Soulreader

A Space Between Worlds promises to be for the new generation what Atlas Shrugged was to an older generation. Not the story line as such, but the stretching, pulling and expanding of the readers knowingness, pushing the reader to the limit of former comfortable believing and being. Brilliant use of words, layering so many images, feelings, non-feelings and expectancy intricately crafted into each word flowing into intricately crafted sentences creating a world both familiar and new. What is real, made-up, previously experienced, waiting in the side-line, imagined or dreamed? Which is your world?

“How ignorant can you be? No matter the light, we all hide. We hide ourselves from the people we love, from strangers, from ourselves. How do you expect to show yourself to the world when you cannot show yourself to yourself? A mirror cannot lie. You sat in front of the mirror and denied the reflection you saw before you.”

Shanti with her masks, sadness and emptiness. Her world interwoven with Reno, Reno with the gift of the language of flowers, but the taste of decay and death in his mouth and Chandra, the keeper apart and together of people and worlds, dancing pixie-like between lines, worlds and lives. So many questions, so many worlds and the most fundamental and promising to provide the answer to all questions of questions: “What is your first memory?”.

A Space Between Worlds will take you on a journey never experienced before and leave with you questions answered and a million more blossoming with the blink of every new star born. Not an easy read but surely to become a favorite of those souls brave enough to take a dip and wade through the words, emotions and worlds created by JD Woodson.

“What has been forgotten will never be lost. The answers to the future lay in the sands of the past.”

A Space Between Worlds is brilliant tale on all levels.

The Dark Lady - RJ Hore

I was drawn into the intrigue and drama of Princess Nefasti from the first page as she endures through the murder of the King, her father and the Queen. Stepping into the political quicksand of her Kingdom, a once famous and fabulous Kingdom, now barely hanging on to sovereignty while every Kingdom and noble circles ever closer to be the first to take over the fragile reign of this once mighty stronghold.

She finds a secret passage winding through the palace and sets of exploring, eaves dropping on her politically hungry uncles and ends up in the tower of the Court Advisor and Magician Hecatean. She finds not Hecatean but his magician apprentice and this starts a journey through her traitorous reign as newly crowned Queen at the tender age of 10. Her mother tried to whisper who can be trusted with her dying breath but the names were never uttered and now Nefasti must act on her own instinct, the snippets she picks up on her wanderings through the tunnels and by building up her own trusted network. There is Vita, the nursemaid, the Knights in charge of defending the mountain, Hecatean her father’s Court Advisor and magician, and now, her own court magician, young Josephuse.

She struggles and fights through her reign, where she discovers she is a minor inconvenience in the bigger picture. She is wooed by every surrounding Kingdom, all for political and financial gain. She is quite determined to discover who was responsible for the death of her father, but also to keep the reign as Queen. Her determination, astute observations and help of her trusted circle she assures that a legend is born, the legend of the dark lady.

This is a well written tale, full of twists and unexpected turns and I found myself holding my breath quite often. The characters are well developed rich, as is the descriptions of the country, the buildings and the old magic of Kings long forgotten.

Every chapter begins with a narration about the rumors and legends abound in the Kingdom and faraway lands about the reign of the Dark Lady and as this was obviously written after her reign it deepens the current story line as the reader can not wait to find out how this ten year old survives through murders, kidnap attempts, lies/deceit and betrayals. Will she prevail? Take the journey with Nefasti…and watch and learn

A tale well worth reading.

(I received a copy of the Dark Lady from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.)

A chance night out clubbing in an effort to break from her boring self-imposed prison of normal sees Anita diving head first into an unknown, strangely familiar world of werewolves, vampires and witches. Emerging as the chosen new Black Swan, Anita tries to balance new powers, family, magic and her heart in a whirlwind adventure filled with lust, power, betrayal and friendship.

Trying to come to terms with unexpected magic and power she struggles to balance two worlds about to go to war in an age old struggle for survival. Guided by the Black Swan Book of magic she ventures further and further into her inheritance, coming to terms with her need for explosive sex, sex that fuels and builds her power.

Setting of on a trip of survival with Christopher the vampire and Scott the werewolf Anita comes face to face with her raw power, strong sex appeal and the dangerous world of the “un” dead. Strangely drawn to guilt-driven Christopher Anita starts exploring and stretching her truths on love, life and religion.

This journey finds Anita fumbling through lust, power, heartache and the demands and responsibilities of being the Black Swan. Filled with steamy hot sex scenes, chilling cold blooded vampires and the raw male power of the werewolves, this is one hot, scary ride. The eternal battle between good and evil….but witch is witch then?

Newly released from the psych ward, freshly divorced, haunted by her dreams and mental splintering all Delwyn wants is to head somewhere safe to rebuild her shattered life. She is welcomed with open arms by her Aunt Gwen on her farm, a place that has always invigorated Delwyn, made her soul sing with its fresh clear and clean air and water. She realizes that running away to her Aunt’s was fine when it came to hiding from her earthly problems, but her psychological issues would always find her. She could never escape her destiny.

Delwyn stumbles into dream world and her whole world changes. Trying to keep a balance between normal life on the farm and her escapes through the magic mirror she fights for sanity, healing and acceptance.

