Book Review (SERIES): The Gray Widow Trilogy

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The Gray Widow’s Trilogy by Dan Jolley

  1. Gray Widow’s Walk
  2. Gray Widow’s Web
  3. Gray Widow’s War

Note: Strong horror elements to this superhero series. The heroes fight true Monsters.

BOOK BLURB ON AMAZON for GRAY WIDOW’S WALK

“The only thing in this world you can truly control is yourself.”

Janey Sinclair’s ability to teleport has always been a mystery to her. She tried for years to ignore it, but when tragedy shatters her life, Janey’s anger consumes her. She hones her fighting skills, steals a prototype suit of military body armor, and takes to the streets of Atlanta, venting her rage as the masked vigilante dubbed “the Gray Widow” by the press.

But Janey’s power, and her willingness to use it, plunges her into a conflict on a much grander scale than she had anticipated. Soon she encounters Simon Grove, a bloodthirsty runaway with a shapeshifting ability gone horribly wrong, Garrison Vessler, an ex-FBI agent and current private defense contractor, who holds some of the answers Janey’s been searching for, and Tim Kapoor, the first person in years with a chance of breaking through Janey’s emotional shell-if she’ll let him.

But as Janey’s vigilantism gains worldwide attention, and her showdown with Simon Grove draws ever closer, the reason for her augmented abilities-hers and all the others like her-begins to reveal itself. Because, high above the Earth, other eyes are watching. And they have far-reaching plans…

MY REVIEW for GRAY WIDOW’S WALK

Gray Widow’s Walk is a superhero prose story written by Dan Jolley (co-creator of DC Comic’s Firestorm – so he knows supes). While this book includes the Gray Widow’s origin, it isn’t just an origin story. And while this is mostly a superhero story, it also includes romance, thriller, and horror elements. Well-developed characters are presented; the large-ish cast introduced one at a time in a clear and easy-to-follow manner.

Mr. Jolley knows how to write a novel by the numbers with solid action, great rise and fall of emotions, the tense of true crime and horror, the laughter of developing friendships, and a tight story. Solid “A” work here.

***

The victim of a home invasion as a teen, Janey Sinclair concentrated on never being a victim again. Then, one day, she gained the power of teleportation and she decided that no one needed to be a victim anymore if she could help them. The story starts on her first day “on the job”.

Like any job, what sold you on the job during the interviews, and what the job actually entails are two VERY different things. Janey had never met anyone else with powers but that changes, and some people that gain powers like making victims.

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BOOK BLURB ON AMAZON for GRAY WIDOW’S WEB

Janey Sinclair never knew how or why she gained her ability to teleport. She never wanted it, and for years tried her best to ignore it. But when horrible violence shattered her world, she vowed to use her mysterious talent to protect the citizens of Atlanta, in an effort to prevent anyone else from suffering the kind of agony she had. Wearing a suit of stolen military body armor, Janey became known to the public as the Gray Widow.

But now the extraterrestrial source of her “Augmentation” is about to reveal itself, in an event that will profoundly impact Janey’s life and the lives of those closest to her–

Tim Kapoor, who barely survived the assault of twisted, bloodthirsty shapeshifter Simon Grove and still struggles to pull himself together, both physically and mentally.
Nathan Pittman, the teenager who got shot trying to imitate Janey’s vigilante tactics, and has since become obsessed with the Gray Widow.
Sha’dae Wilkerson, Janey’s neighbor and newfound best friend, whose instant chemistry with Janey may have roots that neither of them fully understand.

And Janey’s going to need all the help she can get, because one of the other Augments has her sights set on the Gray Widow. The terrifying abomination known as Aphrodite Lupo is more powerful and lethal than anyone or anything Janey has ever faced. And Aphrodite is determined to recruit Janey to her twisted cause…or take her off the field for good.

Unrelenting ghosts of the past clash with the vicious threats of the future. Janey’s destiny bursts from the shadows into the light in Gray Widow’s Web, leaving the course of humanity itself forever changed.

MY REVIEW for GRAY WIDOW’S WEB

Second in this superhero prose series following the Gray Widow (a teleporter). As with many stories, the superhero prose isn’t ONLY a superhero genre – there are some (very light) romantic elements and a lot of horror story elements. The villains are more monsters than monologue-spewing superpowered beings out to take over the world for its own good – they are grotesques in the traditional meaning – shapeshifters and creatures stuck half-way between. The villains are in pain and want to share the bounty of their horrible existence. It’s up to Gray Widow and her friends to stop them.

The big question is since the villains and the heroes get their powers from the same source … how long until one becomes indistinguishable from the other?

