Category Archives: Fiction

Review: Choices of One, by Timothy Zahn

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Choices of One, by Timothy Zahn (Del Rey, 2011)

Masterful storytelling, complete with multiple plot lines and one of Timothy Zahn’s signature plot twists… and a spectacular climax that had me cheering out loud.

Choices of One has a cast that includes Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, Han Solo, Chewbacca, Darth Vader, Mara Jade and Thrawn, and it takes place between A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back.

It can’t be easy to write about established characters whose future has already been mapped in other novels (the Star Wars series now extends forty-plus years past A New Hope). The writer has to be true to who the characters are at that point in the timeline, and not do anything that will rewrite their future. To add to the challenge, Timothy Zahn brings characters who can’t meet yet into very close proximity – and pulls it off in style.

Only Thrawn can make me cheer for the Empire (well, for his section anyway) and that’s because Timothy Zahn knows how to create good characters working in their own corners of a bad structure. Thrawn knows the Empire is corrupted, but from his perspective, it’s still the best option out there for galactic stability. Instead of sweating what he can’t control, Thrawn handles his own sphere of influence with justice and fairness.

Hugo-Award-winning Timothy Zahn is my favourite author. The Random House site says he’s “one of science fiction’s most popular voices, known for pitting realistic human characters against a well-researched background of future science and technology.” This may be the best of the Star Wars books he’s written to date, and I’ve enjoyed them all.

Along with his Star Wars and Terminator novels, he’s written somewhere around 30 other satisfying science-fiction novels. For me, it’s been worth hunting down the out of print ones from his early days. I’ve previously posted reviews of Conquerors’ Pride, Conquerors’ Heritage and Conquerors’ Legacy. Recent titles include the Cobra Wars and Quadrail series.

Choices of One is a sequel to his novel Allegiance, and although you don’t have to read them in order there will otherwise be spoilers. Here’s an interesting recent interview with Timothy Zahn. If you need more convincing, here’s an excerpt from Choices of One.

[Review copy from my personal library, and worth every penny of the hardcover price.]

Review: Pattern of Wounds, by J. Mark Bertrand

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Pattern of Wounds, by J. Mark Bertrand (Bethany House, 2011)

Detective Roland March is called to a Houston murder scene that’s eerily similar to his first big case, which was sensationalized in a true crime book. That killer’s in prison, but could someone have used the photos from the book as a pattern? Even worse, is the wrong man behind bars?

March follows up on every angle, but he also trusts his instincts. In his own words:

“The thing about instinct is, you follow without knowing where it’ll take you. You can’t explain why, and along the way nothing adds up, making you look like a fool. But working homicide, looking like a fool goes with the territory. That’s the job: getting it wrong until you finally get it right.” (p. 58-59)

As the story progresses, there’s a lot of getting it wrong before March finally gets it right. He blames others for allowing their biases to blind them to what he sees, but events make him question his own blind spots.

This book grabbed me on page one and kept me reading. Author J. Mark Bertrand has a tight, satisfying delivery and uses some strong visual imagery. Here’s an example where a character’s been asked a question: “He puts the photo down and leans back, checking the ceiling like his memories are kept up there.” (p. 312)

The story is told in the first person, which works well for a detective novel, and in the present tense, which doesn’t work so well for me except in chick lit. It’s probably intended to convey immediacy, but I find it a bit disconcerting.

Pattern of Wounds is put out by a Christian publisher, but it should please any lover of detective fiction. March himself has seen too much, lost too much, to find comfort in the faith in which he was raised. His wife, Charlotte, attends church without him, and he feels like she’s growing apart from him.

This is the second Roland March mystery (the first was Back on Murder) and while you don’t have to read them in order it’s a good idea. March is a richly complex character who changes over the course of the stories. I found it easy to care about him and Charlotte and their friends. I certainly hope there’ll be a book 3.

You can read the opening chapter of Pattern of Wounds on the Bethany House site and read an interview with J. Mark Bertrand as well. For something a little different, you can read a fictional interview with the Brad Templeton, the character who wrote the true crime book based on March’s famous case, The Kingwood Killing.

For a limited time, book 1, Back on Murder, is available for free as an eBook through Christian Book Distributors and in Kindle, Nook and Kobo formats.

You can learn more about J. Mark Bertrand and his books at his website and at his blog, Crime Genre.

[Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc. Available at your favourite bookseller from Bethany House, a division of Baker Publishing Group.]

Review: Falls Like Lightning, by Shawn Grady

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Falls Like Lightning, by Shawn Grady (Bethany House, 2010)

Falls Like Lightning opens with smokejumper Silas Kent and his team parachuting into the path of a forest fire to save an injured man. We follow Silas for a few chapters and leave him in an even more dangerous position. The focus shifts to introduce Elle Westmore, who pilots one of the smokejumper planes. As if Elle didn’t have enough struggles as a single mom, her young daughter, Madison, is subject to unexplained seizures.

