I continue to punch dead people...

So I've made a pretty sizeable dent in my reading list (some down time whilst traveling helps), and I'm here again with yet another author request review.

You can read my review for the first book in Jim Bernheimer's Dead Eye series, Pennies for the Ferryman. I enjoyed that one, but was really impressed with the second book in the series, The Skinwalker Conspiracies. It's a rare sequel that improves on the original in almost every way. The narrative was tighter, and while the first book sometimes seemed like a collection of (appropriately titled) episodes, the episodes in this book feel more connected and seem to do a better job of advancing the story and creating the feeling of an overarching story arc.

It helps that protagonist Mike Ross has somewhat settled into his role as the Ferryman at this point and now, rather than just learning about his new found powers, he's a man on a mission. Because of that, there's an element of suspense and urgency that permeates The Skinwalker Conspiracies that didn't really show up until the last act of the first book. Plus it still retains the sardonic gallows humor and even more wild takes on the (after)lives of the rich and famous.

Probably the best addition is instead of a collection of increasingly difficult "boss fights" Mike gets into in the first book, there's a Big Bad who looms over the entire story. I won't spoil who it is but again, students of history will enjoy these books.

This is the first audiobook I've heard read by Jeffery Kafer, and I really think he was a perfect fit for the book. For some reason his voice and performance reminds me of Nick Offerman, just at a somewhat higher pitch. He really nails the tone you would imagine the character having.

All told I really enjoyed this audiobook and highly recommend it.

-Mike, out.

Freaks and Greeks

Up next for review by author request is My Lady Olives: Maiden of Migraines by Mandy Oviatt. The lady in this case is college junior Olisbeth Mason, and no, that is not a typo. “Olives” as she is known to her friends due to her affinity for olives (the Greek references and imagery in the beginning of the book are not subtle), starts off her junior year crossing paths with a pair of twins that will do much to shape the coming events in her life: her roommate Phobe and eventually Phobe’s enigmatic brother Arthur, with whom she will become romantically entangled. Olisbeth’s primary nemesis is her severe and frequent migraines, along with a snobby college professor. But nothing in Olisbeth’s life is what it seems, not even her frequent headaches. Eventually she will learn she has the power to send her migraines telepathically to those she deems more deserving of them…and that will be the least surprising thing she discovers. 

As much as this book telegraphs a lot of the revelations, it still manages to hook you into it. A lot of this stems from dramatic visions the Olisbeth will eventually learn come from past lives. And despite the heavy foreshadowing, it still pulls off some good plot twists. Olisbeth and Arthur are probably a little to perfect as far as people go, even for Greek gods made flesh (most of us would go a little drunk with power if we could give migraines to people), but the other characters are a little more engaging. Even the romance between Arthur and Olives turns out to be less a romantic subplot and more an intricately intertwined part of the main plot.

This book’s real Achilles’ heel (yes, pun intended) is a lack of professional editing and formatting. Awkwardly worded sentences and internal monologues that aren’t clearly defined abound, particularly in the beginning.  I don’t think you have to be a grammar Nazi to be a good writer, but you’d better have a friend who is (or be willing to fork over some cash for a good professional editor). Also I tried downloading the .mobi for Kindle verision and it kept not displaying pages in the right order, so I ended up only able to read it on the Universal Book Reader app on my phone. (The UB reader app on my computer also had some issues). Self-publishing may well be the way the industry is going but this book kind of highlights some of the issues that self-published writers face and why there is still some stigma attached to it. It reads less like a polished commercial product and more like a good rough draft.

So between those two issues there were a few times I almost stopped reading the book, but the plot kept drawing me back in. Greek mythology is a considerably under-utilized source for storytelling nowadays, considering the rich universe they inhabit. The only real place I see it happening is the Percy Jackson series by Rick Riordan.

So anyway, if you like new-adult paranormal romance and Greek mythology (and can get past the editing and formatting issues),  Oviatt’s entry into the genre is worth your time and a few bucks for the e-book.

-Mike, out