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A review by mad_about_books
Face the Music by Brandy L. Rivers
5.0
This review is based on the ARC received from Dauntless Indies.
FACE THE MUSIC is the second themed anthology offering from Dauntless Indies. The glue that binds the five stories together is the music festival, in Seattle, called Bumbershoot, which is apparently a real thing. I find it humorous that a music festival uses the same term for its name that my grandparents used as a name for an umbrella. Perhaps the Seattle locale, famous for rain, is the reason behind name.
"Unbound Adventure #1," A White Aura short story, by Felicia Tatum, is the first offering, that I would consider an extremely poor choice for it's placement. The beginning of the story is awkward and confusing, so much so, it might be off-putting enough to cause readers to not want to finish the book.
On a totally personal note, there is a phrase that did resonate with me. "...an evil woman named Harlow..." Sometimes art does mimic life.
Another issue with this tale is continuity; hence we have confusion. The main characters are paranormals of mixed parentage; both are half vampires. They fly to Seattle and take a cab directly to their hotel, so when did they stop at a "donor site" for "warm bag of blood?"
The premise of offspring of two different paranormals dealing with two vastly different sets of characteristics is both interesting and complex. Proper execution of this plot-line would require careful outlining to keep the various traits clear and distinct. The haphazard writing shows little planning and amateur execution.
Genre readers, particularly those who read horror, fantasy and science fiction, are a demanding lot. If you expect your reader to suspend disbelief, you really need a well developed universe of characters and places, and a plot-line that flows effortlessly.
I occurs to me that this might have been intended as a metaphor for the difficulties the children of any mixed marriage might face. If this is the case, I would say it failed miserably.
"Red Queen," an Others of Seattle short, by Brandy L. Rivers, is the next story. It is a slick, well-conceived, and well-written piece that deserves a five star rating. The action takes place in Seattle and is centered around two bands, both with paranormal musicians. As you would expect in a themed anthology, both bands are playing Bumbershoot, so the central premise is honored.
My one hard and fast rule when writing a review is no spoilers! "Red Queen" is highly readable, and it surely begs reading more Brandy L. Rivers' offerings.
Next we have "Trouble with Partners," the Misadventures of Maggie Moore 2, by Michelle Graves. I am so not a fan of the 'oh-poor-me' heroine, which does not mean that the story is anything but good. I waded through the Twilight trilogy, finding Bella anything but a role model for any teen-aged daughter of mine, while thoroughly enjoying the mythology of vampire and werewolf presented.
Maggie stumbles and bumbles her way from Olympia to Seattle, but somehow, she has little to do with Bumbershoot. the story seems to emphasize Maggie's problems with her direct superior, who does photogaph some of the bands. The connection with the theme seems tenuous at best.
If you find humor in a character like Maggie, you will surely enjoy this read. Me? I give it four stars for good writing and being a smooth read. The story is only loosely connected to the theme.
If you read the first Dauntless Indies anthology offering FROM THE ASHES, you already know that stories in the Crimson & Clover world of Sarah M. Cradit are centered in New Orleans. You also know that in the first anthology, the supernatural aspects of the tale were subtle. In "Dark Blessings," the characters are New Orleans as they can be, and the paranormal aspects are a whole lot less subtle. Transitioning from one locale to another can be difficult, or it can be as easy as hopping a plane.
This narrative stays true to the theme of the anthology while it also keeps the world of Crimson & Clover intact. I was left wanting to know more about the characters and just what the future holds for them. This is. without a doubt, a five-star piece of writing. If I thought I wanted to read more of Ms Cradit's work before; now she is on my 'must read' list.
Last, but by no means least, we have "A Case of Possession," An Aiden and Idonie Adventure, by Michele Breaux-Rowley. Again, the main cast of characters hails from New Orleans, and if you read FROM THE ASHES, you know that Aiden is a police detective and Idonie, his cousin, is a sister... don't call her a nun!
You might want to think that here we have the typical cozy mystery pair, but you would not be entirely right in this assumption. There is irreverence, the paranormal, and not a little emotion that make some very strange happenings seem quite real.
Ms Breaux-Rowley is a fine writer that definitely leaves her readers wanting more. Another five-star effort here. Although there are several more adventures listed at the end of her story, they are still not in the Kindle store.
I think it is wrong to do spoilers in any review. I just hope to tantalize whoever reads my reviews to pick up the book and read the stores for themselves. In spite of the awful first story in this book, I find myself compelled to give FACE THE MUSIC five stars. Think of it in the same way a professor agrees to drop your lowest grade. There is some really find writing here, and I look forward to reading more from Dauntless Indies.
