By Oliver Clements (Leopoldo & Co., an imprint of Simon & Schuster, Inc. , 2012)
Genre: historical fiction
Pages: 399
Via: Library
Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.
There’s plenty of both in this Double-Oh-Seven type drama set in 16th century England and the court of Queen Elizabeth.
Dr. Dee, an alchemist who doubles as “the original MI6 agent” is assigned a dangerous mission to re-create a weapon from antiquity. But if it falls into the wrong hands, it could threaten the crown and bring down the Empire.
Is this historical fiction thingy all it’s cracked up to be?
‘Hark! Methinks I heareth yon dragon in thy far-off forest.’ (You’ll get that if you read the book.)
Kimber Klue: If She Who Must Be Obeyed (sort of) has to invent ways to avoid finishing or resuming a book, that’s a sign. As in, nothing good. So it was with The Queen’s Men. Here’s the 4-1-1:
By Kevin J. Anderson & Doug Beason (Forge/Macmillan Publishing, 2019
Genre: Fiction/thriller
Pages: 318
Via: Library
Following a suicide plane crash by an anti-nuke activist into a supposedly hardened nuclear waste site that’s running at way over-capacity, a scheming and conniving Department of Energy Assistant Secretary puts his career aspirations above public safety and common sense in this “high-tech thriller.”
Main Characters:
Adonia Rojas, site manager for Granite Bay nuclear waste storage facility. (Mom: I’m seeing’ Zoe Saldana.)
Senator Pulaski, a pompous, egotistical dimwit who controls the purse strings for just about every DOE and/or nuclear waste facility. (Mom: I’m seeing’ Charles Durning here.)
Dr. Simon Garibaldi, Ex-DOE employee turned-whistleblower. He’s now an environmental activist and head honcho at Sanenergy. (Is George Clooney busy?)
Dr. Stanley Van Dyckman, DOE Assistant Secretary who has a habit of stealing credit from others’ successes and making himself scarce when something goes sideways on his watch. This guy gives pond scum a bad name. (Mom’s seein’ Peewee Hermon. And that ain’t good.)
“Regulation Rob” Harris, a by-the-book military officer and security officer. He’s the Hydra Mountain site manager and Special Access Program supervisor. (Wait. Is that Denzel Washington?)
Air Force Col. Shawn Whalen, military aide to the president and expert on all things nuclear. Also Adonia’s main squeeze. (Paging Chris Hemsworth…)
Victoria Doyle, DOE undersecretary and former Van Dyckman paramour.(No idea.)
First things first. I haven’t moved houses or switched dog food brands. My hoomans are all fine. The neighborhood powder puff – that yappy little furball on four legs – is still around. So annoying. Her Momness and I have just been running around all over the place. Seems like we just wrapped up summer and now we’re halfway through winter.
Squirrel!
Wait. Where was I? Oh yeah. Halfway through winter.
Okay, peeps. There’s the short version of this book review and then there’s the longer version. The short version: This is one of those books everyone’s supposed to go all ga-ga and googly-eyed over.
So of course we’re doing None of the Above.
Cuz frankly, we’ve seen better “programming” on a TV test pattern. Here’s why. Aka: The Longer Version:
Genre: Children/Inspirational (Ages 3 to 12 years)
Pages (paper): 42
Via: Author/publicist request
Note: We received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Kimber: Okay, okay. The headline for this post is a really bad take-off on one of our favorite novellas. Hint: Norman Maclean. Mom’s idea. So blame her, okay?
Anywho, we had mixed reactions to this short and to-the-point children’s book. The main reason we had mixed reactions is because one of us just finished plowing through a read that was as dense as peanut butter. And not nearly as tasty. The other was just being her Ole Curmudgeonly self. Hi, Mom.
Note: We received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Questions. Curiosity. Confusion. Secrets. Telling the truth, even when it hurts. A dastardly villain. The best detective dog in the world. You’ll find all this and more in Keith Garton’s new novel for middle grade readers, Searching for Lucky #3002: A Ben and Blue Mystery.
