Category Archives: Reviews

Lita’s book and story reviews.

Review: Writer’s Block

Writer’s Block by Michael Gardner is a mystery short story about an office worker named Ralph who travels back in time to unravel the disappearance of his favorite author, J. R. R. Tolkien.

Ralph Visited Oxford to Find Tolkien

Records clerk Ralph lives an uneventful life filled with computer work, caring for his cat Noodles, and reading his favorite fantasy stories. One day, a rift in space-time opens in his work cubicle, and takes him back to 1954 London. Thrilled at the opportunity to meet his favorite author, Ralph tracks down a bookstore, but cannot find his most favorite books of all time, The Hobbit and The Fellowship of the Ring.

A dismayed Ralph visits Tolkien’s home in Oxford at number twenty Northmoor Road, and discovers that Tolkien has never lived in this version of London. What Ralph does next to correct this horrible error in the universe does not turn out the way he plans.

Writer’s Block is a fun diversion for Tolkien fans. The best part is Ralph’s practical approach of using time travel to meet one of his literary heroes. Besides, a world without hobbits, Frodo, and Gandalf is too horrible to imagine for epic fantasy fans. Rest assured that the world inside of Writer’s Block is only a story. Just to be sure, Lita checked her bookshelf, and The Lord of the Rings was in its proper place.

Writer’s Block on Amazon US

Writer’s Block on Amazon UK

Writer’s Block on Goodreads

Michael Gardner on Goodreads

Review: The Regent’s Gamble

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The Regent’s Gamble by A. Payne and N. D. Taylor is a fantasy about the twenty-something mage Addison Rhydderch, and his efforts to unravel the magical mysteries infecting New York.

Addison is the Regent of a magical police force called the Manhattan Vault. Like its counterparts around the globe, the organization’s job is to protect the city from nefarious magicians and misbehaving fantastical creatures.

Dryad

The confirmed bachelor meets his romantic match with a dryad named Saraia Lewis. They join forces to discover the source of disturbing magical mayhem that threatens to bring down both sides of their mundane and fantastical world.

Enjoyable descriptions of magical creatures, desperate melees, and a satisfying romance filled the pages of The Regent’s Gamble. The plot delivered many twists, and it riveted me until the satisfying conclusion. Lita especially liked the contrast of Addison’s powerful magic tempered with his human weaknesses. The authors created an immersive magical world. Lita could all but smell Manhattan’s reek, and feel the fizzy magic-fused air of faerie land against her skin.

Gentle Readers who are fans of immersive fantasy stories populated with believable creatures, and a mage hero worth cheering for, would enjoy The Regent’s Gamble. The frowned-upon liaison between human and dryad gave the story a spicy flavor. The Regent’s Gamble is filled with not-to-be-missed fantasy fun.

The Regent’s Gamble on Amazon US

The Regent’s Gamble on Amazon UK

The Regent’s Gamble on Goodreads

A. Payne on Goodreads

N. D. Taylor on Goodreads

Review: The Eighth Birthday Wish

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The Eighth Birthday Wish by Bruce E. Arrington is a children’s fantasy about a little girl named Sophia who seeks a magical birthday gift from the residents of the Great Rock Faery cave.

Sophia Enters the Great Rock Faery Cave

Young Sophia is surrounded by siblings that sing well, but she cannot carry a tune. Determined to become the finest songstress, she goes on a journey with her parents to the Great Rock Faery cave.

Only she can go inside and pick the singing voice of her dreams from one of the faerie. Problem is that none of them have a suitable voice. Sophia discovers a faerie in a most unusual situation. The little girl then learns the rewards of unselfishness, which is the best birthday gift of all.

The Eighth Birthday Wish is a story told in rhyme, and lavishly illustrated with Sophia’s adventures. Lita could not wait to see how the little girl’s dilemma in the Great Rock Faery cave turned out. The simple story delivered a satisfying conclusion.

Fantasy fans of all ages would enjoy this gem of a tale. Lita shall look around her garden and see if it has an entrance to the charming Great Rock Faery cave.

