The Chronicles of Soone by James Somers

The Chronicles of Soone: Heir to the King, by James Somers, is being hailed by some as the best sci-fi epic since Star Wars. This new title from Breakneck Books is their second fiction title following the release of bestselling author, Jeremy Robinson's Raising the Past. We thought for this guest reviewer spot that we would get the word on the street from readers like yourself.
"Wow, the next Star Wars! I hesitated at first, because I had not heard of this author, so I checked the publisher and...decided that if they were willing to put so much faith in James Somers then I could take the chance. Boy am I glad that I did! I would not have missed this exciting read for anything. Action, thrills, surprises, suspense, this book has all that and more: More twists and turns than a California freeway of the L.A. variety. Can't wait for the next one in the series."--Betty Dravis purchased Chronicles from Amazon.com
"I am a huge fan of Star Wars and this just might have topped it! This is the best book I've ever read."--young reader, John Onderdonk, purchased from Amazon.com
"There's more action in this Sci-fi thriller than you can shake a stick at, yet I was still able to get attached to the main characters."--Amazon customer review--"B.B. the big cheese"
"If you're a fan of Matthew Reilly's non-stop action thrillers, you'll find the same kind of action here, but with infinitely more heart. This is a great story for adults and for kids!"--Amazon review--"Thriller Fan"
The story is based around a long standing war among the clans of human kind between several habitable worlds. The Protag, Tiet Soone, is one of the few remaining survivors of the Barudii warrior race and the only known heir to the Barudii throne. When he returns from exile, grown, he sets out to avenge his people, but a much greater responsibility awaits him. He must decide whether to assume the throne of his father and attempt to reconcile the warring clans before they destroy one another. Fallen spirits are working against him as they propagate the war as part of their campaign to rule mankind.
This one is worth every penny--non-stop action and a gripping story, that is suitable for the young and the young at heart! This is the first in a series, we look forward to the rest.

VIDEO TRAILER AND SAMPLE CHAPTERS FROM THE PUBLISHER

Kill Chase, by Ron Morgans

Kill Chase, by Ron Morgans, is a mystery novel rich in descriptive prose and charm. While I must admit at the outset that "mystery novels" really aren't the genre I usually read, this one was still quite good.

Especially noteworthy is Morgans grasp of his settings. In every location, whether European, American or other, Morgan makes you feel like he's been there personally and is delivering a snapshot in hand--and hey, since the man lives in spain, he may very well be giving us these rich perspectives from memory.

A killer is on the loose and threatening the Queen. Ex-inspector Christian Boyd is called in by the Yard because of his particular knowledge of the supposed killer's moniker, but are they chasing the right man? Also on the killer's trail is paparazzo, Henrietta Fox, but she's becoming dangerously entangled in this chase.

For those of you who love mystery and crime novels, this one will no doubt satisfy your appetites, even though my personal tastes are more in the action, thriller, sci-fi genre. Hey, I'm still a Law & Order fan!

Raising the Past, by Jeremy Robinson

Raising the Past, by Jeremy Robinson may be his best work to date. I wasn't quite sure what to expect with the mammoth being raised from the ice and an ancient woman inside its belly holding a mysterious alien device, but folks this is edge-of-your-seat reading all the way. Fans of Robinson's first fiction effort should understand at the outset that this is not a christian story like that one was. There is some language content in this adult thriller, but not more than you would find on pg rated television.
The story begins with the ancient woman and two mysterious men who give her the device she will be found with later when the mammoth is raised from the ice in the Canadian North centuries later. The mammoth itself is an incredible find for researchers and a huge recovery operation is quickly underway to retrieve the fully intact specimen. The team soon discovers the alien device with the frozen remains of the ancient woman inside the mammoth and they unknowingly activate it. Very quickly, the team is fighting for their lives against several different and terrifying enemies, all seeking the device they hold. One of the greatest enemies the team faces is the frozen environment itself and the predators that inhabit it. Robinson's latest is the first fiction release from up and coming independent thriller publisher, Breakneck Books, and it's easy to see why they chose this title to launch with. If it's any indication, we should expect some very nice surprises from this publisher in the future. Raising the Past grabs hold of you and never lets go! Robinson keeps you guessing as to who the real enemy is all the way to the last page. I picked up this book and zoomed through it--Raising the Past is a furious page turner! I look forward to seeing more from this author and Breakneck Books.

