Simulation - M. Black

                Dystopian novels seem to be the new “it” genre in the book world. It seems like everywhere I look it’s either zombies or the end of the world…or both. So, for me to enjoy a book like this it has to have something different that will catch my attention. It has to be fast paced with likeable characters and a story line that leaves me wanting more. By the end of Simulation, I was hoping that it was going to be the first book in a long series. I loved the characters, who were easy to like or hate, whichever the case may be. The writing was really good and there were a lot of twists to the story that I really wasn’t expecting, the big one being the simulation itself.

                I didn’t start out thinking I was going to end up liking this book. The first few pages were about the introduction of Ilia and Eleeza as they went on a mission to get some colours from the Givers and it piqued my interest. I knew immediately that Ilia was my kind of girl and Eleeza was definitely not someone I would ever want to spend any time befriending. However, I few pages in I started to find the story dragging a bit. This could just be my problem. I read a whole lot of books and don’t have a lot of patience if a story doesn’t keep me entertained. I also know that an author has to set the story up. Having read previous books written by M. Black, I knew this was her style and things would pick up soon. I wasn’t wrong.

                I’ll start with the fantastically creative world that M. Black has set this story in. As a reader, I’ve never thought about how intricate the details of creating a new world must be, right down to how the Outsiders clean their teeth and freshen their breath with sharp sticks and cloves. The different clans that are visited throughout the book are fascinating. Their stories about how they came to be and how they survive after Earth’s devastation is detailed and thoughtful. Even the description of how the Earth came to be the way it is presently in the book was, to be honest, downright scary because everything that caused the problems are what is happening right now in our world, such as overpopulation, pollution, acid rain, animal extinction, etc. A lot of the dystopian books aren’t very believable but most things in Simulation seemed like things that could be a part of our future if we aren’t more careful.

                The emotions in the book were so raw at times that I felt myself feeling what the characters felt as they experienced them. The anger the Outsiders felt towards the residents of the citigogs was so like the anger that many from war torn countries feel towards Westerners and that made it all the more believable. When Panch lost his daughter in the drone attack and ilia realized that her father caused it, the pain she felt almost brought tears to my eyes. M. Black has the ability to bring these emotions off the page and into the hearts of her readers. She does this subtly and never over does the hand-wringing and heart-wrenching. A lot of the book is like this, where she made me feel certain emotions without telling me that is how I should be feeling. This is the sign of a great writer, in my opinion, who writes elegantly and neatly, all while entertaining the reader.

                Overall, Simulation is a great book and very entertaining to read. The characters are multi-dimensional and well written. As I said before, the world M. Black has created is beyond fantastic. I just wish this were the start of a long series.

A Beautiful Glittering Lie - J.D.R. Hawkins

                A Beautiful Glittering Lie is a historical fiction novel set during the American Civil War. Not being from the States, I have bare bones knowledge of this event in history so I found the author’s detailed telling of events and way of life during this time to be very interesting. The book provides both historical facts and a look at the conditions that both the soldiers and the citizens lived in during the Civil War. I found that some of the facts became rather dry and dragged the story down, although I do realize that they are essential to the story. For the most part, the story is told from the side of the Confederates. I’ve really only ever read information from the other side so I found it very interesting to read the alternate viewpoint. I can’t say I have changed my mind about which side I would have supported during the war but it did open my eyes as to why the Confederates felt the way they did. I found the pace of the book quite slow and I struggled to stay interested but for anyone who is a Civil War buff, this book would make for some entertaining reading. The characters are well developed and realistically written. I enjoyed the variety of personalities in the book, such as David who just wants to be like his dad and fight, and his dad, tough as nails even in horrible conditions. It can be difficult to have a lot of characters and make each one a worthwhile part of a book but the author manages to do this well throughout the whole story. For me, the pace was a bit slow but I realize the author had to do this in order to keep the realism of the story. Sometimes action sequences have to be sacrificed. Overall, I did learn a lot from this book, even with it being fiction, and I will look for more books by this author.

