Book Review: Raven’s Fall by Lincoln Cole

Extending the Mystery and Character Development in this Second of the Series

Raven’s Fall is the second in the World on Fire Series by Lincoln Cole. 

One question readers often ask about a series is, do I need to read the books in order.  In this case, I would highly recommend that you do.  This work extends our understanding of a couple of the main characters, Abigail and Haatim, as well as our feel for the Council.  The foundation in book 1 is important to these developments.  And besides, you only need to see the acclaim book 1, Raven’s Peak is achieving, to know that it’s the place to start.

The first book used a formula featuring action, supported by some good character development and a touch of humor.  Raven’s Fall, on the other hand, delves much more deeply into the mystery and suspense of our demon-plagued world.  Most of this tension is created through the storyline, as unfinished thoughts and events that don’t quite add up fuel our interest.  But there are also occasions where, for want of a better description, we’re told there’s a mystery.  It occurs in conversations of the ilk, ‘you wouldn’t be mad if you understood.  So tell me.  No, I can’t, it’s too dangerous.’  These more blatant proclamations that there’s more than meets the eye are somewhat overused for my tastes.  But most of the mystery is resolved by a strong, action filled finale.

I said ‘mostly resolved’ because the book does end with a cliff hanger.  For readers that prefer books of a series that are self-contained, please be forewarned.

From book 1, it is clear that Abigail is somewhat reckless and clearly not bound by rules not of her making, i.e., the laws of the Council.  In Raven’s Fall, we learn much more about how flawed she might be.  Haatim, on the other hand, continues to adhere to his principles…at least for now, and achieves his successes through a combination of blind luck and knee-jerk reactions when he has no time to think.  He also engages in a series of mental debates with himself, which is fine in principle.  But sometimes, he goes back and forth so much that ‘paralyzed by indecision’ seems to fit his personality better than analytic.  And some of the dialog also involves these protracted debates.  When this happens, the story can drag a bit, but it generally moves at a good pace. 

We also get a more complex view of the Council, which seemed largely stodgy and out of touch with reality in book 1.  But in Raven’s Fall, it’s clear that their members are both more in-tune and more flawed than we might have thought.  It almost gets to the point where picking the protagonist and antagonist from the cast of characters is impossible, they all have their pros and cons.  Well, I guess the demons are always bad, but the good guys?  Not so much.

Personally, I loved that fact.  There’s no one white knight, which in thrillers is often the young, handsome Navy Seal turned brilliant neuro-surgeon after running an orphanage for 5 years.  Raven’s Fall offers us a wonderful quagmire of personal strengths and weaknesses, abilities and flaws, good intentions, successes, and utter failures.

So, if you are a fan of stories of the occult and the battle between sometimes and in some ways good vs. always and utterly evil, you’ll love Raven’s Fall.

Happy First Indie Author's Day!

Saturday, October 8th is the first Indie Author's Day.  Many of my colleagues are considering it a milestone, a recognition of what we bring to literature – new blood, a willingness to experiment (not always successfully), and a whole lot of words.  For me, I’m not sure what IA Day is.  Online, it’s only described as a chance for a “Q&A with writers, agents and other industry leaders.”  Maybe they’re going to try to explain to us the error of our ways, suggest we all find a traditional publisher, and until then, sew a red “I” on all our clothes until we do…but I’m probably wrong.

In any case, I wanted to take the day as an opportunity to mention some of my co-wanderers in the still emerging, wonderful world of indie publishing.  When I started this journey, I thought I knew what it meant to be an indie author.  Come up with an idea, sit at your laptop pounding the keys for several months, format your manuscript, and drop it online with your favorite eBook publisher.  Voila, you’re an indie author!  But when I did so, and saw my rank on Amazon – number 1,900,000+ in book sales – I was faced with a question much similar to that of the proverbial tree falling in the woods.  If you write a book and no one buys it, are you really an author?

I thought about answering this question in the affirmative and start pounding on book 2…but then, if nothing else, I decided I’d be missing out on part of my initiation into authorship.  After all, what could be better to hone your craft that the sting of book reviews and publishers’ rejection letters.  And so, my journey beyond the keyboard began.

