Where Angels Prey - Ramesh S. Arunachalam

                Where Angels Prey is a thriller set in the financial world of microfinance institutions in India. Set during the latest financial crisis in 2010, journalist Robert Bradlee is looking for a story and investigates why the world of microfinance institutions is so lucrative while other businesses are failing. What he finds blows the lid off of these micro loan companies that are unregulated and use less than honourable methods to collect on the debts. The poor citizens of India take out small loans for various reasons from these companies, mainly SAMMAAN, and when they can’t pay the loans back they are so harassed that many are driven to suicide. The closer the truth is to coming out, the more desperate the microfinance companies become and people’s lives become endangered. I know very little about microfinance institutions. Before reading this book I thought they were a good idea for the poorer countries but this story made them seem scary. The story itself is fast paced and entertaining and the fact that it has me wondering if things like this are happening has me intrigued. Some of the financial terms were over my head and it’s obvious the author knows his topic. The characters are well rounded and thought out. The characters exhibited the differences between the Indian culture and the Western culture in very subtle ways which also added to the complexity of each one. This I also found quite fascinating. The writing flows quite well and the story moves from chapter to chapter easily with no confusion. Formatted for both an ereader and a paperback, the digital version worked well on my ereader. The cover was neither here nor there but I loved the title. This is an exciting book to read and I think it would be especially enjoyed by those familiar with the world of finance.

The Dockland Kingslayer - V.C. Remus

                The Dockland Kingslayer is a slimmed down version of one of the stories from another book I’ve reviewed, Steamworks in the Bylea written by V.C. Remus. Although I enjoyed Steamworks in the Bylea I did find it a bit confusing at times as it bounced between two main stories. In taking the story of Alistair Metis and giving it its own book, the author has strengthened the whole story. I found myself becoming much more invested in Alistair’s adventures and enjoying them more. It was easier to picture the events in my mind and it would make a great fantasy movie. The bumbling idiot guards chasing Alistair through the streets after his parents are killed would make a great hilarious action scene. Sometimes the phrases are a bit too descriptive or flowery and I just wanted the author to get to the story and forget how the blade of a sword felt but I understand why he added these things, maybe just rein them in a bit. Overall, I really enjoyed this book and hope the other story in Steamworks in the Bylea will be written in a similar way.