FACE THE MUSIC is the second themed anthology offering from Dauntless Indies. The glue that binds the five stories together is the music festival, in Seattle, called Bumbershoot, which is apparently a real thing. I find it humorous that a music festival uses the same term for its name that my grandparents used as a name for an umbrella. Perhaps the Seattle locale, famous for rain, is the reason behind name.
"Unbound Adventure #1," A White Aura short story, by Felicia Tatum, is the first offering, that I would consider an extremely poor choice for it's placement. The beginning of the story is awkward and confusing, so much so, it might be off-putting enough to cause readers to not want to finish the book.
On a totally personal note, there is a phrase that did resonate with me. "...an evil woman named Harlow..." Sometimes art does mimic life.
Another issue with this tale is continuity; hence we have confusion. The main characters are paranormals of mixed parentage; both are half vampires. They fly to Seattle and take a cab directly to their hotel, so when did they stop at a "donor site" for "warm bag of blood?"
The premise of offspring of two different paranormals dealing with two vastly different sets of characteristics is both interesting and complex. Proper execution of this plot-line would require careful outlining to keep the various traits clear and distinct. The haphazard writing shows little planning and amateur execution.
Genre readers, particularly those who read horror, fantasy and science fiction, are a demanding lot. If you expect your reader to suspend disbelief, you really need a well developed universe of characters and places, and a plot-line that flows effortlessly.
I occurs to me that this might have been intended as a metaphor for the difficulties the children of any mixed marriage might face. If this is the case, I would say it failed miserably.
"Red Queen," an Others of Seattle short, by Brandy L. Rivers, is the next story. It is a slick, well-conceived, and well-written piece that deserves a five star rating. The action takes place in Seattle and is centered around two bands, both with paranormal musicians. As you would expect in a themed anthology, both bands are playing Bumbershoot, so the central premise is honored.
My one hard and fast rule when writing a review is no spoilers! "Red Queen" is highly readable, and it surely begs reading more Brandy L. Rivers' offerings.
Next we have "Trouble with Partners," the Misadventures of Maggie Moore 2, by Michelle Graves. I am so not a fan of the 'oh-poor-me' heroine, which does not mean that the story is anything but good. I waded through the Twilight trilogy, finding Bella anything but a role model for any teen-aged daughter of mine, while thoroughly enjoying the mythology of vampire and werewolf presented.
Maggie stumbles and bumbles her way from Olympia to Seattle, but somehow, she has little to do with Bumbershoot. the story seems to emphasize Maggie's problems with her direct superior, who does photogaph some of the bands. The connection with the theme seems tenuous at best.
If you find humor in a character like Maggie, you will surely enjoy this read. Me? I give it four stars for good writing and being a smooth read. The story is only loosely connected to the theme.
If you read the first Dauntless Indies anthology offering FROM THE ASHES, you already know that stories in the Crimson & Clover world of Sarah M. Cradit are centered in New Orleans. You also know that in the first anthology, the supernatural aspects of the tale were subtle. In "Dark Blessings," the characters are New Orleans as they can be, and the paranormal aspects are a whole lot less subtle. Transitioning from one locale to another can be difficult, or it can be as easy as hopping a plane.
This narrative stays true to the theme of the anthology while it also keeps the world of Crimson & Clover intact. I was left wanting to know more about the characters and just what the future holds for them. This is. without a doubt, a five-star piece of writing. If I thought I wanted to read more of Ms Cradit's work before; now she is on my 'must read' list.
Last, but by no means least, we have "A Case of Possession," An Aiden and Idonie Adventure, by Michele Breaux-Rowley. Again, the main cast of characters hails from New Orleans, and if you read FROM THE ASHES, you know that Aiden is a police detective and Idonie, his cousin, is a sister... don't call her a nun!
You might want to think that here we have the typical cozy mystery pair, but you would not be entirely right in this assumption. There is irreverence, the paranormal, and not a little emotion that make some very strange happenings seem quite real.
Ms Breaux-Rowley is a fine writer that definitely leaves her readers wanting more. Another five-star effort here. Although there are several more adventures listed at the end of her story, they are still not in the Kindle store.
I think it is wrong to do spoilers in any review. I just hope to tantalize whoever reads my reviews to pick up the book and read the stores for themselves. In spite of the awful first story in this book, I find myself compelled to give FACE THE MUSIC five stars. Think of it in the same way a professor agrees to drop your lowest grade. There is some really find writing here, and I look forward to reading more from Dauntless Indies.