Review: Conceptus by Brian Herskowitz

Conceptus

By: Brian Herskowitz

★★★★

207 Kindle Edition Pages

Conceptus is a modern-day fictional novel written by Brian Herskowitz and published in February 2022 by Booklocker.com. While it’s a relatively short read, the story is one that has the ability to captivate a reader from the beginning and pull them to the conclusion.

The main character in the story is Laura Drummond. At only 14 years old, Laura was brutally attacked on her way home from a school event and left with an overwhelming fear coupled with a desire to do something for the greater good. Life moves on, however, and Laura finds herself in a position of working towards catching and stopping the kind of person who traumatized her childhood by being a homicide detective. Laura is tough and determined, always dedicated to preventing someone else from enduring the pain she went through as a child. No case is easy, but when a new case comes to her with a similar m.o. to her experience, the memories from her experience are triggered and she feels even more determined than ever to find the answers.

This read was one filled with the unexpected. While I had no idea where the story was leading, it’s obvious while reading that the author took significant time in developing a mystery that is full of conscious thought. It seemed like just when I knew where this story was leading, there was an unexpected twist that would shock me.

Not only is this the perfect reading recommendation for those who are interested in murder mysteries and thrillers, but it’s also exceptionally edited and crafted to taste. I’m the kind of reader who likes to predict the outcome, especially in stories with murder and suspects at large, so this one was fitting for me and one that I would recommend.

I also want to applaud on the author’s creation of the main character. I’m so appreciative of the author developing a character like Laura. She’s a complete badass and her dedication to her work is impressive throughout. Though she experiences traumatizing events in her life, she keeps her attention focused and her mind is always circling the possibilities to find answers that no one else can find.

Conceptus is a read for any mystery admirer and highly recommended by me. If you like books with the unexpected, don’t sleep on this one. Conceptus can be found on Amazon here:

Review: The Brothers Silver by Marc Jampole

The Brothers Silver

By: Marc Jampole

★★★★

The Brothers Silver by Marc Jampole is a remarkable coming of age tale that accompanies the lives of the two Silver brothers, Leon and Jules, as they make their way into adulthood and beyond. Experiencing some profoundly anxious happenings deriving from their parents’ separation, father’s absentness, and mother’s mental illness and suicide attempts, the two siblings battle their way through the upheaval in their lives and the struggles that ensue.

At just under 300 pages, I felt the story developed in the perfect manner to captivate readers and permit an abundance of time to get to apprehend the main characters. Towards the end of the story, I felt as though I was experiencing the story right along with them, giving each more of a personable sense than imaginable.

My favorite thing about this novel was how the chapters emphasized a different voice and literary style, which only magnified the author’s capacity to morph his writing into whatever he coveted to project. With the chapter voiced by Jules, I could sense his PTSD and significant distress from the happenings in his life. My single- while minuscule- complaint about the story is that I would have liked to have a preface to who’s narrative was occurring from chapter to chapter. There were a few instances where it would take me numerous pages to discern whose voice I was following.

The Brothers Silver is a story that I know will stick with me and though the two experienced significant stressors in their lives, their experiences and backgrounds are relatable to so many, specifically, those originating from broken homes with damaging exposures. With the quality of writing presented by Mr. Jampole and his careful presentation of multiple narratives, I’m looking forward to seeing what other personalities he puts to pages in the future. The Brothers Silver has earned a solid 4 star rating from me.

You can get your copy here, currently available for preorder, launching June 15, 2021:

Review: Tracing Time by Shelly Snow Pordea

Tracing Time

By: Shelly Snow Pordea

300 Pages

Tracing Time is the first book in a three-part series written by Shelly Snow Pordea and published in December 2016. In Tracing Time, readers are introduced to the main character, Anna. Anna is a married mother of two small children and has devoted her life to helping her husband achieve his career goals of glacier studies. Traveling to remote locations, she often feels alone and longs for the day to return to live near her family, though she couldn’t bear leaving her husband.

Anna’s life is changed completely when she’s met with the devastating news that her husband, David, has disappeared and is presumed dead after an accident near the glaciers he’s been working with. Unable to believe that as the truth, Anna sets out to find out the rest of the story, however, nothing could prepare her for the onslaught of information that she is soon surrounded by. Discovering that the glacier studies were a cover-up for something far more dangerous was scary enough, but finding out that her husband may be lost somewhere after a time-traveling experiment gone wrong, Anna is beside herself with overwhelming grief and confusion. Is Anna willing to potentially risk everything in hopes of trying to find her husband alive, or will she accept that he may be gone forever and try to move on?

This story has a little bit of everything and I am here for it! I loved the romance aspect of the novel and thought the relationships that were depicted were dreamily represented while maintaining the realistic aspects that are necessary for a believable story. The Sci-Fi aspect of the story was expertly presented and the information given about the specifics and calculations for time-travel were exponentially stunning.

Anna’s character was one that I thoroughly felt like I got an opportunity to get to know while reading Tracing Time. Her personality was presented in a way that made me immediately like her, as well as being able to feel her grief. I was impressed with the author’s writing quality and can tell that the novel was expertly edited for accuracy.

