Category: Book Review

Book Review: Wicked Satyr Nights

Erin Penn

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Wicked Satyr Nights by Rebekah Lewis

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Some creatures want to be found.

When Dr. Katerina Silverton travels into the Pine Barrens to make a documentary on the Jersey Devil, she doesn’t believe she will uncover any supernatural evidence. In fact, she only takes the job because it promises funding for future projects. So it is quite a shock to Kat when she finds herself face-to-face with the legendary beast she was sent into the forest to capture on film.

In ancient Greece, the god Pan made a terrible mistake which resulted in the creation of the Satyroi: a race of immortal satyrs. Centuries later, he lives secluded in the Pine Barrens, frightening mortals by taking the guise of an abhorrent local monster. When a beautiful woman shows up in his forest looking for proof of his existence, Pan can’t resist revealing himself to her.

Outside forces may be manipulating them both, pushing them together for nefarious reasons. Kat must decide if she could learn to love a satyr or if his appearance is more than she can handle. Can she resist Pan’s wicked nature, or will she give into the temptations beyond her wildest fantasies?

 

MY REVIEW

First off, I did a lot of growing up in New Jersey and camping in the Pine Barrens. I am well familiar with the Jersey Devil story and Ms. Lewis does justice to the folklore.

And combining it with Pan and Satyrs is pure awesome-sauce. Wow, the dovetail of the mythology with the folklore is great. Awesome, awesome worldbuilding.

Story only gets 4.5 stars because of some character inconsistencies early in the book. The longer the story goes, the stronger the characters and the conspiracy gets. In the first couple of chapters, some of the character descriptions are noticeably repeated and should have been removed or reduced by a line editor. (May have been fixed in later editions. The author self-published the book after getting her rights back.)

But as the story goes on, as mentioned, the characters get better. Everyone is far from one-dimensional and has multiple motivations. Kat, the main female protagonist, is awesome, both girly enough to want to shave her legs and butch enough to walk off a cougar taking a chunk out of one. She wants money to do research but realizes earning the money may mean no one will take her research seriously. Pan alternates between making good quick decisions and poor ones; thinking on one’s feet (or hooves) does not make every decision work. Every character has deep flaws worthy of a Greek tragedy waiting to happen, or one that already has. 

No one is truly an angel in the story, nor is the villain a complete devil. Dion faces a situation where his parents and family moved without giving him the forwarding address; his reaction is poor, but a person can understand how screwed up you would be if all your brothers, sisters, and parents just cut you off without explanation.

Don’t know if Ms. Lewis can keep this level of characters and worldbuilding going for the rest of the series, but book one worth the read if you like paranormal romance.

Book Review: Save the Cat

Erin Penn

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Save the Cat: The Last Book on Screenwriting You’ll Even Need by Blake Snyder

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This ultimate insider’s guide reveals the secrets that none dare admit, told by a show biz veteran who’s proven that you can sell your script if you can save the cat!

 

MY REVIEW

My writing group assigned this as reading and I borrowed the book from the library when I saw what the kindle price was. (Over $11 – really? with the paperback less than $2 more?)

The price is indicative of the self-absorbed importance Mr. Snyder shows throughout the how-to book, even if the price is likely assigned by the publication company. I’m not paying $11.57 for a 12-year old book. And I am glad I made this decision.

While the book is filled with excellent writing advice – specifically aimed at writing a FORMULAIC BLOCKBUSTER for maximum money – the limited scope of the end-product and the underlying sexism pulls this back from wide-spread use. (Additional Note: Towards the very end the author mentions the bidding wars on spec screenplay which made him rich no longer exist in Hollywood, so the marketing advice he provides no longer applies. The writing advice still applies for the Formulaic Blockbuster.)

Putting together the perfect logline (or ‘elevator pitch’ as the writing community calls it) is a must-read, and half of the book is devoted to this. If you haven’t figured out how to create a good pitch yet for your book (or screenplay), take advantage the tutorial.

The Board is something I am going to try with my short stories, which run about the same length as a movie script, to see how well it works. Many authors swear by their Boards, but I’ve never tried them before.

