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