I’ve only read the first book so far, but I can easily say that the Tracing Time series is one I could definitely dive into and get lost in. I’m so pleased to share my rating of 4 out of 4 stars with my fellow readers and would highly recommend everyone who enjoys romance, Sci-Fi, and a bit of suspense to take a dive into the Tracing Time series.

Nowwww.. if you’ll excuse me.. I’m heading to download book two, Chasing Shadows.

You can find the series here:

Review: Illegal by E.M. Duesel

Illegal

By: E.M. Duesel

278 print edition pages

★★★★

E.M Duesel has done it again, folks.

Illegal is a modern-day fictional novel written by E.M. Duesel and published by Aignos Publishing in 2018. The main character in the story is introduced as 12-year-old Rush Pena, a young boy who witnesses horrible acts of violence after being caught attempting to shoplift. Having barely escaped with his life, Rush reports what he witnessed to the authorities and speaks at trial to have those responsible put away for their actions. The brutality and cultural hatred doesn’t stop there, though, as the Pena family bands together with friends to do their part in putting an end to human trafficking and cultural violence. Rush and his family are then marked as targets because of his part in sending the criminals away for their responsibility for the murders he witnessed.

Illegal is the second novel I have had the opportunity to read from E.M. Duesel and I am still surprised by her ability to capture authentic emotions from me while reading. Her stories are told in a way that not only brings awareness to real-life issues that are often overlooked but also brings about this feeling that I need to contribute to the movements. Human trafficking is a serious issue in our country, as well as others, and those responsible for taking innocent victims away from their families for a financial profit are becoming more brave and brazen as time goes on. Though told from a fictional standpoint, these characters in Illegal are interacting in ways that are based on real events that happen every day in our country. Young girls are being sold, families have broken apart, and people of certain ethnicities and races are being discriminated against.

Though Rush is the main character in the story, several secondary characters take center-stage when it comes to their ability to pull a crowd. Janie, Rush’s girlfriend, shows courage beyond her years while she works undercover and sacrifices her own safety to reach young girls that have been taken and are being sold to the highest bidder. Rush’s siblings join the force with strength and determination to save those who cannot save themselves.

Like with the first novel I read by Duesel, Illegal was clearly professionally edited to leave no spelling or grammatical errors. The story read well with character depth presented in a way that captures readers and gives them a chance to feel as though they actually know these members of the story. The taste of injustice and desire to do something is high with this story, as the author presents a well-developed scene for readers to see what really happens to innocent children who are taken and sold.

I’m honored to have had the opportunity to read for E.M. Duesel on yet another novel that I know will stick with me. Illegal contains explicit language and graphics and scenes of sexual violence that may not be appropriate for all readers, so a reader’s discretion is necessary here. I’m pleased to share my rating of 4 out of 4 stars with readers and would recommend it to any reader who has interested in the societal effects that come with injustices.

Check it out here:

Review: The Reclaimed Kingdom by Dana Claire

The Reclaimed Kingdom

By: Dana Claire

245 Pages

Anticipated publishing date: February 14, 2021

★★★★

The Reclaimed Kingdom is a fantasy novel written by Dana Claire and the first in The Syphon Series. Published in February 2021, the story features a seventeen-year-old Dru as the main character. Having escaped from her royal position in the kingdom of D’Land after the death of her mother and the horrific ruling enforced by her stepmother, Dru’s escape is met by The Band of Brothers who take her in as one of their own. In a Robinhood type of scenario, they vow to only steal from the rich to provide for the poor in times where the evil queen has pilfered any sense of common decency from the villagers in their kingdom, as well as the surrounding others.

The main character is easily one of the most memorable that I have encountered in a fantasy novel. Her strength and determination are far more superior than I could have imagined, and her intelligence is far more advanced than her age would imply. With consistent acts of selflessness, Dru dedicates herself to helping others, partly in thanks to her powers as a Syphon. With the kingdom’s future in jeopardy due to her stepmother’s cruel ways of ruling, Dru finds herself returning to the kingdom of D’Land in an effort to put the palace back in order and reclaim what is rightfully hers.

In addition to the non-stop action that is inevitable with a novel of this story, I’m a huge fan of the way the author ties in some romantical aspects that drew me in even more as a reader. Dru’s character is mature enough to know when it’s time for work and when it’s time for play, and her ability to shelter her emotions leaves her with the ability to strive for greatness.

I’m overly joyed to recommend this novel to any reader who enjoys fantasy novels, specifically those with bold main characters who emit determination in every aspect of their decisions. As this is the first in a series, I’m now anxiously awaiting the continuation in the second installment. Cliff-hanger endings usually leave me too anxious, but with The Reclaimed Kingdom, the ending was expertly well-written and closed in a way that left me yearning for more of the saga. I’m so pleased to share my rating of 4 out of 4 stars and am boldly recommending this one to all my readers. Even if you aren’t generally a fan of fantasy, you won’t know what you’re missing out on until you give Dru a chance to win you over.