The Eighth Birthday Wish on Amazon US

The Eighth Birthday Wish on Amazon UK

The Eighth Birthday Wish on Goodreads

Bruce E. Arrington on Goodreads

Bruce E. Arrington website

Review: Thought Symbols Magick Guide Book

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Thought Symbols Magick Guide Book by Colin G. Smith is a nonfiction how to book for transforming conscious desires into graphical representations, and using the subconscious to make them come true.

Use Meditation to Enact Symbols

Thought Symbols Magick Guide Book describes the origin of using symbols, also called Sigil Magick. The book gives a systematic guide of how to turn positive statements into pictorial representations that anyone can draw. Gentle Reader then uses meditation, or other techniques, to enact these symbols. Within weeks, the results manifest themselves as positive changes to the Gentle Reader’s life.

This easy to follow book was free of mysticism and vague references to obscure topics that make others of its ilk tiresome to get through. What Lita liked most about the book was its emphasis on manifesting positive desires, rather than dragging down the psyche with “I don’t want this” catalysts. Another likable aspect of this book was how to merge the thought symbols approach into a better-balanced lifestyle.

Self-improvement seekers looking for a pragmatic approach for turning positive motivations into life events would enjoy Thought Symbols Magick Guide Book. Lita recommends it for Gentle Readers who want the good in life to come true.

Thought Symbols Magick Guide Book on Amazon US

Thought Symbols Magick Guide Book on Amazon UK

Thought Symbols Magick Guide Book on Goodreads

Colin G. Smith on Goodreads

Colin G. Smith website and blog

Praised by Readers’ Favorite with a 5 Star Review: Lita Burke’s Ephraim’s Curious Device

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Ephraim’s Curious Device – 5 Star Review by Jack Magnus for Readers’ Favorite

Readers’ Favorite recently read Lita’s fantasy novella, Ephraim’s Curious Device, and awarded it with a lovely 5 star review.

In Ephraim’s Curious Device, a wizard seeks a magical thingummy to free his kidnapped familiar. It is the second story in Lita’s Clockpunk Wizard series, where wizards with ~twisty~ magic live on a plate-shaped ocean world. The wizards fly their fantastic airships between islands that float far above the sea. Here is what the Readers’ Favorite reviewer had to say:

The Clockpunk Wizard series is a marvelous and magical melding of steampunk with epic fantasy that is fresh, original and really quite exciting.

Ephraim’s Curious Device is Book 2 of Lita Burke’s epic fantasy series, The Clockpunk Wizard. Kadmeion, a young wizard, and Sir Bright, his Metal-Man and companion, have been summoned by Lord Hissalumieon of Mevil City. When they get there, the lord and his wizard, Nob, inform them of the quest Lord Hissalumieon needs them to complete. Read more of the review…

Read Chapter 1 of Ephraim’s Curious Device for FREE now.

Watch the Ephraim’s Curious Device book trailer.

The Ephraim’s Curious Device e-book is available now with instant gratification for Kindle US/UK, Nook, and Kobo.

Curious how the Clockpunk Wizard adventures began? See how Kadmeion befriended a very unusual familiar in Forever Boy–read Chapter 1 now for FREE.

Continue your explorations of the Clockpunk Wizard world in Old Bony Blue Eyes–read Chapter 1 now for FREE.

Review: Spilt Milk

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Spilt Milk by D. K. Cassidy is a short story collection that tells the entwined lives of two very disturbed guys, Caleb and George.

A Disinterested and Abusive Father is Oblivious

A drug-addicted mother dies in childbirth producing her son Caleb. A disinterested and abusive father is oblivious about his young son’s predilection for harming small animals.

After performing a heinous crime that lands him in a juvenile mental hospital, Caleb welcomes his eighteenth birthday. The young man can now seek friends that understand him.

