Hateful Things [Children of D'Hara: "Episode" 2]

This is the sequel to The Scribbly Man. The 2nd book in the Children of D'Hara Novella series, told in an episodic format. The continuation of Goodkind's Sword of Truth saga.

Hateful Things is slightly longer than The Scribbly Man, clocking in at 210 pages. I know that I said it last time, but I must reiterate how nice these small hardcovers are, published by Head of Zeus. Superb quality.

With the size of these Novellas, I can't really review too much without giving anything away. All you need to know for this one is that Kahlan is pregnant and Richard does not yet know it, as he has been busy attempting to find a way to thwart the new creatures threatening their world. (These creatures have the ability to suddenly appear, tearing apart and slaughtering people, and then departing back to where they came from.) Goodkind continues to ratchet up the tension with this one!

5/5 Skulls

I am not sure what happened, as this book's release was originally scheduled for August 8th. (I am in no way complaining that it was released earlier than originally planned.) I have Episode 3 [Wasteland] scheduled for release on November 14th. So it may be sooner than then, or not. I will be waiting with great anticipation!

Big Cranky: Fall into Darkness

Big Cranky: Fall into Darkness is the first book published by DeadLight Publishing. It is James Pyne's debut novel. I am not sure what genre to call it, so I am going to just classify it as Cosmic Fantasy.

If you enjoy any sort of mythology; stories of ancient, elder gods and goddesses; angels, demons, seraphim, nephilim, and death dealers; then you will definitely enjoy this book!

From the primordial beginnings through the creation of humans, this book is a conglomeration of Greek, Roman, Egyptian, and Mayan mythology, with a twist on the "gods" that you think you are familiar with. Throw Cthulhu into the mix. . . yeah, I do not need to say anything more, though I will say one of my favorite parts of the book is when Medusa's dormant Gorgon gene is activated.

Here is the book's synopsis:

Forget everything you think you know about myths and legends, James Pyne’s Big Cranky connects them all in an epic web of deceitful betrayal, love, and loyalty. A capricious tale of gods, showing human quirks are not only wasted on the mortals. A tale of many deities treading lightly around a superior as the world begins.

While the book is kind-of all over the place, Pyne has a way with words and a penchant for action/battle scenes. (I almost want to say this story would have been better suited as a graphic novel.) Still, I am looking forward to seeing where Pyne continues with this story.

3/5 Skulls

Last Call

Synopsis:
In the space of a single day, twenty-year-old Trish West purchases her first car, gets accepted into veterinary college, and finds her rockstar father, Jim Gamble, a man who vanished into the streets before she was born and now clings to life in a Toronto intensive care unit.

Eager to establish a relationship with Mr. Gamble, Trish heads out from her Northern Ontario home that very day to stand at his bedside. But along the way, she crosses paths with a man who will upend her life and the lives of everyone she cares about.

Meet Bobcat, a savage serial killer christened The Dentist by the press, a deranged trophy hunter who sees Trish as the ultimate prize.

Last Call is a story of lost innocence, sociopathic obsession, and moral redemption that is certain to haunt you long after you’ve read the last page.

There is nothing further that I need to say as the last paragraph of the above synopsis is the perfect review in and of itself. Here it is again:

"Last Call is a story of lost innocence, sociopathic obsession, and moral redemption that is certain to haunt you long after you’ve read the last page."

Just be aware that Last Call is a dark novel that pulls no punches.

4/5 Skulls