Eaglebreaker: The Tale of Eaglefriend - Book 2

Eaglebreaker is the sequel to A Facet for the Gem. As with any sequel, I recommend reading the previous book first.

Even though it's been almost four years since the first book was released, Eaglebreaker is well worth the wait! Murray expands his excellent world-building skills, in a big way, in this one. 

When Roftome is captured by the Pyrnaq, Morlen sets out on a quest to save his friend, but along the way he almost loses himself, as his guide (and only companion) is Hironthel - a Shrieker - a sworn enemy of Morlen's. (Murray's writing is so good, portraying such harsh emotions, that you can actually sense Morlen changing, becoming more hardened, as his quest continues.)

I love the dynamic that Murray has given these two adversaries. There is a lot going on in this novel, (I haven't even mentioned King Verald, Lady Valeine, Sydrenna, or the Ferotaur King!) but with all of the action and battles aside (and there is plenty of that!), the relationship (if that's what you can call it) between these two opposing characters - for me - is the heart of this story (very Tolkien-like, in my opinion).

Murray is definitely growing as a writer, and I am looking forward to Book 3!

My Favorite Books of 2019

This one is for those who love to read. (My Top Twenty Books of the Year - the first ten were published this year; the last ten were published prior to this year, but I read them this year. Several of these are Novellas, hence there being twenty. Not all of these are horror, but should be enjoyed by anyone who loves different genres.)

In alphabetical order:

(Published in 2019)

1. Hateful Things (Book 2 in the Children of D'Hara series) by Terry Goodkind 

2. The Institute by Stephen King 

3. Island of the Flesh Eaters by Thomas S. Flowers 

4. The Line Between by Tosca Lee 

5. The Pandora Room by Christopher Golden 

6. Resurrection Man by Franklin E. Wales 

7. The Scribbly Man (Book 1 in the Children of D'Hara series) by Terry Goodkind 

8. The Sky People by Terry Goodkind 

9. Wanderers by Chuck Wendig 

10. Wasteland (Book 3 in the Children of D'Hara series) by Terry Goodkind 

Honorable Mentions:

(Published prior to this year)

1. The Black Echo by Michael Connelly 

2. Doctor Sleep by Stephen King 

3. *Flashback by Dan Simmons 

4. The Midnight, Texas Trilogy (Midnight Crossroad, Day Shift, and Night Shift) by Charlaine Harris 

5. Night Fall (Book 3 in the John Corey series) by Nelson DeMille 

6. Pushing Brilliance by Tim Tigner 

7. The Risen by David Anthony Durham 

8. Rough Trade by Todd Robinson 

9. Siege of Stone (Book 3 in the Nicci Chronicles) by Terry Goodkind 

10. Vine in the Fire by Stephen J. Semones 

So there you have my top favorite [22] books that I read this year. If I were to choose an absolute favorite, it would be Dan Simmons' Flashback as Best Book of the Year.

My Top 10 Favorite Films of 2019

These are my Top Ten Favorite Films of 2019, listed in alphabetical order:

1. Brightburn 

2. Doctor Sleep 

3. Joker 

4. Knives Out 

5. Once Upon a Time in Hollywood 

6. Ready or Not 

7. Rust Creek 

8. Terminator 6: Dark Date 

9. Trespassers 

10. Zombieland 2: Double-Tap 

Honorable Mentions: 

(these were not released in 2019, but I watched them for the first time, this year)

1. The Clovehitch Killer 

2. Heavy Trip 

3. Christine (2016)

My least favorite films of 2019 were: (shockingly both remakes)

1. Child's Play 

2. Pet Sematary 

My Bottom 3 [Unfinished] Books of 2019

Before I get to my favorite books that I've read this year, I am first going to leave you with my bottom three. I had high hopes for these books, after hearing great things about them, but I am at the point now where there are too many books to read, and I do not want to waste time reading ones that I am not enjoying. So, without further adieu, these three books I started but did not finish:

1. God Bomb by Kit Power

I read the first seven chapters (50 pages) of this one before calling it quits. I just wasn't invested in any of the characters.

2. A Head Full of Ghosts by Paul Tremblay

I read the first nine chapters (56 pages) of this one before stopping. I just couldn't get into it.

3. Starfish by Peter Watts

I read the first five chapters (64 pages) of this one. This one, I just may not have been in the right frame of mind for, at the time. I may go back to this one at a future date. . .

