Book Review: Melophobia by James Morris

Imagine a world with no music. Really, try a little harder. Hear that silence? No romantic wedding music. No tender lullabies. No songs of heartbreak and cheating. No energizing rock ’n roll. In this fictional dystopian world, what passes for music is more watered down than Muzak.

Now imagine a young woman at a crossroads. Merrin works at Patrol, the organization dedicated to stamping out the last remnant of people who listen to real, albeit illegal, music. Merrin has made a name for herself in her field, but the more undercover work she does, the more questions she has.

If you can imagine all that, you’ll have the opening for Kindle Scout winner James Morris’ Melophobia. This book struck all the right notes with me. It provoked a visceral reaction and made me appreciate music even more. While this is one dystopian world I hope never comes to fruition, my eyes were opened to how integral music is to the fabric of our lives.

Maggie Toussaint and Rigel Carson for Muddy Rose Reviews

Book Review: Awoken by Sarah Noffke

Roya is a dream traveler, an odd duck in a family full of swans. Lately her dreams have been violent and scary, with the edgy feeling that someone is watching her. Neighbors Bob and Steve tell Roya of someone who can help, a Lucidite named Shuman.

According to Shuman, Roya is on the Challenger list. She’s the one who can save all dreamers, but to get Shuman’s help, she has to travel to the Institute. Trouble is to get there she must nearly drown herself. Worse, the challenge against Zhuang is rapidly approaching so there’s no time to dither.

Roya arrives and finds she’s one of many challengers. To become The Challenger, she must outscore her peers. A loner, Roya feels even more out of place, but despite her efforts to keep to herself, she makes a few friends and allies. As she learns the depths of dream traveling and her opponent, she discovers Zhuang has stacked the odds in his favor. Roya doesn’t know who to trust and who is the enemy.

Thought provoking and entertaining, Awoken was a universal study of good versus evil with a coming of age perspective. I enjoyed seeing Roya awaken and realize her full potential.

Maggie Toussaint and Rigel Carson for Muddy Rose Reviews

Book Review: The Familiar by Jill Nojack

Jill Nojack’s paranormal romantic comedy went down as easy as my favorite dessert. I needed to know what happened next but I was sure sorry to see it end. Tom’s sad plight and Cassie’s discovery of her true heritage made for a page turning read.

Tom, a man enslaved as a powerful witch’s cat, yearns for his freedom. As the decades pass, he realizes his captor will never let him go. Hope is strong medicine though, and he won’t give up, using up many of his nine lives along the way.

When the witch dies, her granddaughter, Cassie, inherits the entire estate, including the magic shop. Unaware of her grandmother’s hidden talents, Cassie learns there’s a whole lot more to her relative than she ever knew.

Tom and Cassie inherit each other, two lonely souls in search of love and compassion. Delightful confusion ensues as Tom tries to leave messages for Cassie containing his release words. Unless he is allowed to transform back into a man soon, he will forever be Cat. Cassie, it seems, has inherited much more than her grandmother’s possessions.

I enjoyed the miscues between this pair. Nojack expertly wove the paranormal and humor threads, darkening with a mystery subplot and sexual tension. If stories about witches are your thing, you won’t want to miss this charmer.

Maggie Toussaint and Rigel Carson for Muddy Rose Reviews

Book Review: Freelancer by Jake Lingwall

Kari is way smarter than your average bear. At seventeen, she hides her brilliance at school by day and freelances on the net at night. Her products? Anything she can imagine, write the code for, and create on her three-D printers.

Her parents don’t have any idea what she can do or what she can create. Kari hides her talents away in this dystopian mechanized world where only three types of jobs exist and her skill set is out of the box.

Meanwhile, the US is poised for another Civil War. A clever government plot draws Kari out of hiding, paints her as a heinous threat to society. They’ll let her family and her friend David’s family go if she cooperates and creates powerful weapons for them.

Little do they know, putting Kari in a tight jam is just the way to stoke her creative engine. With a little luck, she might just save the world and have a date for the dance.

Lingwall’s page turning dystopian YA novel kept me on the edge of my seat. The high octane blend of Kari’s vulnerabilities, poise, and talents stole the show.

Another winner from Kindle Scout.

Maggie Toussaint and Rigel Carson for Muddy Rose Reviews

Book Review: Four by RE Carr

Like a little vampire action in your novel explorations?

RE Carr’s paranormal story centers on a vampire’s assistant named Georgia, who is recruiting her replacement. Gail, the hapless whale, is reeled into the vampire’s world, anecdote by anecdote, with great finesse.

At times campy and irreverent, at time gross with animal smoothies, and at times sensual with intimate scenes, Four is a tap dance of two vamps and two humans trying to meet their personal needs.

The story poses a story question much like the chicken and the egg. Which came first? Vamps or humans?

Rich in texture and characterization, Four was a different kind of read for me. My best description of the story? Sookie Stackhouse meets Stephanie Plum.

Another fine read from Kindle Press.

Maggie Toussaint aka Rigel Carson for Muddy Rose Reviews

Book Review: Indiscretion by Polly Iyer

 

 

A woman at a crossroads in life is beguiled by a charming stranger, but the stranger is killed not long after their torrid affair begins. The cops come and so do the feds. The thief was not who Zoe Swan thought he was, he’s thought to have the loot from the Gardner art heist.

 Separated but not divorced, Zoe calls her estranged husband who comes down to the beach to set matters straight. But things don’t go straight, they go horribly wrong. One fed shoots another before their very eyes. Zoe’s husband manages to extricate them from the dangerous situation, but they are wanted for the murder of the fed.

With nowhere to turn, they call the black sheep of the family, Paul Swan. Having lived a double life, Paul has the underground connections they don’t, connections that could either clear them or seal their fate as stone cold killers.

Iyer’s latest mystery/suspense novel is a pure delight to read. The characters and the settings felt so real, it was as if I was there. I rooted for Zoe to triumph throughout the story, and the resolution was satisfying. I’m a big fan, and I can’t wait for Iyer’s next book to come out.

Another fine book from Kindle Scout! WTG!

Maggie Toussaint and Rigel Carson for Muddy Rose Reviews

 

Book Review: Valens the Fletcher and His Captive by Lindsay Townsend

Another fine medieval novella from talented author Lindsay Townsend.

While on a spying mission for Lord Sebastian, Valens the fletcher (arrow maker) has his eye on a wet nurse for his ailing niece. Before the band of thieves is set upon by the Lord’s men, Valens whisks Katherine and her infant son away from the group.

Katherine isn’t happy about being a captive, but her life with the women thieves was miserable. She was tired and hungry and dead broke. Valens promises to keep her and her son safe, along with providing room and board, as long as she’ll take his niece to breast. Lord Sebastian okays the agreement with the condition that they marry. How can Katherine trust Valens, the man who made her a captive? She doesn’t want marriage to another man with secrets.

When they don’t show up in due time for their nuptials, Sebastian sets a four day time limit, and orders Valens to woo her. They will marry in four days, regardless. Just as the bridge of trust seems to be repaired, Katherine learns of a new deceit. Only love can make this right.

A gripping tale, rich in scenery and characters. I love this series!

Maggie Toussaint and Rigel Carson for Muddy Rose Reviews