George learns early to build a closet sanctuary that his battling parents never bother to investigate. It comforts George to fill his fortress with misbegotten collectables. He too is now an adult. Rather than battling a dangerous addiction, collector George embraces it. His vice is a monstrous lifestyle, because his imaginary friends urge George to do so.

A Surreal, Yet Reasonable, Dreadful World

Caleb posts a help wanted ad for a worker who loves collecting special things. The night job takes place behind the hospital. Caleb and George hit it off. Pity the people who catch the duo’s interest.

Spilt Milk is a subtle, disturbing, and delicious collection of related short stories that takes the reader into a surreal, yet reasonable, dreadful world. The stories have no bloody and squeamish parts, but nonetheless, they made Lita’s gut cringe. Between George and Caleb’s vignettes are glimpses into the sad and odd souls who cross their path. D. K. Cassidy uses a masterful hand in describing the characters. The frugal prose is much more effective than gushing over the bloody details. Lita just had to read the book twice, and it scared the bejesus out of her the second time, too.

Spilt Milk is highly recommended for Gentle Readers who have always wondered why some innocent-seeming people make them feel like a hellcat just ran over their grave. Now we know.

Spilt Milk on Amazon US

Spilt Milk on Amazon UK

Spilt Milk on Goodreads

D. K. Cassidy on Goodreads

D. K. Cassidy Blog and Website

Review: The Secret of Excalibur

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The Secret of Excalibur by Sahara Foley is a fantasy about a modern-day young man named Arthur Merlin, who struggles with mastering his phenomenal psychic powers.

A Head Injury Gave Arthur the Ability of Astral Projection

After a head injury that gave him incredible psychic abilities like pyrokinesis, astral projection, telekinesis, and resistance to nuclear explosions, Arthur is finding his way in life. His new abilities frightened old friends. Now, he wanders. No government agency or military can hold him because he teleports to safety at the first sign of boredom.

His journey has landed him in London. At a paranormal studies lab affiliated with MI6, he finds a lovely telekinesis expert named Doctor Ruth Burns. His powers make for an unusual romance. He ends up working for the government, and the dangerous work turns Arthur’s life into an exciting twirl.

The Lady of the Lake and the Legend of the Sword Excalibur

But something draws him to a mysterious lake shrouded in Arthurian lore. The Lady of the Lake, and the legend of the sword Excalibur waiting in its depths, is a mystery that only Arthur’s fantastic powers can unravel. The truth under the waters is nothing like Arthur imagined.

The Secret of Excalibur is a delightful entwining of Arthurian mythos, a modern Merlin, and clever supporting characters. Arthur, despite his fantastic powers, is an ethical young man with a refreshing innocence. Ruth is a brainy and practical counterpoint to Arthur’s impulsive approach to life. The plot kept Lita guessing, and she could not wait to learn what was waiting in the lake. Contrary to the legends, Arthur’s fate was a delightful surprise.

For Gentle Readers who are fans of King Arthur stories, The Secret of Excalibur is a satisfying blend of the legend with a modern-day wizard. Be warned, because the real sword under the lake is nothing like the legend.

The Secret of Excalibur on Amazon US

The Secret of Excalibur on Amazon UK

The Secret of Excalibur on Goodreads

Sahara Foley on Goodreads

Sahara Foley website and blog

Review: Alien Nightmares: Screen Memories of UFO Alien Abductions

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Alien Nightmares: Screen Memories of UFO Alien Abductions by Sharon Delarose is a nonfiction book about alien abduction that describes dream imagery and memories about visiting extraterrestrials.

Screen Memories are Repeated False Memories That Mask What Really Happened

This nonfiction book recounts the contents of a woman’s lifelong dream journal.

It details her experiences with repeated alien kidnappings. The book presents an analysis of re-occurring dreams and their common elements, and fits everything into a structure called “Screen Memories.” The Screen Memories are repeated false memories that mask what really happened to the author during alien visits. But even false memories have patterns, and this book peels back the mask.