The Takers, by R.W. Ridley

The Takers: Book One of the Oz Chronicles, by R.W. Ridley. In the first two pages a hook was well placed in my jaw and by the end of the first chapter I was soundly taken hostage by this story. The Takers, is a first person chronicle of the events surrounding the end of the world through the eyes of young hero, Oz Griffin. He awakens one morning form a fevered bout with the ole' kissing disease to find that nearly everyone in the world has been taken by hideous creatures from another dimension. These Takers, (or Greasywhoppers since saying their name brings them into our world from the dark edges of reality), are bent on conquering our world. But only Oz and his ragtag band of survivors, including a signing silverback gorilla, can stop them...or can they?
The Takers is a pure delight! If this is Y.A. fiction then I want more of it. This is a truly original story that completely deserves the comparisons with Stephen King's, The Stand. The transformation of the survivors to warriors with a mission to save the world, never turns dull or slows in its pace. The second book in the Oz Chronicles is on its way and we can't wait!!

CLEAN by Ken Sweet

CLEAN, by Ken Sweet is an interesting story of one man's vision of redemption. Ben has lived the life of the average "every-man" and he is frustrated with it all: his marriage, his job and his existence in general. He realizes the need to free himself, to go in search of CLEAN. Ben hopes that if he can win a final showdown against the dark man that haunts him then he will finally be rid of his inner demons and be reborn. The writing in CLEAN is exactly that. Ken Sweet has impeccably edited this self published novel and he's an excellent writer to boot. His imagery puts you right in the middle of the mystical old world locations over in Britain as Ben quests from site to site for clues to CLEAN. And when Ben ultimately finds what he's been searching for, he realizes that instead of finding the end of a journey, he's really only found the beginning.

Cracking Grace by Steven Stromp

Cracking Grace by Steven Stromp, is a delightfully tragic tale. This self published book through lulu.com was short, but long enough to tell the story. Audrey and her father are dealing with the recent loss of her mother. Their family have been the long time caretakers of a nearby cemetery in the woods and now the mother has been buried there. Audrey realizes the loss, but her father is unable to let go of his beloved wife so easily as he begins a trek along the edge of madness. Unknown at first to Audrey are the living tenants of the cemetery which have been watching, listening and wondering about her and her family for quite some time. With the aid of a small bluebird, the statues have been seeking answers about the world around them and about why they are who they are. The story is quite different and very charming, but don't look for theological answers from the book. There's one better suited for that. Stromp is a very good writer and the narrative is always engaging. I was actually surprised at the sudden turn the story takes closer to the end of the book, but that makes it even more interesting and Mr. Stromp brings a nice close to it all with a happier, if not somewhat morbid, ending. One of the most profound ideas in Cracking Grace was that with all of our ability to move and feel and learn about the world around us and the mysteries beyond, most people still know little more than a few cemetery statues about the meaning of life.

Another Worldly Device

Another Worldly Device, by Serdar Yegulap, is a self published novel available only at LULU.com. The book is a coming of age story that attempts to mix some conflict in by way of a mysterious kidnapping of the pre-teen Jane's foster parents. Jane is then eventually adopted by the eccentric Japanese author that lives next door. There is a tie that binds between this woman and the kidnappers although it takes most of the book to find out what that is. The story focuses most of its first person narrative on the relationship between Jane and Satoko with the mysterious kidnapping and break-ins as a back drop to their getting to know one another. Serdar plays the total dysfunction of their relationship like a fine tuned instrument and on the level of coming of age and so forth, the story delivers. However one thing I would fault Mr. Yegulap with is the lack of understanding the reader is ultimately given on the nature of Satoko's power, since the whole background of the story is set around this power and those who are trying to prove its existence among mankind. The book is laced with editing mistakes that tend to really come out in force after the first half of the book. This might be expected with a self published title. A word of warning: this book contains very strong language and is certainly not suitable for the YA crowd even though the main character is 11 years old.

