Delightful, thought-provoking, and immersive!
341329
This is one of those books I couldn't put down, and when I wasn't reading it, I was thinking about it and couldn't wait to return.  It kept me thinking and guessing, amending my assumptions, and generally keeping me on my toes in a pleasurable story.  Wonderful.  This is one of those books that ruin you for bad books.
1120839
"Speckled: A Collection of Short Stories" is filled with delightful gems that speak to the authors skill as a rich character painter.

In short spaces, these characters deal with varied complex emotions and circumstances. Some are in a realistic fictional context while others exist in a highly altered reality. From a girl facing either foster care or a life with a father shes never known, to private investigators collecting clues for peculiar cases, to bleak futures of indentured servitude and robotic rationing of household utilities, to a self-cloning steampunk robot. He articulates the emotions and plights of the characters so beautifully that I found it easy to connect with each of them and to think, ah, I understand how this would feel! While not all of the stories have a complete arc, peeling away the layers on the characters and their relationships to the point where Taylor has chosen to let things taper off is immensely satisfying. It raises a myriad of possible journeys and outcomes worth pondering after the fact. Some stories pluck at cords of sadness endemic to the human condition while offering hope. Others are more light-hearted, humorous, and thoughtful.

This was a wonderful, enjoyable read. Well done, sir!
879203
For many of us, entertainment means escaping into fantasy avatar worlds, or other science fiction that seems to have little connection to our everyday lives. Here is a book that reminds us just how magical "ordinary" life is. Dr. Lawrence Rosenblum will have you mentally savoring fine Chardonnay on one page, while taking notes about improving your love life on another. His writing is so engaging that you will forget you are receiving a crash course from a leading expert on the science of sensation and perception. I was particularly struck by the warm and uplifting way the author handled disability issues, reminding us how adaptable and truly remarkable we humans can be.
Hope doesn't have to exist in dreams. It's right here, in our perception of beauty, our unconscious recognition of faces, our enjoyment of favorite foods, our implicit understanding of music, and so much more. If you're feeling down about anything in your life, picking up this book could be just what the doctor ordered.
2985157
Alexander Marchand's thoroughly enjoyable book is like ACIM 'Cliff Notes' in comic book form. It's loaded with superb visual humor and metaphors, and remarkable depth and insight disguised as a VERY fun read. For those that want in-depth non-dual metaphysics in a graphically engaging format (including some very cool glyphs for concepts we can all relate to), this one is a total page-turner. I couldn't put it down. Try it, you'll like it! You might even find you are less interested in polishing a less-than-satisfactory substitute for what we all really want. (You'll just have to read the book to figure what that hilarious reference was about. :-)
- Bruce Rawles, author of The Geometry Code: Universal Symbolic Mirrors of Natural Laws Within Us; Friendly Reminders of Inclusion to Forgive the Dreamer of Separation
2842836
Bought this on a whim, expecting not to enjoy it very much, but I was so wrong. It was wonderful, and immersive. I stayed up all night reading at least twice. I can't wait for the next one!
4042130
This book is an absolutely delightful read!  I just finished visiting this fantastical world she has created with beautiful creatures and endearing characters. It definitely leaves me longing to read the sequel - I hope there is one! With the introduction of each new character one becomes increasingly engaged with the story and evolving relationships. I was especially delighted with the spiritual analogies made as the book ends; very subtle, but clear, inspirational and encouraging! It took my memory back to the characters C.S. Lewis creates for us in "Out of the Silent Planet" and "Perelandra".
Thank you for sharing your gift with us! Job well done!
4119268
Harbinger is perhaps one of the best books I have read. While it's not quite of the epic scale as the Inheritance Cycle or other fantasy series, I would put it on par with the How to Train Your Dragon films or The Legend of Eli Monpress series by Rachel Aaron. It's relatable, I think, to young and old audiences alike. While it is wholesome enough for kids to enjoy, it is also clever, entertaining, and thoughtful in a way that is appealing to me as an adult.

Every sentence is jammed with whit, personality, and charm. The characters are delightful and relatable, maintaining a balance between quirky and realistic. The tone of the novel is overall light--a fun ride--but at times left me aching with sympathy for Kael's plight. Shea Ford has skillfully portrayed the awkward, caring, book-loving mind of our hero, as well as the minds of other, lesser characters as their perspectives appear; even those who only narrate no more than one or two chapters feel fully fleshed out, like they could have stories of their own.

The settings, like everything else, are beautifully described. Shea does a remarkable job playing upon all senses when describing a scene, allowing the reader full immersion into the action. And again, it is all skillfully written within the parameters of what the point of view character--Kael or whoever--would feel or notice. Just another testament to Shea's ability as a storyteller and a writer.

