Category: Book Reviews

by John Irvin

A commentary by John Irvin

CLICK HERE TO GO AND BUY MERMAID SEAS SALVATION!!!

“Twenty-three families…do you think that’s enough to start the human race over again?” –Arthur

            Arthur Eden is a best-selling fantasy novelist with a secret plan. He knows of the ancient prophecy the Mermaids deciphered several years back.

            The human race is going to perish.

            A fish-bred virus will wipe out the entire world population.

            Arthur has known mermaids exist for years, ever since he met Cassandra.

            She has a secret too—one he doesn’t even know.

            Working together, they plan a cruise trip for the winners of a TV game show about Arthur’s life and works.

            But will everything go as planned? What are the people going to think when they discover their cruise trip is actually a rescue and survival mission?

            Join the mermaids in this finale of the Mermaid Seas Trilogy!

            Salvation was the climax of this trilogy. While writing it, I figured out that each of my main characters from each book is actually related in some way to each other. Not directly, of course.

            Though this book is an earlier work so maybe not as professional as I’d like it to be, it still holds a special place in my heart.

            I enjoyed being able to add in some apocalyptic themes into this one. I’ve always had a thing for such stories. But to be able to fit in one of a my top favourite mythic species into such a story was just a blast. Mermaids are amazing creatures—though most stories have them as sinister people-killing beings. There are a few good stories about good mermaids though.

            Having the Mermaid race being the means of salvation for the Human race was a cool idea to me—kind of an opposite-of-the-norm theme. So that’s how this trilogy sprang into being.

Click this link to go check it out: MERMAID SEAS: SALVATION

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!

by Orson Scott Card

Published by St. Martin’s Press

A review by John Irvin

CLICK HERE TO GO AND BUY A PLANET CALLED TREASON!!!

“I’ve endured having four arms, an extra nose, and two hearts pumping away before the surgeon took me under his knife to cut away the excess.” –Lanik

            From the inside jacket cover:

            Time, the elements, and the human mind are Orson Scott Card’s playing cards in this daringly imaginative story of uprising on a planet of exile.

            Lanik Mueller, heir of one of the richest Families on the planet of Treason, is used to the occasional growth of an extra limb or organ; it is just surgically removed and his body heals within the hour. But when transsexual growth occurs—in his case a rather voluptuous set of breasts—he faces the fact that he has become a radical regenerative, and a humiliated outcast in a nation where military exploits are of the first importance.

            Three thousand years after the crime their forefathers committed against the Republic, the Families are subservient to a race of prisonkeepers with which each barters. The commodity: iron, with which an escape craft may be built, for Treason is a planet without hard metal resources. The currency: a refinement of the skill each original ancestor possessed. The first Mueller had been a geneticist specializing in regernerative research, and Lanik’s Family barters with surplus body parts.

            Lanik’s personal disaster sends him on a journey across Treason, and as he travels he assimilates some of the special gifts of each Family. And they are various indeed: the original Nkumai had been a physicist, the first Schwartz a geologist, Allison a theologian, Drew an interpreter of dreams, and others. And as he learns he conceives a plan for unity among the Families, long separated into warring clans, and an end to their subservience.

            Its extraordinary blend of wild adventure and metaphysical inquiry sets A Planet Called Treason apart. It is guaranteed to attract science fiction’s new audience and to delight seasoned readers with its evidence of a major new talent.

            This is there very first Orson Scott Card book I ever read—I didn’t know what to expect. I knew he was a good writer according to friends and family.

            The weird science within these pages will keep you fascinated if that is up your alley. Some might think this story a bit strange, but I found I enjoyed A Planet Called Treason. The title was intriguing as well, who would name a planet after a cause? But once you read the background story of this strange new world, you begin to understand.

            Lanik is pretty cool too. When the opening scene laid out his problem, I first thought, What on earth did I just pick up and start reading? But as his journey begins, I found myself not wanting to put the book down. I always enjoy exploring new worlds and this is exactly what Lanik’s journey consists of.

            As he learned each new skill and power, I grew more proud of the hero. His mentality to the world and its warring clans and their issues also changed, preparing him for his destiny you might say.

