soars with these heroes and you find yourself cheering for each victory and mourning each defeat. Overall Rating: 5 stars. Spectacular, with a twisting plot, incredibly human characters, beautiful imagery, and a great conclusion. Reviewed for Maria Violante's review blog: http://violantewrites.wordpress.com/2011/11/30/review-children-of-the-aerthwheel-by-l-david-hesler/
  
• Blackstone: Drawing the Circle on Dec. 03, 2011
  
  Blackstone: Drawing the Circle (from here on referred to as BDTC) by Jason Beineke is one of those hit or miss novels. He does some things really well - incredibly well, even - but then other things are largely bunk. The first third of the novel for me was sort of like watching a really awesome movie with someone texting in the audience; while it didn't ruin it, per se, the errors that I noticed were definitely distracting. But let's get on with specifics, starting with The Bad. My biggest complaint was that I wanted to chuck a copy of Strunk and White's The Elements of Style at Beineke with a desperate plea to read. I mean, grammatically speaking, the novel has quite a few issues, not to mention a desperate need for commas. As a result, a lot of the sentences are long run-on sentences, and I found myself getting lost once or twice. I also had some issues with the writing style. It can get redundant and quite clunky; I found myself really wishing that an editor had a chance to get to it. Here is an example: As the sorcerer had approached the city he could feel her sorcerous presence, growing strong and strong as he approached. He considered himself a powerful practitioner of the sorcerous arts ... I don't know about you, but that made me wince a little. In addition, Beineke sometimes uses a little too much tell and not enough show, which puts a definite barrier between the reader and the work. Okay, so now, we're going to move on to the good. It is beyond clear that Beineke has but a ton, and I mean a ton, of research and thought into the world he creates, considering everything from minor mannerisms to geography. For example, when the town warden is discussing the idea of going to war with the sorcerers, he actually tells his troops to warn the fire brigade. That kind of attention to detail lends the work a stunning realism that often supercedes the bad grammar and clunky writing. In additional, a lot of the terms are archaic, which meant that I was pretty grateful for my kindle's instant dictionary function. At first, I didn't like it, but as I got into the swing of the novel, I found myself appreciating Beineke's attention to detail in the little things like vocabulary (and the man's vocabularly is astounding.) Kind of running hand-in-hand with the amount he has obviously thought about his world is the way he describes it. There were a lot of moments where I thought ... wow, that is some great imagery. For example: ...The knights recovered themselves quickly, ... each wearing the black battle mask that covered all emotion, leaving only the surety of death on his face. "The barracks!" one of knights barked, a hint of despair in his voice. In addition to the immersive, detailed world and descriptive imagery, BDTR also has some truly great characters. They're a trio of unlike beings with different moralities, sensibilities, and desires, and none of them trust each other very much. Yet you definitely find yourself drawn into their world and lives, watching their evolution from heartless to something more complex, or from the easy boundaries of innocence to the grayer lines of an adult. Their motivations are usually clear and make a lot of sense to me personally (except for one or two spots in the beginning). The last thing I would like to mention about this book is a spoiler, so if you don't want to read one of those, you can skip ahead now. *** Beginning of spoiler *** About 70% of the way through the book, Beineke uses the character of a dream-reaver to create an alternate reality. The device isn't very well foreshadowed, and as a result, I thought the characters had actually just jumped 10 years into the future, major character dead, no explanation of the war or anything. And I was pissed. That's when I realized that the novel, warts and all, had really started to grab me - the idea of missing that part of their journey was so infuriating, I almost just ended my reading there. Luckily, I persevered through that and found out it was just a side-track. *** End of Spoiler *** Overall score: 3.8 stars. Definite potential, with a compelling plot, likeable/loveable characters, and a detailed, vivid world. Unfortunately, the novel is also in dire need of better grammar and a sharper, crisper writing style. Reviewed for Maria Violante's review site http://violantewrites.wordpress.com/2011/12/04/review-of-blackstone-drawing-the-circle-by-jason-beineke/#more-284
  
• Saucerers and Gondoliers on Dec. 12, 2011
  
  What kind of novel is it? Well it's sort of satire science fiction ... erm ... it's political commentar... er, that's not really right either ... how about this: there are aliens, and the book is an absolute riot. The dialogue is great, the descriptions are droll and witty. Here's an example: There's only two sorts of people who wear jumpers, coats and ties," said Ant under his breath. "Racetrack tic tac men and policemen. Leg it." They legged it. Unfortunately, he legged it after them. There are one or two places where it wears a bit thin, but I found myself chuckling on pretty much every "page." The two main characters, Ant and Cleo, are well developed, heartwarming, cocky teenagers that somehow manage to stow away on an Alien craft (even getting their chance to vomit in zero gravity!) Their shenanigans get them involved in an interplanetary cold-war type conflict. A few notes. One, the book is by a British author. There were a few slang passages that I had to really think through, but it isn't incomprehensible by any means. Two, being British, it sometimes pokes fun at Americans. If you are militantly patriotic and can't take a joke, perhaps you should, you know, not read it. If you can take a joke and enjoy a discworld type humor, only from a sci-fi angle, you should definitely grab this one. Overall Rating: Four Stars. If you are into campy, quirky dry humor - or if you have a secret desire to send all of the rednecks to the moon - I recommend this book as an excellent read.
  
• Scars on the Face of God: The Devil's Bible on Jan. 19, 2012
  
  I hate most first person narratives. I mean, I'm a grammar junkie and a style stick-up-my-assist, and first person POV means you're going to get a character that talks like a real person, warts and all. Plus, they're really hard to do right - characters are forever using metaphors and comparisons that don't make sense, using words in a register they wouldn't use, etc. So when it's done right, I often don't like it - and when it's wrong, I want to go on kitten-punching spree. Scars on the Face of God, by C.G. Bauer, was a really pleasant surprise in that (and many other) respects. For some reason, it took me four or five tries to actually get into the novel. Something about the first paragraph really didn't grab me, and I was having a lot of trouble pushing myself to read further. Boy, am I glad I did. Within five percent of the way through, SFG really starts to heat up, quickly becoming eerie and making you wonder - hey, exactly what kind of novel is this thing going to be?! Structurally, the novel is quite sound. It starts in an old-timer's golden years and rounds out our understanding of him through a use of flashbacks - flashbacks that also take us deeper and deeper into town history and a rich backstory. Bauer makes excellent use of the first person narrative, creating a full character that is incredibly well-rounded - a less than educated once-criminal that has fought, sinned, and loved - and makes us wonder how much we can trust him at times. On one hand, his past is dark and sometimes violent - on the other hand, he is comfortable with - and kind to- the disabled. Any issues with grammar or punctuation suddenly make sense when attributed to our narrator, a smart move on Bauer's part. Bauer is great at making the most of his tools; one can tell he's clearly no novice to his trade. The usage of setting is spectacular, moving the book from warm nostalgia to spooky and back in a matter of pages. Much of the imagery comes from the Catholic faith, a choice that somehow enhances the gritty imagery. Best of all, as far as I could see, none of the characters ever "broke character" - every metaphor from our narrator is both sizzingly apt and remarkably appropriate - enough so that one wonders how much of himself Bauer has written into our hero. Pacing is great, with a gradual reveal that keeps us on our toes, and the mood is suspenseful and chilling without a lot of out and out gore. Finally, the author has done a great job of resolving both internal and external conflict arcs. The only real warning I want to give readers is that novel is probably not appropriate for young teenagers, the easily offended, the highly religious, or those that have issues with suspension of belief. Overall Rating: 5 Solid Stars. Wonderfully written and had me reading long into the night.
  
• Athena's Promise - Aegian Trilogy Book I on March 29, 2012
  
  While the cover is beautiful, I don’t find it to be representative of the overall work. To me, that cover invokes an air of mystery, a speculative work of either high fantasy or science fiction. So I think that also affected the way I perceived the novel – because it’s not any of those. Instead, it’s a delightful, light, funny work with a little magic thrown in. Athena’s promise feels like what would happen if Janet Evanovich started writing fantasy. The female characters are bright and sassy, the overall premise of both the world and the story are amusing, and the telling is original, fresh and funny (although I did find it a little stretched in one or two places.) Ribken’s editing background comes out pretty strongly – I found only a few minor errors in the work, and absolutely nothing that affected its comprehensibility – just minor things like missing punctuation marks and occasional shifts in tense. Its overall style and tone are very evocative of “chick-lit”, but I think that the creativity of the author (as well as her knowledge of Greek and Roman mythology) really put it a cut above the genre. For example, her treatment of “zombies” is sensational – Ribken gives them a subculture all their own, and has thoroughly investigated their religion, appearance, interactions with other members of society, segregation in living arrangements – it’s pretty clear that she’s put a ton of thought into developing an intriguing world with a complicated and complex structure. All of the “critters”, from vampires to centaurs, get the same treatment. I think that’s why that, although I’m not a fan of romances overall (and I don’t know that I would classify this book as a strict romance, although the relationship between the main character and a supporting character takes a pretty pivotal role towards the end), I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It’s a quick, light read – perfect beach material for the more magical of us.