The sexism is the small, underlying, insidious things found throughout Hollywood humor. Mr. Snyder specializes in comedy, so the inherent nit-picks I experienced were not unexpected. Recommended directors, all male. Strong female movie examples – Pretty Woman, Miss Congeniality, and Legally Blonde. Male movies are stuff like Die Hard. Romances are described as buddy movies where one of the “wears a skirt” – true and an example which sticks with you, but made my teeth ache. Part of it is the material available out of Hollywood – they go for the simple sexist joke and wink at the screen saying (yeah it’s sexist, but because we and you know it’s sexist, that is part of the joke and makes it not sexist … yeah, no, this is getting tired – like having African Americans being the crazy partner in 80’s movies – see we are giving them the same screen time, happy now?) No, I’m not happy and reading this book made me have several non-happy moments.

End-result, helpful read but limited in application in part because of its aim (BLOCKBUSTERS!!!) and in part by the writer (COMEDIC BLOCKBUSTERS!!!) and in part by the atmosphere/society which shaped the writer (BLOCKBUSTERS FOR HOLLYWOOD!!!) – oh, watch out for the exclamation points.

Book Review: A Hero By Any Other Name

Erin Penn

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A Hero By Any Other Name, an anthology by Silence in the Library publishing company

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What does a sidekick do after retirement? What does a super villain do when he meets an evil greater than himself? Is it power that defines a hero, or something else? All of these questions and more are answered in A Hero By Any Other Name, a collection of stories by some of today’s best-known science fiction and fantasy authors. These riveting adventures delve into the lives of some not-so-conventional superheroes, sidekicks, and villains. This isn’t all tights-and-fights, but a look at heroes that will forever alter your perspective on those who choose to live behind a mask. Includes stories from Aaron Allston, Michael A. Stackpole, Janine K. Spendlove, Maxwell Alexander Drake, Bryan Young, Jean Rabe, R.T. Kaelin, Maggie Allen, and Ron Garner.

 

MY REVIEW

As with most anthologies, some unevenness in the caliber of the writers and stories exists. The first of the nine stories “Retreads” (by Aaron Allston) is 60 pages long and represents 25% of the book and is an excellent story. If you like hero stories in prose, this particular gem is worth the entrance price.

The stories about someone other than the “main” hero – the sidekick, the villain, someone nearly ready to be a hero, someone retired from heroing. The best of the stories are those with mystery and thriller overtones: the aforementioned Retread and “Mortar’s Ovation” (by Jean Rabe). The comic book geek in me loved “A Marvelous New World” (by Maggie Allen) where con-geeks prevent an alien invasion – and “Stupendous Sparkle” (by Janine K. Spendlove) a surface superhero story which is also a very good character study in the difference between people who change the world and people who will follow others. Of the 259 pages, I really, really enjoyed 128 – so about half.

The other five stories had various things I didn’t like about them. “The Kid” (by Maxwell Alexander Drake) and “Changing the Game” (by Bryan Young) both had endings offending my American pre-disposition to happily-ever-after – doesn’t make them bad stories – and maybe having them included made the short stories when the good guys win all the better, because sometimes they don’t win. “Need to Know” (by Michael A. Stackpole) was derivative – I think it was either a homage to vintage stories or a sarcastic commentary. I didn’t get it in either vein; those that do will like this story. “All-Star” (by R. T. Kaelin) and “Hero Today, Gone Tomorrow” (by Ron Garner) were okay, but neither was thought-provoking like the thrillers or amusing like the geek nods.

Overall, a solid anthology with some excellent stories. The Con-geeks stopping the alien invasion, a sidekick who follows a true hero, the steam-punk era detective investigating a transvestite murder (yes, really!), and an invulnerable, but broken hero, soldiering on. These stories should find a place on your shelf if you like heroes by any other name.