The novel’s opening chapters do a great job of bringing these characters to life and into our hearts. Silas and Elle haven’t seen each other since he ran out on their relationship seven years ago. Now a massive forest fire in California throws them back together.

The danger and romantic tension would be enough to make this a good read, but it gets better: One jump team is after a cache of gold in the fire’s path—and the flames will destroy evidence of any “accidental” deaths if anyone tries to cross them.

Author Shawn Grady gives readers an insider’s look at this specialized form of fire-fighting. Details of equipment and terminology arise naturally as events unfold, sparing us the dreaded “information dump” or the confusion of too much information. I could really imagine myself in the scene.

Like action novels? This one’s for you. Like emotional tension? It’s for you, too. Not only do Silas and Elle have unresolved baggage from their past relationship, they each have their individual issues they’re working through.

I enjoyed Falls Like Lightning, and the characters kept coming back to me when life interrupted my reading. You can read the opening chapter (scroll down that page) and a brief interview with the author.

Shawn Grady has served for more than a decade as a firefighter and paramedic in Reno, NV, where he lives with his wife and three children. Named the “Most Promising Writer” at the 2008 Mt. Hermon Writers Conference, he is the author of Through the Fire, Tomorrow We Die, and Falls Like Lightning. Visit his website at shawngradybooks.com.

[Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc. Available at your favourite bookseller from Bethany House, a division of Baker Publishing Group.]

Review: The Kingdom, by Benjamin T. Collier

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The Kingdom, by Benjamin T. Collier (Word Alive Press, 2011)

The Kingdom is a short novella, under 100 pages, but it pulls readers into an intriguing fantasy world of kingdoms, knights, princesses and mythical flying beasts.

The story draws on classic fantasy and fairy tale elements such as the princess enduring endless presentations from eligible-but-boring suitors, the corrupt steward ruling in the good king’s absence, the strong hero and his fantastic animal companion (in this case, a dragon-like creature called a wyvern).

One of the twists: the “strong hero” might be considered a villain. And Princess Nevaeh is no damsel in distress. She’s a strong young woman looking for a partner, not a rescuer.

Nevaeh and the villain/hero, Roy, are each looking for someone who’ll love them for who they are—and neither is looking for a person like the other. Behind the romance is another kind of love and trust as Nevaeh waits confidently for her father, the good king, to return as promised, when the rest of the kingdom considers him lost at sea.

Canadian author Benjamin T. Collier writes with vivid description and humour. In contrast with epic fantasy and its multiple plot threads, he keeps a tight focus on Nevaeh’s story. The world he’s envisioned could support a more complex weaving of plots, and if he decides to revisit it in the future there would be plenty to explore.

You can find Benjamin at his blog, and you might want to check out my interview with him.

Review: The Story in the Stars, by Yvonne Anderson

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The Story in the Stars, by Yvonne Anderson (Risen Books, 2011)

In a universe where beings from various planets live in peace under the unifying authority of the League of Worlds, one planet stands apart. Gannah: the very name brings fear and memories of the Gannahans’ failed attempt at interstellar domination.

The Story in the Stars throws together two unlikely characters: Dassa, last survivor of the planet Gannah, and Pik, the doctor who saved her life. Pik’s native planet, Karkar, was conquered by the Gannahans before scientists developed the plague that forced them to retreat.

Dassa and Pik make an interesting study in contrasts, and as the novel progresses each discovers her/himself to be more like the other than they’d like to admit. Dassa is a warrior; Pik is an intellectual. She’s comfortable with her emotions; he’s bound by logic and appearances. She can survive in the wilderness; at the start of the novel, he’s never been outside a domed city except when in space.

Dassa’s people follow the Christian faith, in a universe where proselytizing is a punishable offense. Dassa’s personal relationship with God (she calls Him Yasha) allows her to hear His voice in her spirit.

Doctor Pik, on the other hand, has no use for delusions of faith. He’s as obnoxious and superior as they come. Yet she begins to sense that God wants to unite them.

Dassa tells Pik that every planet’s early constellations, and the legends that go with them, give a version of the same story: “a virgin birth and a saviour dying on a cross and a wicked serpent and a great war.” (p.140) The Gannahans know this God, and despite being the last of her people, she’s determined to share Him with the universe.

I really enjoyed this novel. The sharp cultural contrasts and the faith elements reminded me of Kathy Tyers’ Firebird. I’ll definitely be watching for the sequel. Click here to learn more about the Gateway to Gannah series.

For more about Yvonne Anderson, visit her blog, Y’s Words, and check out her interviews at A Writer’s Journey and Novel Journey.

