Book Review: From The Magical Mind Of Mindy Munson by Nikki Bennett

Official synopsis from Firedrake Books: "Every house has a history. This House has a mystery. When the orphaned Munson kids move with their aunt to The House, Mindy Munson discovers strange creatures living there already. Ghosts. Dragons. Leprechauns. And a scary Thing lurking in the basement. Mindy’s older sister Susie is determined to find out where these creatures came from and why they’re living in the Munson’s house. With the help of the next-door neighbors and an old lady named Mrs. Wemberley, Susie, Mindy and their brothers unravel The House’s amazing secrets. And along the way, they discover some incredible secrets about themselves.”

I will say, this isn’t a book I would normally read. But I’m glad I did. As I went along the largely plot-less novel, it reminded me of something I had watched, but it took a moment to remember what it was. Then it hit me: My Neighbor Totoro. Like that famous and lovable film, this book is a celebration of being a kid. These vignettes, as the kids investigate the unnatural things in their home, perfectly capture the wonder and innocence of children:from being amazed at the view from atop a tree to being scared of spiders under the bed to wondering just how old their old lady babysitter is. Bennett had a knack for kids and she perfectly captured their dialogue and nuances, I could hear kids talking like this.

While the book is almost a series of vignettes, there is a through line, the continuing problem of Susie trying to come with terms about her parents’s death. It doesn’t overshadow the story nor make it dark, but I liked that the thread was continually picked up and tied into the main narrative. I feel the book would have been lessened without having it in there, as characters in most stories need to grow, as these kids do.

This is a quick read for adults but will be quite enjoyable for younger readers, or a great bedtime story. All in all, a magical book.

Book Review: Voice Of The Mirror by John Paul Catton

Voice Of The Mirror is the second volume in the Sword, Mirror, Jewel trilogy. This time traveling adventure picks up shortly after the events of the first book. Here is the official synopsis from Excalibur Books: "Japanese-American teenager Reiko Bergman is hoping to get back to a normal life, after helping defeat the alien Kagetori in their attempt to steal one of the mysterious and unbelievably powerful Imperial Treasures of Japan.

Her hopes are dashed when the Nine Star Division, the branch of Japan’s police force that deals with otherwordly threats to the nation, inform Reiko she is involved in a Kagetori threat to sieze the second Imperial Treasure – the mystic mirror known as the Yata no Kagami. Not only that, Reiko learns of a secret two-hundred-year-old scroll relating the history of the mirror and its guardian; the half-Japanese warrior and shamaness known as … Reiko Bergman.

In a journey into the past to try to save the future, Reiko will experience mind-bending battles fighting the Kagetori alongside mythological creatures such as Tengu and Kitsune, but the strangest ally of all will be … herself.”

I really enjoyed the first volume and looked forward to this new entry. For the most part, I wasn’t disappointed. The book flips back and forth in time between Reiko Bergman in present day Tokyo and Reiko Furukawa of Edo-era Tokyo. Catton handled this quite well, making each chapter a separate point in time, and also keeping the same first-person POV in each chapter. Although both Reikos are the same person, each one has a distinct style of thinking and talking and this is reflected in the way Catton writes the chapters.

Even when the mirror characters from the two time periods meet near the end of the book, Catton deftly identifies each one and the reader is not left wondering which time-period version is talking. it could have been potentially confusing but I was able to keep track of everyone easily. Not a mean feat in a time-traveling story without strong visual cues such as those in movies.

The story is a little slow paced, mostly in Furukawa’s chapters. Things come together, however, near the end of the book and much of the earlier, slow-paced scenes make more sense. I would have liked to have seen more Ki usage from Reiko, since her and her friends basically became warriors at the end of Sword, perhaps a little more school life scenes as well. While Bergman is the main character, it feels a bit more like Furukawa’s book. I also wish Catton had described the established characters again; I had forgotten what they looked like.

The time travel and alternate worlds of the story are well done and interesting. Catton is also good at introducing bits of Japanese culture and mythology without slowing the story down or inserting too much of the author’s voice. The characters are well-crafted, especially a well-known Japanese artist (I don’t want to spoil the surprise) and the SF elements are great.

The trilogy so far feels very much like a manga or anime and is great at introducing Japanese culture to beginners. If you enjoyed the first book, this one is worth a read. It ups the stakes (and character count) and I wonder how the author will pull all these seemingly disparate elements together in the final book.