A great book for superhero fans, horror fans, and monster-hunter urban fantasy fans.

Oh my goodness, the ending! So much!

 

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BOOK BLURB ON AMAZON for GRAY WIDOW’S WAR

When Janey Sinclair vowed to use her teleportation ability to protect the city of Atlanta in the guise of the armored vigilante known as the Gray Widow, she only wanted to spare others the kind of agony she’d long endured herself.

But now Janey and an unlikely group of allies — allies that include the man she’s come to love, as well as a best friend she never expected to gain — have become part of something much, much larger. Something that literally spans the globe.

And reaches beyond it.

The forces behind Janey’s “augmentation” have arrived on Earth, revealing their grand plan to use human DNA as raw material in a vast intergalactic war. If the planet is to survive, Janey Sinclair must unite friends and foes alike…and take the entire human species in a shocking new direction.

MY REVIEW for GRAY WIDOW’S WAR

The conclusion to the Gray Window Trilogy delivers.

The perfect mix of superhero and horror, amazing character development (with several different characters having their own growth stories), and action. The first part of the book is called “The Calm” and the second is called “The Storm” — action isn’t as strong in the first half, but sets up everything so that the Storm doesn’t have to stop, ever.

It’s the character development of so many different characters that takes my breath away. Mr. Jolley (the author) is amazing.

D is for Drowning – Book Review: Into the Drowning Deep

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Into the Drowning Deep by Mira Grant

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The ocean is home to many myths,

But some are deadly. . .

Seven years ago the Atargatis set off on a voyage to the Mariana Trench to film a mockumentary bringing to life ancient sea creatures of legend. It was lost at sea with all hands. Some have called it a hoax; others have called it a tragedy.

Now a new crew has been assembled. But this time they’re not out to entertain. Some seek to validate their life’s work. Some seek the greatest hunt of all. Some seek the truth. But for the ambitious young scientist Victoria Stewart this is a voyage to uncover the fate of the sister she lost.

Whatever the truth may be, it will only be found below the waves.

But the secrets of the deep come with a price.

 

MY REVIEW

Read for book club.

Near-future sci-fi fantasy horror. Climate change has impacted the ocean, and the change of environment modifies territories – what is available to hunt, eat. Things which should not come to the surface do so – from the Drowning Deep.

Preachy in the way that only sci-fi can be preachy. Taking a premise and drawing it out into a possible conclusion.

Great things – lots of different characters with different motivations. A unique monster that might be real (the very best option for horror). A reason, which while not quite sane but was still reasonable, to go “into the dark room” – you know, what we normally scream at people for in the horror movies we watch at home. Lots of different types of science, and no one person is an expert in any type – more like the normal science community than most books. Some great quotes. Deaf characters.

Not as great – preachy got a little noticeable. The scientists were a little too uncaring about their chances – a few did go “I know I might die, but this is the only chance and the knowledge is worth it”, but I really think more would do it. Giving that they had the entire world to draw on, I do see the company underwriting the expedition getting enough scientists willing to make the trade between research and safety to fill the ship. Not enough language barriers when dealing with a large scientific contingent – but since it was for an entertainment company, I could see them limiting it to pretty and/or well-spoken scientists who speak their audiences language.

The bad – you know, nothing was really bad. The book was a fun read.

I could put down the book when I needed to (not a horror fan), but it was engrossing when I read it. I marked lots of quotes.

To sum up: Near-future sci-fi fantasy horror – which hits all the ticks for its genres.

Book Review: Touch A Trilogy (Series)

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Touch: A Trilogy by A.G. Carpenter
Of Lips and Tongue: A Touch Trilogy Novella (Book 1) by A.G. Carpenter
Of Shade and Soul: Touch Trilogy Novella (Book 2) by A.G. Carpenter
Of Flesh and Bone: Touch Trilogy Novella (Book 3) by A.G. Carpenter

SERIES REVIEW

Unexpected. Awesome.

This Southern Gothic mixes together urban fantasy elements, a little bit of horror, and some of the police procedural/CSI/mystery genre. Sprinkle in a little romance. Mix together completely and the book stands on its own – gripping, entertaining, … loosing you a bit from the real world.

And as with all my highest ratings on Goodreads, the worldbuilding is spot on. The magic being integral is never explained. Everyone living here knows how it works; it isn’t something new because of a break in reality. And a reader learns about it as they sink into the bones of the story and world. It sneaks in the little crevices of the mind, like a cold air into a plank house. No need to build a bright info dump fire; the shadows in the corners hint at everything and reveal nothing.

