The Garden of Eden by Eve Adams

 

The Garden of Eden by Eve Adams

Pseudonym for Stephen Coonts

St. Martin's Press

Published in 2005

ISBN 0312323638

338 Pages

PLACES TO BUY FROM:

Amazon (Paperback)
Barnes & Noble (Paperback)

CHECKED OUT THE BOOK FROM MY PUBLIC LIBRARY.

Review/Rating:

2 out of 5



When Sam Neely graduates from State Police academy, he is assigned to the small village of Eden with the population of 47. He has been thinking that it is just a dull little town with nothing going on, but things suddenly get interesting when Ed Harris finds his wife in bed with his best friend, Hayden Elkins. Afterwords, Ed gives Hayden his wife and tells him that he now has two wives, but it then more things spin out of control. Can the community come together and bring peace back to their little town?

What can I say about this book? Hmmm... it was... ummm... odd --- in the good way, I guess. Though, I really don't know what genre to put on this book. It's mostly about life in the village of Eden, which has a population of 47, and how the community can come together through mostly gossip and trouble. So, I guess, it's mostly a slice of life genre. >.>"

The writing was almost like a diary telling the life of people in the village of Eden --- missing on some details, skipping some parts that would make it more interesting, and a lot of gossip things. ^^; It is told through the point of view of several characters --- Sam Neely, Ed Harris, Anne Harris, Hayden Elkins, Junior Grimes, Diamond Ice, and many more. :| For me, the book would have been better if it was told through the point of view of a couple of them. Though, through telling it through several characters, they were almost like real life people and very believable, and at times, sort of funny. So it has a good point and a bad point --- you got to know the personalities and descriptions through different eyes, but there were so many that it skipped some things that could have made the book better. :(

Also, I like the descriptions and details that the author used, and it seemed liked there was enough, but it could have been more enjoyable. It felt like the author skipped some major scenes that would have made the ending have more sense. It feels like he was trying to write it as a way to understand women since they were pretty much the focus of the books --- but it didn't succeed much. :| Even though some people won't believe that a spouse wouldn't take their other half back after they cheat, I believe it because it happened with my parents. :D Though, I don't think they pretend it never happened --- like the characters do in the book. Though, since I'm their kid (no matter how old I am), they won't discuss things like that with me ;)

So I like how he put the forgiveness in there, despite on how unbelievable it is. The author makes the characters seem human and not hold a grudge, but we all know that isn't likely in real life. Everyone holds a grudge against something --- whether it's another human, country, animal, etc --- sad, but mostly true. So, the no holding grudges and forgiving everything is not like real life, but kind of like utopia. Amazing thought, but with humans being unpredictable, it won't happen anytime soon. :)

Things I didn't like were the fast paced events, which didn't really satisfy you, the off topic things, and kept on adding new problems instead of focusing on just one and build on that (and then add more problems), the amount of God in there --- it's mentioned, then it goes poof, then it appears again (like the author couldn't decide really to add God in the solution of the problems), and how the author made the women's personalities --- gossips, cheaters, nagging, etc.

I will only rate it a two star because it was an enjoyable read, but no higher because of the problems above, which irritate me the most. :| It is pretty much a good summer read since it won't take that much time to finish it.

Oh, just a warning, there are some sex (smut) scenes, but they aren't describe in that much details. ;)

Other Reviews/Author Site:

Stephen Coonts
Goodreads: The Garden of Eden by Eve Adams
Library Thing: The Garden of Eden by Eve Adams

Trust Me by Jeff Abbott

 

Trust Me by Jeff Abbott

Dutton

Published in 2009

ISBN 9780525951216

372 Pages

PLACES TO BUY FROM:

Amazon (Hardcover)
Barnes & Noble (Hardcover)

CHECKED OUT THE BOOK FROM MY PUBLIC LIBRARY.

Review/Rating:

3 out of 5



Working on his stepfather's think tank, Luke Dantry posts on forums and other online communities known for their users being extremists and reports back to his stepfather the users who he thinks are capable of doing terrorists acts. Mostly, Luke thinks the majority of them are just frustrated and aren't capable of doing the things they say they will. However, he is proven wrong when he is kidnapped and taken to a cabin hidden in the woods. What will he do when he finds out this betrayal runs deeper than he thinks?