Book Review: Trail of Dead (Scarlett Bernard Book 2)

Erin Penn

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Trail of Dead (Scarlett Bernard Book 2) by Melissa F. Olson

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As a null, Scarlett Bernard possesses a rare ability to counteract the supernatural by instantly neutralizing spells and magical forces. For years she has used her gift to scrub crime scenes of any magical traces, helping the powerful paranormal communities of Los Angeles stay hidden. But after LAPD detective Jesse Cruz discovered Scarlett’s secret, he made a bargain with her: solve a particularly grisly murder case, and he would stay silent about the city’s unearthly underworld.

Now two dead witches are found a few days before Christmas, and Scarlett is once again strong-armed into assisting the investigation. She soon finds a connection between the murders and her own former mentor, Olivia, a null who mysteriously turned into a vampire and who harbors her own sinister agenda. Now Scarlett must revisit her painful past to find Olivia—unless the blood-drenched present claims her life first.

 

MY REVIEW

Such an improvement over the first book.

The world-building in Dead Spots felt generic except for the addition of a null crime scene cleaner. In the second book, Trail of Dead (Scarlett Bernard), the uniqueness of the world – a labyrinth of a new mythology building on the boring cinderblock foundation of the first – has come to life. Suddenly the series is looking interesting.

I should note that in the first book, the establishing scene defining her abilities and specialty magic involves the cleanup of a bird. The effect and non-effects of her null abilities as established there are important in the second case. Not that you need to read the first book to enjoy the second. Just the two situations together made some very good world-building.

For the second book, the main character becomes more engaging, as she moves beyond her damage and takes control of her life. The murder mystery felt more urgent. In the first book, the urgency felt artificially enforced. In the second book, the ticking clock device felt real. Like the rush of an oncoming car.

The downside is the Romantic Heroes both remain neutered – and I had hoped the policeman would wander off with his new love interest so we can stick with the more interesting combo of Scarlett and the regions’ second-in-command werewolf (who needs to work on being an “Alpha” male hero). Hopefully in the next book the author will figure out how to make toes curl from the romance as well as the mystery.

Anyway, many of the issues that made the first book only so-so have been fixed. I can only hope to see a similar jump in the next book. Where the first book only felt worn-out, the second book now feels like a comfortable pair of worn-out jeans. I am hoping the third book will be like a comfortable pair of jeans that hugs every curve – in other words, the perfect Urban Fantasy book.

Book Review: Dead Eye Series

Erin Penn

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Dead Eye: Pennies for the Ferryman by Jim Bernheimer
Dead Eye: The Skinwalker Conspiracies by Jim Bernheimer

SERIES REVIEW

Last month I went over an awesome sci-fi/mystery series by Liana Brooks, this month I thought I would talk about another favorite author’s who has a mystery/urban-fantasy, Jim Bernheimer and his Dead Eye series. The series is from early in his writing career, but the character and supporting cast have all the quirks and humanity you expect in Bernheimer books. I would love to see more books of this series, but it doesn’t make nearly as much money as his D-List Supervillain series.

Writing being the uneasy mix of creativity and putting food on the table means if a author has a choice between writing two stories which he is interested in, he is going to choose the one more likely to get recompense. But, maybe, the Supervillain creativity well will run low and Mr. Bernheimer will need a break and we will get a book three in this series. Each of the books is good as a stand-alone so read away! (Oh, and purchase them, so, you know, the drive of putting food on the table makes writing more of these books more tasty to the author.)

 

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Dead Eye: Pennies for the Ferryman by Jim Bernheimer

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My name is Mike Ross. I’m a Ferryman. I help people with ghost problems, or ghosts with people problems. Funny thing, no one ever helps me with my problems. Civil War ghosts bent on killing me, Skinwalkers who just want my body, and a vindictive spirit linked both to my bloodline and my destiny… It turns out the dead still hold a good deal of influence over the world, and they don’t want to give it up. I’m in way over my head. Fortunately, I’m too stubborn to quit.

 

MY REVIEW

Another excellent Jim Bernheimer book, in yet another genre – this one Urban Fantasy. He gets to do his normal snark, but at lower levels then the superhero (Confessions of a D-List Superhero) and the sci-fi police procedural (Prime Suspects) series. He continues to master the first person Point of View voice.

