After figuring out that Reinheit by Thomas Flowers is a novel which has descriptions of German (Einzatsgruppen) wartime atrocities, it was interesting for me to know where the name came from. A translation of Reinheit is “purity.” That may have been stated in the novel somewhere but if so, I missed it. It makes a lot of sense on at least two levels after reading this fascinating tale told from the perspectives of two time periods. There is no time travel although there is a bit of fantasy involved. There may be some readers that believe the protagonist is a chair.
Month: September 2017
Follow the Rules
I Am Karma by Dawn Cano is a 53-page short story that has elements of extreme horror in the first half of the story. You might want not to let the kids (under 16 at least) read this one. There is language describing extreme physical brutality. Then the story turns to one of vengeance and that might not sit well with those who believe that revenge carried out by one’s fellow man is not justified. So there are a bunch of negatives going into the story. But I liked it.
A Mix of Subtle and Extreme Twisted Tales
Gristle & Bone: A Collection of Dark Fiction including Werewolves, Conspiracy Theories, Monsters, Cannibals and Vengeful Ghosts is the title of this collection by Duncan Ralston as it appears on its Amazon page. This title attracts more attention than the cover title Gristle and Bones but no matter which one you pick the idea is that you will be reading some unusual stuff. All seven stories are a bit twisted and out there. If you are a fan of this genre, welcome. If you are easily offended by dark stuff, run away. Scavengers is the more complex story in this novel. The character of the narrator is important even though the narrator is mostly unidentified; the development of the narrator character is superb. The language used in Artifact #37 and Fat of the Land warrant a warning to the squeamish or those easily offended by graphic language.
Continue reading “A Mix of Subtle and Extreme Twisted Tales”
Just Holding On
Broketown by David Wheeler is an excellent novel but one not to read if you are in a dark mood. If you feel that life is too routine, that there is nothing in the future that will ever improve on the current condition, that everybody is flawed and the best thing you can do is retreat within yourself and ignore unpleasantness, you are in a dark mood. This book will reinforce those feelings. On finishing this novel, I had an overwhelming feeling of despair. There was also my feeling of sadness about a life wasted in mostly meaningless activities just to fill the time until death arrives to the rescue. After reading this I will move on to a novel with graphic violence and horror just to wake up from the ennui generated by this novel. So it may come as a surprise to read that I liked this novel a lot.
Let Them Eat (Chocolate) Cake
From the cover of Sam ’n’ Patty’s 1st Adventure Hidden Gems by Jerry Dawson we can infer that there might be some follow-up stories coming. That is true, there is a three-story series that follows Sam and Patty plus other novels written by this author. I received an author request to read and review this short novel. I was quite happy with the reading experience because I learned new things presented in an entertaining way. This short adventure novel should appeal to the YA crowd. I couldn’t find anything offensive as far as language or cultural slights. The author does take aim at a “southern” way of speaking that can become so pronounced it borders on unintelligible but the observations are appreciative, not critical.
A Comfortable Detective Story
The Lost by Ari Rose is short story #10 in a Jill Hunter private investigator series. She started out as a police officer but at this point in the series, she is a private investigator. Each of the short stories takes on a different type of crime or social issue. This story is the first in a three-part set that sells on Amazon for free. That is not a KU subscription deal, it is an outright sale for free.
It Is More Than Making Dinner
The Stellar Life of a Superhero Wife by Joynell Schulz doesn’t appear on Amazon. What does appear is The Secret Lives of Superhero Wives, a 316 page novel by the same author. The story I am commenting on here measures 718 locations on Kindle which might be 30 pages. It gives readers a sample of the authors writing style and an example of short stories available through Instafreebies.