Book Review: Moonlight, Murder, and Machinery by John Paul Catton

This book is a alternate history/steampunk novel from the author of Voice Of The Sword. Here is the official synopsis from Goodreads: "Mary Godwin has a recurring dream of a young man and falls in love with him. She eventually meets him in real life. It sounds perfect - but the young man is one of His Majesty's Geomancers, and in the dream, she sees him shot dead in the line of duty... This is the year 1814 in the nation of Nova Albion, a land governed by Druidic law, powered by telluric energy from the national grid of standing stones, and under constant threat from the forces of the Thermidorian Convention across the Channel. Master Shelley is the youngest recruit to HMG, King James IV's counter-intelligence unit, and now the object of Mary's affections. He wants her to stay out of danger, but she wants him to stay alive - as he faces enemies of the Crown such as the highwayman Billy Barebones, the grotesque experiments of Dr. Andrew Ravenhill, and the shadowy agents of the Dodecahedron. Can Mary stop the events foretold in her nightmare from happening? Moonlight, Murder & Machinery is a Gothic re-imagining of the Frankenstein story, set in a Steampunk Regency England - where Steam has been outlawed …”

I enjoyed this book for the world building and mystery. Nova Albion and the world it inhabits was well thought out and detailed. With out getting too technical or overly descriptive, Catton was able to explain how things worked. This was somewhat surprising to me. In an old world that is married to today’s technology, I thought the explanations would be boring or silly. But they made sense and seemed plausible. The environs of London and York were vivid. As an American, I wish I had known more landmarks, it would have been interesting to see how Catton’s London compared to real London.

 The characters were unique and well-rounded (I loved that Americans were called Colonials), and the monsters were creepy, as they should be. If I had one problem, it would be the romance between Shelley and Mary. I had no problem with Mary and Shelley themselves, but it seemed their blooming romance was very platonic. This may be because the two spend very little time together on the same page. After Mary identifies Shelley from her nightmares, she becomes quite concerned for his safety. She seems to fall in love with him, but when they are together, they act very proper. Shelley seems concerned for Mary when she gets in trouble, but it feels like military concern for a citizen, not a possible romantic partner. The dual story lines: Mary trying to understand her dreams, and Shelley’s investigations of the mysterious occurrences, don’t overlap until near the end. I’d like to have seen more time with the two together.

I’d like to see a sequel to this book, as there is a continuing war with the Thermidorians in France and enough solid world building to be engaging. This was an enjoyable read for an alternate history take on Frankenstein.

Click to purchase it on Amazon.

Check out other works by John Paul Catton.

Book Review: The Sea Inside (Cerulean Songs #1) by Vickie Johnstone

From Goodreads: Book 1 in the Cerulean Songs series. 

Time is all we have; it flows – it cannot stop.

Jayne wakes up in hospital following a terrible accident, which changes her life as she knew it. While struggling to recover, she is visited by a mysterious woman who offers her a gift. To the girl’s astonishment, she finds herself on a journey, on both the physical and mental plane. It brings her to the mystical realm of Entyre, where life is very different and power lies with the creatures of the deep. While the threads of time keep flowing, Jayne must decide what is real, who to trust, and regain her inner strength in order to find herself and her true destiny.

Going into this book, I wasn't sure what to expect. What I got was a great start to a series that reminded me of The Neverending Story and Neil Gaiman.

As usual, I'll start with the bad. As I stated in my other book reviews, I don't like authors switching between third- and first-person narratives. Stick with one and use it. It wasn't as jarring in this book since we are with Jayne in the magical worlds for most of the book. As for Jayne herself, she really didn't do much for me. I like the fact she was paralyzed inane accident and developed a fear of water. She had much to overcome. I felt that she overcame her tasks a little easily but she was a friendly main character.

But if the main character was a plain Jayne (sorry, I couldn't resist) the worlds Johnstone created were anything but. While the repeated colors and description first annoyed me, I later appreciated them. Johnstone created vivid pictures in my mind of Entyre and the other worlds and her imagery made me want to visit those places. I imagined the magical atmosphere of Neverending Story with the colors and shapes of Tim Burton (without the creepiness). Cidanet, the talking dragonfly, seemed Gaiman-esque and was an interesting character.

The two halves of the book are very different, with Jayne in an underwater city then going on a magical adventure quest through various worlds. I really want to see how all these places fit together.

The Sea Inside is an enjoyable book.

Book Review: Retrospection by S.L. Wallace

A while ago I was asked to be a beta reader for S.L. Wallace. Here is my review for the finished version of her novella Retrospection. This is the official synopsis from Goodreads: "When Claire wakes up in the hospital, she discovers a stranger in her room who only she can see and hear. Learning Jhidhai's secrets will take her on a journey through both time and space. But Claire has secrets of her own—secrets that will lead her toward a destination she would never have imagined."

