Review: The Pineys: My Cousin, the Piney by Tony DiGeroLamo

 

Genre: Horror/Comedy/Contemporary/Occult/Fantasy

Description:

“From the creator of the Jersey Devil comic book comes a story about four cousins cursed by their ancestors, brought together by destiny and trying to keep South Jersey from going to Hell.

In 1732, Mother Leeds gave birth to the infamous Jersey Devil, which has roamed the Pine Barrens ever since.

Or so the story goes…

The truth is, Mother Leeds was a witch and opened the portals to Hell unleashing hundreds of devils into woods. But the villagers next door in Abe’s Hat noticed and formed a secret hunting society to track down the fiends and send them back to the Abyss. Their descendants continue the Hunt in secret to this day.

So grab your pork roll, put on your Piney Power hat and join the hunt, because the Galloway cousins are coming to save you whether you like it or not.”

Author:

“Tony DiGerolamo is a New Jersey screenwriter, novelist, comic book writer, game designer and comedian. He is best known for his work on The Simpsons and Bart Simpson comic books. He has also been a joke writer for Politically Incorrect with Bill Maher, a scriptwriter for Space Ghost: Coast to Coast and a blogger for Comedy Central’s Indecision website. You can see his current comics at the Webcomic Factory and Super Frat and his videos at YouTube and Bitchute.”

You can check out Mr. DiGerolamo’s website or his books on Amazon Author Page.

Appraisal:

My Cousin, the Piney is sort of a mash-up of Ghostbusters, except with tricky morphing devils, and the bumbling antics of the Keystone Cops. Due to the vengeance of a witch who opened a portal to hell hundreds of years ago in the woodlands around the small township of Abe Hat, The Piney cousins started a secret society to hunt devils and send them back to hell.

Now imagine you are Lewis, a gambler, who pulls off the expressway on the way to Atlantic City to get gas and ended up in Abe Hat. The locals stare at him strangely because no one just stops in Abe Hat unless they are cousins. For all they know he is a devil they haven’t seen before. Things start moving pretty fast and furious with twists and turns up the wazoo. It’s mostly a fun romp until Lewis gets sucked into one of the portals to Hell. Shelly has taken a liking to Lewis and decides to go save him. Now the cousins have to keep the portal open until Shelly brings Lewis back to the earthly plane. All the while the cousins battle the new devils who are taking advantage of the open portal. It’s all a stinkin’ bloody mess!

The ending was quite a surprise, I wasn’t sure how it was all going to come out. If you enjoy demons, devils, witches, ghosts, secret societies with a lot of humor you might enjoy the antics in this story.

Buy now from:            Amazon US        Amazon UK

FYI:

My Cousin, the Piney is book 1 in Tony DiGerolamo’s series, The Pineys.

Lots of F-Bombs.

Format/Typo Issues:

I want to say a small number of proofing issues. The two that bothered me the most, because they threw me out of the story, was when the author got character’s names mixed up. Which caused a star rating loss.

Rating: *** Three Stars

Reviewed by: ?wazithinkin

Approximate word count: 35-40,000 words

Review: Keeper of the Winds by Russell Davis

Genre: Urban Fantasy/Occult/Coming of Age

Description:

“My name is Jenna Solitaire and everything I thought I knew about myself, my family, and my future is wrong. My life is not my own. It never has been. I just didn't know it―until now…

Nineteen-year-old Jenna Solitaire has lost her grandfather, who was her only remaining family. Going through old family belongings in the attic, she discovers a trunk, and in it a planchette made of bone and an ancient wooden board scorched by fire and covered in strange symbols. Thinking only to connect with some element of her past, Jenna attempts to use it, and soon there is a voice whispering long-lost secrets in her mind. Secrets about her family, and the role handed down through generations of Solitaire women: Keeper of the Board. Thrust into a world she doesn’t understand, Jenna will begin an adventure that will ultimately take her around the world, but first, she must master the Board itself, even as she faces forces of greed and power – those who will stop at nothing to take the Board for themselves. As the Board conjures devastating storms, Jenna struggles to find her footing and determine who she can trust. Events spiral out of control, and Jenna fights to protect those she still believes in: Father Andrew, the family priest who has known her since she was born, her best friend, Tom, and his girlfriend, Kristen. And then there is Simon Monk, shrouded in mystery and connected somehow to Father Andrew and the Vatican itself, who appears to have her best interests in mind, but frightens Jenna with his intensity. Jenna must conquer her doubts, her fears, and take on the mantle of Keeper of the Board and the Daughter of Destiny, or leave the Earth itself in peril.

