Between Two Kingdoms

Between Two Kingdoms

Joe Boyd

Series or Stand Alone: Stand Alone

Release Date: March 2010

Publisher: Standard Publishing

Pages: 176

Author Site: http://betweentwokingdoms.wordpress.com/about-the-author/

My Rating: 2/5

Source: Received from FSB Associates for review

Synopsis [from goodreads.com]:

In this work of allegorical fantasy, author Joe Boyd takes us on a pilgrimage to a land of two kingdoms, but only one true King. An ancient land, where children never grow old. A living land, where foundations grow in trees and rivers sing and breathe. But also a dying land, where the darkness of a false prince threatens to swallow everything in its shadow.

Enter the adventure with Tommy, a child of the Great King, as he and his friends accept the challenge to live as grown men and women in the Lower Kingdom—where hope is hidden, vision is clouded, and pride twists truth into a beautiful yet deadly deception.

Review:

I didn't hate this book but I can't say I really liked it either. BETWEEN TWO KINGDOMS is one big allegorical tale that was both challenging and easy to get through. Not being very religious myself I found it a bit redundant and sometimes annoying to read and re-read the religious references spread throughout the unique tale. Now most of that annoyance is directed towards myself for not realizing what exactly this book was about. When I was asked to review BETWEEN TWO KINGDOMS I simply skimmed the synopsis provided and said "Definitely!!" It sounded like an enjoyable action tale geared towards the younger crowd. I really had no idea what I was getting into when I accepted the review.

But I don't want anyone to think the book was terrible, because it wasn't. It simply wasn't my cup o'tea. I enjoyed the story enough to want to finish it and after setting aside my differences with the novel itself I was able to enjoy the plot as a whole rather than concentrate on the religious symbols in the book. There was also some points in the book that quite frankly had me stumped. The children of the Great King are a eternally seven-years-old. Why that age? Why children at all? While in the Upper Kingdom, the children eat a cookie and ice-cream filled diet that seems to hold some significance in the end but still leaves me scratching my head...

Overall, the story was entirely unique to my personal tastes. And to add a random comment into my review: I really like the cover! The picture above is pretty true to what you get when you hold the novel and I just loved looking at it. I believe there are many people, young and older alike, that will enjoy BETWEEN TWO KINGDOMS. I recommend you borrow it from a library or read more about it before making a decision.

Dino Vicelli: Private Eye

Dino Vicelli: Private Eye In a World of Evils

Lori Weiner

Series or Stand Alone: Stand Alone (Sequel scheduled for 2010)

Release Date: June 2009

Publisher: Dorrance Publishing Company, Inc.

Pages: 98

Book Site: http://www.dinovicelli.com/

My Rating: 2/5

Source: Received for review from Carol Fass Publicity & Public Relations

Synopsis [from goodreads.com]:

This story transports the reader to an alternate-reality version of New York City, in which talking dogs interact regularly with humans. The hero, Dino Vicelli, is a private investigator who just happens to be a sharply dressed Italian greyhound with a great fondness for cigars. He takes on what initially appears to be a routine missing person case but soon finds himself in the midst of a sinister plot that involves kidnapping, murder, and bizarre scientific experiments aimed at controlling the world. As he investigates this strange case, Dino repeatedly encounters mortal danger, while also finding romance with a beautiful blonde Afghan dog.

With its unusual twists on the traditional detective story genre, this book blends elements of humor, suspense, and fantasy into a truly unique and entertaining tale.

Review:

I actually received an email promoting this book and jumped at the chance. The blurb grabbed my attention and I haven't read too many books with animals as the main characters. I was really looking forward to reading this detective/mystery book but found myself a little let down when it was all over.

The story itself was pretty good. Dino is the main character who happens to be a greyhound. He can talk, walk on two legs, and dresses considerably well for a canine. He owns his own private investigation company in New York City where it's talking dogs live right along side humans.

Dino gets hired for a case that is much more than it first appears to be. He meets some pretty interesting characters along the way (mostly all dogs as well) as he searches for his client's missing wife. The mystery unravels into a bigger story that threatens to take Dino down if he's not too careful.

I didn't know the book was as short as it was until I received it, so I suppose I should have expected a very simple, short, and to-the-point novel. However, my brain just didn't work that way. I wanted more depth and development from the story point of view, from the characters, etc. I don't fault the author at all for my disappointment in the novel, it was much more of a personal preference. DINO VICELLI was very entertaining and an entirely interesting and unique spin on the PI world. I recommend it for dog lovers and anyone who wants a quick escape into a different kind of world =)

Day 128 - House Rules

House Rules

Heather Lewis

Series or Stand Alone: Stand Alone

Synopsis: [from back cover]

Fifteen-year-old Lee is making it in the hothouse circuit of showjumping. Just kicked out of school for possessing marijuana and seeking to escape from sexual abuse, her search for comfort leads her into heart of a claustrophobic and brutal world.

Hooked into a passionate lesbian affair where pleasure and pain blur beyond distinction, and seduced by dulling narcotics, Lee is knowing and vulnerable - she cannot remember ever being innocent. And in a bruising arena where only kindness threatens to break her, dealing with pain is easy...

Review:

The content of the book may repel others, but not me. Lee is introduced as a troubled fifteen-year-old who has just been kicked out of boarding school for posessing marijuana. She can't (or better yet, won't) stay home because her father sexually abuses her which doesn't seem to bother her mother very much. So instead Lee heads off to Florida and returns to the world of competitive horse showing. Thus begins Lee's downward spiral into a brutal world filled with drugs, alcohol and violent sexual encounters. This destructive path seems to be all Lee will ever know as she struggles to find a balance between comfort and numbness.

Although the book is powerfully honest and brutal I had problems more with the writing and character development. I suppose it just takes time to get used to how Heather Lewis wrote her novels. I admire the way she laid Lee's emotions and entire life bare for the reader to witness. It's just at the end of the book I didn't really feel like I knew Lee at all. And the entire world of show horses is completely unknown to me. I understand Lewis knew about it well and she certainly was able to show that through her words. I just wasn't able to picture any of the scenes in my head that contained the horses, which was a important thing to Lee.

I did like the book though, it was so different and raw that I did have a problem putting it down. I will be reading more of Heather Lewis and I hope to become more compatible with her writing. I'd recommened House Rules to anyone that wants to read something from the dark side of humanity, the side everyone knows exists but never likes to think about. I promise it will stay with you long after you finish it.