The Seventh Mountain

The Seventh Mountain, by Gene Curtis has been labeled by some as a Christianized version of Harry Potter and given the many obvious similarities, this may be with good reason. The story revolves around Mark Young who is to become a very important member of the mystical group known as the Magi. This is an unveiled reference to the Magi or "Wise Men" from the bible, but Mr. Curtis has endowed them with further mystical powers and a hidden society with seven schools on seven mountains. This parallel with biblical Magi trails away to the Potter arena by these things and the exploration of them throughout the story. I must say that I was disappointed with the story, which seemed promising with its hook on the Potter-esque, but it failed to deliver the goods. For one, the first few chapters are completely non-grabbing and these are some of the most important to pull the reader in. Another problem that I had was that the school itself is supposed to be mystical and oozing with ancient culture and supernatural happenings, but the reader is continually tripped up by the references to paying for the school with a bank account, the selling of school books in a regular old college style bookstore where normal kid tech like video games and cd players and stuff is also sold--basically the school appears to have a mall in it where sword and sorcery combine with the trappings of 21st century adolescence. It seemed like a very forced mix and not in tune with the story. But abiding these problems, the story spends most of its time engaging with school bullies and hanging out with friends rather than any real conflict with the Antagonist, a prime evil spirit that wants Mark's special sheperds staff for his own and the boy out of his way. Any conflict between the two is short lived and only comes in the very last chapter or two and it turned anticlimatic to boot. The self published LULU novel, The Seventh Mountain is a reasonably entertaining story for the YA crowd, but it lacks the kind of depth and drive I was hoping to see from it.

Miss Alice Merriwether's Long Lost Cakes

Miss Alice Merriwether's Long Lost Cakes, by Barry Aitchison, has to be one of the oddest, yet well written and interesting books I have read in a long time. At the outset, let me say that the only reason this story did not get a 10 rating from me is because of its long use of profanity--a coarse hair in the icing of Miss Alice's delectable cake. This is the second book I have reviewed by the small british based publisher, Velluminous Press, and I continue to be impressed with them. They are turning out interesting and nice looking books from over in the motherland and Miss Alice is among them. To the story: Think small town America meets Tim Burton and you might come close. This story is told with precision and each page begs to be turned! Mr. Aitchison gives the reader just enough enticement from each P.O.V. change to keep you moving through the story at a brisk pace. The narrative is charming and alarmingly accurate to the odd meanderings of small town folk. Mr. Quentin C. Coriander has suddenly arrived in Parcival, USA and though he is an odd sort, they eventually pay him no mind. After a jealous Sheriff Pumpernickel threatens Coriander over one Miss Alice Merriwether and her delicious cakes, the town suddenly finds itself scooped out of planet Earth and hastened away to somewhere unknown. The town must come to grips with the fact that they "aren't in Kansas anymore...oh, silly, they never were," and their isolation inside of an invisible dome--yes, the entire town; land and all. Now they must solve the mystery of where they are, why they are here, and who this odd fellow Quentin C. Coriander really is and his true intentions for the Parcivillians. The humor of Miss Alice resides in the accurate portrayal of its characters and boy are they ever--characters that is...so pull up a book, and try a whopping sugary slice of Miss Alice's Long Lost Cakes.

Better Than Real, by Huw Lyan Thomas (8 / 10)

Better Than Real, by Huw Lyan Thomas seemlessly blends high-tech sci-fi action, with all of the horrors of a futuristic society where clones and mind back-ups have become the norm. The first chapter left me feeling like I had dropped into a marathon already in progress, but soon enough I was up to pace and enjoying the ride. This science fiction thriller published by Velluminous Press centers around Lee, a designer of android love dolls. One of his creations has committed a murder, forcing him to investigate the malfunction. What he finds is a self-aware entity called Lilith inhabiting the love doll and that Lilith is on the run from an organization known only as The Elect. Stranger, a cold and calculating assassin has been sent after Lee to retrieve Lilith and to leave no witnesses in the process. The pacing is fast, the weaponry intriguing and there's no lack of action with Stranger on the prowl. Thomas weaves a complex web of mind back-ups, character deaths and clone regenerations and whips it all into a frenzy of action and intrigue that left me wondering when his next book will be coming. Be aware that this title does contain some strong language.