Author:

Russell Davis uses the pseudonym pen name of Jenna Solitaire for this novel.

From Mr. Davis’ website: “Mercenary writer... novel and anthology editor... publishing industry jack of all trades, master of some... husband, father, and occasional player of poker. Best-selling author and editor Russell Davis has written and sold numerous novels and short stories in virtually every genre of fiction, under at least a half-dozen pseudonyms.”

If you’d like to learn more check out his website or follow him onFacebook.

Appraisal:

Jenna Solitaire has just lost her grandfather who raised her. She lost her parents as a young child and then her grandmother a few months after that. Jenna is a first year college student with very few friends she lets in her life. Her best friend from childhood, Tom, has firmly been relegated to the friend zone.

As Jenna is going through her grandparent’s attic she finds an intriguing box in the bottom of her grandmother’s trunk. Jenna can tell it is very old and has runes carved in the wood. Now it seems to be calling her, and she can’t stop thinking about it. She is having strange dreams infesting her sleep. Then someone breaks into the house and she notices men following her. This is all stressful and she has a right to have a short fuse. But, honestly she needs to cut back on the coffee, eat something, and reassess the situation. Her incessant whining is nerve-wracking and for a smart girl she sure shrugs her shoulders a lot. It almost seems like a tic.

Now, on to better things. Tom and Kristen are adorable as a couple. Tom is all reason and logic, Kristen is anything but. I loved her character and I think any reader will agree with me. Jenna thinks she’s an airhead. Simon, one of the men following Jenna, is a good guy and doesn’t deserve the way Jenna treats him. There is a lot more to learn about him though. Simon has spent years researching this ancient magical artifact and is trying to teach Jenna about the box and her new destiny as its new Guardian. As the weather around her town grows dark and rainy with the winds growing in intensity, Jenna refuses to acknowledge her moody emotions have anything to do with it.

Jenna is a selfish character and hard to like. It’s not often I run across a character that I consider TSTL. But she does live or there wouldn’t be a story. In between Jenna's pity party and stupid decisions there is a lot of action. Because of course there is a malevolent man, who seems to have unlimited resources with minions to do his bidding. He wants both the box and Jenna for his own evil purposes. On a more positive note there is an epic battle that comes to a satisfying climax as Jenna seems to find her moral compass during the devastating storms that almost kill her friends, of which there are four…

After all is said and done this novel was a bag of mixed nuts for me. If you like urban fantasy with a twist of occult you may really enjoy this novel and adore the characters. 

Buy now from:            Amazon US        Amazon UK

FYI:

TSTL = Too Stupid To Live.

Format/Typo Issues:

The version of the book I read was a pre-release ARC, so I can’t judge the final version in this regard.

Rating: *** Three Stars

Reviewed by: ?wazithinkin

Approximate word count: 55-60,000 words

Review: Divinity Falling by Nour Zikra

Genre: Urban Fantasy/Occult/New Adult/Romance

Description:

“Fierce twenty-two-year-old Addy hasn’t had the easiest of circumstances. Then she runs into Adriel, a half-naked, young man with major back burns, kickstarting a series of disasters in her life, mainly her younger brother Reed disappearing into thin air with a strange man. She immediately suspects Adriel is the culprit. After all, Reed’s kidnapper had the exact same burn marks on his back.

