A great adventure in an intricate world
926489
Joey Cola is no ordinary kid.  Bordering on genius, the skinny gangly 15 year old is about to graduate the youngest in his school and attend the illustrious MIT.  Joeys friend Alex, is just as smart, but her style would be considered a lot more eclectic than Joeys. Alex has bright red hair and doesnt ever miss a chance to sport fishnet tights and red boots as loud as her hair.
Everything was swimming along semi normal towards graduation.  Well, as normal as it can be for a kid genius who is constantly being bullied and beaten up by his older brothers.  Not all 13 of them, just the closest three to Joeys age.
When Joeys dad, gives him a precious ornament supposedly recovered from an ancient Egyptian temple.  Joey thinks his life is about to change, but the change he envisaged only encompassed his college attendance, not the weird and vivid dreams that begin plaguing his sleep.
When his brothers jump him, leaving him for dead down a sewer, Joey is soon drawn into the dark and mysterious dream world, where he can become everything he will never ever be in the physical world.  Turns out, his not so ordinary friend Alex, has been making her mark in the dream word too, but in her own inflated persona of Boudica.
Joeys life starts taking some incredible turns, when he realises the dream world is every bit a reality as the real world, and it has consequences.  He learns the Pharaoh of the dream world, is every bit as powerful in the real world, and he is planning a big showdown with the worlds food supply.  One that Joey is unsure involves his elusive and exquisitely beautiful daughter Cleopatra.
Joey must become a powerful dream warrior, in order to even have a chance against the Pharaoh.  With the help of his trusty friend Alex, or Boudica as she is feared in the dream world and their guide Ammon, Joey will have to learn some fast moves to gain the Pharaohs Daughters trust in order to infiltrate the Pharaohs house, or risk losing the battle that will effect everything he has ever known in the real world.
This was an intricate adventure, with an exciting world, full of action and suspense. Joeys perspective was refreshing, and the torn emotions he experiences are palpable, as he comes to realise his significance in the all the chaos.  I enjoyed this rendition, or what seemed like a take on the biblical story of Joseph and his dreams.  I believe this will appeal to a young adult audience, of both guys and girls, with the gripping fights scenes, a little unrequited love and the expert weaving of a very entertaining story.  I am looking forward to the next instalment.

Note, I gained a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
1074156
Among the genre I read, fantasy is one of my favorites. C E Johnson delivers a one of a kind adventure to the parallel worlds Earth and Acacia. Well thougth of characters, great inteaction between them and nice build up of the heroes and villains. You can be mightily curious about Emily, Xena, Dr D, Samil, Malachi and the other characters. Plotwise, the pacing is good and keeps the reader informed and excited.

Well written. I am highly curious about the rest of the series.
3439266
This page-turning adventure story is a journey through realms of consciousness from the ordinary to the fantastic, providing the reader with a challenging and engrossing opportunity to explore the frontier where what's "real" and what's "unreal" are indistinct, and where intentional consciousness itself becomes the tiller and the human heart the compass.

The authors have spun a tale of multilayered and dazzling intricacy. Working with ancient Hawaiian Huna teachings and Japan's tradition of bushido, in this first installment of the series, a multidimensional history of Earth is conjured, the all-at-onceness of time being a very fluid element in this story-telling.

Characters are called forth in diverse array, from the mythic to the seemingly ordinary, interacting across time and space, across gaps in consciousness, across the fragmented field of illusion, to remember what is real and true always and to restore the balancepoint where all seemingly disparate realms converge: in the human heart.