This time the book review is over a mystery, suspense, action, thriller adult novel. I'm trying to take a break from the young adult books for a little bit. ;)

For an action and thriller novel, the plot and characters are all pretty average. Why average? Because in most action and thriller books I read it usually goes like this: The main character gets in trouble, main character escapes multiple attempts on his/her life, main character meets up with old faces and gets betrayed by someone they know, and then, the main character saves the day. That is pretty much how this book went.

Although there were a lot of details, going through and finishing the book was very tedious and sort of boring. In this case, I found it boring because of how typical it was, not because of too many details and descriptions. I liked how the author described the appearance of most of the characters in the book since not that many authors give those kind of descriptions anymore. Another thing I liked about the book is that it showed that the Internet isn't as safe as you think because people can still find out where you are --- it is something to think over when you do things online.

Those are pretty much the only things I liked about the book. The main things I didn't like about the book are the typical plot for this kind of genre, even though it is enjoyable on some levels in other books, it isn't in this book. Also, the politics in the book are very boring. Anyways, it is an okay read, if you want the typical parts and like descriptions. As for me, it was an average book with a lot of boredom in-between the action parts.

Other Reviews/Author Site:

Jeff Abbott
Goodreads: Trust Me by Jeff Abbott
Library Thing: Trust Me by Jeff Abbott
Diana Page Jordan: Stepfathers, Terrorism on the Web, and Trust Me!
Genre Go Round Reviews: Trust Me - Jeff Abbott
Trust Me by Jeff Abbott (Mystery Book Review)

The Hittite by Ben Bova

 

The Hittite by Ben Bova

Tom Doherty Associates

Published in 2010

ISBN 9780765324023

317 Pages

PLACES TO BUY FROM:

Amazon (Hardcover)
Barnes & Noble (Hardcover)

CHECKED OUT THE BOOK FROM MY PUBLIC LIBRARY.

Review/Rating:

3 out of 5



After a long campaign against the Armenian army, Lukka is finally returning home to his wife and two sons. However, instead of finding peace in the capital of the Hatti empire, Hattusa, he finds nothing but chaos. The once great city is now engulfed in flames and men are terrorizing and looting the city of its goods, including any women they find. When he reaches his home, he finds it destroyed with his father dying and wife and sons missing. With the last words of his father that Lukka must find his two sons, he goes off with the men he commands to find them. However, when he reaches Troy, he finds himself in the middle of a war. Now, in order to get his children and wife back, he must prove himself to Odysseos. But by the time he proves himself greater than that of Price Hector of Troy and the swift warrior Achilles, will it be too late to save the loved ones he came for?

Finally, a non-supernatural book AND an adult one. I like young adult books too much. I'll try to get more adult books after I read the rest of the books I have. :) Oh, beware of spoilers in the review. ;)

This is my first compliant... not enough details or descriptions (of the characters, events, places) to make the book longer than it is now. This history fiction book starts with Lukka coming home and finding his house destroyed, his father dying, and his wife and children missing. However, from there, the author tries to quickly get Lukka and his men to Troy in order to find his wife. It skips some things like more details about everything it takes to get there, but it includes some (but not all) of the hardships --- like Lukka having to kill one of his men because the guy didn't want to go on. I found this a little frustrating since the author didn't go into that much detail about him arriving to Troy and finding it under siege. Then after getting there, the book almost automatically goes into the fighting between Troy, and Lukka proves himself there. It pretty much like I wrote in the summary. The book has details, but not enough to keep you satisfied. The chapters are like 2-6 pages each, and not enough details to make the book really worth-while.

My second compliant... I hated how whiny Helen is, but I let that go since it was a different time than it is now. Helen acts like how most authors put women leads: demands attention, blames themselves and gets pity from that, and pretty much gets whatever they want, which is getting frustrating because it is so common now.