As an experienced consumer and pretty much a ‘numbers guy,’ I knew the value of reviews and ratings.  And so, one of my first challenges was figuring out just how you generate them for your latest masterpiece or miserable failure.  Enter Goodreads (www.goodreads.com), which provides the new keyboard pounder lots of options.  It was in the process of deciding which of those options to use that I made one of my first, online indie author acquaintances, Emma Jaye (www.goodreads.com/author/show/7083115.Emma_Jaye).  Emma runs the Goodreads Review Group, the largest of its kind on Goodreads.  And while Emma has a fascinating background (check out her author’s profile), what sold me on her group was a comment in the Ask the Author section that remains one of her most popular responses even today.  Evidently, someone had friended her, and then turned around and asked her to review his book.  Her response?  ‘No, and I don’t appreciate the request…’  When I’m about to embark on a process that by definition involves multiple people, different personalities, and vulnerable egos, there’s nothing better than someone who knows their business and tells it like it is.  And she does.  Emma seems to be online all the time, running her group and dispensing advice and feedback to naïve writers like me.  And she has even found time to pen 20 books with quite enviable ratings.  Thanks Emma, for all you do.

It was in one of Emma Jaye’s review groups that I met the second indie author I’d like to mention, Laurel Heidtman (www.goodreads.com/author/show/8281100.Laurel_Heidtman).  One of my first memories of Laurel is…well, confusion.  That’s because she also writes under the name, Lolli Powell.  OK, I’m not such a rank amateur that I don’t know what a pen name is, but still, when you’re expecting a review from someone named Lolli and you start getting messages from Laurel…you get the picture.  But when the comments started coming back, my confusion disappeared.  Not only did Laurel/Lolli write a thoughtful review, but she also provided detailed feedback via Goodreads messages on some of my grammatical faux pas (hey, Laurel, is faux pas plural?).  You see, Laurel is a great source on grammar questions, and while I’ve offered to return the favor by providing some of my statistical expertise for one of her books…well, I guess she hasn’t found the right story yet.  Laurel also amazes me with her gung ho marketing approach.  I pretty much despise marketing my books – time wasted when I could be having fun writing pounding the keyboard.  But Laurel is always sending me links to marketing opportunities she’s found, information on the latest conference she’s attending, or offering to “blast” info on my latest promotions.  Maybe someday, I’ll start enjoying this marketing thing…but don’t hold your breath.

Last, but certainly not least, is Lincoln Cole (www.goodreads.com/author/show/7796821.Lincoln_Cole).  Of the three, I have known Lincoln the shortest length of time by far; I met him only about 3 months ago when I ran across the opportunity to review one of his latest books, Raven’s Peak.  I say, ‘one of his books’ because with Lincoln, you turn away for a moment, and he’ll be releasing another novel.  In fact, when I sent him a draft of this post on September 21, he said the second book in this series, Raven’s Fall, was already on Amazon.  I’m sure he’ll be rolling in the 5-star ratings on it too.  And what’s more surprising to me – writing’s a ‘spare time’ activity for him.  Go figure.  But even with writing and work demands, Lincoln’s always quick with a word of advice or a link to helpful information.  Case in point – when I was planning this post, I wanted to contact each of these authors, make sure they were OK with the idea, would not take offense at my off-beat sense of humor…or at least wouldn’t sue me.  By the time I finished sending all three messages, I already had a response from Lincoln thanking me!

Well, it’s not much of a tribute to Indie Author Day, but it’s mine.  It’s my way of saying thanks to a group that says, ‘we’re all in this together’ and means it!

Happy Writing…and Happy Indie Author Day,
BmP

Book Review: Blackout by David Rosenfelt

A Quick Read with Some Suspense…but a Bit Trite

Blackout is the story of New Jersey state police officer Doug Brock, who in the course of an unauthorized investigation into notorious criminal Nicholas Bennett, is shot, falls from a balcony hitting his head, and goes into a coma.  When he awakens, he has amnesia, and so, he must relearn whatever made him such an irresistible target…while hopefully, saving the day before getting shot again.

