Category: Book Reviews

by Greg Bear, Author of Darwin’s Radio

Published by A Del Rey Book, an imprint of Random House

A review by John Irvin

CLICK HERE TO GO AND BUY ROGUE PLANET!!!

“This must be how a father feels, looking down on his son, worried about an uncertain future. I would hate to see him fail. But I would hate far more to lose this boy. I would almost rather freeze time here, and freeze myself with it, than face that.” –Obi-Wan Kenobi

            From the back cover blurb:

            The Force is strong in twelve-year-old Anakin Skywalker…so strong that the Jedi Council, despite misgivings, entrusted young Obi-Wan Kenobi with the mission of training him to become a Jedi Knight. Obi-Wan—like his slain Master Qui-Gon—believes Anakin may be the chosen one, the Jedi destined to bring balance to the Force. But first Obi-Wan must help his undisciplined apprentice, who still bears the scars of slavery, find his own balance.

            Dispatched to the mysterious planet of Zonama Sekot, source of the fastest ships in the galaxy, Obi-Wan and Anakin are swept up in a swirl of deadly intrigue and betrayal. They sense a disturbance in the Force unlike any they have encountered before. It seems there are more secrets on Zonama Sekot than meet the eye. But the search for those secrets will threaten the bond between Obi-Wan and Anakin…and bring the troubled young apprentice face-to-face with his deepest fears—and his darkest destiny.

            Ships that are living breathing things…amazing! A planet that is actually a living breath being…astounding!

            Rogue Planet has always been a favourite of mine in the Star Wars realm. I’ve always had a thing for exploring other worlds and Greg Bear adds such a taste to this space drama. With the physics and biology, this is a real science fiction story.

            Fans of Star Wars and other fantasies must make sure to add this book to their collection.

            The signs of Anakin’s soon-coming path to the Dark Side are prevalent as well. Most fans already know the outcome, but there is still a bit of suspense somehow. Perhaps it’s because you’re not certain when exactly he will turn that holds you on the edge of your seat.

            There is also a couple tear-jerking moments as you fall in love with the living world that is Zonama Sekot and feel her loss and pain.

            So, take my recommendation and click this link to go buy it: ROGUE PLANET.

As a side note, I am required to inform you that my links provided are affiliate links to the said products. Hey, I’ve got to pay the bills somehow. I hope this is understandable!

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by Ilona Andrews

Published by Ace Books

A review by John Irvin

CLICK HERE TO GO AND BUY MAGIC BINDS!!!

“The skull glared at me out of empty eye sockets…” –Kate Daniels

            From the back cover blurb:

            Mercenary Kate Daniels knows all too well that magic in post-Shift Atlanta is a dangerous business. But nothing she’s faced could have prepared her for this.

            Kate and the former Beast Lord Curran Lennart are finally making their relationship official. But there are some steep obstacles standing in the way of their walk to the altar.

            Kate’s father, Roland, has kidnapped the demigod Saiman and is slowly bleeding him dry in a never-ending bid for power. A Witch Oracle has predicted that if Kate marries the man she loves, Atlanta will burn and she will lose him forever. And the only person Kate can ask for help is long dead.

            The odds are impossible. The future is grim. But Kate Daniels has never been one to play by the rules…

            I don’t know how Ilona Andrews does it. Magic Binds is book nine in a ten book series. Every single book builds upon the other, promising a bigger and better climax as you make your way through the dark urban fantasy.

            The way Andrews keeps you wanting more, going forward, and holding out for the main climax is astounding and awe-inspiring to me. I can only hope I’ll ever become this good.

            With one more book to go after it, Magic Binds ties up some old ends before giving you that push at the end in which you’ve got to get to the end and read the finale before …I don’t know …the world ends? Every fiber in my being was holding on as I gripped the edges of this book.

            I’m killing myself, restraining from reading the finale, because I can’t let go of this amazing kick-butt heroine who has dry humour that has me rolling in the floor with laughter.

            I will confess though, I think I’m headed to the bookstore to buy Magic Triumphs, thanks to writing this review.

            So, take my recommendation and click this link to go buy it: MAGIC BINDS.

As a side note, I am required to inform you that my links provided are affiliate links to the said products. Hey, I’ve got to pay the bills somehow. I hope this is understandable!

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I’m also a Patreon artist–the cool thing about Patreon is it allows people to support artists by monthly pledges which allow the artists to have more time to work on their own passions. Here is my account: PATREON.COM. If you’d like to support me, I would be eternally grateful!

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by Stephen Lawhead

Published by Thomas Nelson

A review by John Irvin

CLICK HERE TO GO AND BUY THE FATAL TREE!!!

“Near Tacoma, Washington, fourteen vehicles plunged into Puget Sound when the highway bridge on which they were travelling disappeared beneath them.