Available as a collection (Touch: A Trilogy) or three novellas – Of Lips and Tongues; Of Shade and Soul; and Of Flesh and Bone. Each title perfectly fits the story. Also out in audiobook.

 

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Of Lips and Tongue: A Touch Trilogy Novella (Book 1) by A.G. Carpenter

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Delaney Green is one of them that don’t burn. Possessed of the Touch – with the ability to not only see the future but manipulate it – she’s been kept in an institution for most of her life. When the Salesman, a murderous entity with a connection to Delaney’s past, starts burning girls to death, FBI Agent Percival Cox gives her the chance to leave the asylum behind. But he presents an even greater threat and she must risk flesh and bone in order to keep him from becoming a Power more destructive than the Salesman.

MY REVIEW

Unexpected. Awesome.

This Southern Gothic has a little bit of urban fantasy elements (in that it has monster bumping about in the contemporary world – but the setting is about non-urban as you can get and still have people everywhere), a little bit of horror elements (people die in not nice ways), and bit of the police procedural/CSI/mystery elements. Mix together completely and the book stands on its own – gripping, entertaining, … loosing you a bit from the real world.

The characters each stand by themselves and in their relations to others, different motives, reasons, and goals. The language and descriptions are beautiful.

 

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Of Shade and Soul: Touch Trilogy Novella (Book 2) by A.G. Carpenter

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Delaney Green might be dead, but she don’t mean to stay that way. As she searches for a way back to the realm of the living, and the man she lay down flesh and bone for, Percival Cox and his team investigate a series of deaths and stolen souls. But Percy is not the man he used to be. If Del can’t find a way to stop him from waking his past, he could destroy everything, including himself.

MY REVIEW

Nice Southern Gothic to spook the corners of your mind.

Continuing the Touch Trilogy, this time the monster isn’t quite as bad, the world is a bit more unreal, and the voice of the story isn’t as strong. The “sagging” middle of a trilogy – cleaning up the ends of the last book and setting up for the cooking of the next meal, this snack satisfies but doesn’t fill.

On its own, a solid story but works much better within the trilogy. The CSI/mystery component is an appropriate investigation for the FBI group, but I miss the original community with the sheriff and cast of characters in the rural area. Suburbia has its share of eccentrics, but the constant pruning of rubbing shoulders with lots of people keep them from reaching the full heights found in the rural setting of the first book.

Jumping into the third book now because Delaney needs her Bones, ’cause she ain’t good at staying dead, and Percy could use some pruning before reaching the full heights of his Power.

 

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Of Flesh and Bone: Touch Trilogy Novella (Book 3) by A.G. Carpenter

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Delaney Green may have found her way back to the living, but her new body isn’t going to last. Without magic, and still separated from Percy, she is forced to rely on the tangled memory of what might be to find a way to reclaim her bones. With the help of an old ally, and the reluctant assistance of new enemies, Del must take the final steps down a long road home.

The Touch Trilogy is a series of Southern Gothic novellas, short novels with a lyrical style and eerie tone, perfect for fans of True Blood or Flannery O’Connor.

MY REVIEW

Tell me a story.

“Well, just set yourself down a spell,” says the author AG Carpenter, setting the rocking chair creaking on the old porch. 

I take up the painted blue rocker beside the writer and start sipping the sweet tea which has appeared in my hand. Outside in the darkness, the cicadas chirp and the mist start rolling in as the heat of the day dissipates. I hear the moths and bugs fling themselves at the overhead bulb, searching for a fiery death. In my other hand appears a book “Of Flesh and Bone”, the third of a series of novella and I get dragged into the Southern Gothic with a comfortable fearfulness.

Knowing the unknowable of those Touched. 

I try not to look sideways at the chair set in motion by the wind and assure myself that the voice I heard – still hear strongly from the story – is just a story.

Yeah, the book is exactly like that.

A comfortable fearfulness.

Flash: Light Leaked

Acquired from Unsplash.com

Light leaked through between the curtains once a day for the slow count of 725, twelve minutes. Food showed up around 7,000 seconds later. She couldn’t reach the curtains, chained to the wall as she was, to pull them wider, but the food came through a slot in the door. The door was still marred with her bloody handprints from beating against it her first week.

They never collected the paper plates or the three bottles of water that came through with the food. No one appeared or talked to her since she woke up here three hundred and twelve days ago according to the scratches she made on the wall. A few of the foods provided had bones, which could be used to cut the bottles.

It’s been slow going, but she had dug one of the chains out of the wall and the other was about to crumble to her will.

(words 153; first published 4/30/2022 – created for a Facebook writer’s group weekly photo prompt – aim was 50 words, I went over)