The magic system is well developed, though I would have enjoyed reading more of how this particular, unique form of magic FEELS: the sensations and mental processes that accompany each different encounter. This is explained in beautiful detail, true, at the beginning of the story, but I found it fascinating enough to want to read it again for other situations. I also appreciate how the various forms of magic are not explained in lectures. So often, the inevitable lectures drag on, and are tactless and tedious. But in Harbinger, magic in it's various forms unfolds very naturally. It is introduced in a way that is immediately intriguing, while not surpassing the character's own understanding of it. The "time of teaching" was also enjoyable, I found, not dwelling on the subject too long, while still expanding our knowledge of the powers at play. I am excited to see what wonders are wrought in future books!
(See what I did there? Pun intended;))

Again, an excellent read! Well written in all aspects, with an endearing cast, picturesque descriptions, and a poetic yet easy voice. I would definitely say Harbinger (Fate's Forsaken: Book 1) is well worth your time! I look forward to following Kael, Kyleigh, and the rest of the characters' journeys through the remaining three books.

Happy reading!
-Bekah Terrell
744683
I've been a fan of New World Notes for years, and I've been in Second Life for quite a while as well. I'm reviewing this book before I've even finished it (RL can be harsh when it comes to making time to read!) but only because I'm so excited that it's out there!

This is a masterfully-crafted insider's look at the almost organic growth of what will almost inevitably be seen as a milepost in the evolution of communication, and most of all I appreciate the tone of candid observation that runs through it. Au's insights are personal--not constructed to impress (either Linden Lab or any other audience), just to describe, in entertaining and amusing ways. I love the way he carefully lays out his thesis that Second Life has succeeded, is succeeding, often in spite of all the efforts of Linden Lab, the San Francisco company that created it.

If you can read this book and not download and run Second Life on your computer, you might be a tree stump, not a human being...
1377345
This is going to be a review of gushing, hyperbole, and adjectives. As someone who loves video games, diverse stories, and sci-fi (but who is always desperately in search of more sci-fi books), I knew Warcross was going to be a winner. I wasn't disappointed. Like the author, inside a shiny superfun rainbow package is a deviously clever core. With a vibrant main character (not least because of her hair), a dazzling neon cyber-world with a sinister underbelly, a steamy romance, and a breakneck plot, Warcross rockets you through breathtaking rollercoaster loops and smacks you with an ending shock that leaves you clawing for more.

Lu has a rare command of both characters and world, with some exceptions. Our MC, Emika, is a snarky Chinese computer whiz whose personality leaps off the page as vividly as her rainbow-colored hair. She's as fierce as Katniss, with a similar edge. Hideo is a Japanese genius playboy worthy of Bruce Wayne's mantle. They spark against each other like flint, their relationship intense and complicated. Unfortunately, the secondary characters don't burn as brightly. I loved Tremaine, the snarky bad-boy hacker and Emika's rival, but Emika's teammates were a little too subdued for people who played such important roles.

Even if the main characters had been cardboard, the world was enough to draw me in. Lu crafts an atmosphere with the punch and lightning of old school Nintendo on acid. With precise, evocative descriptions, she renders a futuristic cyber technicolor Wonderland that I'd die to play in. It's a world where virtual reality is layered over physical reality, where you get points for going to the grocery store, where you can slip into fantasy playgrounds with the touch of a button. She gives enough detail about the platform, Neurolink, to seem scientifically plausible, without going into so much detail that the science begins to break down.

On this stage, Lu takes the intersection between life and video games to its logical conclusion. The battle game Warcross is something that I could easily see being a real game; Lu's game designer roots are obvious in its intricacy. I was just as enthralled by the descriptions of Warcross battles in the grand tournament as I was with the underlying mystery: who's the hacker Zero and why does he want to take down Warcross? Lu also plays around with the dark side of technology, including an extra-sinister Dark Web that's actually a 3D black market. And the final twist...it's too much of a spoiler to say, but it elevates Warcross from fun cyber adventure to dark cyberpunk thriller with one punch.

I won't say Warcross is a perfect book. The side characters get kind of shafted, and the central romance moves a little fast. However, the main characters and the world itself are so intensely vivid that you almost have to squint from the strobelight. I rode Warcross's wave on a rave-like high and crossed the final page with vicious book hangover. It left me with so many questions and theories, so much anticipation. I can't wait to jump back into Lu's technicolor Tokyo and follow Emika as she contends with the dark side of virtual reality.

in a sentence
Warcross is a vibrant science-fiction thriller that riffs on video game technology to spin a cyberpunk mystery adventure that will leave you reeling.
2177766
The world building in this book is done so seamlessly as to give the reader a clear mental image while not taking anything away from the story itself. For each location, the story gives us a visual, but also details that make places more realistic. Everything from sounds to smells is given, creating a truly immersive setting for the novel.