Being at odds with reality and venturing further and further into realm of dream world finally pushes her over the edge and she ends up in hospital once again. Her mirror gets smashed and her soul almost destroyed…will she be able to pick up the pieces and return to normal life with her Aunt and Greg or will her destiny forever haunt her…

Not for the faint-hearted – a foray into dreams, realms and astral travelling. Questioning our basis of what is real and acceptable and the lengths our fear will let us go to to maintain normal. Striking, rich analogues, touching on our baser instincts, leaving touches of the knowledge of shared consciousness that we all subconsciously connect with during dream time. The writer forces us to questioning our basis for psychological analysis, labeling personalities, traits and abilities. This tale takes the reader on a scary, eye opening journey through realms with Delwan and Varun, moving three steps forward, two steps back, breaking old patterns, learning to trust her core and accept her being different, all the while seeking her snow capped mountain.

A magnificent tale…warm, heartbreaking, funny and vivid…can’t wait to follow Delwyn and Greg onto the next journey…

If ever there was a book that is nothing like it’s cover, this must be it. I went into the review a bit tentative, even a lover of all things magical has boundaries. I was in for the surprise of my life…what an amazing experience this turned out to be…

Thea, or properly known as Dorothea Hawes, grows up a rare prize, a true physic with abilities beyond understanding in London during the early 1900’s. She is pushed to perform at private séances by her Mother and Aunt, unleashing an evil beyond understanding causing the loss of her parents in a brutal, unexplained way. She ends up on the stage as a physic, the very thing that she is trying to hide from, haunting her every moment. The voices calling out, the nights where she sinks into nothingness becomes too much for her frail body and she unsuccessfully tries to kill herself. She lives, scarred physically and emotionally, retiring into seclusion, trying to be invisible as London crumbles in the rising heat and draught and deaths around her. Trying to not see what the future holds as people leave in ever bigger numbers, trying to outrun the cloud of darkness seeping through cracks and people all around, moving ever closer and closer to Thea.

She is sought out by Julian Chissick and is drawn back into this world of feelings and death that she wants nothing more than to avoid. Being drawn in by the killings of a group of young women of reputable employment, Thea finds the border between her mind and the monster she is trying to keep out thinning with every twist and turn until she is finally confronted by her truth and the truth of family secrets gone horribly wrong. Will she find the courage to do what must be done…will Julian Chissick, the former man of God, be able to do what Thea asks to stop the evil…

It is rare today to find an author who uses language almost like a caress, the contrast between the twists and turns and evil of the story in such contrast to the words that caresses like soft butterfly wings. The words conjure up the exact image of every hesitant movement made, word uttered, leaving you almost breathless as it moves as fluid as liquid over the feelings, movements and thoughts of not only Thea but all of the characters.

A rare novel of such beauty and intrigue, I found myself drawn in by the characters from the first page, holding on, wondering, expecting and horrified at every corner with them. A brutal evil held back by a frail Thea. The age old fight between good and evil, the play between class, honesty and accepted ignorance in a world where nothing is as it seems and everybody has something to hide…

An absolute gem of a novel.

The School for Wayward Demons - Book 1

Enter a world of magic, demons, shape shifting, witches and real bad-ass demon demons. The story of four young people, each with their own unique backgrounds, heart-aches, trails and demon or magic blood, drawn from different worlds and ending up together in the School for Wayward Demons. Exactly what they are: wayward, undisciplined, untrained and touching into worlds beyond their understanding and abilities.

Theo the shape shifter with a penchant for taking that which does not belong to her, living life on the edge and filled with resentment towards anything sisterly or magic. Kitty, the mathematical genius and daughter of a demon mother and forever shying away from life in fear of her constant failure to live up to her mother’s expectations. Gabe with the sight, living on the streets, running from the dark clouds of lower demons that he sees around him, having to come to terms with what his ability to see opens up to him. Then there is Erin, broken, metal bound Erin who has to learn to trust, not only herself, but her new surroundings, trying to understand that magic can be good and just how much magic she is.

This is a fast paced tale filled with all things magical and dangerous. The clever use of language and words imprints a sense of everything happening on the edge. Whether it be the edge of danger, laughter, lust or trust. A layered tale drawing on the strengths and weaknesses of the characters to not only convey a story of saving a world but also exploring the balance between good and evil, trust and friendship, being a balanced human, struggling with human questions and morals.

Was the song of secrets a song about the metals of the periodic table? A song about how to use the metal powers of the the Shaitans? What would Erin do with that song and her freedom? Will Gabe be able to unravel whether the Sangkesh are to be trusted, will his sight, being the seventh son of the seventh son help or hinder his journey into this new world where the fine line between good and evil confuses him. Will Kitty be able to solve the riddle of the prophecy: two demons, 2 witches, sing a song of secrets, sing a song of silver. Are the four of them the prophecy? The prophecy to keep the world of man safe and familiar and keep the magic alive? What about Theo’s attraction to Gabe, her reaction to magic and the realization that trust and family are words with more meaning than she could ever have imagined.

I loved the strong characters, the detail to small things, the feeling of “seeing” the characters, their environment and their feelings in vivid words. Unspoken tensions, regrets, pain and loss all become part of the healing process for these four students as they adjust to their new life at the School for Wayward Demons.

Really looking forward to the continuation of their journey.