Adriel, who a few hours ago had been a guardian angel, doesn’t know why he is on Earth with a human heart pulsating in his chest. After he sinned, he was sure he would be cast into Hell. Instead, the wild, young woman he stopped for help on the road won’t stop questioning him about her missing brother.

Although Adriel claims innocence, Addy doesn’t believe him until she comes face to face with Lucifer, the lord of Hell, who has imprisoned Reed. Lucifer awakens the demonic blood dormant within Addy and sends her on a mission to corrupt human souls. His desire: to wage war on Heaven with an army of demon-turned humans.

And not following his plan? That’s a sure way to get Reed killed. Against Adriel’s objections, Addy must follow through with a job she never signed up for—preying on human souls.”

Author:

“Nour Zikra graduated summa cum laude from the University of Central Florida with a B.A. in creative writing. She is a YouTube host of a writing advice and humor series. Born and raised for the first decade of her life in Aleppo, Syria, she moved to America in 2004 and currently resides in Orlando, Florida. When Nour is not writing or reading, she makes kissy faces at her turtle, binge-watches shows on Netflix, and endlessly decorates her writing space.”

To learn more visit Ms. Zikra’s website or follow her on Facebook.

Appraisal:

Addy feels like she has the weight of the world on her shoulders. Raised by an apathetic mother, Addy took on the responsibility of raising her younger brother, Reed, at a young age. Reed is in his first year of college and she still feels responsible for protecting him. Addy is about to have her world turned upside-down and is given some hard lessons between good, evil, and the nuances of the gray areas in between.

Addy has a fierce spirit to her own detriment at times, but she doesn’t give up. The plot is a rollercoaster ride through heaven, hell, and everyplace in between. Adriel is ever present at Addy’s side, in his own quest for answers.

Divinity Falling is also an emotional journey that takes a unique look at self discovery and freewill with an epic battle at the end. If you enjoy stories about angels and demons, with a twist of psychological thriller, you will enjoy this book.

Buy now from:            Amazon US        Amazon UK

FYI:

Adult language with more than a few F-bombs.

Format/Typo Issues:

No significant issues.

Rating: **** Four Stars

Reviewed by: ?wazithinkin

Approximate word count: 90-95,000 words

Review: The Beatrice Curse by Geoffrey Sleight

Genre: Thriller/Occult/Mystery/Ghosts

Description:

“Beatrice was burned at the stake in 1763, accused of witchcraft. In the agonising moments of her death she uttered a curse that would come to haunt her village every hundred years. When an aspiring writer arrives in the village seeking peace and inspiration, he is drawn into a web of mysterious secrets on the anniversary of her burning. Beatrice is rising and soon the young man finds himself the target for her terror.”

Author:

Geoffrey Sleight is a British novelist who writes paranormal mystery thrillers. He has six other books, including The Beatrice Curse II. Feel free to check out Mr. Sleight’s other books on his Amazon author page.

Appraisal:

In the glory days of the 1960s in London, England, Mark Roberts aspires to be a novelist. To do this he needs to leave the hustle and bustle of London. With the blessings of his parents he finds a cottage to rent for a month in a remote small village. Note to authors: if you wish to try this, check out the village’s history first.

The characters are all well-defined, realistic, and diverse. This village does not accept strangers easily. However, Mark is able to make a few friends. Unsuspecting Mark arrives in the village a week before the town’s yearly celebration of Beatrice’s burning at the stake. This year is especially auspicious because it’s the two-hundredth anniversary of Beatrice’s burning and the casting of her curse. According to legend the curse states Beatrice will rise from the dead every hundred years to wreak vengeance on the village.

The dialogue is realistic and engaging. Mark’s curiosity gets him into trouble quite often as events begin occurring, which distracts him from concentrating on his novel. The plot moves at a good pace and the scenes are well staged with several twists to keep the reader on the edge of their seats.

I do have a couple of nit-picks though with repetition, which gets tiresome. I don’t need to be told umpteen times that Malcolm is Barbara’s fiancée. Or that Josh is the woodskeeper. They are both very memorable people. I’m sure there were more but these two jumped out at me.

The Beatrice Curse has a bit more of a horror element than I generally read. However, I did enjoy this creepy story. I think anyone who enjoys the intensity of suspense mysteries will enjoy The Beatrice Curse.

Now I need to go enjoy a normal romance novel.

Buy now from:            Amazon US        Amazon UK

  

FYI:

Mr. Slight uses British English and slang. There is adult sexual content, graphic violence, and a small number of F-bombs. For those interested there is a book two for you to jump right into after reading The Beatrice Curse.

Format/Typo Issues:

I came across some proofing errors. Mostly missing words, a few wrong words, and extra words.

Rating: **** Four Stars

Reviewed by: ?wazithinkin

Approximate word count: 55-60,000 words

Review: The Golden Tup by Leslie W P Garland

Genre: Fantasy/Occult

Description:

“The Golden Tup - a dreadful tale of paradise being cruelly taken by latent evil.

Can evil be in a place? The tale opens with Verity, a farmer's wife, recalling how a young couple were arrested a few years previously for killing their newborn baby. How could such a nice young couple have done such a dreadful thing? Through a series of flashbacks we learn how they had created their rural idyll, how an enigmatic man had come into their lives and how their idyll and relationship had gradually fallen apart - how, with references to Milton's Paradise Lost, their paradise was lost. Gradually the young wife reveals a dreadful past, but Verity realises that she is holding something back, but what? What is the terrible truth that caused her and her husband to kill their baby?

An adult fantasy story for those who like to think about what they reading.”

Author:

“Leslie Garland was born in 1949, qualified as a Chartered Civil Engineer and worked for several years on projects in the UK, the Far East and Africa. During this period he won the Institution of Civil Engineers ‘Miller Prize’ for a paper on tunnelling. Changing times resulted in a change in direction and after qualifying as an Associate Member of both the British Institute of Professional Photography and the Royal Photographic Society he started his own stock photograph library and wrote for the trade press. An unexpected break in his Internet connection fortuitously presented the time to make a start on a long cherished project of a series of short stories, and the first two of ‘The Red Grouse Tales’ were drafted. Two more tales have followed and he is now working on a second batch of tales. He lives with his wife in Northumberland, England.”

More information is available on his website.

www.lesliegarland.co.uk

Appraisal:

The premise of this tale is pretty spooky. At least to me it is because anything that reminds me of Rosemary’s Baby gives me the shivers. But the execution didn’t serve up any stomach squirming moments because the writer told the story as a narration from the perspective of a local farmer’s wife, Verity, as though it was being related aurally. That delivery kept me one person removed from the actual occurrences. This prevented me from knowing the characters (and caring about their fate). Consequently, I was never able to feel the fear from the main characters.

The spookiest parts of the novel would have been experienced when the main characters were exposed to occult happenings, but the third-party delivery prevented that point of view. The same problem dogged the denouement, where the fearful consequence was hinted at rather than being shown.

Mr. Garland is a fine writer and the finished product is of a high technical quality. I think this would be a terrific horror tale if the main characters became the focal point.

Buy now from:            Amazon US     Amazon UK

FYI:

English settings and spelling.

Format/Typo Issues:

Rating:  *** Three Stars

Reviewed by: Pete Barber

Approximate word count: 20-25,000 words

The Legend of the Bogeyman by James R. Womack @deafauthor

Genre: Short Story/ Fantasy/ Young Adult/ Occult

Description:

“Oh, you know about the Bogeyman. That old mythical character used to frighten wayward children. What if there's something you already know? That the Bogeyman isn't really a man. What if there's something you might not know? Like Ole Bogey is real and has cosmic aspirations and is interested in a whole lot more than just saying 'Boo!'”

Author:

From James Womack’s author page on Amazon: “I'm a deaf person who likes to write stories. Actually, I prefer telling stories in American Sign Language (ASL) but not everyone understands it. For me, storytelling is storytelling so writing stories gives me much pleasure. My hope is readers get pleasure from what I've written. I'm not focused on any specific genre so my stories range from science fiction to religious based stories. I hold a bachelor degree from Gallaudet University and a Masters degree from California State University of Northridge. I used to teach Deaf high school students before teaching college students full time in the last two decades of my career. I'm married to a really cool woman who was also my Gallaudet University classmate during my time there. My non-writing activities include cooking, fishing, playing with my youngest grandkids, and experimenting with applying computer software to educational purposes.”

Find and follow the author on Amazon and on Twitter.

Appraisal:

If you thought the Bogeyman was scary before, wait till you read Mr. Womack’s interpretation! I’ll begin my review with what Mr. Womack states in his afterword:

It’s not intended to advocate any religious body’s point of view. Certainly it contains a lot of my own biased perceptions but isn’t meant to advocate any doctrine. It’s a story, a work of fiction. Anyone is free to enjoy, dislike, even mock or discard it.

Needless to say, Mr. Womack has gone back to the beginning of time and rewritten from Lucifer’s — ‘Morning Star’ or ‘Light Bearer’ — own point-of-view in a convincing fashion. Can you imagine the weight, with names like that, Lucifer carried on his shoulders? Being one of God’s favorites, a lot of responsibilities were directed towards Lucifer. At times I had to agree with the twisted logic that Lucifer began to believe in this tale.

Each chapter begins with a portion of a cited passage from the Bible, which lends a little bit of the credibility towards the author’s vision. Since this is a work of fiction I didn’t check out the quotes. They were there to solely move the tale along and worked to weave the story together. I will tell you Mr. Womack’s vision gave me the creeps because this could be how the ‘Morning Star’ lost his way…

Buy now from:    Kindle US     Kindle UK

FYI:

May or may not offend some readers' religious sensibilities.

Format/Typo Issues:

Too few to mention.

Rating: **** Four Stars

Reviewed by: ?wazithinkin

Approximate word count: 9- 10,000 words

Devil's Daughter: Lucinda's Pawnshop / Hope Schenk-de Michele and Paul Marquez with Maya Kaathryn Bohnhoff

Reviewed by: ?wazithinkin

Genre: Speculative Fiction/Fantasy/Occult/Supernatural/Urban Fantasy

Approximate word count: 100-105,000 words

Availability

Kindle US: YES UK: YES Nook: YES Smashwords: NO Paper: YES

Click on a YES above to go to appropriate page in Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or Smashwords store

Authors:

Hope Schenk-de Michele and Paul Marquez:

“Hope Schenk-de Michele and Paul Marquez have been best friends for more than four decades. They both grew up in Los Angeles, California, and share a passion for mystery and science fiction. This passion led them to create the forever young and beautiful daughter of darkness, Lucinda… To assist in bringing Lucinda's story into the literary world, Hope and Paul enlisted the help of Maya Kaathryn Bohnhoff as a collaborator… All three authors reside in California: Marquez in West Hollywood, Schenk-de Michele in Toluca Lake with her husband of twenty-two years, and Bohnhoff with her family in San Jose.”

To learn more about Hope Schenk-de Michele and Paul Marquez check out Lucinda’s Pawnshop website.

Or, if you dare, check-out Lucinda’s Pawn Shop on Facebook. *Mwahahahaha*

Collaborating Author:

Maya Kaathryn Bohnhoff:

Maya Kaathryn Bohnhoff: “Maya became addicted to science fiction when her dad let her stay up late to watch The Day the Earth Stood Still. Mom was horrified. Dad was unrepentant. Maya slept with a night-light in her room until she was 15… Maya lives in San Jose where she writes, performs, and records original and parody ) music with her husband and awesome musician and music producer, Chef Jeff Vader, All-Powerful God of Biscuits… To top it off, they've also produced three musical children: Alex, Avery, and Amanda.”

To learn more about Ms. Bohnoff and her many works be sure to check outher website.

Description:

“Lucinda is as old as humanity itself, yet perpetually young, beautiful, and endowed with supernatural powers. She lives a double life—human and immortal. In her human guise, she manages Lucinda’s Pawnshop & Antiquary, the doors of which can open to any street anywhere in the world at any time. Mortals who have arrived at a moral or spiritual crossroads are drawn into the mysterious shop. If they acquire one of its cursed artifacts, they may find themselves drafted into Lucifer’s service.

Born out of a betrayal of trust between the first woman, Eve, and father Lucifer, Lucinda has worked covertly and subtly for millennia to be true to her mother’s love by subverting her father’s schemes. She wins freedom for some; Lucifer keeps those who fail for eternity. She has to be careful, for Lucifer has placed her under the watchful eye of the fallen angel Nathaniel, whose real intentions are a mystery to her.”

Appraisal:

You can get the jest of the story from the blurb. That is the tip of the iceberg. There are at least six story arcs going on in this book. I want to count Nathaniel as a story arc also though, he intrigues me the most of the fallen angels, and adding his would make seven. So, we have the basic good versus evil plot with the twist of Lucinda (Lucifer and Eve’s daughter) thrown in the middle. Lucifer kidnapped Mariel when she was five-years-old and brought her into his realm of the Between, renamed her Lucinda, raised her with his influences and watched her grow into her powers. The struggle within her is real and she must be careful subverting Lucifer’s goal to start the end of times, Armageddon.

Lucinda must also try to piece together how all the story elements fit together. Lucifer does not reveal his game, and it is a game to him. We have lawyers dealing with insider trading and funding terrorist groups in the Middle East. Covert military missions manipulating religious factions, precious antiquities that affect their owners thinking processes. A handsome and devout journalist who is handed the story of a lifetime. Witches, demons, fallen angels, religious cult fanatics, and a love story. All of these components are expertly woven into Lucifer’s grand scheme.

With all of this going on around her, Lucinda experiences a human emotion she has never felt in all the millennia she has been alive. The awakening passions concern the human journalist, Dominic Amado. She knows she should walk away for his own souls safety, peace, sanity... She just can’t. I couldn’t help but love Lucinda. She has a strong spirit, and she’s level-headed, intelligent, and can be as devious as her father. It’s going to be interesting to see how she tries to make this relationship work with Dominic, who also has a strong character and a bit of darkness in his own soul. However, he is working hard to redeem himself.

The plot has a nice pace considering all the elements incorporated into the story. It also takes place all over the globe. Distance is not a problem for Lucifer and his ilk, they just pass through the between to be anywhere or anytime they wish to be in the blink of an eye. However, not all demons have this ability. This turned out to be a unique read and I hope to continue the series. I have great hopes for Lucinda and Dominic if she can keep him alive. Lucifer is not a threat to him, but there are a couple other factors that may be. Also, as I said at the beginning, I look forward to learning more about Nathaniel, I think his role will become more involved as the story develops.

FYI:

There were no F-bombs dropped, and sex was behind closed doors, which really disappointed me but didn’t warrant dropping a star for.

Devil's Daughter: Lucinda's Pawnshop is book 1 of a series. This first book does not end in a cliff-hanger but some story arcs are unfinished, in a not too suspenseful way, to hopefully continue in the next book.

Format/Typo Issues:

Practically perfect.

Rating: ***** Five Stars

Delta Force Vampire: Insurgency / Alex Shaw

Reviewed by: Keith Nixon

Genre: Thriller / Occult / Vampire

Approximate word count: 35-40,000 words

Availability    

Kindle  US: YES  UK: YES  Nook: YES  Smashwords: NO  Paper: YES

Click on a YES above to go to appropriate page in Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or Smashwords store

Author:

Alex Shaw was a drama teacher in an international school based in Kyiv until he left to set up his own consultancy business.

Hetman, the author’s first novel, took 12 years to write, subsequently followed up by Cold Black. Both were Kindle bestsellers.

You can learn more about the author at his website.

Description:

A Delta Force team, led by Brad Black, raid a Taliban stronghold – a tunnel of networks in the Afghan mountains. Pretty routine stuff, until the team are attacked and wiped out by something. All are presumed killed in action.

But Black survived.

At the same time a Russian intelligence officer is attempting to keep a devastating cold war weapon hidden from prying eyes.

Appraisal:

This is a degree of departure from Shaw’s normal fare. His work is typically military (check) and fast moving (check), with an Eastern European slant (check) – but this time it includes… vampires.

Historically I’ve tended to shy away from novels such as these, however previous novels I’ve reviewed that would also fall into this ‘avoid’ section have turned out well, plus I like Shaw’s previous writing. Thankfully Vampire… held up to scrutiny.

This is mainly because the story is thick on military action and the vampire element, although crucial to the story, doesn’t swamp it. Black’s transformation into a soldier with pointy canines adds, rather than detracts.

It’s a relatively fast read (in terms of length and narrative pace) with well-drawn characters, Black’s internal conflict at being ‘turned’ is interestingly done. Worth picking up.

FYI:

Some swear words.

Format/Typo Issues:

Some typos and clunky sentences.

Rating: **** Four Stars

The Wraithgillien: The Story of Maxwell Cain / David Matthiesen

Reviewed by: Michael Thal

Genre: YA/ Fantasy/ Occult

Approximate word count: 55-60,000 words

Availability    

Kindle  US: YES  UK: YES  Nook: NO  Smashwords: NO  Paper: NO

Click on a YES above to go to appropriate page in Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or Smashwords store

Author:

David Matthiesen was educated in Texas and is currently the Director of Sales at Office Depot. One night he had an epiphany that culminated into Awakened. The Wraithgillien is the second book in the Maxwell Cain series.

Description:

Maxwell Cain awoke from a magic induced coma to find himself head of the powerful Cain Corporation. In Awakened: The Story of Maxwell Cain readers are placed into a world that is peeled away as we learn with Max its culture, problems, and Max’s amazing abilities.

In Wraithgillien: The Story of Maxwell Cain, the Corporation Max once headed is seeking more than just the bottom line, and the only force in its way is The Covenant.

Appraisal:

David Mattiesen creates a fascinating world of magically endowed humans holed away in a hideout training to battle the Wraithgillien, led by the infamous Merlin of Camelot fame. Max’s nemesis has more in mind than just the destruction of Max and The Covenant. World domination is his goal.

The Wraithgillien is an exciting read, however this reviewer suggests you read Awakened first, for The Wraithgillien is not a stand-alone novel.

FYI:

It is only fair warning that The Wraithgillien doesn’t have a satisfying ending. It will be necessary to read book three, when that’s available, to complete the Maxwell Cain trilogy.

Rating: **** Four Stars

Awakened: The Story of Maxwell Cain / David Matthiesen

Reviewed by: Michael Thal

Genre: YA/Fantasy/Occult

Approximate word count: 55-60,000 words

Availability    

Kindle  US: YES  UK: YES  Nook: NO  Smashwords: NO  Paper: YES

Click on a YES above to go to appropriate page in Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or Smashwords store

Author:

David Matthiesen was educated in Texas and is currently the Director of Sales at Office Depot. One night he had an epiphany that culminated into Awakened.

Description:

Max, a fourteen year-old orphan has horrible nightmares where he has incredible powers capable of destroying the world. During his waking hours he has best friends Will and Chloe to center him. All this changes on Max’s 15th birthday when he is attacked by bullies and laid unconscious. When he awakens, Max is ten years older.

Appraisal:

David Mattiesen’s debut book, Awakened: The Story of Maxwell Cain is a plot driven novel with non-stop action. The author makes the newbie error of telling too much and not showing enough, but the suspense expertly builds throughout the book keeping the reader’s interest. Pages will flip quickly as Max gets into one jam and out of another as he develops his magical skills. Readers interested in magic, fantasy, and the occult will love this work. By the way, the ending is a jaw-dropper.

Format/Typo Issues:

No significant issues

Rating: **** Four stars