This was an enjoyable novella which is a series a vignettes. It switches from 3rd to 1st person POVs as Claire and Jhidhai relive memories. I wish the author had picked one POV and stuck with it throughout. Many books I have read recently use this switching technique and I don't like it. That's just a personal preference.

The memories we visit are mostly painful, there aren't many happy moments in this story but it isn't depressing. There is an undercurrent of resolve and strength, as if Wallace is telling us that all memories, even the bad ones, strengthen us. The vignettes are largely unconnected from each other and I wish there had been more of a through line or something to connect them more.

That all said, Wallace is a good author and this story is a quick enjoyable read that takes us to many times and places. We briefly experience the pains and joys of a multitude of characters and we remember that memories are precious things that need to be cherished and protected.

Get in touch with S.L. Wallace via Twitter or her website.

Book Review: Child Of The Loch by Elizabeth Delana Rosa

Child Of The Loch is a YA fantasy novel. Here is the official synopsis via Goodreads: "Twenty-three year accountant, J.J. McDonnell, has spent her life trying to be normal and hide her gifts, but all dreams of normalcy are dashed on her twenty-fourth birthday. A handsome man shows up on her porch with a marriage edict and news that the grandfather she has never met, has died. Her world is about to change forever. J.J. must make the perilous journey to the Loch and take her place on its throne. With no idea what is expected of her and dark forces closing in at every turn, will J.J. be able to accept her destiny or will she be stopped before she can?"

I really liked this book, which isn't a full-length novel but actually a novella to introduce Rosa's ongoing series. While it was intended/written as a YA novel, I felt it didn't quite come across as one. Most YA novels have teenagers making up the majority of the cast, while everyone in COTL are adults. But the style and pacing is for a YA novella and everything just felt rushed. There was so much in the book that could have been expanded on that it could have been an epic-length novel. I felt this book was almost a summary, there was so much that was told, not shown. It's an adult fantasy novel written in YA style but I think it should have been one or the other.

Take it as a good sign that I wanted a slower book, Rosa has built an interesting low-fantasy world that I wanted to explore more. J.J. was written as "a person first, a woman second" the author informed me and I think Rosa pulled it off really well. The story is told in the first person but I never got the impression I was reading a "girly" book. J.J. is smart, capable, unsure of herself, and more; I could easily see almost any gender or race telling the story. There are many characters that are unique and I wish we could have gotten to know them more.

COTL mostly deals with J.J. gathering allies for the upcoming war. She meets many new people and travels to different lands. There is a touch of everything for readers: action, romance, political intrigue, magic, and more.

I simply wish the book had been longer, mostly because I like a slow read and I'm not use to the fast-pace of YA novels. But I hope Rosa continues the series and we can learn more about the Loch and its world.

The eye-catching cover was created by the author herself. You can check out her review website Crimson Flower Reviews as well as her personal site.

Book Review: Voice Of The Sword

Voice Of The Sword is a YA urban fantasy set in modern day Tokyo. It deals with Reiko Bergman, a high school student who gets drawn into an inter-dimensional war between two factions, one of which is the demons and monsters of Japanese mythology.

I really liked this book. The author, John Paul Catton, has lived in Tokyo for 15 years and it shows. He describes places in great detail and many of the cultural references and observations could only have been done by someone living in Japan for quite a while. The story was fast-paced, full of action and bits of humor. Reiko was a well-developed character, although I thought she accepted things a bit too easily, although I think that is a conceit of the story, in order to get everything moving along. Genji is a stand-out character, a parody of the talents that populate Japanese variety shows but isn't the doofus you initially think he is. There is more to him than meets the eye and I hope more is revealed about him in later volumes.

The enemies seem straight out of anime and manga and several times I found myself thinking that, especially when a set of plates and dinnerware came alive, creating a humanoid figure with cups for elbow and saucers for eyes. It was great, I loved it. While the book wasn't exhausting in description, there were vivid details that added to the atmosphere of the story.

I recommend this book, especially anyone interested in anime, manga or Japanese history and culture. This is the first in the Sword, Mirror, Jewel Trilogy and I look forward to the rest.

Visit John Paul Catton's official site to learn more about Voice Of The Sword and his other works.

Book Review: Rys Rising

A while back, I teased about the fantasy novel Rys Rising, by Tracy Falbe. Now it is time to post my review as part of Falbe's blog tour.