Throughout the book, the author correlates empirical events from news media reports and dream journal entries. The writing style is matter-of-fact, has attention to detail, and shows organized thinking. Despite the fantastical subject area, the alien abduction accounts have a refreshing clinical factualness. The book’s painstaking correlation of the journal with media research produces a plausible Screen Memories theory.

Comradery With Other Abductees

Alien Nightmares: Screen Memories of UFO Alien Abductions is an excellent treatment of a topic that polarizes people into believers or doubters.

Believers find reassurance that they share a sobering, and terrifying, comradery with other abductees. Doubters put it all into the “has a vivid imagination” bucket. This book does an excellent job of systematically analyzing the dreams and the related real events. Even though the author’s memories were masked by aliens, there is too much coincidence with real events to dismiss the journal entries. The book could convince the doubter there might be something alien going on, after all.

Alien Nightmares: Screen Memories of UFO Alien Abductions is recommended for Gentle Readers who enjoy true accounts. Others that demand correlated facts to give credence to fantastical situations would enjoy the painstaking cross-referencing. No matter if Gentle Reader is an alien abduction believer or doubter, this book delivers treats for both camps.

Alien Nightmares: Screen Memories of UFO Alien Abductions on Amazon US

Alien Nightmares: Screen Memories of UFO Alien Abductions on Amazon UK

Alien Nightmares: Screen Memories of UFO Alien Abductions on Goodreads

Sharon Delarose on Goodreads

Review: The Bell Tower Suite

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Friends Dared Him to Spend a Night in the Bell Tower Suite

The Bell Tower Suite by James Field is a paranormal short story about a retired army officer who takes a dare and spends a ghost-filled night in a haunted house.

Retired Colonel Mortimer pays a visit to Sibyl. She is the housekeeper of a mansion that has a ghostly reputation. Two security guards, Alf and Bert, live in the nearby guardhouse.

His friends at the club dared the colonel to spend a night in the Bell Tower Suite. The colonel’s grandfather was a judge who stayed in the suite, and met his unfortunate end there by a revengeful convict. The no-nonsense Sibyl changes the bed linens, and instructs Alf and Bert to lock the colonel in the bell tower suite for the night.

Retired Colonel Mortimer Pays a Visit

During a nasty thunderstorm at midnight, the ghosts walk. The outcome is nothing like the four of them expected.

The Bell Tower Suite is a delightful little story that paints vivid characters in a short time. It tells a spooky story within a story, and wraps it together in a gothic-fused package.

James Field uses an expert touch and mixes in fun surprises concerning a cellar rat, and the security guards’ practical jokes. Gentle Readers who love gothic ghost stories would enjoy The Bell Tower Suite. This story is best read at night with a thunderstorm crashing outside. Be sure to lock the door, and watch out for the cellar rat.

The Bell Tower Suite on Amazon US

The Bell Tower Suite on Amazon UK

The Bell Tower Suite on Goodreads

James Field on Goodreads

James Field website

Praised by BookViral: Lita Burke’s Forever Boy

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BookViral recently read Lita’s fantasy short story, Forever Boy, and spotlighted it with a lovely review.

A dog befriends a wizard

In Forever Boy, a dog flees his cruel master, befriends a wizard, and discovers his shapeshifting magic.

It is the first story in Lita’s Clockpunk Wizard series, where wizards with ~twisty~ magic live on a plate-shaped ocean world. The wizards fly their fantastic airships between islands that float far above the sea.

An ode to the best in genre, this is one series you won’t want to miss and it is recommended without reservation. — BookViral

Book Viral discovers the next bestsellers, and they value discerning readers. BookViral spotlights authors who bring readers the most entertaining stories. Here is what the BookViral reviewer had to say about Forever Boy:

BookViral Spotlight on Forever Boy by Lita Burke

“A world beyond the familiar with curiosities and marvels that ensnare with intrigue from the very first page.

Yes, you will find the usual tropes, yet they feel surprisingly fresh and original. In part this is down to Burke’s acerbic prose, but the real treasure in this tale is…” read more of the BookViral review.