            From the Back Cover:

            It started with small, seemingly insignificant wrinkles in time: A busy bridge suddenly disappears, spilling cars into the sea. A beast from another realm roams modern streets. Napoleon’s army appears in 1930s Damascus ready for battle. But that’s only the beginning as entire realities collide and collapse.

            The questors are spread throughout the universe. Mina is stuck on a plain of solid ice, her only companion an angry cave lion named Baby. Tony and Gianni are monitoring the cataclysmic reversal of the cosmic expansion—but coming up short on answers. And Burleigh is languishing in a dreary underground dungeon—his only hop of survival the very man he tried to kill.

            Kit and Cass are back in the Stone Age trying to reach the Spirit Well. But an enormous yew tree has grown over the portal, effectively cutting off any chance of return. Unless someone can find a solution—and fast—all Creation will be destroyed in the universal apocalypse known as The End of Everything.

            In the final volume of the fantastic Bright Empires series, Stephen R. Lawhead brings the multi-stranded tale to a stunning and immensely satisfying conclusion.

            When they said an immensely satisfying conclusion—they weren’t joking.

            Sticking with the multi-faceted mystery and fantasy adventure through time traveling and parallel universe jumping, Lawhead really knocked my socks off.

            The suspense kept me reading—there were times I forgot I had chores to do. I needed to read this final installment in the multi-universe series.

            How was it all going to play out? That was my main question. The mystery and quests had all built up for a fantastic climax and like usual, Stephen Lawhead did not disappoint but pulled through.

            In the end, I looked up to find life had gone by without me, but I smiled, content and a bit bittersweet at leaving my friends in their new stations in life after it all played out.

            So, take my recommendation and click this link to go buy it: THE FATAL TREE.

As a side note, I am required to inform you that my links provided are affiliate links to the said products. Hey, I’ve got to pay the bills somehow. I hope this is understandable!

If you enjoyed this review, you should sign up for my newsletter! I don’t spam and you can unsuscribe at any time. I only send out emails–usually just focused on whatever book review I’ve written that day–on Mondays and Fridays. Sign up here: SIGN UP!

I’m also a Patreon artist–the cool thing about Patreon is it allows people to support artists by monthly pledges which allow the artists to have more time to work on their own passions. Here is my account: PATREON.COM. If you’d like to support me, I would be eternally grateful!

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by Alan Dean Foster

Published by The Random House Publishing Group

A review by John Irvin

CLICK HERE TO GO AND BUY APPROACHING STORM!!!

“Not a chance, no. A ‘Jedi’ lightsaber, is it? I suppose that would make you a ‘Jedi Knight,’ sweet splash? A lovely, lithe Jedi at that!”

            From the back cover blurb:

            The Republic is decaying, even under the leadership of Supreme Chancellor Palpatine, who was elected to save the galaxy from collapsing under the forces of discontent.

            On the tiny but strategic planet of Ansion, a powerful faction is on the verge of joining the growing secessionist movement. At the Chancellor’s request, the Jedi Council sends two Jedi Knights, Obi-Won Kenobi and Luminara Unduli, along with their Padawans Anakin Skywalker and Bariss Offee, to stabilize the planet’s population.

           To succeed, the Jedi will have to fulfill near-impossible tasks, befriend wary strangers, and influence two great armies, stalked all the while by an enemy sworn to see the negotiations collapse and the mission fail…

            By now you know I must be a Star Wars fan. This prequel to the classic Attack of the Clones (Star Wars Volume II), The Approaching Storm will charge your senses with the beautiful new creation of Ansion. The description of the landscape and animal life will fill your mind with onder.

            I also sorta got a crush on Luminara—they say confession is good for the soul.

            The tensions from the Republic’s decay will have you wondering how much longer till the infamous revelation of Chancellor Palpatine’s true identity—trying not to give a spoiler alert here.

            You say, really? Spoiler alert? Yes, I say. There could be someone out there who has never seen or read Star Wars before. I did not get to watch Star Wars until my college days, I read the books first. So when the great plot twist of Palpatine’s identity came out, I was surprised. I had a few friends bewildered at this.

            Anyways, this is a short novel, great read, and simple a science fiction fantastic.

            So, take my recommendation and click this link to go buy it: THE APPROACHING STORM.

As a side note, I am required to inform you that my links provided are affiliate links to the said products. Hey, I’ve got to pay the bills somehow. I hope this is understandable!

If you enjoyed this review, you should sign up for my newsletter! I don’t spam and you can unsuscribe at any time. I only send out emails–usually just focused on whatever book review I’ve written that day–on Mondays and Fridays. Sign up here: SIGN UP!