As with all series, we are left craving the next installment. Grand!
407230
I know exactly when  The Magic Mines of Asharim got me. In the first chapter, Allandra, the protagonist, goes to the mines office to look for work. She gets a job as a companion servant, which is one of the less desirable options there.
The woman who's interviewing her says "Better than the brothels, I suppose"
And Allandra's thoughts are "Much better. That never would have worked. Too much noise."
The characters are not standard, their motivations are very complex and believable, the story is of a journey which spans a lot of land, and an inner journey for the main character with many twists and turns along the way.
A great book, and highly recommended.
541183
Emissary by Thomas Locke is high adventure in a strange world where evil wars against people of the realm. Unknown power sources are everywhere. The author writes with great description and has talent to describe the abnormal as common. A very complex story of mystery and intrigue. Without a glossary of terms in the book, the reader must stay alert to the many types of beings and creatures in the realm and their histories.
The book kept my attention with my mind dwelling on the plot during the day. I normally don't read fantasy, but I'm hooked and look forward to the next book in the series.
Rating:**** stars. It's a book a person would enjoy reading the second time to further understand the plot.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Revell in exchange for my honest review.
3430295
The author has created a world with complex characters and a magic system that I thought was wonderful and unique.  There are intriguing .plot twists that draw the reader in as you learn more about the main character which I found to be a complex individual.  I loved the authors style so much that Ive purchased the other novels in the Bright Moons Annals and I hope to be able to find the time to revisit this interesting world soon.

4.75/5 STARS:  **I want to thank the author r for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review; all opinions are mine.**
4245708
A fantastic adventure - full of mystery, action, and excitement. I highly recommend this story for both boys and girls, and for adults who love a good story. There are a handful of instances where the wrong word is used which interrupted the story flow as I stopped to make sense of the sentence (the/they, we/I etc) these would not show up as typos in a spell check, but could be easily fixed. Imaginative settings, likeable characters, and an interesting storyline kept me happily turning the pages. WJ Scott, Children's Author,&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Hieroglyph-TC-s-Adventures-Book-1/dp/B016IZYDE4/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Hieroglyph (TC's Adventures Book 1)</a>[...]
4635482
I just wrote my review of this novel's prequel, The Wizard Hunters, based around the premise that these books are more complex than they seem. Just as this book goes more in depth into the complexity, so I'll continue, in this review.
As I said, on the surface, these books are simply a great swashbuckling sort of adventure (quite YA-friendly, I might add; there's sex but it's fade-to-black, and the violence is realistic but not excessively gory), but it's the characters that make it worth following. And all of them are complex and rich and believable, even the unnamed ones who get a throwaway line in a background scene.

This book gives us a great deal more insight into Tremaine Valiarde, our intrepid heroine. It gives her a love interest, for one-- but a marriage of political expediency, and with a wonderful Wellsian twist: the husband is from a matriarchy and assumes that she will be the authority figure in the relationship. It's a fascinating logic experiment that yields phenomenal results of characterization.
 And this book contains the scene I love to use as an example of what Strong Female Characters ought to be, but never get to be: HUMAN. Tremaine is primarily a human character. She's set up to be a neurotic, bloody-minded person. In this book, she is presented with a desperate situation that catapults her into a leadership role she doesn't particularly want but knows she must take-- to secure it, she has to play a life-or-death game of chicken, and she does so with iron nerves, but believable irritability. (Over the course of about fifty pages there's a delightful little thread of consistency as she bites off each of her nails one by one, followed up later when her husband notices her doing the last one; in many of the scenes she otherwise seems utterly unmoved by the most horrifying things, but if you pay attention to her hands, you can see she's just shredded internally.) And later, she is presented with a choice: murder in cold blood to secure just a bare chance of saving not just her friends but probably her entire world, or spare an innocent man's life and ensure the death of everyone she loves?
The most important part of this is that unlike in many works of fiction, Tremaine doesn't just murder someone, feel on-screen guilt about it, and then move on. No, she returns to think of her hapless victim in tiny little realistic moments of self-doubt and post-trauma for the rest of the series; you know fine well that in the fictonal future, she still remembers the man she shot in cold blood to get a truck.
Like a real person would.
She's not some action superman. She's ruthless because she has no choice. She's her father's daughter, even if she doesn't understand him. And that's possibly the crowning touch to the whole little arc of characterization: she is continuing the same arc her father was on in Death of the Necromancer, when he overheard Inspector Ronsarde and Doctor Halle discussing him. Even then it is apparent; they think him some sort of cold-blooded psychopath, but in his moment of doubt, he knows he is only doing what he has had to do to survive.