Note: We received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
“Sometimes, the only way forward is to let it fall apart and start over.”
Kimber: Speaking of “sometimes…” You know I love everyone, right? But sometimes – like once in a blue pork chop – I come across a book dude or dudette that I simply can’t stand. They’re like, Yuck! And double yuck with Meow Mix on the side. I want to bite them. But Mom says “no.” Silly Mom.
Anyway, Victor Clayton is that kind of yuck-meister. I’ll let Mom fill you in on The Green Beneath the Empire, Vol. 1. Take it away, Mom!
By Richard Paul Evans (Simon & Schuster/Thorndike Press, 2024)
Genre: Fiction
Via: Library
Pages: 314
Listen up
There are two things you oughtta know about Christmas in Bethel right out of the kennel says I, Kimber the Magnificent. 1) This isn’t a “Christmas book.” 2) Coo-coo for Cocoa Puffs. Like:
Regarding #1, this isn’t a “Christmas story” in the usual sense. Yes, it includes Thanksgiving and the holidays and Christmas. And all that good stuff. But its message of love and grace and forgiveness works year round. Besides. We put this book on order at the library in early November. It didn’t arrive until after New Year’s. So there!
King of Christmas Fiction
Still with me, Cupcake? Arf!
Now, regarding #2 and that Coo-Coo for Cocoa Puffs thingy? That’s Her Momness and Richard Paul Evans books. A master storyteller who’s penned an entire galaxy of finely crafted, clean and uplifting fiction, Evans has been one of Mom’s favorite authors since just after the Ark made landfall. Or at least since 1993. That’s when a perennial seasonal fave, Evans’ The Christmas Box, first came out. Evans topically publishes a new book every year coinciding with the Christmas season. That’s why RPE is called “The King of Christmas Fiction.” Mom’s read ‘em all. That Coo-Coo for Cocoa Puffs thing.
Note: We received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
How an interplanetary ex-bodyguard with a ray gun winds up as a fruit picker with an artificial leg is the focus of this light and fluffy graphic novel by E.B. Roshan.
When we first meet Rex he’s picking fruit on a farm in the Vega system. It seems an odd choice for a former bodyguard. Think Han Solo meets Lurch in the San Joaquin Valley.
But when Sir Sarpedon returns to the farm unexpectedly and sees Rex with a ray guy, the former pretty much freaks out. Apparently fruit pickers and ray guns don’t mix. That changes when Rex saves Sarpedon from an attack by a deadly tree viper, courtesy of some smokin’ hot shootin’.
Next thing ya know, Rex is offered a chance to join Sarpedon’s security team. He takes it. And joins Sarpedon and crew members Fido and Theo aboard the Black Stone. Their job is to collect “dues” from farmers on “harvest moons” for their boss, Lord Delta. Aka: Stealing.
Turns out Sarpedon isn’t exactly a warm and cuddly kinda guy. In fact, he’s a jerk.
When the ship lands on Delta Three to meet Lord Delta, said Lord can’t be found. So Sarpedon and Rex decide to cool their jets at a local watering hole. Rex tries to rein in Sarpedon’s rude behavior and gets zappified for his trouble. After Rex recovers from his injuries, he’s offered a temp job at the bar. We’re not exactly sure what happens to him or why after that. Cuz the story just kind of walks off a cliff and dives off.
This book is like an omelet – light and fluffy. The pacing is nimble and the story moves quickly. You can read it cover to cover inside of an hour.
We would’ve liked to have read a hard copy that included color illustrations. But the PDF version provided for our Kindle was black and white only. So we won’t be rating this book. However, young readers who enjoy sci fi and/or comic books will enjoy Free. It’s a sweet, uplifting story that’s worth a look-see. It launches on January 15.
Our Rating: 3.5
E.B. Roshan is the author of the Shards of Sevia series. Find out more here.
Pages & Paws 