When Darkness Comes - John Anthony Miller

When Darkness Comes is a historical thriller set during the German occupation of Paris in 1942. Jewish people were being exterminated at increasing rates in what was to become the most horrific genocide in the history of mankind. Mr. Mille takes the reader into the lives of a group of people who helped the Jews escape before being sent to almost certain death in concentration camps. The book opens with a look into the events and traumas in these people's lives that brought them together to work for the Resistance. Nobody is ever quite who they seem and the phrase "Never trust anyone" is never truer than in this story. I can usually predict character twists but there are a few here that I definitely wasn't expecting. I wasn't sure how the story was going to unfold as I started to read this book and I wasn't really taken in with the style of writing. As I kept reading, I found myself caring for the characters and becoming more engrossed in the various twists and turns of the story. It almost seemed like the author settled into the story and the writing style smoothed out and became really good. The characters are well developed and realistic in their actions and dialogue. The intensity of their situations and surroundings was vivid and made me realize just how touch-and-go life was for people during World War Two. Mr. Mille wrote every character so well that even the vilest Nazi was given a certain amount of humanity. The story is fast-paced and told through multiple viewpoints so the reader is never left bored with one character. There is a satisfying ending that, unfortunately, makes it clear that there won't be a sequel, although the author writes about the future for everyone...that is, those that make it to the end of the book. I really enjoyed this book. It's perfect for anyone with an interest in the human side of the War and those people that saved so many lives, not just the facts and dates. I read this on my ereader and it formatted well with good editing. The cover gives a hint to what the story is about and enticed me to choose this as a book I wanted to read. An excellent and enjoyable book!

Korian and Lucy Short Story Part II

                This short story is part two in the Cult of the Cat Short Story series that is a precursor to the book Daughter of the Sun. As the author tells the reader at the beginning of the story, it is very imported to read the Daughter of the Sun first and then Part One of the short story series because otherwise nothing read will make sense. This short story is a very quick read and, in my opinion, I’d rather read all of these short stories together in one large book. I read Part One quite a while ago and have forgotten much of what happened. It is essential to remember what happened in the first one in order to appreciate the story continuity in the second one so this was a problem for me until I remembered the first story.

                This short story continues the love story of Korian and Lucy as they struggle to be together and overcome not only their disapproving families but also the curse hanging over Lucy’s head regarding anyone she falls in love with. It is a well written story with interesting characters and relationships that are believable and realistic. I always enjoy Zoe Kalo’s writing and this short story is no exception. My only qualm is that I wish all of these great stories were combined into one novel.

No Safe Place - Steven M. Roth

                No Safe Place is a thriller from the Trace Austin series written by Steven M. Roth. It opens with the President of the United States making the decision to infect vacation hot-spot Fort Lauderdale, Florida with a virus that quickly infects and often kills the citizens, thus imposing a quarantine on the area. This is all done as an experiment to see what would happen and how people would react should it happen for real in a terrorist attack. Blaming the sickness on terrorists, the United States government imposes martial law on Fort Lauderdale and life for the citizens quickly turns into a situation of eat or be eaten. Trace, his wife, son and Nanna happen to be visiting the area and end up in the Quarantine Zone. Trace previously worked for the government as a computer hacker and an elite soldier so he starts trying to find out what is really going on while trying to also get his family out of the area.

                This is a very fast paced story and one that was almost scary due to the fact it could very well happen, considering how things are in our world today. The author’s viewpoint of how people would react seems very accurate and the situation of martial law at a resort town was very realistic. The author seems to have put a lot of thought into how life would be under restrictions of this type and the fear that people would feel, making them act irrationally. There are quite a few characters but Mr. Roth does an excellent job of introducing each one and giving them back stories that differentiate them from each other. They are all multi-dimensional and realistic and there are a variety of personalities, each acting differently under the circumstances. It is quite interesting how different types of people deal with the stress of such a situation.

                I loved this book and the action and thrill factors made it hard to put down. It is a fast and easy read. I read this book in digital format and it formatted well. Editing is also done well. The cover is typical of the thriller novels out today so it didn’t really sway my decision to read the book one way or the other.