If you have read any of the above three books and enjoyed them, I am happy for you. They just weren't for me. If you haven't read any of these books, and they sound interesting to you, give them a shot, hopefully you will enjoy them more than I did.

Note: None of these books were published this year. I just started reading them this year.

If It Bleeds

This one is a short (90-pages) novella. I was completely sucked into this story. Dawson is really good with his use of metaphors and has written a unique fast-paced story. If you have ever seen the movie Christine (the true story of a TV reporter in the 70's) then you know that movie talks about our obsession with violence. Dawson continues that same theme with this story.

4/5 Skulls

Here is the book's synopsis:

"Moses Mayborne has a steady job in TV news, despite a horrible accident years prior that took the life of a co-worker. Just as his wife, a reporter named Sheila, has given birth to their first child, his boss gives him an opportunity to become a photojournalist. Moses accepts, for his baby son’s future, and to help erase the brutal memory of his past misjudgment.

As Moses scours the city for news, he notices a change in the city’s residents; they’ve become colder, and more prone to violence. He witnesses cannibalism, suicide, and lack of empathy for a dying woman. He sees wild dogs roaming the streets with fangs bared and evil in their eyes. When he pays a visit to a friend who is debilitated by self-mutilation, he begins to understand the connection between the growing mania and the TV station where he works. He fears for himself, his family, and the world.

Guided by the ghosts of his past, Moses dodges the deadly rampages of a savage city in a desperate search for his loved ones. When he finds them, he comes face to face with the evil, and the reality: We are what we see."

Doctor Sleep [Book Review]

Generally, I prefer to read the book before the movie. I bought Doctor Sleep, when it was first released, with the intention of re-reading The Shining and then delving into Doctor Sleep. It didn't work out that way though. Before I knew it, the movie was released, and I decided to go ahead and watch the movie first.

Aside from slight character casting, this book has got to be one of the most faithful book-to-movie adaptations that I have ever read. Of course, you cannot fit everything in a 500+ page novel into a two-and-a-half hour runtime, but Mike Flanagan did a superb job with his screenplay, cutting certain characters and plot points to better streamline his film. (One of the storylines that Flanagan decided to cut left a welcome surprise revelation in the book that I was happy about.)

Needless to say, if you enjoyed the movie, you will definitely enjoy the book, and if you haven't seen the movie yet, this is one of King's fastest paced novels.

5/5 Skulls

Hollow Heart: A Horror Novella

I am a big fan of Crystal Lake Publishing. You can pretty much randomly pick any book out of their library and know that you are going to enjoy it. 

With that said, Hollow Heart was a bit of a misfire for me. I love small town/cosmic horror stories, but I just wasn't invested in the characters in this story (except for Mary, maybe). 

Aside from the disconnection, Ben Eads writing was on point. His style sparks the imagination, and he was able to hold my attention as my curiosity (to what was going on - snow/redwood trees in Florida, a mysterious letter, power outages, vanishing roads, etc) never diminished.

3/5 Skulls

Here is the book's synopsis:

"Welcome to Shady Hills, Florida, where death is the beginning and pain is the only true Art…

Harold Stoe was a proud Marine until an insurgent’s bullet relegated him to a wheelchair. Now the only things he’s proud of are quitting alcohol and raising his sixteen-year-old son, Dale.

But there is an infernal rhythm, beating like a diseased heart from the hollow behind his home. An aberration known as The Architect has finished his masterpiece: A god which slumbers beneath the hollow, hell-bent on changing the world into its own image.

As the body count rises and the neighborhood residents change into mindless, shambling horrors, Harold and his former lover, Mary, begin their harrowing journey into the world within the hollow. If they fail, the hollow will expand to infinity. Every living being will be stripped of flesh and muscle, their nerves wrapped tightly around ribcages, so The Architect can play his sick music through them loud enough to swallow what gives them life: The last vestiges of a dying star."

Resurrection Man

My favorite independent horror author, Franklin E. Wales, has just released a new novella titled Resurrection Man, available in paperback as well as digital. All bias aside, this one will, most-likely, get my vote for "Best Novella of the Year".

It is a story told in first-person (from a Pathologist's point-of-view) with a hard-boiled detective feel to it. Due to its size (under 120 pages) I do not want to give anything else away, though I will tell you that I absolutely love the Epilogue to this story! (It would make for a killer Pilot/TV series!)

