Pages & Paws

Writing, Reading, and Rural Life With a Border Collie

Category Archives: Book Reviews – Fiction


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Delicious! ‘Crystal Shadows’ Fills Fantasy Bill

Crystal Shadows: Gripping New Blood (Olympia Publishers, 2020)

By R.J.  Parker

Genre: Fiction/Fantasy

It was a dark and stormy night…

No. Really. It was. I, Kimber, was there. And the night wasn’t just “dark and stormy.” Rain was coming down in sheets. Sideways. The wind was howling like a banshee with a tooth ache. A flood watch and a wind advisory were in effect.

“It’s a perfect day to curl up by the fire with a good book,” spake Mom.

Well. Who am I to disagree?

 

Thankfully, R.J. Parker’s Crystal Shadows: Gripping New Blood filled the bill. Here’s why:

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We Didn’t Want THIS Book To End

Crown of Three: A Kingdom Rises

By J.D. Rinehart

Via; Library

Genre: Middle Grade Fantasy

Pages: 432

Rheeta flew on. She was old. She was tired. But, like Toronia, she was at peace.

She was nearly home.

Ever turn the last page of a book, close the cover, and sigh? Feel like you’re saying goodbye to a dear friend? Wish it could go on and on? And you just don’t want it to end?

That’s what finishing the third and final installment in J.D. Rinehart’s Crown of Three trilogy is like. The third book is called The Kingdom Rises. It’s a little Lord of the Rings-ish. The three triplets also reminded us a little of the Pevensie kiddos of Narnia renown. And that’s pretty rarefied company, indeed.

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Celebrate Valentine’s Day With ‘A Father’s Dream’

A Father’s Dream

By Heidi Ennis (Indie Author, 2023)

Genre: Better Than Bacon!

Pages: 430 (Paperback)

Via: Author request

Note: We received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

“God, help me. Jehovah-Rohi.”

Okay peeps. Listen up. Cuz Mom says today’s that Valerie Thing Day. When hoomans celebrate their loved ones and stuff. And Her Momness says, “NO CHOCOATE FOR KIMBERS!!”

On the scent of a Good Read!

Well. Mom also says we have the perfect book for this Valerie Thing Day. It’s also for anyone who enjoys good historical fiction and action/adventure or outdoor writing. And for anyone who’s ever felt lonely, afraid, discouraged, or fallen in love. If any of the above are you or you’re vertical and breathing, you’re gonna want to hear this.  Ready? Good. Here goes:

A Father’s Dream

Can ya hear me in the back? So for Valerie’s Day and Beyond, here’s the 4-1-1:

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THIS Book Had Us Skip Lunch & Dinner

Three realms. Three siblings.

The crown of three.

Crown of Three Book II: The Lost Realm

By J.D. Rinehart

Simon & Schuster, 2016

Genre: Middle Children Fiction/Fantasy/Magic

Pages: 490

Via: Library

Well. That does it! Spake I, Kimber the Magnificent.

 

Mom was so caught up in this high-octane adrenaline rush book thingy, she skipped second breakfast, elevenses, luncheon, afternoon tea and dinner to finish. I had to remind her about dinner! Sheesh. Now one of us is chomping at the chocolate to tell ya all about it! The other, saner one – Yours Truly – will now return to her Mom-made dinner. Finally.

Teeming with family secrets, magic, mystical creatures, betrayal, loyalty and some really rotten bad guys, J.D. Rinehart’s epic middle grade fantasy series blew us away. We finished Crown of Three Book 1 last fall. (Read our review here.) Her Royal Momness just finished Book 2, The Lost Realm.

“The prophecy only mentions three realms. What if it’s wrong? What if we’re fighting for something that isn’t true?”

 

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By the Book Cover – Which of These 3 Novels Delivers?

I know. I’m adorable.

If Mom said it once, she’s said it a thousand times:

“Don’t judge a book by its cover.”

True that. But when it comes to books, we all do it, huh? (C’mon now. ‘Fess up. It’s just between us, okay?)

Well. Have you ever finished reading a book and wondered how in the heck did that cover wind up on that book?

I have. So I’m gonna save you a lot of time. After reading these three novels based on their covers,  I’m letting you know which books deliver and which don’t.

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‘What Happens in Montana’: Pass the Excedrin

What Happens in Montana

By Kim McCollum (Black Rose Writing, 2024)

Genre: Women’s Fiction/Murder Mystery/Historical Fiction

Pages: 323

Via: Blog Tour

Note: We received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Four middle-aged women go on a “girls reunion” to a rundown “holistic” yoga center thingy in Butte, Montana. Brooke, Krista, Quinn and Tracy first met at a Mommy and Me group when their kids were little. A long time ago. Now the quartet is headed to Big Sky Country and a retreat for body, soul, and mind.

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The Best 50 Cents We Ever Spent?

The Great Divide

By T. Davis Bunn (Doubleday, 2000)

Genre: Fiction/Legal Thriller

Via: Library

Pages: 448

When’s the last time an unfamiliar book by an unfamiliar author knocked your socks off? Smacked you upside the head? Grabbed you by the throat and didn’t let go until the last page?

I know. I’m adorable.

That’s what T. Davis Bunn’s The Great Divide did to us. Talk about a kibble kruncher! I’ll let Her Momness fill you in:

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Why ‘Lair’ Lost Us

Vorodin’s Lair

Book Two in the Warminster Series

By J.V. Hillard

DragonMoon Press, 2022

Genre: Fantasy

Pages (print): 443

Via Author Request

Note: We received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Basic Plot (The Microwaved Version):

The protagonist is Daemus Alaric, Keeper of knowledge. He has weird visions and stuff. He “sees” a sorcerer dude, Vorodin, who may be able to help. But the answers Daemus seeks may bring him—and the realm—to the brink of war.

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‘Death By Politics’: Cozy, Cool

Death by Politics

By Kent Ostby (Indie author, 2021)

Genre: Fiction/Cozy Mystery

“Politics turning to violence is the mark of an unstable society. Death by politics was generally confined to third world countries and was definitely supposed to end at the US border.”

Simmering tensions threaten to boil over into murder and mayhem following an acrimonious ballot initiative that split Cobb County, Georgia into two in this cozy mystery by indie author Kent Ostby.

When the mayor is critically injured and a county supervisor is murdered, Shea Carlin suddenly finds himself up to his proverbial eyeballs in a murder mystery. Are ReUnite protestors to blame, or is something else in play? What? As dead bodies pile up, so does the danger. Can Carlin solve the Whodunit before he’s next on the hit list? And what about Carlin’s main squeeze, Kim?

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‘Mad Magician’ Not Our Cuppa

On The Island of the Mad Magician: An Interactive Tale

By Eric Grissom, 2023

Via: Author Request

Genre: Middle Grade Fantasy

Pages: Your guess is as good as mine

Note: We received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Now hear this: Mom and I require a few things from a book in order to make the read worth our while. The must-haves are non-negotiable. As in, books we want to read and are most likely to finish must: 

  • Have strong writing
  • Have solid characterizations
  • Have a distinct beginning, middle, and end.
  • Have a coherent plot
  • Be error-free

5 Essentials

Books must also include the five essential elements of a story:

  • Setting: The time and location where the story takes place.
  • Characters: The main and supporting characters.
  • Plot: The key events that happen in the story.
  • Conflict: The main conflict, which can be internal or external.
  • Theme: The underlying message or meaning of the story.

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