My third and last compliant... the ending sucked. It doesn't even have an ending where it mentions whether or not Helen, Lukka, the little boys, and his men make it to Egypt or if Menalaos catches them. I find this more "let me choke the author" worthy than the lack of details part. -____-

Now, a few good things about the book. I like how it goes into the history of Troy and Hatti and who built the Trojan horse, which not many books really do. Though, the author kind of ruins it by not having that many details and making the book go as quickly as possible. However, it is an exciting read, and it is entertaining. Though, it is frustrating. So, go ahead and read if you can live with lack of details, fast-moving, and sucky ending. :|

Oh, a few warnings. This book mentions rape, love scenes, gore scenes, etc, however, the author doesn't go into too many details about the acts --- just kind of mentions them and moves on to something else. Also, I rated it 3 three stars because of the interesting topic, but I didn't go any higher because of the lack of details and sucky ending. ;)

Other Reviews/Author Site:

Ben Bova
Goodreads: The Hittite by Ben Bova
Library Thing: The Hittite by Ben Bova
The Merry Go Round Reviews: The Hittite by Ben Bova
Imagic Reflections: The Hittite by Ben Bova

Wyvernhail by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes

THE KIESHA'RA SERIES BOOK 05
[LAST ONE IN THE KIESHA'RA]

Wyvernhail by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes

Delacorte Press

Published in 2007

ISBN 9780440240037

183 Pages

PLACES TO BUY FROM:

Amazon (Paperback)
Barnes & Noble (E-book)

CHECKED OUT THE BOOK FROM MY PUBLIC LIBRARY.
I OWN A COPY THROUGH A BIND-UP VERSION.
BOUGHT THE OMINOUS THROUGH AMAZON.COM.

Review/Rating:

1 out of 5



Hai has always been an outsider, and even in the Wynern's court, she is considered a mongrel. Few consider her an ally or a friend, and even the royal family refuses to acknowledge her bloodline since they know she can't control her dangerous magic. However when she starts having visions, they begin to overwhelm her. Though, are they the future or something that her presence awakens? When Oliza, Hai's cousin, abdicates the throne to Wyvern's Court because she wants to save it from the vision she saw, Hai sees its destruction. When Salem, heir to the serpiente throne, is poisoned, in order to prevent Oliza from coming back, Hai's followers and her plan to usurp the throne. However, as long as Oliza lives, the visions of the her child destroying everything can come true. Unable to kill Oliza, due to Nicias' loyalty towards her, Hai must find a way to awaken Salem --- even if that means her giving up something that is precious to her.

Another book review for The Kiesha'Ra series. Oh, yay, I'm finally finished with this series. \o/ Let's say, I don't really like the ending. :( Also, there are spoilers, so beware

Like most series, the third book is usually where it gets less interesting or turns toward something you won't really like. The same thing is kind of true for this series. With the ending of Wyvermhail, it gets a lot less interesting, and not to mention, you wonder why Hai is still in the book. True, the visions helped Oliza's decision, but without Hai there to interfere, then her followers wouldn't have tried killed Salem. Then, with Salem alive, she wouldn't have gotten the vision of Oliza's child still. *shakes head* *SIGHS*

Anyways, Wyvernhail, takes place only moments from the previous book, Falcondance. Now, instead of a likable character narrating, Hai is the one that narrates this story. Although she doesn't seem as cold as she did in the other books with her in them, it is still hard to actually like her or even accept that she had a real part in the series. The only part I think she was really need for is to help Oliza abdicate and waking up Salem, other than that, I view her as unnecessary to the series.

Another problem with the book is that her visions and the real life is muddled together, so you have to think about what is real and what is not. Also, the author depended on visions to tell the ending of the series, which I didn't really like. Why depend on visions, when they can change? I like the idea of visions of the future, but with Hai, I don't like it so much. She annoys me whenever she thinks to interfere, I know other books with visions, they interfere, but they, most of the time, interfere at a lower level. Hai, however, interferes at a much higher level in this book than she did in the others.

With that said, I didn't think that Wyvernhail as well written as the other books, and I really don't want to say, "Go read it." Though, if you want to know the ending, as crappy as it is, you have to read it. My advice is just read the last two chapters to avoid the annoying parts with Hai in them. The descriptions are a lot less, but the events are suspenseful and annoying. With this book, I miss Danica and Zane as the main characters, but the spark that it once had, died with this book. The first two books are worth reading, the last three books, err, they really aren't worth reading, especially this one.

