Creative and Well-Written
354756
R.T. Kaelin has created an interesting world with a refreshing and unique view of magical powers.  Progeny is a well-written story that is hard to put down in order to get work done!  :)
4353719
This is a great short story. A creative plot described in colorful language makes this very engaging. I read this book from cover to cover without stopping.
It was well written and kept me on my toes till the end.
809087
I really enjoyed this book. It was smart, creative, and funny. The seasonal format was fantastic and let the authors have the opportunity to flesh out a lot of the characters. It also helped the story not have a lull and I read the whole book in one go.

I didn't mind the language as it seemed to always fit the situation. I laughed quite a bit while reading it.

I'll definitely be recommending it to my friends and do a reread (which getting me to do both is why this gets a 5 star review).

Is the story perfect? No. However, it is incredible impressive for self published authors and I see this duo just getting better. The creativity is plain to see and that's one of the most important parts to me. I hope to see a sequel as I think the end of the story left it open for one.
2695450
The story line in this novel is one of the most creative ones Ive ever seen, and for that reason I loved it. A Chicago neurologist going through mid-life crisis goes on a quest to find eternal bliss in the most unconventional way. A combination of dream analysis, fragmented self-analysis, and vacillation between reality and fantasy, the book is well written, the characters are interesting, and the story is intriguing.
4169197
The Lost Treasure of Tuckernuck is a very creative and original story.  Laurie Madison has just begun middle school at Tuckernuck Hall and is desperate to get out.  The halls of Tuckernuck are packed with odd art, old librarians, and Tuckernuck Clucker spirit.  Laurie's best friend, Kimmy, attends another middle school, and Laurie is determined to join her there.  Unfortunately, before anything can begin, she is assigned gerbil duty with Bud Wallace, the most unappreciated sixth-grader (after Bud's elementary school science project that focused on the dangers of sweets, the school board banned them district-wide).
Reluctant to deal with the rodents, or Bud, Laurie is not expecting to have any fun, but when one of the gerbils escapes and she must chase it down with Bud, Laurie stumbles on the first clue to the famed Tucernuck treasure.  Hidden eighty years before by Principal Tutweiler, a somewhat legendary eccentric, neither of the sixth-graders thought that they had a chance at finding the treasure, but working together, this unlikely team is able to uncover clue after clue.
Meanwhile, the school board is planning to destroy Tuckernuck Hall and sell the land to a developer, and Bud is battling his dad who believes that academics are all-important.  When Laurie and Bud see the bulldozers rushing in, they must race against the clock (and rival, Calliope Judkin who is hot on their trail) in order to try to find the treasure and save the school.
This book is clever and unique.  There are pictures of memos, journal entries, and notes throughout the chapters which may be a bit harder for developing readers to understand.  The Lost Treasure of Tuckernuck is worth a read, though!
1899904
L. E. Azer has combined two short stories in this unique book. Both stories are based on Biblical accounts. Both are plausible illustrations of ingenious "what if" story telling.

"The Crucifixion" is a creative, imaginative fictional account of the events leading up to the crucifixion of Jesus on the cross and the impact this had on a Roman soldier who was there when Christ died and again when He rose from the dead.

"In the Beginning" is a fanciful story of Astaria, a world of light. Azer uses fictional names but the stories are based on the Word of God. Azer attempts to use fiction as a platform to help people understand the heart of the God of the universe. He takes the premise that if scientists can invent the theory of evolution, he can use Biblical knowledge to logically explain the existence of dinosaurs and the ice age.