            If you like Orson Scott Card and science fiction or fantasy adventures, this book would be an amazing read to add to your collection.

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

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 RISES!!!

“Curran had the strangest look on his face. I realized I was hugging myself. Hey, baby, do you want to have my children? Here, let me curl into a fetal ball in response. Ugh. I was a moron.” –Kate Daniels

            From the back cover blurb:

            Mercenary Kate Daniels and her mate, Curran, the Beast Lord, are struggling to solve a heartbreaking crisis. Unable to control their beasts, many of the Pack’s shapeshifting children fail to survive to adulthood. While there is a medicine that can help, the secret to its making is closely guarded by the European packs, and there’s little available in Atlanta.

            Kate can’t bear to watch innocents suffer, but the solution she and Curran have found threatens to be even more painful. The European shapeshifters who once outmaneuvered the Beast Lord have asked him to arbitrate a dispute—and they’ll pay him in medicine. With the young people’s survival and the Pack’s future at stake, Kate and Curran know they must accept the offer—but they have little doubt that they’re heading straight into a trap…

            I must say, Magic Rises is one of my favorites among this favorite series of mine. Why? Because Kate and Curran and their allies actually travel to Europe and not just Europe but near the area where I actually grew up—give or take a few hundred miles, but still.

            There are several jokes and histories that I actually knew and recognized while reading this amazing urban fantasy. I’m certain my neighbours think me insane from all the laughing I did—no, I didn’t do any squealing, none at all, not sure what you’re talking about.

            But, like all the previous books, this sixth installment in the edgy, kick-butt dark fantasy just adds to the amazing Kate Daniels series. Even the Night Owl Reviews remarked how each book just gets better and better.

            This alternate-universe Atlanta is still full of surprises—most not so fun, more like dangerous and terrifying—keeping you on your toes as you follow Kate along on her new mission.

            But as soon as we got to Europe, the sense that there was some ulterior motive or a plot or something was just too strong. But what’s a girl to do? Keep going and hope she makes it out alive.

            Which, I mean, it’s Kate—and Curran—she’s got to make it, right?

            Of course, there is a heart-wrenching part. But that’s life, I guess. I feel like it just pulls your heart closer to Kate and Curran. You will finish this book feeling like you’ve lost friends and gained new ones, not wanting to leave them. If not, you might want to check your pulse.

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

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!

by Rick Riordan

Published by Disney Hyperion

A review by John Irvin

CLICK HERE TO GO AND BUY BLOOD OF OLYMPUS!!!

“Jason hated being old. His joints hurt. His legs shook. As he tried to climb the hill, his lungs rattled like a box of rocks.”

            From the back cover blurb:

            Nico had warned them. Going through the House of Hades would stir the demigod’s worst memories. Their ghosts would become restless. Nico may actually become a ghost if he has to shadow-travel with Reyna and Coach Hedge one more time. But that might be better than the alternative: allowing someone else to die, as Hades foretold.

            Jason’s ghost is his mother, who abandoned him when he was little. He may not know how he is going to prove himself as a leader, but he does know that he will not break promises like she did. He will complete his line of the prophecy: To storm or fire the world must fall.

            Reyna fears the ghosts of her ancestors, who radiate anger. But she can’t allow them to distract her from getting the Athena Parthenos to Camp Half-Blood before war breaks out between the Romans and Greeks. Will she have enough strength to succeed, especially with a deadly hunter on her trail?

            Leo fears that his plan won’t work, that his friends might interfere. But there is no other way. All of them know that one of the Seven has to die in order to defeat Gaea, the Earth Mother.

            Piper must learn to give herself over to fear. Only then will she be able to do her part at the end: utter a single word.

            Heroes, gods, and monsters all have a role to play in the climactic fulfillment of the prophecy in The Blood of Olympus, the electrifying finale of the best-selling Heroes of Olympus series.

            Staying true to his epic, keep-you-holding-on, style of story-telling, Rick Riordan brings the best conclusion to this young adult fantasy adventure starring our favorite characters. I am never disappointed by Riordan’s books.

            Even though the first page had me hooked into the story with its intensity and slightly comedic and death-defying scene—I still felt a breath of relief. After the previous book, Blood of Olympus held this promise that everything would work out in the end.

