Fantasy: Divide & Conquer; Book Three of the Mistress of the Beasts Saga, by R. L. Geerdes

Divide & Conquer is the third book in the Mistress of the Beasts saga by R. L. Geerdes. In the land of Arconia there is much unrest as disease plagues certain species, political murder threatens the throne of more than one monarch, and a general evil is spreading across the land. Castin, a master druid, along with his beloved Katrina, the Beast Mistress, must figure out a way to heal the land and stop the evil.

Fantasy: Hera; Book One of the Goddess Chronicles, by Julien Longo

Hera, by Julien Longo is a story about  Hera, a girl who is coming of age. In a ritual initiation to become a huntress, ancient powers awaken in Hera and bring forth a situation that harms her best friend, Artemis. The events that take place after, lead Hera on a path to become the High Priestess of the Emerald Temple. Long held family secrets are learned, and many sacrifices are made.

Fiction: Elephant Milk, by Diane Sherry Case

Elephant Milk, by Diane Sherry Case is a quick and fun read about a girl named Sean who runs away with the circus... literally. In search of her one love, Frank, Sean finds herself in a number of compromising situations. Though she is looking for love, she finds much more.

This was a coming of age story set in 1969 that would be appropriate for a 17+ crowd, or 15-16 if you are a more liberal parent, due to a few sex and drug references.

 Because of the simple prose, the 157 pages went by quickly. The story was engaging and imaginative. However, I really would have liked to have had more back-story for a couple of the characters. Overall, this book was a light and enjoyable read.

On a scale of 1-4, I give this book a 3.5. A couple of the characters could have been developed a little deeper, but the simplicity of the story made it a good read.

This book was published by Miraculous Books.
ISBN: 978-0-615-38094-0

Thank you to Diane Sherry Case for the gift of this book.

Fiction/Thriller: The Capablanca Variation: The End Game, by Douglas Quinn

The Capablanca Variation: The End Game, by Douglas Quinn, is fast paced and varied. Jennifer Ellis has a twin brother, Theo, who seems to always be in trouble. When Theo gets into a bind with the FBI, Jennifer is strong armed into working with the CIA and FBI to capture a known terrorist in order to secure her brother's freedom.

The hunt leads us through several venues of Morocco with a big showdown fit for a Western. Extremes between Morocco's Muslim culture and Western tourism are intertwined with the intrigue. Throw in a few bumbling operatives and you have yourself a good tale!

This book continues on themes from Douglas Quinn's book The Spanish Game, but is a good stand alone read. The storyline is well paced, the characters are interesting, and the flow is good. There were a few minor mechanical errors, but they did not impact the enjoyability of the story.

The only thing I feel was missing was resolution regarding Theo. I was left wondering what happened to him and the situation he had gotten himself into, with only my assumptions to close the matter for me. A page or two extra would have been sufficient enough to address this area. Other than that, an overall good read.

On a scale of 1-4, I give this book a 3.5. Good pace and great characters, but in need of a tied loose end.

This book was published by iUniverse.
ISBN: 978-1-4502-5886-9

Thank you to Douglas Quinn, via his publicist Donna Higgins Colson, for the gift of this book.