Review of 2016

Hopefully your 2016 had been a great year, if not then you got 2017 to look forward to, but in the meantime I'd like to review the year in terms of the books I've read and mention the top three standouts. 

So, coming in third...

Lost Soul (Harbinger P.I. Book 1) by Adam J Wright.

Bit of a surprise for me actually to pick this book as my top 3 but I really enjoyed the simple and effective writing style, and a main character who you can actually like without the endless eye rolls.

Now second place goes to....

The Russian Assassin: A Max Austin Thriller, Book #1 by Jack Arbor. 

I know this blog is called Fantasy Muse but I enjoy reading other genres, especially action thrillers, and I thought this book was thoroughly entertaining and reminded me a lot of the Bourne series, not in terms of the storyline but relatable in regard to action, suspense and a protagonist you can root for. 

And lastly my favourite book of 2016 goes to....

Hell Divers (The Hell Divers Trilogy Book 1) by Nicholas Sansbury Smith. 

When I thought back to the books I've read this year, the one that flashed immediately to my mind was Hell Diver. From the beautiful front cover to the last page, I loved how unique this book was. The story captured my imagination and even after finishing the book, my mind kept drifting back to the novel and I can't wait to find out what the sequel will be like. 

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I wan't to finish my last post of 2016 by wishing you a successful and fulfilling 2017 and for me, I'm looking forward to reading books that will continue to inspire me to dream new adventures.

I'm ending on a few words I put together...hopefully they might have some meaning for you for the new year to come...

I am fighting for my belief, my purpose. I have conviction and will as strong as an oak against the mightiest of winds, as strong as the rock against the pounding of the waves. You will not break me. You can snap every bone in my body, tear flesh out of by body, but you will not break me. This I promise. This I vow.

Fantasy Muse

Lost Soul

Lost Soul (Harbinger P.I. Book 1) by Adam J Wright.

Front Cover

Synopsis

Alec Harbinger, Preternatural Investigator 

I’m the guy you come to when your spouse gets bitten by a werewolf, or your honey is kidnapped by a demon. I’m the guy who knows how to save your ass when an evil sorcerer casts a curse on it. 

At least, I was that guy until the Society of Shadows sent me to Dearmont, Maine, a sleepy town that had a zero rating on the supernatural occurrences scale.  

My plan was to spend my days sitting in the office with nothing to do except drink coffee and eat apple bakes made by Felicity, my new assistant. 

But when a woman hires me to find out if her son has been possessed by a demon at a rich kids’ party, and a young man comes to the office insisting he’s been bitten by a werewolf, Dearmont goes from zero to hero. 

Oh, and did I mention that someone in the Society wants me dead?
Time to sharpen the swords and go to work…

My Review

Before I begin, I have to admit that I didn't have any great expectations before reading this book. There seems to be a lot of urban fantasy books nowadays based on a P.I and I have to say most of them are pretty forgettable. It just seems the genre is swamped with a lot of sameness, but the book was going for free on Amazon and I thought I'd give it a go.

So here's my review...

The story centres on Alec Harbinger, Preternatural Investigator, who works for a secret magical society, but he finds himself in their bad graces and as a result has been shunted out to Dearmont, Maine.

The book does follow the same cookie cutter formular as most other urban fantasy novels but honestly I enjoyed it.

And there's a couple of reasons why;

1. The main one being the main character, Alec. He wasn't the brash, overconfident type that you often find in this genre, nor was he the bumbling idiot that invariably sends you into a fit of groaning due to the stupid decisions they make. Instead Alec, was a strong dependable guy who had some common sense about him. He actually approached problems like someone who's competent because he does it for a living (strange concept I know).
2. The second reason I liked the book was the simple writing style. If you're looking for elaborate, descriptive passages of text then this book is probably not going to appease you, but I liked how simple the prose was and it read easy. You know sometimes I don't want to think too much when I'm reading and just want to enjoy the story.

Conclusion

If you want a quick, entertaining story based on a likeable character, then you can't go too far wrong with this book. I enjoyed it and now I'm on to the sequel.

Out of 10 Stars:

8 Stars

Buy it here:

Amazon UK

Amazon US

The Russian Assassin

The Russian Assassin: A Max Austin Thriller, Book #1 by Jack Arbor.

Front Cover

Synopsis

You can't go home again... 

Former KGB assassin Max Austin's peaceful life in Paris is shattered when his mother's imminent death brings him back to a world he only wants to forget. Before he's even unpacked his bags, a brutal act of terrorism sends Max running for his life and forces him to uncover secrets about his father's past to save his family's lives.

Max's sister and nephew become pawns in a game that started a generation ago. As Max races from the alleyways of Minsk to the tony neighborhood of Zurich, and finally to the gritty streets of Prague, he must confront his past and come to terms with his future to preserve his family name.

If you like intrigue, twists, and high-octane excitement, you'll love this tight, fast-paced adventure, starring Jack Arbor's stoic hero, ex-KGB assassin-for-hire Max Austin.

My Review

This thriller is based on an ex-KGB assassin, Max, who on the behest of his sister, is coming home from Paris to see his dying mother but just as he arrives a bomb goes off, killing his whole family save for his sister and child.

The remainder of the novel focuses on Max as he pursues those responsible for his families tragedy whilst trying to uncover the reason why they were targeted.

I've read a few hitmen/assassin type books and I have to say this is one of the better ones. I enjoyed the quick, efficient style of Jack Arbor's writing and the story flowed easily from one plot to the next. The action scenes were well described and Arbor kept it simple, which I appreciated. 