            Yes, there were still plenty of desperate situations that my demigod friends had to go through—dangerous struggles were still a plenty—but all through it, I felt this hope that we just might make it. Even when the final scenes were around the corner and it seemed all was lost, I knew, you have to cling to whatever spark of hope you had.

            Was I scared? Yes! You never know when an author is going to throw some plot twist in or one of your favorite character’s death, so was I reading as fast as my little eyes could go? Yes!

            If you’re collecting all things Riordan, this is a must buy. Not to mention, it is the finale in the awesome Percy Jackson sequel series!

            So, take my recommendation and click this link to go buy it: THE BLOOD OF OLYMPUS.

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 Rick Riordan

Published by Disney Hyperion

A review by John Irvin

CLICK HERE TO GO AND BUY HOUSE OF HADES!!!

“During the third attack, Hazel almost ate a boulder.”

            From the back cover blurb:

            The demigod crew of the Argo II is standing at a crossroads. They a could return home with the Athena Parthenos statue and try to stop Camp Half-Blood and Camp Jupiter from going to war. Or they could continue on their quest to find the House of Hades, where they might be able to open the Doors of Death, rescue their friends Percy and Annabeth from Tartarus (if they have survived), and prevent monsters from being reincarnated in the mortal world. Whichever road they decide to take, they have to hurry, because time is running out. Gaea, the bloodthirsty Earth Mother, has set the date of August 1 for her rise to power.

            Join the demigods of the prophecy as they face their biggest challenges yet in the House of Hades, the hair-raising penultimate book in the bestselling Heroes of Olympus series.

            After the gut-wrenching cliffhanger of The Mark of Athena, this fourth installation wasn’t better—it was superb. This is one of those books you can’t put down because it will grab your heart and drag you through Tartarus.

           That sounds like a horrible thing, I know. I’m just using the story’s plot and twisting it into a compliment for the book.

            If you’ve read The Mark of Athena, you know you have to continue with this!

            A young adult heroic quest adventure that verges on dark fantasy, The House of Hades is an intense reading, but delectable nonetheless.

            So, take my recommendation and click this link to go buy it: HOUSE OF HADES.

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

by Rick Riordan

Published by Disney Hyperion

A review by John Irvin

CLICK HERE TO GO AND BUY MARK OF ATHENA!!!

“Until she met the exploding statue, Annabeth thought she was prepared for anything.”

            From the inside book jacket:

            Annabeth is terrified. Just when she’s about to be reunited with Percy—after six months of being apart, thanks to Hera—it looks like Camp Jupiter is preparing for war. As Annabeth and her friends Jason, Piper, and Leo fly in on the Argo II, she can’t blame the Roman demigods for thinking the ship is a Greek weapon. With its steaming broze dragon figurehead, Leo’s fantastical creation doesn’t appear friendly. Annabeth hopes that the sight of their praetor Jason on deck will reassure the Romans that the visitors from Camp Half-Blood are coming in peace.

            …Annabeth’s biggest fear, though, is that Percy might have changed. What if he’s now attacked to Roman ways? Does he still need his old friends? As the daughter of the goddess of war and wisdom, Annabeth knows she was born to be a leader—but never again does she want to be without Seaweed Brain by her side.

            Narrated by four different demigods, The Mark of Athena is an unforgettable journey across land and sea to Rome, where important discoveries, surprising sacrifices, and unspeakable horrors await. Climb aboard the Argo II, if you dare…

            It is exactly that: unforgettable. Rick Riordan again lives up to the greatness of his previous works. Vamping up the intensity and gut-wrenching antics of our beloved demigods, Riordan brings a new side to the prism that is Annabeth.

            She now has her own book focused on her quest!

            Yes, of course, there are three other friends starring as the main characters in this book, but Annabeth’s quest is the one that will decide whether Mother Earth will bring the Roman and Greek camps to war.

            Annabeth was already a favourite of mine, I’d already fallen in love with her along with Percy in the first series—but reading this book deepened my love for those two. The ending, oh, the ending, you’re going to have to read it and find out.

            So, take my recommendation and click this link to go buy it: MARK OF ATHENA.

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!

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!

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