Gun battles.  Dangerous knowledge about notorious criminals.  And yes, even some romance.  Blackout has a lot going on, so you won’t be reading long without encountering another challenge to be met and conquered.  And consequently, it seemed that the pages flew by; a couple of nights, and this one was back to the library.  Blackout also has a nice touch of humor, with a series of ‘lost my memory’ quips: ‘This is the best sandwich I’ve ever had.  Of course, I don’t remember having any sandwiches before yesterday.’  If there was any downfall in the humor, it was that Rosenfelt might have stuck with this basic formula a bit too long.  It was somewhat stale by the end…at least as long as you don’t get amnesia half-way through the book and get to enjoy it anew.

But my more general concern about the story was that, despite the continuous flow of events and characters, it felt somewhat trite.  The loose cannon detective with a death wish.  The trusty partner, faithful to a fault.  The jilted lover that our hero only wants after she is gone.  And even the twists – one was foreshadowed, one was predictable, and a third seemed like the end of about 20% of every TV police show.  I guess in bringing together so much well-worn territory, perhaps Rosenfelt created something unique.  But the tension was never fully there for me, because in its parts, it seemed to move to an inevitable conclusion.

Overall, the predictability of the story was mostly offset by the pace, making Blackout worth a couple of your reading nights.  Just don't expect to be laughing all the way through.

Book Review: The Simple Truth by David Balducci

The Simple Truth is anything but simple – in the telling anyway

The Simple Truth is the story of Rufus Harms, who recovers his memory 25 years after being convicted of killing a young girl.  That memory, however, proves his innocence, touching off a series of events involving smuggled documents and clandestine meetings, chases and gun battles, tense emotional drama, and yes, more murder.

Balducci does a good job, keeping the tension and suspense high.  While those seeking to aid Harms in clearing his name are known, only gradually do we learn of the forces united against him…often at considerable cost to the heroes.  Character development is good, as Rufus Harms comes to life.  The characters of John Fiske, a former cop and current lawyer, and Sara Evans, US Supreme Court clerk, however, are a bit murkier, as their love story, in particular, seems strained in the context of the ongoing action.  And the pacing is excellent, as the story flows from family arguments to murder to courtroom debates seamlessly and relentlessly.

To me, however, the most thought-provoking aspect of the novel was Balducci’s characterization of the US Supreme Court.  Who knows how accurate it might be, but it rings of truth, where relatively young clerks yield considerable power, justices horse-trade for votes for their favored causes, and justice for the case takes a back seat to setting enduring precedent.  The action kept me tense enough; this additional layer was gravy.

So, for fans of legal thrillers and murder mysteries, The Simple Truth will keep you on the edge of your seat to the final page…and maybe long after.

Walking for Words, Annual Report

This is my third installment under the title of “Walking for Words.”  The premise for posting about hiking in a writing blog is that much of what goes into my books comes to me during my daily walks and periodic hikes.

And so, now it’s time for my ‘annual report.’ 

It’s not exactly like I started jogging/hiking/walking on Sept. 8^th in some past year.  I grew up hunting, hiking, camping, and fishing.  But my annual ‘ambulatory year’ ends on Sept. 8^th, because that is the day (three years ago) when I stopped taxing my memory with the requirement that I record and reset my pedometer each evening and replaced these actions with, as you probably guessed, technology.  My approach happens to be a Fitbit, but just about any wearable device that automatically records daily steps (at a minimum) and syncs with your phone and/or computer would work.

So, how was my 2016 ambulatory year?  Not bad.  Over the three years of Fitbit recording, I’ve totaled 13,762,557 steps, which is an estimated 7,990.73 miles.  In 2016, I logged 4,490,729 of those steps. 

Now that’s not all hiking, unfortunately.  It includes everything from some fairly strenuous mountain hikes to wandering over to the frig to forage for a snack.  And my morning strolls in search of caffeine probably account for something like 1.6 million of those steps each year – 7,000 or more steps a cup, several hundred days a year.  It adds up.

