And the Blood Ran Black - Nathan E. Harvey

                And the Blood Ran Black uses the same storyline formula as so many of today’s zombie genre books do. A group of humans are on the run from zombies that seem to have taken over the world. The difference with this book is that the writing is really good and the characters’ relationships are probably the strongest element of the whole story. The book opens with an action packed sequence that is worthy of any movie and it keeps the reading turning the pages. The main characters, John and Moto, are brothers who are soldiers fighting for the United States and stationed in Puerto Rico. The author gives a lengthy yet interesting explanation as to how and why the war with China got its start. It’s somewhat scary because, aside from the zombies, everything else could conceivably happen. The character development in this book is some of the best I have ever read. The core relationship, that of the two brothers, is realistic and, ultimately, heart-breaking. The author manages to make the reader feel what the characters are feeling, so near the end of the book I was sniffling just a bit. There are a lot of characters which, in some books, can be confusing but not in this one. They are slowly introduced and developed throughout. That is, if they survive long enough. There’s also some romance, about as much as can be expected when the characters are spending every second looking over their shoulder for zombies. The author infuses some humor into the story which helped to lighten the mood in a fairly dark book. The ending was surprising for me but left the story open for (hopefully) a sequel. The title of the book is what first drew my attention but the cover is quite eye catching as well. The digital version of the book formatted to my ereader very well and the editing was excellent. This is a typical zombie book that is well worth reading.

Backyard Dragons - Lee French

                Backyard Dragons is the second book in the Spirit Knight series and having read the first book and enjoyed it I looked forward to reading this one. It did not disappoint. Claire, the only female Spirit Knight, continues on her path of discovering exactly what being a knight entails, all while learning to deal with her new adoptive family, finding what type of animal is her “sprite” (soul-bonded companion), and trying to help her boyfriend, Drew, out of a bit of a pickle. Claire has matured quite a bit since the first book and embraces being a knight, even the tasks that leave her bloody and bruised. The character is well written in that her maturity didn’t just happen all at once. As a reader you can see it come about gradually and with believability. She’s likeable and I was rooting her on throughout the book. On the flip side, the author shows Justin’s weaknesses even though he is a knight and Claire’s mentor. Their bond is one of admiration, respect and, ultimately, love. My favorite character by far is little Enion, Claire’s tiny sprite who is a dragon. I look forward to reading more about Enion’s growth, both physically and emotionally, in future books.

 I really enjoy this writer’s style. It’s entertaining and easy to read. There are lessons to be learned throughout the book but they aren’t preachy, rather done so subtly you barely know they are there. This book is aimed at young adults but I enjoyed it thoroughly and look forward to the next one in the series. The setting is modern times with a dash of magic thrown in that keeps the reader’s imagination thirsting for more of Lee French’s world. I read this on my ereader and it formatted well with excellent editing. The cover is intriguing and gels with the story well. This is definitely worth the read!

Korian and Lucy - Zoe Kalo

                Korian and Lucy is a great companion short story to the book Daughter of the Sun. To truly enjoy this story, the reader needs to first read Daughter of the Sun and discover the character of Trinity. Korian and Lucy are Trinity’s parents and don’t appear in the first book at all but play a large part in the story. They are Trinity’s parents and this short story tells of how they meet and their struggle with Lucy’s curse. It’s easily read in one sitting and it may be nice to have it and Daughter of the Sun or the next book in the series, if available, with you to read at one time. Korian and Lucy explains a lot about the mystery surrounding Trinity’s parentage that is introduced and is a theme throughout Daughter of the Sun. Even though it is very short, this author has a way about her writing that still manages to give the characters life and dimension. As a reader, you get a sense of how fun loving and free Lucy feels when with Korian and how much Korian loves Lucy. I love the style of writing that this author has and she manages to make the story entertaining and a page-turner without resorting to using gruesome and graphic violence. I really recommend this series and look forward to the next book.

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