Masters and Slayers - Book Review

Author: Bryan Davis

Publisher: AMG Publishers

The dragons of Starlight have been enslaving humans for over a century. At long last, warrior Adrian Masters and sword maiden Marcelle vow to find the mysterious portal where the Lost. Ones disappeared---and save the slaves. Will they turn back when they learn that only the ultimate sacrifice can bring freedom to the oppressed? 400 pages, softcover from Living Ink.

Expert swordsman Adrian Masters attempts a dangerous journey to another world to rescue human captives who have been enslaved there by dragons. He is accompanied by Marcelle, a sword maiden of amazing skill whose ideas about how the operation should be carried out conflict with his own. Since the slaves have been in bonds for generations, they have no memory of their origins, making them reluctant to believe the two would-be rescuers, and, of course, the dragons will crush any attempt to emancipate the slaves. Set on two worlds separated by a mystical portal,Masters and Slayers is packed with action, mystery, and emotional turmoil, a tale of heart and life that is sure to inspire.

The planet Starlight is controlled by dragons. Because of the depletion in their atmosphere of an essential gas, pheterone, they must search for a way to survive. They know that a network of gas veins exists deep beneath the crust of their planet, but, being dragons, they are not skilled with ways to drill.

One dragon, Magnar, finds humans on another planet he calls Darksphere, captures several of them, and forces them to drill through Starlight’s crust in order to release the gas. A man escapes and returns to the planet of humans. He tells everyone about the missing people they call the Lost Ones and how they went through a portal to a dragon planet. Since the portal doesn’t always work, he is unable to prove his story, and nearly everyone thinks he is crazy or maybe he murdered the others.

One hundred years after the initial enslavement, Adrian Masters, a 24-year-old expert swordsman, sets out on a journey to find the portal to the dragon planet. He is accompanied by Marcelle, a sword maiden of amazing skill whose ideas about how the operation should be carried out conflict with his own. Adrian believes in using stealth and cunning to free the slaves, while Marcelle opts to take a more direct approach. This causes friction between these two warriors, though they respect each other’s skills highly.

When Adrian and Marcelle find the slaves, they learn that these longsuffering people have no memory of their origins, making them reluctant to believe the two would-be rescuers, especially since the dragons crush any opposition to their cruel tyranny. Undeterred by the overwhelming obstacles, the two warriors set out to free the slaves and face mortal danger at every turn. As they battle dragons, endure torture, and dispel superstition, they learn that an ultimate sacrifice is the only way they can bring liberty to the oppressed.

My Thoughts: Normally, I enjoy books like this; however, for some reason, I couldn't seem to stick with this one. The storyline is good.

Disclosure: I received a complimentary e-copy of this book for review as part of the NetGalley Reviewer program.

Tiger Hills - Book Review

Author: Sarita Mandanna

Publisher: Hachette Book Group

As the first girl to be born into the Nachimada family in over thirty-five years, the beautiful Devi is the object of adoration of her entire family. Strong-willed and confident, she befriends the shy Devanna, a young boy whose mother has died in tragic circumstances. Over the years, Devi and Devanna grow inseparable as they attend school together and learn more about the extended family that surrounds them.

However, things begin to change when Devi meets Machu, a handsome young man who is regarded as a hero in his village for having killed a tiger -- a near impossible feat. Although she is only a child, Devi becomes infatuated with Machu and vows to marry him one day. But soon, Devi's devotion to Machu begins to drive a wedge between her and Devanna. Desperately in love with Devi, Devanna leaves the village to study medicine with the hope that when he returns Devi will see his worth and return his love.

But then a devastating tragedy occurs that chages the fate of all three -- an event that will have unforeseen and far-reaching consequences for generations to come.

My Thoughts: This is a good book. When you're young and you follow your heart, you never know how it's going to affect the future. Not just your own future but everyone in the family.

Disclosure: I received a complimentary e-copy of this book for review as part of the NetGalley Reviewer program.

The Good Daughter - Book Review

Author:

Jasmin Darznik

Publisher: Hachette Book Group

One day when Jasmin Darznik is helping her mother pack up to move, a photograph falls from a stack of old letters. The girl in it is her mother. She is wearing a wedding veil, and at her side stands a man whom Jasmin has never seen before.

At first, Jasmin’s mother, Lili, refuses to share any information. Months later, Jasmin receives the first of ten cassette tapes revealing a wrenching hidden story of her family’s true origins in Iran: her mother’s troubled history of abuse and neglect, and a daughter she was forced to abandon in order to escape that life. The final tape reveals that her sister, Sara, is still living in Iran.

Darznik skillfully weaves the stories of three generations of Iranian women’s battles with husbands and poverty into a unique tale of one family’s twisted path to freedom.

My Thoughts: Good book. This book has come out in a time we are learning more and more about life in Iran and other countries, especially concerning the lives of women. I can't imagine suddenly learning about my mother having lived in such a life and my not knowing before growing up.

Disclosure: I received a complimentary e-copy of this book for review as part of the NetGalley Reviewer program.

A Silken Thread - Book Review

• Author:
  • Brenda Jackson
• Kimani Press Special Releases

For Erica Sanders, finding a soul mate was the easy part. Brian Lawson is the man she wants, and everyone agrees they're the ideal couple. Almost everyone. The one exception is Erica's mother, Karen, who prefers her daughter marry another man. Karen even hires a private detective to investigate Brian, but the truth he uncovers is the last thing she expected—a devastating betrayal that rips both families apart.

Convinced that her relationship can't be salvaged, Erica ends her engagement. Yet she has lingering doubts over her decision, especially once Brian's attractive single neighbor starts pursuing him. A chance meeting proves that the passion between Brian and Erica hasn't dimmed—but neither has the determination of others to keep them apart, or the shocking lengths Karen will go to in order to undermine her daughter's relationship.

As secrets old and new are revealed, Erica and Brian find themselves caught between the bonds of the past and an uncertain future, each making painful discoveries about who to believe and trust. Masterfully told and laced with the sensuality and drama that Brenda Jackson does best, this is an unforgettable story of relationships at their most complex, and how hard it can be to choose between living separate lives—or holding fast when love hangs by a silken thread….

My Thoughts: Sometimes you just got to go with your feelings, even when it's the opposite of what family thinks is best for you and what they want for you. It's a fact that everyone has their own opinion and most are verbal about it.