Fearless

Fearless
by Patricia Hamill

Review

Caution: This review comes from a reader who is not particularly into the zombie genre; I usually read more general SF or Fantasy.

Fearless is a cleverly constructed zombie apocalypse novel presented in the form of the journal of one of the few survivors of the disaster.

Patricia Hamill's nameless heroine is very well depicted through the first person journal entries, which record the first couple of years after the disaster. She is, if not quite fearless, certainly courageous and resourceful. The novel has depth, and charts a very plausible course of events, examining human traits and skills which enhance or reduce the chances of survival. It also causes the reader to ask themselves about what choices they might make when it came to issues of group or individual survival.
For me, the story reflected the post-apocalyptic world rather too well; it felt dreary, and the struggle for basic necessities stumbled from one dark crisis to the next - but this may be something that is genre-related rather than a flaw in the book.
The writing was very clean, good and engaging enough that I had no trouble finishing the book within two days. Editing and presentation was flawless.

The impact of the excellent story left me teary-eyed at the end. If you like zombie books, this is a very good one; and if you haven't read one before, this might be a good place to start!

Dragon Marked

Dragon Marked
by Jaymin Eve

Review
I don't much go in for the paranormal fantasy genre. It's too much alike, and the romance is far too predictable. On top of that, the start of Dragon Marked reads just like a lot of others. So why did I find this book so darned irresistible? Tell me, why? Why did I keep reading?

So, there was just this little edge to the story, this just-ever-so-slightly tantalizing hint that there was more to come, and I wasn't going to be disappointed. Jaymin Eve writes in a natural, conversational style which is easy to like. She draws characters well, and her heroine's quirky relationship with food is amusing. In fact, there is a light touch of humour throughout. Then there are the four Compass brothers, and which one, I wonder, will Jessa end up with - or is there someone else in her future? Jessa's relationship with her potential lovers is in a constant state of tension. Things get even more interesting when Louis enters the tale.

Eve spins a fascinating yarn, about shifters and other magical folk in an alternate reality world a lot like ours, and sets up a gripping climax. The shifter and magic aspects of the story are fairly standard, but well done. (Why are they *always* alphas?) Where Eve succeeds for me is that she has not depended on these factors alone to make the story engaging, but has added depth in various ways.
Jessa is dragon marked, and the consequences just keep expanding, or exploding. Not to spoil the story, I don't want to say too much about the dragon marked or Jessa's family, but there are constant surprises which awaken ever deepening interest in the reader. Well, they did in me.

The editing is just slightly sub-professional, but I reckon it's good enough to be acceptable. The story ends at what I would call, if not a cliffhanger, at least a nailbiter moment; it is the first volume of a series. However, the story is reasonably complete up to that point and, honestly, it's a really enjoyable read. So go and get it, and then look out for the sequel. I will!

Fascinating, funny, Helga.

You're Not From Around Here, Are You?
Reminiscences 

by Helga Stipa Madland

Review

Fascinating, funny, Helga.

A witty and sometimes fascinating book perfectly subtitled, 'Reminiscences', it is a reflection of the more interesting bits that have gone into making Helga Stipa Madland.

As a story I found there was a lot to like, and a fair bit that I found wearing. Let me say at once that if you are thinking to yourself, "Oh, no, my life is boring enough, why would I want to read about someone else's?" - you may well be wrong. Helga (I can't call her Mrs Madland, not after reading this; I know her far too well!) has a good sense of humour and a great sense of what works as drama, and has selected all her most interesting and funniest memories. Historians in particular will find the contemporaneous anecdotes to be a goldmine of details of life in wartime and post-war Germany, and through the decades of the fifties and sixties in America.
For me, the biggest problem was that the entire book is dreadfully one-paced. Not boring, I said; one-paced. This makes it quite challenging to read as if it were a novel, or even a professional biography. However, I do feel that if one were to dip into it, reading a dozen pages or a score of them as the mood took one, this would not matter.
Helga's anecdotes are funny, often wickedly observant of human nature (especially her own, a very commendable quality), unflinchingly honest, and frequently make one stop and think. The result is highly entertaining.
This is a great book for reading in short stretches, because Helga makes a clear enough impression for the reader not to forget her, so that one can come back after a few days, a week, or a month, and pick up just where one left off.

The editing is not quite professional, but it's close. Too much polishing according to the standard rules would erase Helga's 'not-from-around-here' accent, which would damage the book. I may not always like Helga, but I have to admire her and salute her courage - not least in publishing this brave memoir. I thank Helga for allowing me the opportunity to get to know her at no charge; this review is my own honest opinion. I recommend the book to readers interested in human nature and in the history of us.