Azer's writing is entertaining, thought provoking and his suppositions are believable. His characters evoke empathy and are credible. Azer delivers a strong message without using a discordant peachiness. Very compelling writing.
1123164
This was a very well-written book that was easy to read.  I was inspired to go out and 'do something creative' in the world.
4904002
This book is creative, interesting and fun to read.
3048554
This was an amazing story! I love the fresh writing style and the creativity! The characters are developed well and are just real. Too often we find characters that are over the top and their reactions and choices are ridiculous but this author kept the characters real. I was engrossed in the lives of these people, their friendships, their struggles, and their triumphs. There were several twists the author took that were creative and fun. I laughed with these characters and cried with them. I loved the poetry and thought that the poetry was professional. About halfway through the book I even googled some of them trying to find the author, only to learn that her son wrote the poetry. Excellent book! You won't regret buying this one!
528631
I loved the creativity of this book! It is so imaginative and does a great job at describing the setting and characters. I loved that the girl was a strong character and able to take care of herself. I can't wait to see what will happen next! The language makes it more appropriate for older audiences.
3491680
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and had a hard time putting it down. The writing is fresh and imaginative, the characters are engaging, and the story is engaging from start to finish.
4435115
A very creative blend of writing. This story shows how the author grew with his project and by the end I look foreward to the next book.
945964
I have to admit that this book was written in a very creative fashion.  There were times when I found the writing very interesting.  There were many others when I was irritated by the voice.  The plot was very interesting and the author created a story with multiple layers.  Still, it was my determination to get through the book that got me to a point where I could enjoy it.  I did not think that this book was a page-turner.  I did not find myself neglecting sleep in order to get to the next chapter.  In fact, I did fall asleep reading more than once.
916299
I really enjoyed this book. It's well-written and entertaining. It was a pleasant surprise; I read it quickly and would like to see more work from this author.
1924691
I loved this book.  The characterizations were clear without becoming redundant or cliche, the setting was intriguing, and the conflict was inspired.
Cross-genre writing is an iffy game, and it's refreshing to see somebody not only pull it off well, but to do so without just using the book for a vehicle for the style.  It's a genuinely fun story which I expect to see future successful writers cite as a creative influence, and I'm looking forward to more.
3529761
I'm starting this off with saying I'm pretty dubious of self-published works.  I've been writing and teaching writing for 20 + years, an am particular about what I read.  I want it to be well written on a sentence level.  I want it to be aware of the conventions of good writing and of the genre.  I have no tolerance for sloppy writing (and really, if there are spelling and punctuation errors, it shouldn't even be out in the world yet!)  I read a lot of literary fiction, and I also read a lot of fantasy, and I want to see that a writer can tell a good story and write well.  Unfortunately, that's not been the case in the self-published/indie works I've tried to read in the past, so most of the time, if something comes up on Amazon and it's not through a regular publisher, I give it a miss.  I'm saying all this because I'm aiming this review at readers like me, who may not immediately want to take a chance on this book for the same reasons.  (if you read Indie stuff all the time, and you disagree with me, great.  I'm not interested in debating that). I am interested though, in telling others who may be like me that this book is absolutely worth a read.

But this book sounded so intriguing, I had to try it.  I read the sample, and was immediately hooked:  here is a writer who can write beautiful sentences:  imagistic and evocative.  The characters and situation immediately intrigued me.  and hey, the book was only a buck at that time.  So I decided to take a chance.  And I am so glad I did!

This books is as well written and well conceived as anything out there by the big publishers.  We have an intriguing cast of characters, a well-developed world in which an all powerful church controls people's lives and talents.  And yet, something has happened.  Beyond the obvious intriguing oddness of the world:  sun rising in the wrong direction, multi-colored, lightning, etc, there is the suspense of a wrongly accused young man on the run from "Justicars" who are like enforcers of an Inquisition.  I read this book quite quickly, taken in by the suspense in the plot, but it also very much would reward rereading, or slower reading, because the writer's sentences are so well-crafted.

There are some flaws, as there are in most books.  I thought that the sections from earlier in the character's childhood could have been much shorter, and the writer would have benefitted from using some exposition and summary in places rather than all scene.  I didn't need to get pages of scene of the kids walking through the woods on their way to a treehouse battle, for example.  I also wonder if the cast of characters might be a bit large:  there are 6 on the run, and we get into most of their heads, and I'm not sure we need all of them.  Finally, I do wish more had happened in this first book.  Though it was tense in places, in terms of the overall plot of what is to be a series, we are very very much in the beginning, and I think there could have, again, been more summary so we can be moved further more quickly.  Really, the book ended at what I thought should be a more middle part, and I was a bit disappointed with that end, but mostly because it seemed to end too soon.

That said, if the next book was out, I'd buy it right now, and I certainly will when it is available.  I will probably also check out this writer's early (different genre) works as well.  This is book is a great deal, even at it's full price, and I will be eager to read the next book in the series, and will be following this author's work.
513838
I read a lot of books - two or three a week and pass on to my husband those that really captivate. My husband also enjoyed the tale. This book is creative, well written and engaging. At first, I wasn't so sure about reading a book featuring teens as the main characters but as the story unfolded the age of the characters became unimportant. The story held my interest to the very end and I could not wait for book number two.