Here is the book's synopsis:

"For two hundred years, pastors of unknown origins have set up tent revivals on the outskirts of small towns, preaching their messages of salvation and healing. Are they really seeking to save your soul? Are they hustlers who just want your money? Or, is it something even more sinister? Although he’d attended many such revivals as a child, city morgue pathologist Cornelius never gave it much thought… until the dead woman on his table spoke to him."

5/5 Skulls

P. S. If you are unfamiliar with Wales' work, he is a master story teller! I have read every single one of his books, and NONE disappoint!

When Bane Flowers Bloom [a Bane County Short Story]

If you have thus far enjoyed the first three books in the Bane County series, then you will be happy to know that author J. R. Rice has just released a new short story to help hold us over until Book 4's release. 

This short story takes place during the 3rd book (and also references back to the 1st book). In Book 3, if you wondered what the deal was with the abandoned red car, then this story explains what happened, (with Rice's signature expertise on ratcheting the tension throughout) while also surprising you with a twist ending that introduces a mysterious cult(?) into the Bane County mythos. 

I am definitely looking forward to Book 4's release!

4/5 Skulls

Pushing Brilliance

Pushing Brilliance is Book 1 in the Kyle Achilles series. Here is the book's synopsis:

Some people are naturally brilliant, others have to buy it. What would you pay, to be one in a million?

Framed for murder and on the run, former Olympic biathlete Kyle Achilles is also in the crosshairs of assassins' guns. Why? He has no idea. He's fighting blind against two master strategists and one extraordinary invention -- known as Brillyanc.

Achilles' only ally is the other prime suspect, a beautiful Russian mathematician who is either the best or worst person to ever enter his life. Katya was engaged to Achilles' brother -- before he died.

Chasing clues while dodging bullets, Achilles and Katya race around the globe, uncovering a conspiracy conceived in Moscow, born in Silicon Valley, and destined to demolish both the White House and the Kremlin. Along the way a lost soul finds purpose, a broken heart confronts forbidden love, and America gains a new hero.

Packed with heart-stopping surprises, paced by razor-sharp plotting, and populated with richly rendered characters, Pushing Brilliance will leave you breathless and longing for more.

This author/book was recommended to me by my parents, and I was not disappointed! The characters are well developed, and the plot is fast-paced - one of those books that reads like a movie playing in your head. What I loved most about this book is the learning aspect gleaned in certain situations. (You will understand once you read the book. You see, Tigner writes from personal knowledge/experience.) Here is a synopsis on the author himself:

International Bestselling Author Tim Tigner began his career in Soviet Counterintelligence with the US Army Special Forces, the Green Berets. That was back in the Cold War days when, "We learned Russian so you didn't have to," something he did at the Presidio of Monterey alongside Recon Marines and Navy SEALs.

With the fall of the Berlin Wall, Tim switched from espionage to arbitrage. Armed with a Wharton MBA rather than a Colt M16, he moved to Moscow in the midst of Perestroika. There, he led prominent multinational medical companies, worked with cosmonauts on the MIR Space Station (from Earth, alas) chaired the Association of International Pharmaceutical Manufacturers, and helped write Russia's first law on healthcare.

Moving to Brussels during the formation of the EU, Tim ran Europe, Middle East, and Africa for a Johnson & Johnson company and traveled like a character in a Robert Ludlum novel. He eventually landed in Silicon Valley, where he launched new medical technologies as a startup CEO.

Intent on combining his creativity with his experience, Tim began writing thrillers in 1996 from an apartment overlooking Moscow's Gorky Park. Twenty years later, his passion for creative writing continues to grow every day. His home office now overlooks a vineyard in Northern California, where he lives with his wife Elena and their two daughters.

Is that impressive or what?!?

Needless to say, I will definitely be reading the other books in this series as well as any other books written by Tigner, and I recommend that you do the same.

5/5 Skulls

Wasteland [Children of D'Hara: "Episode" 3]

My brain is in turmoil right now. . .

I generally sleep like a rock, however after I finished this book, around midnight last night, I just could not fall asleep! I kept tossing and turning, knowing that I have to wait another three months for Book 4 to be released, and to see the resolution to this book's horrifying cliffhanger.

Richard has been in some bad places before, but nothing like the situation he is in now! Goodkind is a master of his craft!

The good news is that these novellas keep increasing in size (this one is 233 pages). The bad news, like I stated above, is that after an already horrendous event, the end of this one will leave you winded from the brutal gut-punch that Goodkind delivers! And Book 4 is not scheduled to be released until January 6th. (I seriously recommend waiting to read this one, closer to that date, so you will not have an agonizing wait!)