A few of the highlights for 2016.

Several hikes in Sedona, AZ.  When you’re staying in a cabin practically in the shadows of Cathedral Rock, you have lots of opportunities. 

Some hikes in Washington state, including one of our all-time favorites – Eagle Creek in the Columbia River Gorge and a round trip between the National Park Inn near the entrance of Mount Rainier National Park and Paradise Inn some six miles away and 2700 feet higher.  Lunch at the half-way point never tasted so good.

And a hike in the Mount Denali State Park, Alaska.  It wasn’t up Mt. Denali – I didn’t list mountain climbing as one of the activities that added to my steps for a reason!  It was on the Little Coal Creek trail, which gave us great views.  And since the locals were saying they had hardly seen the mountain in two months, due to rain and cloud cover, we were lucky indeed.

Well, with all that – the great scenery, wildlife, and yes, sore muscles – I should have memories to cover another book or two.  Of course, I’ll need to keep going, just to work out the details.

Happy Writing,

BmP

Book Review: The Scorpion by John A. Autero

Where Your Politics May Influence Your Reaction

The Scorpion is the story of a government cover-up and the efforts of three friends to reveal the truth about it to the public.

The book has good pacing and action.  Right from the first chapter, the reader is placed into a suspenseful and rapidly evolving situation.  Character development is good, as you get a solid feel for the traits and dispositions of each of the friends, both through the story and by way of anecdotes from their past.  The latter form of familiarization, however, continued well into the novel and after a while, it seemed somewhat distracting to the main plot.  Similarly, noting that the main figure drove with his hands at 10 and 2 to illustrate, I assume, his careful nature, became somewhat redundant by the end of the book.  But overall, the characters seemed realistic and quite believable.  And as is often a plus for me, the author dips his literary toe into some advanced technologies, including two that are primarily extensions of current research and a third that is more futuristic, substantially adding to my enjoyment of the yarn.

My primary concern about the book involved what seemed to be an internal disconnect in the plot.  Specifically, the cover-up described in the book involved a project that had consumed ‘trillions of tax dollars,’ implying a long-term, manpower intensive project.  It also involved technology that would be easily discoverable by the public at large.  And yet, it was secret, attesting to the measures the government must have taken to keep it hidden during development and deployment.  The friends, however, learned of the situation when computer equipment from that project was discarded and was being sold on eBay or dumped in public landfills…without being erased.  It was this disparity between portraying the government as both extremely efficacious most of the time and as incompetent as the Keystone Cops in this specific case that troubled.  I suppose it’s possible…but it would be unusual.

Finally, a word to the potentially interested reader.  Depending on your political leanings, you may characterize the primary protagonist as a patriot, bringing governmental corruption to light, or an anarchist, undermining solid public policy.  In the case of the cover-up in this specific story, the governmental corruption being revealed was clearly one of self-centered and morally bankrupt behavior.  But in the main protagonist’s musings about what to do, much more controversial topics are mentioned, e.g., the government’s right to require people to wear seat belts.  Depending on your leanings, you may or may not have difficulty getting behind the main character as a folk hero.

So, for readers who enjoy tales of governmental conspiracies, laced with high tech undertones, and the efforts of others to bring these excesses to light, you will find a good story in The Scorpion.

I was given a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Laurel Heidtman’s Countdown to Indie Author Day

One of my good virtual friends and author, Laurel Heidtman, is doing a countdown to commemorate the inaugural Indie Author Day, October 8, 2016.  She is featuring one Indie Author each day…and today, September 2^nd, is my 15 minutes of fame (http://www.ridgewriter.com/92---bruce-perrin.html).

Why do we support each other like this?  Well, it’s not like one story or writing style fits every reader.  And besides, who else is going to sympathize with our struggles?  Misery loves company…

Drop by her website and virtually meet a new Indie Author every day.  Celebrate the diversity we introduce into the reading ‘gene pool’ and maybe discover the next great American author.

Happy writing,
BmP