I’ve been exceptionally lucky with exceptional reads over the last few weeks, but this one takes the cake for top read to pull me so deeply from the first chapter. The editing was also on-point, clearly professionally done. I felt like the author did a fantastic job with sharing a concise story without injecting unnecessary additions and providing just enough action where needed to not be overpowering for mentally draining.

Check it out here:

Review: The Last Lumenian by S.G. Blaise

The Last Lumenian

S. G. Blaise

326 Kindle edition pages

★★★★

The Last Lumenian is a coming-of-age fantasy story featuring a strong female lead. As her debut novel, S.G. Blaise expands a riveting tale that is action-packed and full of emotion. I read the most rent edition, published in October 2020 at 326 Kindle edition pages and I can say without a doubt that I was captivated fully from the first page.

The main character in the story is Lilla, daughter of the king of Uhna, one of the seven galaxies in the story, and she is determined to undermine the rules set by her father. As she’s grown into adulthood, she’s even joined in with the rebel group to fight for the refugee’s freedom. Having lost her mother at a young age, Lilla suffers from bouts of paralyzing anxiety that seem to hit her at some of the worst possible times. Along with her struggle to help others and try to rebel against the harsh rulings of her father, Lilla is dealing with hasty Archgods in the Era War. She’s always been taught to repress her magic, but will she face her destiny and fight back to save the galaxy, or will she fall victim to the Archgod of Chaos and Destruction?

I want to get my complaint out of the way before I jump into complete flattery- just trust me.. I didn’t want this one to end! I had issues with the main character multiple times throughout the story, though her character seemed to grow significantly towards the end. Despite her sufferings from the debilitating anxiety that she’s bravely maneuvering through, I felt like her communication skills lacked tremendously, specifically in speaking with her father. She’s nineteen in the story, but there were times when I felt like she was being portrayed much younger, likely twelve-ish, and then there would be mention of romantic occurrences that would snap my mind back to her accurate age. I would have liked for her character to have resembled a rebellious yet mature nature earlier on so that I would have had more of an opportunity to think of her as entering adulthood.

Having said my complaint, I cannot stress enough how impressed I was with the author’s ability to keep this story straight and written with solid professionalism. I’ve never considering myself a huge fan of fantasy or sci-fi novels, mainly due to my attention being lost in all the technical terms, however, The Last Lumenian was written with distinct clarity. I mean, there are seven galaxies intertwined in these pages and I never felt like I was lost in the events. The scene transitions were cleverly depicted, along with personalities that were all distinct from one another.

I kept an eye on my reading percentage through my Kindle once I got towards the end and have to say that I was disappointed with the ending… not because it didn’t pan out the way I had hoped, but because I was just not finished with Lilla yet! I’m hopeful that S.G. Blaise has plans, if not already started, to continue with the galaxy of Uhna and share more with us readers who haven’t had enough. I’m happy to recommend The Last Lumenian to any reader who enjoys fantasy novels and am pleased to share my rating of 4 out of 4 stars. Even if you think maybe fantasy isn’t your favorite genre, this one is worth a shot just to experience exceptional written quality that plays out like a movie- it has a little bit of everything including family drama, budding romance, magic, and revenge. I’m honored to have had the opportunity to read the debut novel by S.G. Blaise and look forward to a sequel. *That’s right S.G., I’m basically demanding one now. 🙂

Check it out and grab your copy here:

Review: Quarantina by Wayne Tatum

Quarantina

Wayne Tatum

93 pages

★★★★

Quarantina is a fictional satire novel written by Wayne Tatum and published by Donnalink Publications in September 2020. After a viral pandemic sweeps in from China, Americans are forced to shelter in place and take precautions to avoid falling ill to the wide-spread sickness. The Kovid family chooses to spend their time together, despite a strange illness that begins to infect one after another after an incident with an old karaoke machine. With the focus of family in the forefront, they heed the challenges at full-force and what follows is a comical collection of family banter and togetherness, as well as a few tender moments of sincerity.

In a time where the world has been taken so seriously, I found this story to be a breath of fresh air that allowed some humor in a place where many struggle to see the light at the end of the tunnel. There was one scene in particular that filled my desire for a good laugh when the Kovid family experiences difficulties communicating their family name in a hospital setting and not being taken seriously. Although written as a piece of fiction, the relatable situations from the quarantine period and seemingly pause in life were felt whole-heartedly by me.

My sole complaint with the story, though not enough to even begin to lower my rating, was a significant time spent dictating television productions that the family watched. Though I could certainly see how they applied in respect to the story, there were moments where I felt that they carried on a bit longer than necessary and could have been reduced as to not take away from the appreciation of the story.

If you’re like me and your sanity could certainly benefit from taking a step back from the negative and mentally draining current worldwide pandemic situation, this is a read you cannot miss out on. With a humorous and relatable tale that spares no one, Quarantina is a story that can be read over and over and still be enjoyable. Due to the developmental stages that follow along with the real-life current events, the stages experienced within the story give off a nostalgic feeling of my own experiences. Four stars from me here- you don’t want to miss out on this one. Read it now, then read it again when life returns to “normal” ….if we ever see such a thing….

Pick up your own copy here!

http://www.DonnaInk.com