Carole Reviews: Tap - JK Brown

Author: JK Brown

Title: TAP - The All Powerful

Genre: Fantasy, Sci-Fi, action, & adventure 

Pages: ebook

First Published: September 2014

Where I Got It: My shelf (Given to me by the author/publisher)

Jason Wyton is a young, high-class soldier, fighting for Alya in the Great War of Valanor. With enough combat experience to retire after his next deployment, his superiors, a 3-star Commander and a mysterious mercenary, plot to get around Alya's laws and keep Jason fighting, permanently. 

After the strange disappearance of the prototype Horizon Rifle, Jason finds himself and a couple colleagues framed for treason. He flees, suspecting his two former leaders are behind it all. The Divisionists, Alya's prime enemy for decades, fight using supernatural powers rather than technology, and don't trust Jason thanks to his relationship with the mercenary. 

Jason's mentor, Brace, gives him a choice: to hide and retire until the war ends, or to fight against those who have wronged him.

What an interesting book with such an interesting world! I was totally drawn into the world from page one. I wish there was more world building at the beginning, so I could understand what was happening more, but I could totally be biased, because I did like the world and I wanted to understand more about what was happening. 

I loved the whole technology vs supernatural powers (elemental); it was cool. The two worlds are completely different, but they share some similarities as well. Honestly, I think I would want to be in the elemental world myself. They each have super major flaws and issues of their own like Scarletta's being enslaved by a fellow elemental. That guy had some issues and he deserved a punch in the face! A good side bad guy. I liked Scarletta....I felt bad for her tho. :/ 

Poor Jason. A good warrior and a decent guy. All he wanted to do was retire and be done with war. Even tho he sometimes wouldn't admit it too himself that he was over the whole thing...warrior mentality you know...they have mixed feelings about retiring.

Why was everyone so young in this world? Geezer and Brace were considered super old and they were in their 30s and 40s! Was it because of the war that everyone died young, so they had to reproduce young? Perhaps. I couldn't help but chuckle when an "old" person came into the picture and Jason and everyone was like "He's/She's sooooo old!" I thought it was funny and a nice twist to the story! 

Now the ending was good! It left me wanting more, but it wasn't overly cliff-hanger-ish, so I was happy. It doesn't make you feel bad to not continue, but it leaves you wanting to continue. Awesome.

There was one point where there was a possession of one of the characters. That said character attacked the group and tried to kill the group. They managed to restrain them without killing the character. They met up with Geezer and asked what happened. He said that said character must have been possessed by some animal. It wasn't ever really solved on how and why and by whom. It happened and then they never really talked about it again. I really wanted to know who, why, and how! Unless I missed it? IDK. 

This would make an amazing TV show or movie! I honestly would vote for a TV show, because I don't want anything left out! I loved the group of people on the adventure! They were well written out with awesome personalities. The all seemed nicely formed and 3D. At first I was worried about Josh and Jacquie...because they did seem 2D at first, but as the story went on their characters became more complete. 

BTW - I love the title and the cover.

In the end, I totally recommend this for those that like fantasy/sci-fi books. This was a cool world with a cool concept and interesting characters. If there is a second book, I would totally read it! Out of five stars, I stamp this with 4 stars. 

Favorite Character(s): Scarletta, Jason, Jacquie, and Josh

Not-so Favorite Character(s): Scarletta's owner & the main baddie

Carole Reviews: Gaijin Cowgirl by Jame DiBiasio

Author: Jame DiBiasio

Title: Gaijin Cowgirl

Genre: Mystery, Action

Pages: 393

First Published: March 8th, 2013

Where I Got It: Given to me by the author to review for my honest opinion.

"Working Tokyo nightclubs is easy money for beautiful and troubled American Val Benson – until a client with a rather unusual hobby – painting the private parts of his female liaisons – reluctantly gives up a map to a stash of Japanese war loot and tempts his favorite girl into a dangerous treasure hunt.

The Congressman’s daughter is not the only one interested in the map: Yakuza, bent cops, human traffickers, rogue CIA agents and her father are hot on her trail, snapping at her high heels.

So begins the dark, epic journey of a new anti-hero of Asian Noir, a protagonist both ambiguous and courageous, and utterly unreliable. From comfort women and tomb-raiding in Japanese-occupied Burma to the murderous echoes of the Vietnam War, long forgotten crimes come roaring back to life, as Val leaves a trail of destruction and chaos in her wake.