Here is the official synopsis from Goodreads: "An outlaw rises to become a dreaded warlord, the terror of kings. He takes the name Amar and seeks to join the Kez, the fiercest mercenary society in the tribal kingdoms of Gyhwen. His fearless ambition is inspired by Onja, a mysterious rys female whose magic has shaped Amar into a loyal friend. He zealously pursues her every command and hopes to join her in her mythic homeland of Jingten. But he knows little about the challenges confronting Onja. She and all rys are the reviled creations of the tabre of Nufal, and Onja longs to expel her hated masters. To liberate the rys, she knows that she will need more than Amar's help. Onja sees her best hope for an ally in Dacian, a prodigy among rys, but he is loyal to the ruling tabre order and dreams of winning equality for the rys nonviolently. He holds tenaciously to his ideals even as the tabre brutally subjugate him. Will he endure more dark abuses for the sake of peace or reach out to Onja? And what fate is Amar blindly embracing as he kills for her? Like a tree crashing in a storm, all civilizations will crack when hit by the force of the rys rising."

I was given an ebook copy in exchange for an honest review as part of the blog tour. I'll start with what I didn't like. This book is Book One of the Rys Rising trilogy (Savage Storm and New Religion are Books Two and Three, respectively) and this book feels like it. It reminds me very much of The Fellowship Of The Ring, in which it isn't a three-act story with plot lines that will continue. Like Fellowship, this book is ALL Act One, setting up the stage for what will come later. In that sense, the book seems long and slow to build but looking back on it, almost everything seems needed. Onja finding Amar, him joining the Kez, Dacian's training and growing rebellion, all of it is needed. I wish the book had been more structured to be a three-act story so I would have had a sense of completion but still wanting more. This is Book One and it feels like Book One.

The second issue I had with it was the constant head hopping. Whenever more than one main character is in the scene, we jump back and forth from one POV to the other. We hear Onja's thoughts and Amar's thoughts when they are in the forest. As Dacian undergoes training with his teacher Halor, we bounce from head to head. Falbe takes a third-person omniscient narrative voice in this book. Because the cast is so numerous and the storyline so complex, maybe this was needed. If each scene needed to be retold twice from each POV, it would have been a massive tome. But I feel a third-person limited POV could have worked. I eventually got use to the head hopping but it was jarring, especially in the beginning and almost, not quite but almost, feels like a cop-out from Falbe, who obviously knows this fantasy world so well.

Those points being said, the positives outweigh the negatives. Falbe has created a rich, layered Tolkien-like world without the complicated sentence structures. The humans, the tabre, the rys, all the different magic using sects, have their own history, culture, and worldview. Each one is distinct and well-thought out. Places and people have unique names and I'm almost surprised an invented language was not thrown in.

The characters are well-rounded; from Amar becoming a feared mercenary to Onja going from timid rys to a powerful creature whose intentions are slowly revealed. There is an air headed princess who I was happy to see was not air headed because she was stupid but because of her societal upbringing. Once she escapes, she proves herself capable. Many of the tropes of fantasy characters are present but didn't feel like stereotypes. Each person had their reasons for being in their circumstances.

The descriptions are vivid, especially of the armor and costumes and each different set of characters had their own style.  The cities were thought out well and given a brief history without feeling like an information dump.

All in all, I recommend this book. It may take a bit of effort to push through it, but the world and characters are rich and complex, with intertwining destinies that will be interesting to see how they are played out.

Below is more information about the book, as well as purchase links and information to a promotional giveaway.

************************

A remarkable trip into a stunning  new world with Rys Rising, an epic fantasy series brought to you by Tracy Falbe

Rys Rising: Book I by Tracy Falbe

Blurb

Onja can control what others see. The day will come when everyone sees things her way.

She and all rys are the reviled creations of the tabre of Nufal. Onja longs to expel her hated masters and sees her best hope for an ally in Dacian. He’s a prodigy among rys but is loyal to the ruling tabre order and dreams of winning equality for the rys nonviolently. He holds tenaciously to his ideals even as the tabre brutally subjugate him. Will he endure more dark abuses for the sake of peace or reach out to Onja?

This unique epic of complex heroes and villains engulfs readers from many angles. Packed with primitive energy, the intertwining stories of this fantasy world will indulge your cravings for intrigue, bravery, desire, and freedom.

