Games and Goblins by Alan Berkshire

Jonathan is a thirteen-year old boy who lives in the United Kingdom and loves creating miniature models and dioramas. Unfortunately, it is a hobby that his father neither understands nor approves of despite Jon's obvious talent. When Jon's younger brother, Gavin, accidentally causes the destruction of something that Jon had put so much time and effort into creating, he takes a walk in the woods to be alone and to allow himself to calm down. There he finds a sparkly mud that he thinks might be used to repair his models, but little does he know what else the mud will do to them.

I read a review copy of this young adult horror novel and enjoyed it. When the models first come to life, they are smart enough to pretend that they are still simple models rather than the evil beings that they have become. But don't worry, if the figure that the magic mud brings to life is a formed to be a hero rather than a villain, the being that is brought to life takes on the personality of a hero, which is why Jon's first figurines sought to destroy any others who might stand against them. While this is often the basis of many horror books or movies, it is one that works well, especially as it is written here.

I enjoyed seeing Jon's realization that the figures he created were responsible for so much harm, and watching as he struggles to find a way to stop the evil army that he had unknowingly brought into being. After all, how does one explain to adults that the models you created were the ones doing the killing? When those models are smart enough to pretend to be nothing more than the "toys" the appear to be, what adult is likely to believe a teenager trying to place blame on a miniature model?

This was a nice little young adult horror novel that really tugs at the heartstrings while reading it. It's not a long book, and thus is A quick and easy read, but one that I think most might enjoy. It is not “Steven King” scary so those that enjoy really disturbing horror novels will likely find this book too tame for them, but it is just scary enough that I don't think it would be too much for younger readers to be able to enjoy. And as an adult reader, I myself did also enjoy the story. So I would definitely recommend this book for anyone who is looking for something that is somewhat frightening, but not too scary overall.

The Long Way Home by Alex Bueno

After an EMP knocked out the power in North America and people realized that the power would not be back any time soon, as expected, people were left in shock as the attack was completely unexpected. Since then, John and his son Jack have been trying to make the long (approximately 200 miles) trek back to their home and their family, but everything has become far more dangerous the longer the power has been out. And when Jack becomes seriously ill along the way, John must find medical help or risk watching his son die.

And elsewhere, the president of the United States must find out who he can trust, who he can’t, and which countries can still be considered allies and which are now instead our enemies. Many alliances have shifted and war is imminent, but once the line is crossed that thrusts everyone into a world war, will anyone survive? And can any semblance of what was once a normal life return?

This is the second book in this series, and it is every bit as good as the first one. I read a review copy of this book, and was entirely drawn into each different part of the story being told here. There are many varying aspects of this tale, and each is just as vital and interesting as the others. Secrets abound, fear and violence have escalated, and as each new piece of information is revealed it adds more unanswered questions. 

This is a complex story with many moving parts, yet it is not difficult to keep track of any of it. And much like in book one, the reader should expect not just violence, pain, betrayal, death, but also kindness and hope. For yes, despite all else, there is still hope within this story. 

If you enjoy post-apocalyptic stories about what might (or might not) be the end of the world as we know it, then you will very much enjoy this series, though if you have not yet read book one, I would strongly recommend reading that one first. I have enjoyed both this book and the previous one, and I will be looking forward to reading book three in this series once it has been released. Recommended.

Amazon requires me to state that I have an Amazon Associates account that I use to generate the links to the books on their website. Purchasing something after following those links will earn a few pennies for me off the sale, though as of yet I have not earned anything from my Amazon Associate links.

Killers Never Die by Chelsea Burton Dunn

The war between the immortal races who are involved in the Masquerade (Vampires, Witches, Werewolves, and Chenja) is still very much active. In the past, the Werewolves were aligned with the Witches and the Vampires with the Chenja, but after the ceremony that was supposed to make the leader of the Werewolves into something more powerful than a mere Werewolf went so wrong, the alliances seem to be shifting. There is obviously something happening between the Werewolves and the Witches that appears to indicate that they may no longer be allies, and the Vampires have been unable to get a response from the Chenja, so it would appear that their alliance may be crumbling as well. But what is actually going on and how it will affect what happens among the various races remains to be seen.

I read a review copy of this book and enjoyed it. It involves Vampires and Werewolves, both of which most of us are already familiar with, as well as Chenja, which are a race of shapeshifters from Japanese mythos that I was unfamiliar with before reading this series. The main character, Ace, is the elder who runs the Vampire Coven in London. She is also the mother to the first ever born Vampire, Octavian. Her biological brother, Alexander, is the leader of the London Werewolf pack, and thus her enemy. And that's just the beginning of what's going on in this book. I will warn you that as these races are at war, there is violence and bloodshed involved in this story. And not everyone will have a happy ending. But if you are willing to give this book a try, I think you will enjoy it. I did.

I also enjoyed learning about Octavian and his unique circumstances within this story. Vampire children do not grow in the way human children do, so while he appears to at times age overnight, he is also a fair bit innocent, though very observant and intuitive for a young vampire. And for me, he was one of the more interesting characters in this book. Some of his comments and questions throughout really hit the mark and showed that he was not unaware of what others thought about him and his unique nature.

If you enjoy reading Vampire, Werewolf, Witch, and Chenja stories, then I would suggest giving this series a try. I would recommend starting with book one before reading this one though, as that will explain and answer some questions you might have if you were to simply begin with this book. But even if you decide to start with this one instead, there are enough clues throughout to allow you to guess at what you missed by skipping book one. It is a darker and more violent story than the author's other series (By Moonlight), but it is just as enjoyable in its own way.

Amazon requires me to state that I have an Amazon Associates account that I use to generate the links to the books on their website. Purchasing something after following those links will earn a few pennies for me off the sale, though as of yet I have not earned anything from my Amazon Associate links.

Mountain Bride’s Surprise by Florence Linnington

Harriett was born a slave. Her mother was a black slave and her father a white plantation owner. After the civil war, when all the slaves had been freed by Abraham Lincoln, she traveled north to live in New York, where though her life was not easy, she was able to find work as a washerwoman. But it was a very difficult life and she was still treated very poorly, especially by the white women she often worked for. And then one day she placed an ad to become a mail order bride, hoping to change her life for the better.

I read a review copy of this book, and though it differs slightly from most mail order bride stories, it did retain the general plotline of a typical one. In this story, as a woman who was neither fully black nor fully white, Harriet had quite a few challenges to overcome. It was not common for white men to marry black women back at that point in history, and prejudice toward people of color was quite common, whether they were part white or not. But in true mail order bride fashion, you can expect Harriet to overcome the challenges and hardships set before her. And if you, like I do, enjoy happy endings (that may or may not have been realistic for this time period and setting), then you will likely enjoy this book.\

Amazon requires me to state that I have an Amazon Associates account that I use to generate the links to the books on their website. Purchasing something after following those links will earn a few pennies for me off the sale, though as of yet I have not earned anything from my Amazon Associate links.