All I will say about this one, is that this is one of Goodkind's absolute best! (hands down the best of this novella series) The title of this book is deceiving, in that the Wasteland is not what you expect/imagine.

The book begins with Richard & Kahlan preparing to leave the People's Palace (where they have been under constant siege from the Golden Goddess) and travelling to the Wizard's Keep in hopes that they will be safer there. (Kahlan is unable to travel through the Sliph due to her pregnancy...)

Before they can head out though, Goodkind introduces yet another new villain - Moravaska "the Butcher" Michec - a Warlock.  (If you thought that Emperor Jagang "the mad dream walker" was bad, you haven't yet met Michec!)

5+ Skulls

The Institute

While not as good as last year's The Outsider (in my opinion), this is still an extremely enjoyable read. I have given my youngest daughter (15) permission to read it next, as she is a huge fan of Stranger Things. (One can imagine Eleven being a character in the Institute.) Before I give you the synopsis, let me leave you with my favorite line in the book (actually stated twice). "Great events turn on small hinges."

Here is the book's synopsis:

In the middle of the night, in a house on a quiet street in suburban Minneapolis, intruders silently murder Luke Ellis’s parents and load him into a black SUV. The operation takes less than two minutes. Luke will wake up at The Institute, in a room that looks just like his own, except there’s no window. And outside his door are other doors, behind which are other kids with special talents—telekinesis and telepathy—who got to this place the same way Luke did: Kalisha, Nick, George, Iris, and ten-year-old Avery Dixon. They are all in Front Half. Others, Luke learns, graduated to Back Half, “like the roach motel,” Kalisha says. “You check in, but you don’t check out.”

In this most sinister of institutions, the director, Mrs. Sigsby, and her staff are ruthlessly dedicated to extracting from these children the force of their extranormal gifts. There are no scruples here. If you go along, you get tokens for the vending machines. If you don’t, punishment is brutal. As each new victim disappears to Back Half, Luke becomes more and more desperate to get out and get help. But no one has ever escaped from the Institute.

As psychically terrifying as Firestarter, and with the spectacular kid power of It, The Institute is Stephen King’s gut-wrenchingly dramatic story of good vs. evil in a world where the good guys don’t always win.

5/5 Skulls

Rambo 5: Last Blood

While Last Blood is the best title choice, the title could easily have been Rambo: Excessive Blood.

Now, don't misunderstand me, I am a die-hard fan of Rambo, but this film is so over-the-top in its graphic violence, it comes across as a bit absurd. I felt as if I were watching a Slasher film (think Jason Vorhees with Rambo's training...). In fact, I have seen quite a few slasher flicks with less blood & gore than this movie.

I am not really sure why the film went the ultra-violent route. I guess the franchise just wanted to go out with an overall body count that will be difficult to beat?

Still, it was great seeing Stallone back in character. There were several times I had a huge grin on my face, from some great one liners to simply watching Rambo struggle with attempting to hold his rage back. Once he lets go though, boy do the flood gates open. There is a solid 10-minutes of kill after kill after kill, part of which is set to a Doors song. (I will never be able to listen to that song again without thinking of the tunnel scene in this movie.)

3/5 Skulls

Vine in the Fire

I love discovering a new author, who immediately becomes one of your favorites. Such is the case with Stephen J. Semones. I had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Semones at a local horror convention, a few weeks ago. He is a super friendly guy, and I ended up buying quite a few of his books, on the spot, as he writes in multiple genres. I took a gamble doing this (I have been disappointed before), but I had a feeling about Semones and that feeling has paid-off ten-fold!

I was actually going to start off reading another of Semones' books titled Gloom (an action/crime drama), but that book is the start of a series (currently 5 books in, with the 6th soon to be released - I bought the first 3). Stephen King's new book comes out tomorrow, so I knew I didn't want to be in the middle of a series, so I went with Vine in the Fire - a stand alone western/horror novel.

Vine in the Fire is written in three Acts, not including the gripping Prologue. (I guarantee that once you read the prologue, you will not be stopping there!) Act 1 is a fast-paced chase sequence, Act 2 takes a 3-month time jump, and Act 3 leads up to the ultimate showdown.

Semones has superb character development skills, giving minute characteristics to each character, making them more relatable, and also giving palatable emotion when needed. I also love it when the title of a book explains itself, which this one does in a cool way.

I am definitely looking forward to reading more of Stephen J. Semones!