---

Links

Rys Rising: Book I is available worldwide at these retailers:

Brave Luck Books

Amazon Kindle

RY’S RISING BOOK 1-FREE ON AMAZON RIGHT NOW

Amazon Paperback

Barnes & Noble

I-Tunes

Kobo

Sony

Smashwords

Experience Her LadyShips Quest Here

Find Tracy on Twitter

Connect with Tracy on Facebook

---

About Tracy Falbe

I was born in Michigan in 1972 and grew up in Mount Pleasant. It's called the "Mountain Town" but there is no mountain and it's debatable about whether it's pleasant. They say it's a party town and based on extensive research as a young adult I can concur.

Because I always had the childhood fantasy of running away and joining the circus, I moved to Las Vegas, Nevada in 1995 and lived there until 1997. Those who only stay a week are wimps, but I will say that it's the second year in Vegas that wears you down. Then I realized the pioneers were trying to get to California, so I moved to Chico, in Northern California and lived there until 2009.

In 2000, I earned a journalism degree from California State University, Chico with the conscious ambition of becoming a fiction writer. With the rapid demise of the newspaper industry and journalism in general, novelist is not such a daft pursuit after all. It's not like I'm actually going to get a job that values my education. Luckily I'm cursed with the impulse to write in a popular yet competitive genre.

My wandering has circled back and I'm currently residing in Battle Creek, Michigan, and for now my existence within the post-apocalyptic Rust Belt is suitably fascinating.

---

$25 ETSY GIFTCARD GIVEWAY

FILL OUT RAFFLECOPTER FORM BELOW

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Brought to you by

Earth's Book Nook Blog Tours & Promos

Book Review: Star Trek: Enterprise: Rise Of The Federation: A Choice Of Futures

Today I'm reviewing a new release in the Star Trek book line up. It is written by Christopher L. Bennett (Watching The Clock, Orion's Hounds) and is his first entry in the Enterprise line. With this, he has fulfilled his goal to write a story from each canonical TV series. Warning, spoilers ahead.

This follows the events laid out in the ENT duology The Romulan War by Michael A. Martin. I was severely disappointed with those books and was wondering if Bennett would be able to improve on a series I think has slid downhill since the series finale. While ACOF isn't earth-shattering, it restores my faith that perhaps the ENT line can be saved.

The story takes place after the Romulan War and many of the ENT regulars have moved up in the chain of command and moved away from their friends. Archer is now an admiral and the Enterprise is a museum exhibit. T'Pol and Reed have their own commands and the rest of the crew has taken posts on these new ships. All except Trip, who is still working for Section 31. His story has been the heart of the post-finale ENT books. Since the books rewrite the episode These Are The Voyages... and establish that Trip faked his death in order to go undercover in the Romulan Empire, the character has moved from a lovable Texan to a man dealing with having a dark and shadowy job. He wants to help the Federation but isn't sure what the cost to himself will be.

The main focus, as befitting the title Rise Of The Federation, is the difficulties the young interstellar faces. A threat from the Orions is forcing the Federation to chose what kind of entity it will be: aggressive or peaceful. While we know the answer, this is virtually an unexplored era of Trek history and it will be interesting to see the details that will make the Federation into what it eventually becomes in TOS and TNG.

The book is less scientific than Bennett's other works, focusing instead on politics and intrigue. I really enjoyed this book and I'm looking forward to more from this mini-series. I'm hoping the editors have learned from their mistake on The Romulan War, in which a pivotal era in Trek lore, mainly the war with the Romulans, was an eight year event that got shoved into two books. Bennett's book takes place over seven months but he handled it well and it didn't feel like major issues or events were handled "off-page." This book is definitely a build-up and since Bennett is writing the sequel, I expect this storyline to be handled much more fluidly. He has a good handle on the characters and we can see that the characters have matured somewhat from their last on-screen appearances. If Bennett's new novels keep up their good direction, the series can regain its footing.

Book Review: Through The Paper Wall by Heidi Nicole Bird

This book is interesting. I liked the main character Jesse; he reminded me of myself at 13, sometimes being a prick and miserable just because. There are many points in the book where Jesse agrees with his Dad or begins to like his dad's new girlfriend but doesn't want to show it. Heidi has a good handle on young characters. The relationship between Jesse and his father seemed real and were very interesting. The move to Oklahoma would echo many of the thoughts and feelings of teenagers who have been forced to move. The dialogue is okay, but the author knows what Jesse tick. His friend Jake wasn't as well-rounded, but we never get into his head, we stay in Jesse's for almost the entire book.