The characters grow and develop so much during this novel that its easy to forget its not a standalone. New characters are introduced and given the same level of attention as existing characters. Its almost impossible not to imagine yourself interacting with each of the characters because of how real they have become.

When people tell you this series is all-consuming, they're not joking or exaggerating. Its completely immersive. This book especially has gone to new levels of depth for the world, characters, and storyline. I cant imagine how the author will top this novel, yet Im excitedly waiting for my copy of the next to arrive. I can not wait to see where this story goes!

For this review and more, please visit my blog at vicariousbookworm.wordpress.com
4612158
A great read! I loved how immersive it was, hard to put down.  I can't wait to read the next book in the series!
3408865
I savored these compact meaty morsels and exploratory tales and originally quirky narrative.

Drew Pisarra's Publick Spanking does just that! And in a good way! Pisarra embraces the bizarre and mysterious depths of being human, while sharing and illuminating the unique and colorful psyches that we all hold, express, and sometimes dare to share.

As the mundane day in the life of meets the poignant simple pains, pleasures and treasures captured together in the web of recollections and remembrances, something grows. A heightened magical visceral realism intersects thought and mans embodiments as play-by-play streams of consciousness. An inside view of the human labyrinth. Entering in where the lines both blur and sharpen as we stand at the crossroad. In this sensory technicolor world between thought, feeling, and action, we are teased and cajoled into a plane of existence where ambiguity and confusion is welcomed into this real time dreamscape, where the nascent and numinous acquires a hue of knowingness, and heaven is hellish, and hell is heavenly. All the same
715973
This book will definitely be on my gift list this Christmas and beyond. Each story is a brief but immersive experience in itself, so it can be read in snippets. But they weave together so well that I couldn't put them down. The characters - animal, human, and the barn itself - are proof that truth well told is more vivid and entertaining than fiction. And the truth is hysterically funny, heartbreaking, precious, irritating, and beautiful. Like a great lyric or poem, this book uses few words to convey a whole world of experience,  memory and imagination. The barn stands, worn but sturdy, as witness to it all. And it has some amazing stories to tell. I truly loved this book!
2705931
Wishful Thinking grabbed my attention from the beginning and kept it throughout the meaningful (and fun) journey of the main character. The book's magic is the sophisticated yet accessible development of both plot and characters. More than once I found myself recognizing moments in my own life through the characters' experiences and smiled at some of Wishful Thinking's twists and turns, which are all too familar for those of us juggling the demands of today's complex world. Extremely well-done and recommended -- Wicoff offers a light-hearted yet meaningful read that connects the reader with imaginative possibilities.
1383170
"Like Minds" took me back to the type of near future worlds envisioned in Neal Stephenson's Snow Crash, Cryptonomicon, and just about anything from William Gibson.  It's really hard to write this review without giving anything away, but I will try and leave the twists, turns and surprises for you to discover on your own.  The core story develops around three very different characters, each with their own distinct journey that the author somehow blends together into a cohesive and intellectually stimulating thrill ride.  The world of "Like Minds" also paints a very realistic picture of our near future as artificial sentience, virtual reality and age old murder and world domination collide.  Some of the action sequences like the helicopter assaults and the VR battles are so well written I had to put the book down, say "whoa..", and just soak in the visuals that were exploding in in my mind.  The reality of the situations and their impact on this band of characters I now deeply cared for caused me to polish the last half of the book off over a weekend.  I'm not sure I've read anything where the physical and virtual worlds were so effectively intertwined.  Like most written works that require building an immersive world and deep character development, it takes a while to gain steam but like a great roller coaster, there's that moment when you can sense the top of the first hill and whoosh down you go for an epic run to the finish.  There you go, no spoilers and I can't wait for a sequel!
2165425
Shan Gill has succeeded in creating a beautiful and interesting character to dramatize her own beliefs and their positive effects on her life. CK truly has an aware spirit and will be a great role model and embodiment of all things good for children and adults alike. The story line of traveling from the 5th dimension (Joy-vile) to the third dimension (our world today) and how it impacts the CK is well-done and very illustrative of the power of negative thinking and energy. The book clearly gives you pause for thought as you contemplate the lens in which you see and experience life, and, most importantly, how you yourself give thanks to the universe!
2401936
An epic, incredibly visual romp into worlds of magic and fantasy that I could never have conjured on my own, and yet that (for the most part) I could completely immerse myself in.  This book was so enjoyable and yet also dealt with some very heavy topics in a responsible way (death, rape, coming of age): it is not a piece of fluff simply because it invokes worlds that we've neither seen nor heard of.  I wish I could read it all over again, but for now, I'm glad I have the third book in the trilogy to console myself with.