Getting/buying all the books separately isn't really worth it, but if you really want all the books, get The Shapeshifters. That book has all of the Kiesha'Ra books, Hawksong, Snakecharm, Falcondance, Wolfcry, and Wyvernhail, and it's cheaper than getting all the books separately. This way, you don't feel guilty if you wasted your money. Buy it from these places The Shapeshifters Ebook // The Shapeshifters Paperback.

Other Reviews/Author Site:

Amelia Atwater-Rhodes
Goodreads: Wyvernhail by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes
Library Thing: Wyvernhail by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes
Where the Wolves Reads: Wyvernhail by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes

Wolfcry by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes

THE KIESHA'RA SERIES BOOK 04

Wolfcry by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes
Delacorte Press
Published in 2006
ISBN 0385731957
198 Pages

PLACES TO BUY FROM:

Amazon (Paperback)
Barnes & Noble (Paperback)

CHECKED OUT THE BOOK FROM MY PUBLIC LIBRARY.
I OWN A COPY THROUGH A BIND-UP VERSION.
BOUGHT THE OMINOUS THROUGH AMAZON.COM.

Review/Rating:

4 out of 5



Oliza Shardae Cobriana is the heir to two courts, the avians and serpiente. Although her parents merged the two courts together as Wyvern's Court and the war ended, the hatred is still noticeable in Wyvern's Court. However, when Urban, a serpiente dancer, expresses love to Oliza, the hatred and tension rises. Though when she finds Urban beaten up on the avian side of Wyvern's Court, she begins to wonder how she can lead her heritages, when no one really wants to stop their hatred? Before she can find the answer to that question, she is kidnapped by lion mercenaries, who take her into the wolves' territory. She meets Betia, a female wolf, and the Obsidian Guild, a group of white viper dancers, there, but will she be able to find out the answer to her question with them? And will Hai's and her predictions show her the choice she must choose in order to give peace to her people without leading to another war? Oliza must make a decision before it's too late, no matter how it will cause her pain later.

Another book review for The Kiesha'Ra series. I'm only one book away from finishing this series. I can't wait until I get rid of it since I'm not really starting to like the direction the series is going. :( Oh, there might be some spoilers, so watch out for them. :X

Like most series, the third book is usually where it gets less interesting or turns toward something you won't really like. For Wolfcry, it's gets a little more interesting than Falcondance, but it still turns into something that I didn't like. Don't get me wrong, I like plot twists, but only when it goes more toward the characters I like the most. Anyways, like Snakecharm, Wolfcry takes place after a couple of months from the previous book, Falcondance.

Like in the second book, Snakecharm and Falcondance, you learn more about how the avians, serpiente, and falcons came to be, and little bit more about the powers Oliza holds. Also, I like the information about the white vipers and the wolves. Though, I really, really don't like Hai. She seems more snobbish than the other falcons, and it looks like she will cause more trouble than she is really worth. Also, it seems that she wants the respect from Oliza, but doesn't really know how. Though, I can't blame Oliza for not trusting or liking Hai that much. When you throw in a new relative that you haven't even heard about, you are bound to have troubles, so I don't blame Oliza at all. Hai also annoys and confuses me like she does to Oliza. Anyways, I really think the author shouldn't have included her in the story line at all, but that's the author's call, not mine. :( Something else I like even more now, I like how the author addresses same-sex relationships into the book. It made it a little bit more interesting, and took away, kind of, the annoyance that Hai caused me. :) I like it when authors add in something that society hardly ever talks about. ;)

Despite the few short-comings, like Hai, Wolfcry was very well written, but I like the first book a lot more than the following books. The descriptions are a little bit less, but the events are suspenseful. Finding shapeshifter books, just on their own, are rare, so that makes this book even more wonderful. I miss Danica and Zane as the main characters, but I hope the original spark will come back. I still think it would have been better just to end it with the first book, and not this one. Though, with this books, at least a little bit of spark came back, but not much. I read the summary for the next book, and let's say, I don't really like how Hai and followers will mess things up.

Anyways, go ahead and read the book. Though, like I said before, there are same-sex relationships in this book and in maybe in the next one, too.