[Electronic Advanced Review Copy provided by the publisher in exchange for a fair review.]

Review: Keeping Guard, by Christy Barritt

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Keeping Guard, by Christy Barritt (Love Inspired Suspense, 2011)

Kylie Summers is petite and a cancer survivor. She knows she’s strong, but her family treats her as someone fragile to be protected. And now she needs protecting—someone is stalking her, and his actions are escalating.

Her brother’s best friend, former Coast Guard rescue diver Nate Richardson, lets her hide out in his restaurant until the police catch the man who’s been terrorizing her. Kylie hosts her own cooking show, but Nate doesn’t want to hear her ideas on improving his menu.

Kylie and Nate each have baggage from past relationships. And their personalities conflict. He’s a rescuer, she’s independent. As much as they know they don’t match, they each feel the attraction.

Keeping Guard is set in historic Yorktown, Virginia, and gives readers a whirlwind tour of the town and a sampling of local dishes. (I love books with food in them.) The suspense begins on page one and doesn’t let up.

I’ve been a fan of Christy Barritt since I read her Squeaky Clean Mystery series. (See my interview with Christy Barritt from 2008) She packs a lot of story into this short novel, and I’m looking forward to her next one.

You can learn more about Christy Barritt at her website and on Facebook.

Review: Shadow of Reality, by Donna Fletcher Crow

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Shadow of Reality, by Donna Fletcher Crow (StoneHouse Ink, 2010)

When college professor and mystery-lover Elizabeth Allerton convinces her good friend and colleague Richard Spenser to attend a week-long mystery role-play in a castle-replica-turned-hotel in the Colorado Rockies, she never dreams she’ll find a real murder—and love.

The guests work in teams to solve a mysterious death, acted out over dinner their first night. They come prepared with period costumes for 1930’s England, and the costumes Elizabeth rented for herself and Richard turn them into a dashing couple.

Trouble is, while he wants them to be a couple she’s happy with friendship. And she meets the man of her dreams in one of the mystery’s actors.

An even bigger trouble is her discovery of a genuine dead body. A storm has cut off access to the nearest village, and those in charge try to keep the real mystery quiet until the police can arrive. Elizabeth and Richard work to solve both mysteries, and the two keep blurring in her mind.

Shadow of Reality is an easy read with plenty of attention to costumes and food, and sprinkled with references to classic British characters like Dorothy Sayers’ Lord Peter Wimsey and Agatha Christie’s Tommy and Tuppence. The romance element is at least as strong as the mystery. There’s also a spiritual thread, as Elizabeth reconnects with the faith she learned as a child.

Originally published in 1992 as Castle of Dreams, the novel was released as an ebook in 2010 and a new print version is available for pre-order. Shadow of Reality is the first in the Elizabeth and Richard mystery series. The ebook is available in multiple formats at Smashwords or for Kindle or Nook. The paperback copy is coming out in 2011 and you can pre-order it at Amazon.ca or Amazon.com.

Donna Fletcher Crow is also the author of the Monastery Murders series and a number of other novels. You can find Donna (and a full listing of her books) at her website. She also blogs at the Deeds of Darkness; Deeds of Light blog.

Review: Relentless, by Robin Parrish

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Relentless, by Robin Parrish (Bethany House, 2007)

One morning Colin Boyd sees himself on the street heading for work. He, meanwhile, is wearing a stranger’s body. Lucky for him, his new persona comes with muscle memory and fighting instincts. He’ll need them all and then some, to survive the mysterious assassin who’s suddenly on his tail. And that’s just for starters.

A mysterious, barefoot girl warns him to leave town, but he needs to find out what’s going on. Apparently he’s now Grant Borrows: strong, handsome, owner of a luxury apartment and a sweet blue Corvette. And he’s wearing a fancy gold ring that’s bonded to his finger.

The novel’s pace is relentless indeed, and when the stakes look like they can’t get any higher, they do. Colin/Grant and his unlikely collection of friends try to stay one step ahead of the unseen Keeper, only to find him manipulating every turn. Everyone who has been “shifted”—and now wears a bonded ring—has some form of mental powers. Grant’s is the ability to move objects with his mind.

Grant is the Bringer, long prophesied to lead the ring-wearers into their destiny. He’s a reluctant hero, but he can’t break away from these people—and from his friends—who need him.

I didn’t have any better idea than the characters of what was going on. We learned together, and it was a fun ride with some very satisfying explosions. On a deeper level, the novel touched on forgiveness and on the question of who we are: defined by our circumstances, or by something inside us?

Relentless comes from a Christian publisher, but it could easily be a clean mainstream novel. Toward the end there’s mention of an Old Testament prophecy, and perhaps a spiritual thread will develop as the series progresses. If you like fast-paced speculative thrillers, this book’s for you.