I’m also a Patreon artist–the cool thing about Patreon is it allows people to support artists by monthly pledges which allow the artists to have more time to work on their own passions. Here is my account: PATREON.COM. If you’d like to support me, I would be eternally grateful!

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by Stephen Lawhead

Published by Thomas Nelson

A review by John Irvin

CLICK HERE TO GO AND BUY THE SHADOW LAMP!!!

“Then it is agreed. We will return the skin to Arthur, and when that is done, that will be the end of it.” –Xian-Li

            From the Back Cover:

            The Quest for answers—and ultimate survival—hinges on finding the cosmic link between the Skin Map, the Shadow Lamp, and the Spirit Well.

            The search for the map of blue symbols began in a rainy alley in London but has since expanded through space and time and includes more seekers.

            Kit, Mina, Gianni, Cass, Haven, and Giles have gathered in Mina’s 16^th-century coffee house and are united in their determination to find a path back to the Spirit Well. Yet, with their shadow lamps destroyed and key pieces of the map still missing, the journey will be farm more difficult than they imagine. And when one of their own disappears with Sir Henry’s cryptic Green Book, they no longer know who to trust.

            At the same time, the Zetetic Society has uncovered a terrifying secret which, if proven, will rock the very foundations of Creation. The quest for answers is no longer limited to recovering an unknown treasure. The fate of the universe depends on unraveling the riddle of the Skin Map.

            Four books into the Bright Empires series and the Skin Map is still being referenced. Well, that’s because it is the center of a mystifying intrigue of cosmic proportions—spreading across time and space in the multiverse in book number four, The Shadow Lamp.

            As expected, Stephen Lawhead laid out this next book in the series in an epic way. While unraveling some parts of the mystery, he also expounded on it—bringing an even greater urge to keep reading to the story.

            In my eyes, the started at a climax and got better and better—being a writer myself, I dream of obtaining such heights, men like Stephen Lawhead are my inspiration. You can tell the story was well thought out, researched, and developed long before the book was written. That or Lawhead is just that darn good.

            If you are a fan—or getting interested—in the fantasy adventure genre with time travel and parallel universes, you’ll have to add this book to your collection. If you haven’t, make sure you add the previous ones before as well!

            So, take my recommendation and click this link to go buy it: THE SHADOW LAMP.

As a side note, I am required to inform you that my links provided are affiliate links to the said products. Hey, I’ve got to pay the bills somehow. I hope this is understandable!

If you enjoyed this review, you should sign up for my newsletter! I don’t spam and you can unsuscribe at any time. I only send out emails–usually just focused on whatever book review I’ve written that day–on Mondays and Fridays. Sign up here: SIGN UP!

I’m also a Patreon artist–the cool thing about Patreon is it allows people to support artists by monthly pledges which allow the artists to have more time to work on their own passions. Here is my account: PATREON.COM. If you’d like to support me, I would be eternally grateful!

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by John Irvin

A commentary by John Irvin

CLICK HERE TO GO AND BUY DOOM THROUGH THE RABBIT HOLE!!!

“My name’s Conner Schez and I’m dead.”

Short Description:

Ghosts, wraiths, and the Queen of Doom, this Emergency Room isn’t your normal ER.

Follow Conner, Alice, and their friends as they end up uncovering a sorceress’s plot to take control of the hospital and perhaps the rest of the world. 

When you wake up to find your body lying at your feet and discover you’re a ghost, what do you do? Conner Schez finds himself in this dilemma and needs his friends’ help to tear open this mystery. 

Alice has the power to open portals to other worlds, she calls these portals “Rabbit Holes.” But when Conner come to her for help, she opens a portal and finds out, a little white rabbit doesn’t come out. It’s something totally different.

            This was one of those fun-purely-for-enjoyment adventures. I love paranormals and during the time I worked in the Emergency Room, there were times when my coworkers were certain there was a ghost in one of the rooms.

            This was the spark to this short little humorous dilly. I think it’s actually my very first paranormal comedy taken from the point of the view of a ghost.

            If you want a chuckle or a giggle, maybe this short novella will make you smile?

Click this link to go check it out: DOOM THROUGH THE RABBIT HOLE.

As a side note, I am required to inform you that my links provided are affiliate links to the said products. Hey, I’ve got to pay the bills somehow. I hope this is understandable!

If you enjoyed this review, you should sign up for my newsletter! I don’t spam and you can unsuscribe at any time. I only send out emails–usually just focused on whatever book review I’ve written that day–on Mondays and Fridays. Sign up here: SIGN UP!

I’m also a Patreon artist–the cool thing about Patreon is it allows people to support artists by monthly pledges which allow the artists to have more time to work on their own passions. Here is my account: PATREON.COM. If you’d like to support me, I would be eternally grateful!

Follow me on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. Or email me at john@johnirvinauthor.com