Not just any author could make a connection like that, but that is how three-dimensional these characters are.
3105281
I purchased this book years ago on a Kindle Daily Deal whim because the cover art looked cool. Wow, was that a fortuitous decision! It is set in an engaging and unique fantasy world with extremely positive (but not preachy) values and inspirations. But it's also an extremely engaging and well-written adventure that will leave you looking to pick up Book 2 (So what that it's 2am?? I'm just going to start the next book...). I've read it through a few times and listened to it on audio during long drives. It introduced me to the many amazing worlds and works of Jeff Wheeler but I still periodically come back to this one. My musician wife even wrote a song inspired by this book!
675184
In what could have been a simple tale of getting a knight from point A to point B, McComb shows us a rich fantasy world as explained through a variety of unique characters. The story seamlessly flows from third to first person, with sections ranging between oral accounts and memoirs. Every narrator has a simple story to tell, but all together they create a grand perspective of a kingdom full of history, treachery, and some damn cool action. I don't want to give anything away, but from where book one leaves off, I'm greatly looking forward to the future adventures of young Sir Pelagir. I'm eager to see how his current circumstances develop him and make him grow. And -even more so- I can't wait to see this augmented knight in battle again. And again. And again.
3662490
The Pearl is a fantasy story filled with an amazing array of individuals and creatures from dragons and vampires to a gnome-god who can stop time. The journey to the Spirit Mountains for the main characters is filled with danger in the midst of a power struggle. As the story progresses, Pearl, the first of her kind, gets a new body and Xiao gets a newly established kingdom. Beyond those small tidbits it's not good to say much more without spoiling the story for new readers. But the author has a great imagination and has woven an intricate story that keeps you engaged to the end. Read it and see for yourself.
2617231
In the tradition of Ursula K. Le Guin, this gripping fantasy, set in an alternate world that has much in common with our own, raises many questions about how we view and understand our lives and our worlds.  Perhaps because I am not a frequent reader of fantasy, I found the beginning a bit difficult as I tried to figure out just what kind of world James had created.  But as I came to care about the two main characters, Duuni, an artist and weaver, and Raim, a blind weaver, both of whom after traumatic events in their home communities fall in with (are rescued by?) the Roadsouls, a free-wheeling, rough, group of Romani-like itinerants who travel about by wagon, stopping at fairs and carnivals.  The Roadsouls are characterized as child-stealers (although the truth is somewhat different), and they are at home everywhere and nowhere.  Inevitably, a deep and fraught relationship develops between Duuni and Raim. Their stories are told simultaneously and alternately, each in their own voices, indicated by black on white hand symbols for Duuni and white on black for Raim.  About mid-way through the book, as I grew more comfortable with the characters and their worlds, I became totally caught up in the compellingly dramatic story.  Even upon finishing the book, I continue to think about the questions raised and the trials faced by the protagonists, and I long to revisit and learn more, not only about Duuni and Raim, but also about the many fascinating and memorable characters, both children and adults (and also animals), that they meet in their trials and adventures.  There is much darkness, cruelty, and rough language, but also love and wonder in this skillfully rendered world that has more in common with our own than we may think at first.
4216306
A wonderful story woven in a beautiful, descriptive realm. From the start you can see Bethany Adams is taking her time, building her magical eleven world and drawing you in with a tale spun with mystery and intrigue. The premise is one that I would love to read more about in the next books and the characters are realistically flawed, likeable and believable. Adams has created a strong female lead that is independent, well-developed and modern; one that shows bravery and tenacity as she navigates through this new, unknown world. The story is well written and enjoyable.
3257351
Alex Taylor didn't think much of the strange looking bookshop. But then there was the blinking sign. The wooden, hand-painted blinking sign. The sign that kept telling him to come inside. As soon as Alex walks through the door, his life changes forever. Questions he's always had will be answered: who is he? Why does the "real" world feel so strange? Who are his parents? Alex discovers another world: a place where he can travel with elves and dwarfs, and face countless danger and adventure. And now Alex has his first quest: Find an evil dragon's lair and rescue the hoard of gold. The only problem is: no one has ever come back alive from a quest to the dragon's rotting domain. On all accounts, this adventure is a not much more than a death sentence.