As for the main character, Max, I thought he was a superb protagonist. He was good at his job, but he wasn't infallible, and whilst I obviously didn't expect to see him killed off, I got some suspense on whether or not he'd be able to rescue/protect those he cared about. 
Another point I liked about Max was that he wasn't narcissistic or egotistical - I've read my share of books where authors portray their main character's as the next coming of James Bond, which invariably involves nothing more than endless skirt chasing and posing.

Conclusion

If you're into your fast paced action novels with a healthy dose of mystery then this book will be perfect for you.

Jack Arbor's a talented author who I'll be keeping an eye on.

Out of 10 Stars

8 Stars

Buy it here:

Amazon UK

Amazon US

The Wolves of War

The Wolves of War by Greg Curtis.

Front Cover

Synopsis

Briagh has a secret. He's a morph. One born with the gift of changing shape. He has another secret too. He's also a thief. A genuine cat burglar. 

Meanwhile Elan has her own secret. Despite pretending to be a bardic warrior she's actually the Princess of Abylon. And she too has a second secret. Her entire family is mad. 

Her father and brothers are unfit to rule. Her mother is not dead as people believe. Instead she's become the psychotic wolf mother, whose pack has been killing and devouring the people of the city for a decade.

And then there's the Court and their little secret. They rule the Kingdom of Abylon even though they do not have the right.

Secrets are useful things. They allow people like Elan and Briagh to live normal, even comfortable lives. They allow a kingdom to be governed by those who do not have the authority. They make life for the people of Abylon possible. 

But when their secrets are revealed, none of those things may hold. And when the wolf mother is the reason for that revelation – it may be war.

My Review

For those of you who who follow my blog will probably know that I am a huge fan of Greg Curtis. If you didn't, then you do now. I've read most of his books, and I enjoy the formular he uses in his stories - the quite, reclusive main character, shunned by society, who has talents that requires him to become a hero to his people. I guess I'm a sucker for those types of storylines.

Moving on to this book, the main character is Briagh who is a Morph, born with the ability to change shapes. He is also a thief that has a tendency to run when the going gets tough.

The other main character is Elan, Princess of Abylon. She is a fierce, strong willed woman who wants to kill all Morphs due to the tragedy that befell her family.

The storyline follows both Briagh and Elan who become involved when a crazed woman leading a pack of wolves begins to attack the city of Absynth. 

I guess I had high expectations before reading this and I certainly wouldn't say I was let down but I have to admit it's not one of Curtis's best works. The storyline for me felt a little bit fanciful and did not flow as well as his other books. 

I did however like the main character Briagh, he had a bit more backbone than what you usually get and was enjoyable to read. As for Elan, she had a remarkable personality (basically a psychopath) and one I won't be forgetting in a long while. It was nice to get that contrast between Briagh and Elan.

Conclusion

If you're fan of Greg Curtis then you know what you're getting into, and this book naturally follows his previous novels, and whilst not his best, you still get that satisfying feel.

If you haven't read his books before then I would suggest trying his other novels first like 'The Godlost Land', 'Banshee Hunt' or 'The Lady's Man'.

Out of 10 Stars

6 Stars

Buy it here:

Amazon UK

Amazon US

Ren: The Man Behind the Monster

Ren: The Man Behind the Monster by Sarah Noffke.

Front Cover

Synopsis

Born with the power to control minds, hypnotize others, and read thoughts, Ren Lewis, is certain of one thing: God made a mistake. No one should be born with so much power. A monster awoke in him the same year he received his gifts. At ten years old. A prepubescent boy with the ability to control others might merely abuse his powers, but Ren allowed it to corrupt him. And since he can have and do anything he wants, Ren should be happy. However, his journey teaches him that harboring so much power doesn't bring happiness, it steals it. Once this realization sets in, Ren makes up his mind to do the one thing that can bring his tortured soul some peace. He must kill the monster.

My Review

The novel is based on Ren, who is part of a special race of human beings called Dream Travellers and has certain abilities, such as reading thoughts, hypnosis, and controlling minds.
The story follows Ren from when he's a school kid adjusting to his powers to adulthood. Let's just say life is not smooth sailing for Ren as he tries to overcome a few mighty hurdles and in the process finds himself being recruited by an organisation dedicated to battling evil.

Now I want to talk about the main character, Ren. I've finished the book and I still don't know what to make of him. I wouldn't say I like him as he's not really the likeable type. The author has made him very cynical, arrogant, and narcissistic, so to sum him up - a complete a** h***. 
Yet I've gone on and read the 2nd and 3rd book in the series, which suggests that despite how much I dislike Ren, I still want to read more about him.

A point I found confusing was how much Ren hated himself and thought himself a monster. Yes, Ren does a lot of dubious things, but stuff I would hardly call monstrous, and yet he acts like he's the 2nd coming of Hitler (or maybe I've just got a different psycopath-ometer to everyone else).
Aslo another point I found odd was how Ren thought his powers were too godly for mankind and that it was too much for anyone to bear, which left me scratching my head thinking, yes, he can read thoughts and do some hypnosis, but I'd hardly call it Superman worthy stuff.

Conclusion

Like I've said in my review, I've gone on and read the 2nd and 3rd books in the series because the story is actually quite interesting. The characters are a bit weird but the good kind of weird (I think). So, if you're looking for something more quirky than your average urban fantasy, then this will be perfect for you.

Out of 10 Stars:

7 Stars

Buy it here:

Amazon UK

Amazon US