I have two problems with this book. First is names: the main character is Jesse, his friend is Jake, and Dad's girlfriend is Jessica. Two characters in the secret world are Renna and Rosa. The names were too similar. I wish they had been more distinct, I sometimes thought Jake was speaking when it was actually Jesse, and vice versa. Sometimes it was a bit confusing.

The second is pacing. Maybe I'm not use to YA novels, but it seems a lot of time was spent on the relationship between Dad and Jesse, and adjusting to life in Oklahoma. Once Jesse and Jake enter Ambyth, the story goes on at a fast pace. The situation and villains are quickly set up. A plan is devised by the heroes to help the local people and then it is enacted. I wished more time had been spent exploring Ambyth. Another 50 or 100 page of setting up the world they live in, and the background of the Black Meisters, would have been interesting. The author set up an interesting world; a dark, 21st century Neverland, and I think the book could have benefited from a bit more world building. After reaching Ambyth things just felt too rushed; again I don't really know if it is the natural pacing of YA novels or the author, but the beginning dragged a little bit and had great moments of character interaction, but after going through the paper wall too much happens too fast.

But this is still a good book. I like that the characters aren't sullen, love-struck teenagers, and the message to be yourself and to believe in the power of thoughts and words is a positive one. Heidi Nichole Bird has great potential as a writer. It will be nice to see what else she has up her sleeves.

Book Review: Digitus 233

This book is hard to describe. I wasn't quite sure what to expect, but for the most part, I was pleasantly surprised. It starts slowly, alternating between Zander and his compatriots trying to survive in the Arctic, and Zeph, Zander's brother, looking for him in a secret instillation in South America. In the middle of the book, the pace picks up and continues at breakneck speed, with twists and revelations coming every few pages. Emerson sets up several intriguing questions and plot threads and leaves the book on a cliffhanger. I am anxious for the sequel.

The book seems to jump around, some scenes not really seeming connected but it comes together, not tidily, but together, near the end. Most of the characters have their distinct personality but this is definitely a YA novel. The "global corporation taking over the world" scheme may seem cliched but Emerson puts enough twists on it to keep you guessing and wanting to know the history of Digitus and their methods.

All in all, a solid debut. If you can get past a slightly dull and somewhat confusing beginning, the book picks up steam and is hard to put down. At only 200+ pages, it is an easy, quick, enjoyable read.

Book Review: On Unfaithful Wings

Independent author Bruce Blake was kind enough to do a blog swap with me, so I decided to check out his novel, On Unfaithful Wings; the first in the Icarus Fell series.

Without giving too much away, the novel deals with a dead-beat loner who gets killed, then resurrected by God to become a harvester of souls. His job is to lead them to Heaven. But his job is made difficult by Carrions, harvesters playing for the other guy. When Icarus (yes, Icarus Fell is his name) deliberately botches a job, it creates repercussions that leads to a fiery battle in a church for his soul.

The book is great. Icarus is a good anti-hero, a former drug addict and alcoholic trying to do right by his son. Trevor is the only thing Icarus feels he has done right and he desperately wants to cling to that. Icarus is well written, an anti-hero without being a tough guy or unsympathetic. I found myself rooting for him, laughing along with him at his funny observations, and basically feeling this is a character that really existed. Because the book is written in first-person, we know Icarus very well. The other characters are also well written with their own personalities and each feels unique.

The bad. It's written in first-person about 90% of the time. I'm not a fan of first-person POV, never have been. I find it limiting and at the same time unrealistic. I always think as first-person as a person telling a story and nobody tells a story as detailed as the way it is written in books. It is not a fault of Bruce Blake's, he is a great writer, I'm just not fond of first-person POV. A few times he switches to third-person when he is writing from the perspective of Sister Mary-Therese. I found this perspective switching confusing the first couple of times and wondered why he didn't write the whole novel in third-person. I think the same perspective should be used throughout a book.

But that is a minor point. The characters are well-written; from Icarus, to his insecure guardian angel Poe, to the sun-loving angel Gabriel. Each character has their own voice and some, like Poe, seem to have their own interesting backstory, which hopefully will be revealed in further volumes.

While this story deals with angels, demons, Heaven, and Hell, it isn't religious. Icarus asks a few pointed questions about life and death but this book is really non-denominational. There is nothing in here to anger Christians and the book doesn't beat you over the head with religious messages or get into deep philosophical territory. It is the story of one man trying to make his life right again, set against a Heaven versus Hell backdrop.

I bought two more of Bruce Blake's books after reading On Unfaithful Wings in just three days. I highly recommend this book.