Mark Forman's debut book, ADVENTURERS WANTED: SLATHBOG'S GOLD, is a pretty fun, adventure story, with some heavy borrows from THE HOBBIT and RPG-esque ideas. The story world is firmly rooted in high fantasy with trolls, goblins, wizards, dwarfs, elves, and quests. I wondered about this book for a while: would I be inwardly groaning over the obvious similarities to other fantasy titles of the past? Or would Forman manage to pull his own weight and give us something fun and exciting to follow? As I read, many of the plot devices and elements reminded me heavily of THE HOBBIT, but the writing drew me in. Forman keeps things moving along at a steady pace, and there are mysteries and questions to be answered unique to the world he's created.

Alex is a fairly typical and straightforward character -- he doesn't know who his parents are, or who he really is. And as he begins to discover the secrets surrounding his life, he humbly embraces them. This aspect of Alex's character won me over. A lot of characters traveling from the "real world" to a fantasy world end up whining their entire way through their journeys. Those characters question things in a very grating way and just want to get home. Alex, however, is different. He starts out wondering what is happening around him, but not in a whiny-sort of way. And slowly we can see his wide-eyed wonder at the magical world he's stumbled into.

Forman doesn't drag us into long and drawn-out descriptions either, which was definitely a plus. It didn't take long to get to the action or the mystery. And by the novel's end, he delivers a couple of interesting twists that made me excited for the second book. There's also the interesting dose of RPG elements into the book from the use of inventory-holding magic bags to the dividing of gold based on a character's adventurer level.

All this said, the book did feel like a more modern-day telling of THE HOBBIT, and die-hard fans of Tolkien will definitely turn up their noses here. Being a fan of THE HOBBIT myself, I wondered if by the end I was going to be annoyed or not, but I was surprised to have really enjoyed the book as a fun epic fantasy that didn't feel dragged through the mud in description or utter cliches.

Fans of Brandon Mull's THE BEYONDERS series would do well to pick up SLATHBOG'S GOLD and check it out in between books. Light-hearted readers of fantasy will definitely enjoy this adventurous romp through magical worlds and into the very mouth of danger.
4270276
For bold readers, The Edge of Worlds would be a fascinating way to dive into Martha Wells Raksura series. Like the books that have come before it, its a rich world populated by bizarre creatures and strange landscapes. From floating islands to winged, shapeshifting humanoids, its a feast for the imagination, especially considering there are no humans whatsoever in the series. With this being the beginning of a new adventure, new readers can dive in here if they don't mind missing out on the references to previous books. For the longtime readers, however, get ready for another fun journey.

In this tale, the Indigo Cloud court shares a shared dream of a Fell attack. Then a strange flying vessel arrives in the Reaches. It leads to an adventure out into the ocean toward an ancient, impenetrable city. The Raksura must brave Fell attacks, strange groundlings, and unlock the mysteries of a forerunner/foundation builder citadel knowing their very doom could lie just around the corner. Cloud lies at the heart of the story, serving as the readers touchstone as it unfolds. Jade, Chime, Stone and several other familiar characters join him, including the groundling Delin and the sealing Rorra. They encounter new species, secrets and threats.

For those new to the Raksura series, its not an action packed story littered with violence. Rather its a slow build of colorful characters and imaginative surroundings that engulf and submerge the reader. Its more of a peaceful escapism than an action packed adventure. But there is action, there is violence, and there is turmoil. What begins as a scientific expedition eventually turns into chaos. It also leaves the book on a cliffhanger making the next book in the series a must read.

As a fan of the series, I really enjoyed The Edge of Worlds. Martha Wells laid out another exotic trip into the realm of the Three Worlds and the Raksura. Theres peaceful moments, mystery, exploration, discovery, action, pain, betrayal and adventure. The ending left me pumped for the next book and I cant wait to see what happens next. The Three Worlds is one of my favorite places to escape to, and this book delivers. I give it a five out of five.
4330067
An excellent sequel fast paced and entertaining book. filled with clever touches that at times makes you want to re read parts of it. it really takes you on journey and makes you feel the excitement of the ride. his description of his world is so meticulous that you at times convinced that such a state could exist. The mix of spirituality woven into an incredible adventure makes for an excellent read.
2205040
A thrilling ride through a well-conceived parallel world. Enjoyable!