The Didymus Contingency, by Jeremy Robinson

I've said it before, "Some very good books just slip through the cracks of the publishing industry." Too biblically accurate for the Da Vinci Code crowd and too realistic for CBA standards, The Didymus Contingency is such a book. The story revolves around a single question, "If you could travel anywhere in time and witness any event, where would you go?" I'm amazed someone hasn't come up with Jeremy Robinson's answer before. Two quantum physicists trying to penetrate the mystery of time travel end up going back to the time of Jesus Christ's earthly ministry. One is an unbeliever trying to expose Jesus' ressurection as a fraud, and his actions threaten the very fabric of reality itself. The other man is a believer who is chasing his friend through time in order to avert the devastating affects on the world should his friend actually be successful. Robinson has penned an excellent read. He navigates the timestream with Back to the Future precision and takes the reader through many twists and turns that are sure to thrill. His portrayal of Jesus was, I think, dead on with the bible; although I admit a slight faint when reading the event prior to Christ's entrance into Jerusalem at the beginning of the crucifixion week--our ponderings on the bible events generally don't consider just how human the Son of God was while on the Earth. This controversial novel was enjoyable from beginning to end. Robinson masterfully blends futuristic science fiction and a historical thriller with every page. The end result was a very cleverly told story that will leave readers wanting more from this new author.

POD PEOPLE, by Jeremy Robinson

POD PEOPLE: Beating the Print on Demand Stigma is a very nicely done guide to self publishing by an author who has had some success at it.
I'm never amazed by the unending amount of self help books that continue to pour into the market--that includes the self help books to writers aspiring to pen the next great adventure and see it published out of New York. But it seems like they are all written by people who do nothing but write books about how to be published. Where are the books on publishing that come from writers that have interesting titles on the market.
That's one thing I like about POD PEOPLE, the author has penned some other works and they were actually good. Jeremy Robinson has The Screenplay Workbook, to his credit but it was his self published fiction novel, The Didymus Contingency that drew me to investigate POD PEOPLE.
In fact, POD PEOPLE is a chronicle of his self publishing success with his fiction novel and that makes it something more than the other writer's self help book. Mr. Robinson takes us on a journey of how he did it. He talks about ways to make a marketable book and publish it, all the while emphasizing writing a good story as the key. He investigates "Stigma Busters"--self-pub flubs and mistakes that authors tend to make and how to get around them so that your self published book looks professional. Robinson also discusses ways to get the word-of-mouth going as well as ways to market your work. This was all wrapped up in a short but fun read and considering Robinson is now signed on with Breakneck Books for his upcoming novel, Raising the Past, apparently he knows what he's talking about.--Podlingmaster.

Golem, by Greg Vilk

Golem, by Greg Vilk (9-10) is the exceptional tale of a team of WWII Rangers who are chosen to investigate mysterious events at a secret Nazi base in Greenland. The author puts you right in the middle of the action which is non-stop from beginning to end. Every whisper of the wind and creak of a door, had me gripping the pages in anticipation of the next line! I couldn't put it down!
This story reminded me a great deal of the mood found in John Carpenter's The Thing. The frozen Nazi base the story was set in only heightened the chills and excitement I felt while reading it!
Golem is a terrific, but short read. I did notice quite a few editing mistakes, but I was easily able to overlook them because the story was so unique; like nothing I've read before. Golem was intense and fast-paced and when the lights went out at my house that night, I wondered, just for a moment if the Golem was behind me.--Podlingmaster

Submission Guidelines

We Accept: Novels in the genre of Young Adult, Childrens,Thrillers, Sci-fi, Fantasy, Action / Adventure. We are interested in exciting thrill rides. If you're Self-Published, or a Small to Medium sized press--then we encourage you to submit. Please make sure your book is professional in quality--we hate horrible galley covers and not being edited--put some work into your work, if you're really serious about it.

We Do Not Accept: Porn, Erotica, Graphic Horror, zombie or slasher type novels and we won't bother with Love stories and memoirs. We tend to not enjoy crime novels or murder mysteries either, so you probably will want to look elsewhere on those--our tastes are what they are, sorry.

How to submit your novel: Send an email query first with a brief synopsis to pod_master1@yahoo.com --if you don't do this then we can't give you an address where you can send the book. If we like the query, we will surely ask to review the book--if we don't like the query...well, you get the idea. Review copies will not be returned.

Our Reviews: Each book accepted for review will be notified by a reply email. Your book will recieve a full review which may be used by the author or publisher for blurbs and so forth.

Beware: Sending a poorly edited book or some terrible gallery cover, may impact your review. Remember, you must first submit a brief query containing a short synopsis. Submit query to pod_master1@yahoo.com

Happy Hunting