P.S. I know I said this, but I REALLY hate Hai. ^^

Other Reviews/Author Site:

Amelia Atwater-Rhodes
Goodreads: Wolfcry by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes
Library Thing: Wolfcry by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes
Literature for Young Readers: Wolfcry by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes
Where the Wolves Read: Wolfcry by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes

Falcondance by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes

THE KIESHA'RA SERIES BOOK 03

Falcondance by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes
Delacorte Press
Published in 2005
ISBN 0385731949
183 Pages

PLACES TO BUY FROM:

Amazon (Paperback)
Barnes & Noble (Hardcover)

CHECKED OUT THE BOOK FROM MY PUBLIC LIBRARY.
I OWN A COPY THROUGH A BIND-UP VERSION.
BOUGHT THE OMINOUS THROUGH AMAZON.COM.

Review/Rating:

3 out of 5



Nicias, a son of two outlawed falcons, has never felt at home in the Wyern's Court, but he somehow feels drawn to Ahnmik, where falcons live. His powers are awakening, so he has no choice but to go to the falcons' homeland. With warnings from his parents, he goes there, so that he can get back to guarding Oliza Shardae Cobriana, heir to both thrones. However, should he trust Araceli, or a stranger not of his blood? He has to choose wisely because everything he holds dear is at risk.

Another book review for The Kiesha'Ra series. I'm only two books away from finishing this series. I can't wait until I get rid of it since I'm not really starting to like the direction the series is going. :( Oh, there might be some spoilers, so watch out for them. :X

Like most series, the third book is usually where it gets less interesting or turns toward something you won't really like. For Falcondance, it's a little of both less interesting and turning something that I didn't like. Don't get me wrong, I like plot twists, but only when it goes more toward the characters I like the most.

Anyways, unlike Snakecharm, which takes place after a couple of months from the previous book, Falcondance takes place about twenty or so years after Snakecharm. That's my first problem with books like these, you miss the childhood moments for Oliza, Nicias, Salem, Sive, etc, so you kind of miss out on how their personalities got like that. There are some childhood flashbacks, but not that many. I think there is only one in this book.

Now for my second problem in the book, my favorite main characters, Zane and Danica, only have small parts in this book. I like the other characters, but Zane and Danica are my favorites. They have a spark that the other characters don't really seem to have. Nicias is a good character, and so far, he is my fourth favorite character. My third favorite is Andreious/Sebastian. I might list my favorite characters in this series on the last book review. :X

Like in the second book, Snakecharm, you learn more about how the avians, serpiente, and falcons came to be, like why the avians were created in the first place, and other parts like that. There is this one part where it mentions that the avians and serpiente will never be able to combine without one giving up their culture. They might be able to live in peace, but they wouldn't never truly get along since the two powers wouldn't be balanced. That part gave me a headache since it made thought about several things like: how are Danica and Zane are able to live in peace then? To me, it added some plot holes when the author did that. Also, you find out what happened to Zane's older brother while he was on the falcon lands, which I really don't like.

Despite the short-comings, Falcondance was very well written, but I like the first book a lot more than this one and the second one. The descriptions are a little bit less, but the events are suspenseful. Finding shapeshifter books, just on their own, are rare, so that makes this book even more wonderful. I miss Danica and Zane as the main characters, but I hope the original spark will come back. I still think it would have been better just to end it with the first book, and not this one. I just hope the last two books stay on the tract it's on right now, since at this rate, I really don't like where it is going.

Anyways, go ahead and read the book, even though it doesn't have the same spark as the first one.

Other Reviews/Author Site:

Amelia Atwater-Rhodes
Goodreads: Falcondance by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes
Library Thing: Falcondance by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes
Where the Wolves Read: Falcondance by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes

Snakecharm by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes

THE KIESHA'RA SERIES BOOK 02

Snakecharm by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes
Delacorte Press
Published in 2004
ISBN 9780385734936
167 Pages

PLACES TO BUY FROM:

Amazon (Paperback)
Barnes & Noble (Paperback)

CHECKED OUT THE BOOK FROM MY PUBLIC LIBRARY.
I OWN A SINGLE COPY AND A COPY OF AN OMINOUS VERSION.
BOUGHT BOTH COPIES THROUGH AMAZON.COM.