I read the epub version as a free download from Christianbook.com, and there were some formatting glitches. Mostly they were just missing blank lines when the scene shifted from one group of characters to another. There was one page with a totally extraneous sentence, but that’s in the print version too. (Guess who bought a copy, then forgot and downloaded the ebook?)

The Dominion Trilogy finishes with Fearless and Merciless. You can learn more about American author Robin Parrish at his website.

Review: Stuck in the Middle, by Virginia Smith

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Stuck in the Middle, by Virginia Smith (Revell, 2008)

Joan Sanderson is a middle child—between two sisters who have great lives while she works a mediocre job and shares a home with her mother and aging grandmother. She feels caught between those two ladies too, and she’ll do whatever it takes to keep Mom from putting Gram into a care facility. After all, what’s a little forgetfulness—or obsessive behaviour—among loved ones?

Joan is also on middle ground with God. He feels like a heavenly version of her own father, who’s been absent without contact for thirteen years.

When a handsome single doctor, Ken, and his dog move in next door, Joan finds herself competing with her polished younger sister, Tori, for his attention. Will their frenzied flirting scare him away? Or does Joan really want to catch his eye? He talks about God outside of church. Even asks questions in the adult Sunday school class. Is he some kind of fanatic? Or does he have something Joan needs?

She can’t stop thinking about a visiting missionary’s account of God answering an orphan child’s prayer for chocolate ice cream. The God she knows has never done anything like that for her. Granted she’s never asked, and her needs aren’t as extreme as the lonely orphan, but still… something inside her longs for Him to disrupt her predictable world with some outrageous and personal sign of love. (For more on that, see Virginia Smith’s blog post, “Where’s My Chocolate Ice Cream?”)

Stuck in the Middle is more than just a heart-warming romance. Joan is 25 but I think it’s a coming of age tale for her. It’s also the story of three generations of women who love one another even when they’re on opposite sides. Surprisingly, it’s not over-the-top estrogen-heavy. Sure, the flirting instructions Joan’s older sister Allie pulled off the internet were a bit much for this non-girly-girl reader, but Ken thought so too.

And it’s funny. Joan’s sense of humour keeps her sane by imagining zany headlines to describe her stress. I like her attitude, and the way she grows during the course of the novel.

I downloaded a free electronic copy of Stuck in the Middle from Christianbook.com and enjoyed the read. There were occasional formatting issues with paragraphs, but not often and nothing to affect enjoyment of the novel. This is book one in the Sister-to-Sister series, followed by Age Before Beauty and Third Time’s a Charm. I’d definitely like to spend some more time with this family.

Virginia Smith is an award-winning American author and inspirational speaker. You can learn more about Ginny and her books on her website and her blog, Virginia’s Journal, and you can find her on Facebook.

Review: Reluctant Smuggler, by Jill Elizabeth Nelson

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Reluctant Smuggler, by Jill Elizabeth Nelson (Multnomah, 2008)

Desiree Jacobs, art security expert and successful breaker of her competitors’ security systems, is back in the third and final novel in Jill Elizabeth Nelson’s “To Catch a Thief” series.

This time we join Desi in Mexico, where she’s negotiating for a contract with a world-famous Mexico City art museum. Instead, she finds art thieves, a dangerous gang, and personal attack. She’s still grieving her father’s death (book one: Reluctant Burglar) and struggling to find time for a relationship with handsome FBI agent Tony Lucano amidst their busy schedules.

Back in Boston, Tony’s high-profile case is about to intersect with Desi’s own. And I won’t tell you more—except that this is perhaps the fastest-paced novel of the three. I loved it. Desi and Tony are two of my favourite characters. Readers can count on plenty of action, fast quips, and a story that will make it hard to stop reading at bedtime.

Reluctant Smuggler is an older title now, and I don’t know why I waited so long for this final instalment. Maybe I didn’t want to finish the ride with these characters. But it’s a fun read.

I bought the epub version from Kobobooks and although I’m usually happy with the product quality, I’d recommend getting a paper copy of Reluctant Smuggler. The file conversion didn’t work well and there are plenty of mangled words.

Here’s a link to an excerpt from Reluctant Smuggler. If you’re new to the series, I’d strongly suggest starting at the beginning. (See my review of Reluctant Burglar here.)

Jill Elizabeth Nelson is an American author of Christian romantic suspense, and she’s published four novels with Steeple Hill since the “To Catch a Thief” books (her most recent is Legacy of Lies). I’ve enjoyed those too, but I hope someday she’ll move back into longer novels where she has more room to manoeuvre. You can learn more about Jill Elizabeth Nelson and her books at her website, or check out the Jill Elizabeth Nelson page on Facebook.