Book Reviews: The Hoard – Neil Grimmett

As is often the case I received this book because the author offered it to me for free in exchange for a review. Despite that abundant kindness I give my candid thoughts below.

Categorically, the book is historical fiction-based-on-fact surrounding an unexplained explosion which occurred at an ordnance factory in 1951. Relatively complex and convoluted in its telling, this story twists and turns through many possibilities of a conclusion seeming at times to edge near to the supernatural before gently veering away to absolutely concrete occurrences.

To the positive side, the author’s rendering of place and character is haunting. There are many books which I’ve read over the years that leave their quiet but indelible marks on my memory and this is one such book. Grimmett’s characters are vivid and lifelike and will likely haunt my waking recollections and some of my darker nightmares for much time to come. As I said in the preamble, the story sometimes jogs lightly past what might seem like the supernatural but always manages to come down to something completely mundane and concrete. Also, the author has a keen talent for the graphic. His depictions of violence and sex are eye-popping and not for the fainthearted. Such details are used sparingly, however, and in just the right quantities to convey to the reader that some of Grimmett’s characters are right bastards.

To the negative, this book does require some patience. The author very artfully draws his scene and his characters but it can take a while to come around to a payoff. Once the book concludes it is satisfying enough but I don’t recall ever feeling a moment when I was entirely immersed in what the author had to say. I felt as if I was chasing a wisp of fluff around a meadow and just as I thought I had a handle on what was going on suddenly something new came up that required me to reset and try to untangle what I had lost. The book is satisfying but dense and complex. The casual reader is advised to keep a few simple notes to help keep things straight.

In summary, I get offered a lot of books and most of them get torn cleanly asunder but this one resides in the top percentile. An abundantly magnificent offering that will take you on a delightful journey if you give it sufficient time to develop.

Book Reviews: Married to the Military by Terry L. Rollins

As is so often the case I received this book from the author in exchange for a review. Despite that immense kindness I give my candid thoughts below.

The book is a collection of easily digested vignettes featuring, unsurprisingly, the wives of those who serve our country every single day. Topics range from the joys of birth to the tragedy of death. Pretty much exactly what you would expect given the title.

On the positive side, the book certainly does tug at your heartstrings. Though fictional, I suspect that much of what is written here is pulled directly or at least adapted from real life. The sacrifices that these women make every single day is not to be dismissed or forgotten and Rollins portrays their struggles in an emotional style that makes it simultaneously easy to read and hard to forget.

To the negative, it is worth mentioning that the book is written from a heavily female point of view which makes it a sure winner with wives and mothers everywhere. That said, the male gender may have a bit of trouble empathizing because of this. That’s not to say that it’s impossible but potential gift givers should be aware of this possibility. Also, I found myself disappointed that the author had to ‘create’ these women rather than drawing more biographically on actual wives in the military. While I’m certain that the women in the stories represent their demographic wonderfully, something is always lost from the fictionalization of a story that could be just as well done and probably contain much of the same content when you can say that this person actually does exist. Readers love to imagine that the characters they’re reading about are real people and this book just barely misses that mark.

In summary, this book is an obvious choice for any woman and particularly one who has some connection with the U.S. military or, honestly, any military in the world. Men will have less of a connection to it but it might help them see more clearly just what the struggles are that their wives go through every day.

Book Reviews: James Maxey – Bad Wizard

I received this book free in exchange for a review but despite that kindness I give my candid opinions below.

It’s been 10 years since Dorothy has returned from Oz. She’s now an investigative reporter for a Kansas newspaper and her primary target is none other than the Wizard who himself has successfully returned and is now the Secretary of War. I’ll not be spoiling anything if I reveal that they don’t stay in Kansas very long in this one.

Firstly I can’t say enough good things about this author. I get offered a lot of books and many of them… well, let’s’ just say our relationships just don’t work out. Maxey, on the other hand, had me hooked from the first chapter of the Dragon Apocalypse series that he sent me when it first came out a couple of years ago. His writing is twisted in that delightful way that makes you want to know what oddness he’s going to aspire to next and makes you sigh sadly when the last page is turned. If not for the pile of free books on my bookshelf, Maxey is the author I’d look to first if forced to actually buy my literature.

On the positive side, Bad Wizard is a delightful continuance of the Oz series and, for the most part, retains much of the flavor of the original book series. It’s obvious Maxey has done his research as he delves deeply into the original oeuvre of written Oz and ignores the cinematic adaptions. The book is filled with all the old favorites as well as many of the less known personages from the original series. To all this traditional Ozishness, Maxey also applies a subtle layer of mild steampunk. Our favorite munchkins can now look to the skies to behold a fleet of dirigibles. It’s a very complimentary mix of images.

The only negative I can really propose is that while Maxey has retained much of the original flavor of Oz, he has burnished off to some extent the kid-friendliness of the original. As an adult I find this a positive development but it does give me some small pause in recommending it to my kids until they’re teenagers.

In summary, as always seems to be the case, Maxey has nailed it. Once started this one was hard to put down and I found myself reading it while standing at the stove or brushing my teeth. It quietly grabs your attention and keeps it mercilessly hostage as Maxey’s work tends to do. If you’re a fan of the Oz milieu, then this is a must have. Those outside that demographic are encouraged to get a copy of the original Wizard of Oz (available as a free Kindle download) and read that first. It’s about a two hour investment and well worth it as background and education.