Together with her best friend, the equally unreliable nightclub hostess Suki, Val travels through Tokyo, Hong Kong and Bangkok to the Thai-Burmese borderlands for a dramatic showdown with her pursuers. Finding the treasure before everyone else does is her only hope for survival, and perhaps redemption."

Finally finished this. Gotta hate when exam time gets in the way of reading. Oh well. 

At first this was really, really slow moving. I wasn't sure Val's story was going to finally drift into the crazy treasure hunting, mystery, action story the summary talks about. However, once the story did explode it was good! It made the wait worth it. Perhaps the slow being was a way to make it seem more realistic and to establish the characters and the setting.

The story was good and I liked the different blend of characters. However, I loathed Val with every bone in my body. I tried SO hard to like her, I really did...but I couldn't. She was a spoiled brat and selfish. Poor Charlie...he was such a great guy and he wanted to love her and take care of her...but no...>.> I really wished that Suki had been the main character. She was interesting and I wanted to learn more about her. I also had a secret wish that she and Charlie would hook up. 

The ending took me by utter surprise. However...not in a good way. I was not happy with how everything ended. Yes, there was a cliffhanger and I'm mad. Hopefully the author writes a sequel soon. Though I don't like Val, I do want to know what happens to her and how everything will end up.

In the end, this was a fun adventure. The author sure does have a way of writing and he always kept me on you on your toes. Though I disliked Val, I did enjoy her story. I hated the ending, but I wouldn't mind finding out what happens next for her. I would recommend this to those that need a little shake up in their reading and for those that love mysteries/adventure novels. Frankly...this would be a good movie and I would watch it. Out of five stars, I shall give this a solid 3. 

Favorite Character(s): Suki, Charlie, and the Painter (*SPOILER ALERT*I just liked him because he was super complex and he was a great baddie*SPOILER ENDED*)

Not-so Favorite Character(s): Val and Papa Benson

*CaroleRae*

Review: Sleeping Kings - John Prentice

Series: Dark Force #1
Genre: YA action adventure
Pages: Ebook, 187
Published: April 2011
Source: For review
Review by Lis

Nik was a normal teen computer geek until her parents split up and her father dragged her off to France. The move cost her everything; friends, family, even her obsession; an online computer game. Then she meets a dead guy who’s protecting a secret as old as the mountains themselves, and suddenly people want her and the most gorgeous boy she’s ever met, dead too.When she finds out who she really is, things get freaky. The race is on, and she’s got to beat the clock – a clock that’s been ticking for seven hundred years.Time has just run out for Nicola Roscoe. It could be...Game Over

I do so love a good adventure story. Especially if there is history involved. Sleeping Kings by John Prentice sure doesn’t disappoint in that regard. Sleeping Kings was a book I couldn’t put down while I was reading it and almost forgot to get off the train at my stop once. 

Sleeping Kings is the story of Nik, her geologist father and her friend Daan. After her parents’ divorce – which is enough to put a teen down – and then forced to move to France (big change much?) and then forced to give up her one true love: online gaming, Nik is understandably in a funk. Who wouldn’t be? But then the mystery starts when on an outing she and Daan fall into a cave and meets the very dead, but still very much talking King Pedro II of Aragon, who died in 1213 and she and Daan fall into the mystery of the Cathars (my inner medievalist was sitting up at that) and alchemy and ‘the power.’ Things move fast from there!

This story has a bit of everything in it, action, adventure, humor, wit. While it’s a YA novel, it’s very much enjoyable. I loved seeing Nik grow in this story from a teen who is depressed by the recent changes to a confident young woman. Daan is the geek with all the historical answers and very sweet to boot! Pedro is an awesome character. Not only does he hold the role of mentor, he’s a very honorable man who made some big sacrifices. 

Fortunately for us, the story has a lot of background. Even better is the part where it’s not just dry facts that we get. This means the author knows what he’s doing with his words and that in turn made me very happy! I always hate it when I like a book, but the writing is bad. 

There are also some fun parts in this story. I mean how many times do you read about someone who turns bullets into chickens? Awesome!

Alright, before my praise gets out of hand, yes, this story is very recommendable. Even if you don’t like YA, you will love this one. The blurb says that fans of the Alex Rider series will like this story. That is certainly true. So if you like action and adventure rifled with history than this book is for you!