5/5 Skulls

Here is the book's synopsis:

After his brother is murdered, Cole Truett leaves the small California town of Temple on a quest to bring the killer to justice. He sets his sights on Jacob Wallace, leader of the notorious outlaws known as "The Wallace Gang". What he doesn't realize is that Jacob harbors an ancient curse, one which makes him not only a deadly adversary, but a terror to humanity itself. Take a ride with Cole Truett through the 'Old West' in this epic tale of evil, revenge, and treachery.

Wanderers

If you like to read a book that completely draws you in, then this book is for you! This is the kind of book where you live out the story with the characters - completely immersive.

Wendig does an excellent job with the pacing of this book. Aside from the mystery itself, you will want to keep turning the pages as the characters are superbly developed. It amazed me, that for an almost 800-page novel, even towards the end, Wendig was introducing/creating new characters that you immediately connect with.

5/5 Skulls

Here is the book's synopsis:
A decadent rock star. A deeply religious radio host. A disgraced scientist. And a teenage girl who may be the world’s last hope. From the mind of Chuck Wendig comes “a magnum opus . . . a story about survival that’s not just about you and me, but all of us, together” (Kirkus Reviews, starred review).

Shana wakes up one morning to discover her little sister in the grip of a strange malady. She appears to be sleepwalking. She cannot talk and cannot be woken up. And she is heading with inexorable determination to a destination that only she knows. But Shana and her sister are not alone. Soon they are joined by a flock of sleepwalkers from across America, on the same mysterious journey. And like Shana, there are other “shepherds” who follow the flock to protect their friends and family on the long dark road ahead.

For as the sleepwalking phenomenon awakens terror and violence in America, the real danger may not be the epidemic but the fear of it. With society collapsing all around them—and an ultraviolent militia threatening to exterminate them—the fate of the sleepwalkers depends on unraveling the mystery behind the epidemic. The terrifying secret will either tear the nation apart—or bring the survivors together to remake a shattered world.

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

Flashback

First, let me start by saying that I am a big fan of Dan Simmons (so much so that I have a tattoo of the original cover of 'Carrion Comfort'). With that said, somehow I totally missed the release of this novel, back in the summer of 2011. Thankfully, I came across it during a local Library Book Sale. . .

If I were to make a list of my "Top Ten Favorite Books of All Time", Flashback would definitely be on it! (Yes, I like this one even more than Carrion Comfort.) I was immediately sucked into the story; not only completely absorbed by the characters, but also by the atmosphere of the futuristic America that Simmons has created. I tore through this book! Every aspect of this novel is spectacular, and the near heart-dropping ending. . . Wow! If you have read it, then you know what I am talking about. If you have not read it, head to your local bookstore or download it to whichever device you prefer, but make this one your next read!

Here is the synopsis:

A provocative dystopian thriller set in a future that seems scarily possible, FLASHBACK proves why Dan Simmons is one of our most exciting and versatile writers. 

The United States is near total collapse. But 87% of the population doesn't care: they're addicted to flashback, a drug that allows its users to re-experience the best moments of their lives. After ex-detective Nick Bottom's wife died in a car accident, he went under the flash to be with her; he's lost his job, his teenage son, and his livelihood as a result.

Nick may be a lost soul but he's still a good cop, so he is hired to investigate the murder of a top governmental advisor's son. This flashback-addict becomes the one man who may be able to change the course of an entire nation turning away from the future to live in the past.

5/5 Skulls

The Black Echo

Michael Connelly is an author whose name I was familiar with but had never read, until now.

While at a local Library Book Sale, I was loading up on Nelson DeMille books when a stranger approached me and asked if I had ever read Michael Connelly. I will tell you the same thing that he told me. "If you enjoy DeMille, you will enjoy Connelly."

Was he correct in his assumption?

Absolutely! I loved this book. It is a fantastic mystery/thriller, and I will definitely be reading the others in the [Harry Bosch] series.

Thank you, kind stranger!

5/5 Skulls

Here is the book's synopsis:

For maverick LAPD homicide detective Harry Bosch, the body in the drainpipe at Mulholland Dam is more than another anonymous statistic. This one is personal . . . because the murdered man was a fellow Vietnam "tunnel rat" who had fought side by side with him in a hellish underground war. Now Bosch is about to relive the horror of Nam. From a dangerous maze of blind alleys to a daring criminal heist beneath the city, his survival instincts will once again be tested to their limit. Pitted against enemies inside his own department and forced to make the agonizing choice between justice and vengeance, Bosch goes on the hunt for a killer whose true face will shock him.