The book is from early in his writing career and shows a passion, just an underlying something, that makes me feel this is a personal favorite. I love the description on the 2nd page; it leaped off the page 
“Me, I was still under warranty, so they shipped me back for replacement parts…”
The character’s voice is captured in this sentence – partial despair with a breath of hope, but mostly getting on with life. Of all the characters Mr. Bernheimer has created, I think I identify with Mike Ross the most.

The overall manuscript feels like a collection of short stories, with each vignette separate but a connecting overall story arc as well. Makes it easy to read a section and put down for other activities; I read it in one gulp per my normal reading habit. As mentioned the story is earlier in his writing career so some of the transitions are bumpy. But the character makes the trip worth a little shimmy. The fight scenes are brutal, dirty exchanges concentrating on survival; the character is getting on with life, and plans to keep it with training from the wrestling team at high school and the all-expense-paid training from Uncle Sam. Towards the end of the book, the fighting gets more Fantasy/magical and isn’t quite as fun – but makes up for it by making the magic stronger as the main character learns how to cope with the new necromancy world he has been thrust into. Be interesting to see what happens next, as the character continue to grow into his full potential.

Give me two pennies, because I want to take another trip with the Ferryman.

 

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Dead Eye: The Skinwalker Conspiracies by Jim Bernheimer

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My name is Mike Ross and I’m a Ferryman – like in the Greek myth. I didn’t ask for, or really want, the job, but I’m trying to make the best of it. Most ghosts are okay and just need a little help to get where they need to go. Unfortunately, there are lots of exceptions, like power-mad psychopaths, spirits still trying to fight battles long since lost, and the worst of the lot – the Skinwalkers. They live vicariously by possessing people and controlling them like puppet masters. Then they toss them aside when they’ve outlived their usefulness.

One of them stole my father fifteen years ago, and now I’m going to make that ghost pay.

 

MY REVIEW

A wonderful seven-hour read. While the Dead Eye series is set up with stand-alone chapters, little short stories in-and-of themselves, I read the book in one sitting. I didn’t mean to, but after about half-way through, I couldn’t put the book down.

Mike Ross has gone on a road trip to find his father with his blind Pastor friend to keep him on the straight and narrow path while crossing the country following Skinwalkers. A dirty, knock-them-down fight opens the book, but the action is slower than the first book as the magic continues to grow more and more every battle. The first few chapters don’t seem to be going anywhere, but are wonderful little vignettes providing the character’s powers, history, and introducing the cast without the typical retrospection so common in series books. Nope, Mr. Berheimer completely shows everything instead of telling us. Great storytelling.

Mr. Bernheimer has quite a bit of fun revisiting (Texas) history from a ghost’s viewpoint. Episode 17 “Dallas Texas – Paranormal Population: One” and Episode 19 “Trying to Forget the Alamo” adds an aspect of worldbuilding, making the book both tied to the real world and distinctly not Our real world (maybe, at least I hope so).

The strongest thread point of this manuscript is romantic – taking a bit away from the action of the Urban Fantasy. Page 40 captures Mike’s problem of finding love after becoming a Ferryman in two sentences, set immediately after meeting with a single-mother stripper he used to date before everything changed: “The fact that she was better off without me was unsettling … It made me wonder, what kind of gal would be better off WITH me?”

The answers which danced in my head after he asked himself this question went from bad to worse. Dead, crazy, tortured prisoner, someone so desperate and broke (mentally and financially) you never know why they love you. The thing is Mike is such a real person, even as ink on page, you pray he doesn’t end up with such a person but at the same time you hope he finds someone because he is so lonely after everything he had seen and done and the Pastor just isn’t enough. And when you are hoping, you also don’t want the author to sell some perfect person for the perfect love interest. You really do want Mike to meet someone who is better off with him.

Does Mr. Bernheimer pull it off? Well, that would be telling. I’m just going to say Victoria Poe is not exactly the person I want directing my road trip.