Review/Rating:

4 out of 5



Danica and Zane have achieved a lot in their aim of peace between the avains and serpiente. However, when Danica becomes pregnant, will the peace last long? Also, a falcon named Syfka comes and that causes more problems, so is the falcon just there to find their missing falcon? Or, is she there just to stir up trouble amongst their people?

Another supernatural book, however, this time it is about shapeshifters, again. Yay. \o/

As a second book of series, Snakecharm was very well written, but I like the first book a lot more than this one. It's not as good as the first book, but it is still a good book to read. The plot of the second book is a little common, but that doesn't make it any less special. This book has suspense, romance, betrayals, and shapeshifters. Finding shapeshifter books, just on their own, are rare, so that makes this book even more wonderful.

I just love the main character Zane and Danica, but unlike the first book there is hardly any clashing between them. Also, the way all the characters develop in this book is great, but they could have grown a little bit more than what they did. The descriptions and events are also very well done, but a little bit more about how the other characters look like would have made it a little bit better. Also, unlike the first book, the narrator for this one is Zane, not Danica.

Even though the plot is typical --- two separate group at war, two people characters marry to stop the war, peace comes, the ruler gets pregnant, but then the heir issue comes up --- you should go ahead and read this book/series. Though, like I said before, I didn't really like this book. I like how the main characters are still Zane and Danica, but not how the focus is not completely on them. To me, it would have been better just to end it with the first book, and not this one. I just hope the other books in this series doesn't ruin how I view the series right now.

Anyways, go ahead and read the book, even though it doesn't have the same spark as the first one.

Other Reviews/Author Site:

Amelia Atwater-Rhodes
Goodreads: Snakecharm by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes
Library Thing: Snakecharm by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes
Kathleen's Book Reviews: Snakecharm by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes

Hawksong by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes

THE KIESHA'RA SERIES BOOK 01

Hawksong by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes
Delacorte Press
Published in 2003
ISBN 9780385734929
243 Pages

PLACES TO BUY FROM:

Amazon (Paperback)
Barnes & Noble (E-book)

CHECKED OUT THE BOOK FROM MY PUBLIC LIBRARY.
I OWN A SINGLE COPY AND A COPY OF BIND-UP VERSION.
BOUGHT BOTH COPIES THROUGH AMAZON.COM.


Review/Rating:

5 out of 5



The avains and serpiente have been at war for longer than anyone can remember. However, is peace at hand when Danica Shardae holds her people's enemy in her arms and sings to him about peace as he dies? When Zane Cobriana hears about this, he moves forward with plans on how they can earn peace. But, when a neutral group mentions merging the two royal families, will they be able to set aside their differences for the peace they both desperately want? Not only that, but when they decide to merge it, will their people believe it is the best thing?

Another supernatural book, however, this time it is about shapeshifters. Yay. \o/

For a first book of a series, Hawksong was very well written. Though, what really counts is if the author keeps up and makes each in this series better than the previous one, which is almost impossible for most of the authors who write series. The plot of the first book is a little common, but that doesn't make it any less special. This book has suspense, romance, betrayals, and shapeshifters. Finding shapeshifter books, just on their own, are rare, so that makes this book even more wonderful.

I just love the main character Zane and Danica, and how the author makes their personalities actually work together, even though they clash at certain points. Also, the way all the characters develop in this book is great, but they could have grown a little bit more than what they did.The descriptions and events are also very well done, but a little bit more about how the other characters look like would have made it a little bit better.

Even though the plot is typical --- two separate group at war, two people characters marry to stop the war, peace comes, and then everyone lives happily ever after --- you should go ahead and read this book/series. Though, like I said before, I haven't read all of the books in this series, but that looks like what it going to happen. Though, I hope there will be some interesting twists in order to get to the peace.

Anyways, go read the series. ;)

Other Reviews/Author Site:

Amelia Atwater-Rhodes
Goodreads: Hawksong by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes
Library Thing: Hawksong by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes
Sandy Shin: Hawksong by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes
Literary Mancandy: Hawksong by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes