Member Since:
April 19, 2012
Leah Lane
Leah Lane's favorite authors on Smashwords
Catherine Wilson
Latest book:
When Women Were Warriors Book III: A Hero's Tale.
Published January 13, 2010. (4.60 from 5 reviews)
Published January 13, 2010. (4.60 from 5 reviews)
Rainy Kirkland
Latest book:
Falcon's Curse (Bewitching Kisses: Book 3).
Published October 2, 2012. (4.00 from 1 review)
Published October 2, 2012. (4.00 from 1 review)
Smashwords book reviews by Leah Lane
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True Survivor - The Seth Winston Story
on Feb. 01, 2014
I must have read a completely different book to the other reviewers. The lead character was one of the most irritating I have ever read. I kind of got that it was probably deliberate by the author - perhaps attempted irony but for me it didnt work at all. I guess that the author was trying to be funny but god, it was lame. Basically the book consists of some fairly minor disasters (considering almost the entire population is gone) where the main character does nothing except look for cake. Does the author have issues with food?? The actual crisis was probably one of the most unrealistic I have ever read - civilization ends and they go bowling and eat chips - this isnt a statement though as the lead character seems to think it will all somehow work out all right. As long as he has cake and can go bowling, all is right with the world. Not realistic which is ok if author was going for some kind of statement. I really dont know what the author was trying to say - "stockbrokers are completely useless for anything worthwhile but like crap, tend to float to the top even when flushed??" - maybe that works as a theme. Post apocalyptic is one of my favourite genres and I have read a LOT but this one was a major let-down. This book was not witty, cute, exciting or anything that I look for in a good book. Dont think I will bother with the next one.
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Dwindle
on Feb. 01, 2014
This was an excellent book - a nice change from the usual zombie trope with a nice touch of uncertainty about who is human and who is deviant. Note to potential readers - this is not a zombie book - it is much more than this so dont bother if you just want a blood-fest. Thoroughly enjoyable - flawed characters who were both doing their best to survive and be human in an awful world where they system works against humanity. Highly recommended.
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Darkness Rising 1: Chained
on Feb. 21, 2014
Enjoyed this fantasy book quite a lot - there are a lot of characters but it is coming together nicely. Nice to read a fantasy that is not the usual dragons/orcs/elves. The worldbuilding was effective and interesting. The lead character is good - am intrigued at her story and thinking there is a lot more to learn about her. Am interested enough to want to keep reading so have just purchased the next book in the series. Recommended.
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The Great Mother
on May 25, 2014
I am a big fan of post-apocalyptic books but sometimes the writing can be a bit dodgy. Not this one - excellent story, interesting characterisation and it wrapped up nicely while still leaving a bit more to tell (hate cliff-hangers for no point). Will definitely be reading more of this author.
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Base 19
on Sep. 02, 2014
Really enjoyed this book and the preceding one. A nice change from the usual zombie stories - dont mind a good one but they get a bit tiresome. At least this "world ending" story had a bit more to keep me interested - obviously the author understands that real monsters do not need to be zombies - sometimes, they are just people who have been pushed past their limits and can run riot in a world without rules. Really enjoyed the lead character - a feisty woman who is not one-dimensional. Very interested to read the next instalment.
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Shades of Grey: Book Two of the Alexis Stanton Chronicles
on Sep. 03, 2014
I was in two minds about purchasing this book - I was happy enough with Book 1 to shell out for the second but I dont think I will be reading any more of these. The stories are quite interesting and there is enough action to make it entertaining - not quite on the edge of my seat exciting but ok for a quick read. I guess my main problem is the same as the only reviewer here who marked it down - I am just not finding this heroine believable. Alexis is pitched as someone who can pick up complicated skills in just a couple of days - something that would take a professional a long time to perfect is picked up with little effort by this paragon of excellence. It just got really irritating. I was hoping for a little more character development in the second book but am finding them a little one-dimensional. The identity of the assassin Penumbra was a nice touch but couldnt be really called a plot twist since it was telegraphed from a great distance. A few minor typos and incorrect use of words (eg. you do not "advert" your gaze) but editing was reasonable for a self-published book. Good effort though.
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Submarine Warfare : White Water
on June 15, 2015
The story was quite good but the editing atrocious. Constant spelling mistakes, misuse of words and awkward phrasing made this quite hard to read. Reasonably suspenseful storyline although the love interest was a bit hard to believe given that the hero of the story was supposedly in deep mourning from the recent death of his lover - I would like to think a real man would grieve for more than 5 minutes before switching to someone new even if he did end up saving the world. Would encourage author to keep writing - I mostly enjoyed the book - but strongly recommend he ask someone to proof-read before publication.
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The Winter Sickness
on Aug. 16, 2015
Excellent book - thoroughly enjoyed this one. Something a bit different which makes you wonder how you would react given the same situation. Dont want to give away the story but is well worth reading.
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Aquapocalypse
on Nov. 29, 2015
Not a bad read but the characters were not well developed, the dialogue was really cheesy and the world-building not totally convincing. Ok for a quick read.
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STALKER Southern Comfort
on Nov. 29, 2015
Actually enjoyed this more than I expected. Had very much a video-game type vibe about it so even though the characters were a bit one-dimensional, it all worked pretty well. Action sequences were exciting and I will probably look out for other books by this author. This is not literature but it doesnt pretend to be - a fun read. definitely worth the download for those who like SF action with plenty of monsters and shooting.
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Fall of the Cities: Planting the Orchard
on Dec. 09, 2017
Really enjoyed this book. Stayed up late to finish which I have not done in a long time. Pretty straight forward story and dialogue but the author did manage to suck me into caring about the characters. Have to admit to crying when one of the minor characters didnt make it in the final battle. Have read a lot of similar type fiction but this one was quite believable - the Army/Govt made some pretty hard decisions but individually some were uncomfortable about it which I can totally see happening in real life. As an Aussie, I was a lot more on board with the gun culture presented in this book compared to the US stuff where everyone has a big arsenal and goes out all guns blazing. Here in Australia, we have guns and use them as tools but dont obsess over them so the ways guns and violence were depicted here was a lot more realistic to my Australian experience. Well worth the read and looking forward to the next instalment.
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Clouds of Tyranny
on Aug. 20, 2018
Sorry - this story just did not grab me at all. Way too many typos and poor choice of words/grammar just make it too frustrating to read. Tried to keep going based on the other review but could not continue.
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Beach Town: Apocalypse
on Aug. 30, 2020
Sorry but this book just did not work for me. Many instances of words being used incorrectly which was irritating. The female characters were written in a very strange way - almost as if the author doesnt actually like or respect women very much. The main character Harry was pretty useless and ends up having to be saved by his very young child in a cliffhanger ending that just made no sense at all. I did make it through to the end but it was not time well spent.