“He Who Fights With Monsters” is a literary role-playing game (LitRPG) series. The series, written by Shirtaloon a.k.a. Travis Deverell, follows the adventures of Jason Asano. He is a Japanese-Australian office supply-store-worker. Jason is transported to another world full of magic and monsters.
Travis Derevel’s “He Who Fights With Monsters” is an outrageously compelling narrative; a rich, righteous riot.
In “He Who Fights With Monsters” the titular character, Jason Asano, is sucked into a surreal universe. Plunged naked and alone into a confusing macrocosm; no idea why he is there or just what is happening. Jason is still reeling from the shock when things immediately go from worse to insane as he is set upon by a carnivorous cannibalistic blood cult.
Jason finds himself in a world full of magic, mystery, monsters, and demigods! His adventure is just beginning in a world of danger, excitement, and political intrigue. He has to fight to survive, gain more power, and ultimately save not one, but two entire worlds.
Don’t miss this unique opportunity to read a great science fiction / fantasy series. Opportunities to explore such an extensive array of addictive texts and characters don’t come often.
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A great series written by Shirtaloon (AKA Travis Derevel). Check out his website here: SHIRTALOON
Mustafa Marwan worked as a humanitarian in multiple high-conflict zones. He is a lecturer, trainer, consultant, and now a writer. In 2013, the Mosaic Leadership program chose him as a Youth Leader.
Mustafa received a Bachelor’s degree from Misr University for Science and Technology in 2007. He obtained his Master of Nanotechnology, Nanoscience & Technology from Nile University in 2012. From the University of Sheffield in 2013, Mustafa received a Master of Public Health (MPH) (Management & Leadership). In 2021, he completed the Leading Strategic Projects Programme, Management at Saïd Business School, University of Oxford.
Mustafa’s work experience includes being an Assistant Manager at Al Amir Pharmacies, A Business Analyst at Ameco Tech Corporation, working with the British Council, A Research assistant at Nile University, a Research and Policy Analyst at University of Sheffield, Humanitarian Projects Manager at Emergency and Relief Agency, Arab Medical Union, Lecturer and Programme Leader, Health and Social Care Management at ABI College, and International Committee of the Red Cross – ICRC.
SYNOPSIS
Adam Elraey, A.K.A. Luke Archer, is a disillusioned British doctor of Egyptian descent. Having suffered multiple personal traumas in his life, Luke is looking for a fresh start. He joined a non-governmental organization (NGO), Group d’Aide International (GAI), which provides medical care in high-conflict zones and winds up in Yemen during intense fighting.
Adam lost both of his parents when he was seven years old. He was then adopted by an English couple that had converted to Islam. They renamed him Luke Archer. Luke had a terrible motorcycle accident when he was eighteen, which left him with a traumatic brain injury that, if left untreated, would cause him seizures. Then, he lost both of his adoptive parents. Luke quickly became dependent on opioids to control his headaches and to cope with life.
Luke trained and became a surgeon. Unfortunately, he had an episode and passed out in the operating room as he was trying to save a patient that another doctor had accidentally nicked an artery. Even though the other doctor was drunk at the time, Luke was the one fired due to his opioid use.
Without a job or prospects, Luke wound up in some nefarious dealings with Irish mobsters. After barely escaping with his life, Luke joined Group d’Aide International as a surgeon. He landed in Yemen during a civil war.
This is where the story picks up. Luke and his fellow humanitarians are caught between the rebels, the government forces, and the mercenaries all fighting over the city. They quickly become intimately involved in the politics and the fighting. They are just trying to stay alive amidst all the carnage.
CONCLUSION
“Guns and Almond Milk” is an entertaining read. Mustafa Marwan does an excellent job of creating realistic battleground scenes. The characters are well-developed with lots of idiosyncrasies. The plot is interesting and exciting. There are many layers to the backstories of each character that keep the reader constantly wondering what will happen next.
The main character’s “James Bond” persona is the book’s only downside. Luke is an excellent character with a lot of personal demons and flaws. However, I find it difficult to believe that he can outsmart the mob, kick the shit out of some rebels, and shoot a gun like “John Wick.” Luke is complicated, haunted, a little psycho, and conflicted. He is just trying to find his place in the world, and the world is blowing up around him.
Mustafa Marwan obviously has an extensive background in humanitarian aid in high-conflict zones. His expertise is easily identifiable in the main storyline. He creates an accurate and compelling scene of a war-torn city under siege. The battle scenes with the graphic aftermath of the damage war creates, are spot-on.
I recommend this book for a good read. It is interesting, entertaining, and exciting. The reader will have to have a suspension of disbelief only a little around Luke, but otherwise, it is terrific.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 3.5 out of 5.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I thank Mustafa Marwan and Interlink Books for allowing me to review “Guns and Almond Milk.“
Jason has a problem. He doesn’t remember anything before waking up on a school bus bound for the Wilderness School, a boarding school for “bad kids.” When a strange creature attacks, he and his friends discover that they are demigods and the adventure begins.
Oscar, the Orca Whale takes kids on a journey through pictures to discover Orca’s habits, characteristics, strength and speed to their communication skills, family bonds, and unique traits.
Humorous and charming with vibrant illustrations of animals in preposterous settings. It captivates the mind with its interactive storytelling and delightful blend of humor .
An impressively diverse range of topics and illustrations in a multiple-choice format that will engage the whole family. Presented in a simple and clear style that will ensure younger family members can easily participate and enjoy.
After being cursed by the Witch of the Waste, Sophie Hatter sets out to find her destiny. She comes upon the Wizard Howl and his moving castle. To break her curse, she has to help the Fire Demon, Calcifer, break his contract with Howl. Sophie has to unravel the puzzles around the contract in order to help Calcifer break it, thus saving herself.
Taryn Souders was born in Texas. She didn’t plan on being a writer. She worked as a middle school math teacher prior to trying to be a poet. However, serendipitously she turned her poetry into books. She now lives in Florida with her husband and three kids.
When Eudora “Kooky” Klinch passes away, she leaves Grady a 300-year-old tapestry and a note that reads: “To Whom It May Concern: This is no ordinary piece of needlework. It’s a treasure map. Riddles and clues. To the victor go the riches. Don’t forget to feed the cats.”
Grady and his father are down on their luck. Living very poorly after his mother passes away and the huge debt left from her medical bills, they are forced to sell their last possession; the trailer and 5 acres of land they live on. Grady doesn’t want to leave his friends and everything he knows behind. This is why when they receive the tapestry, Grady feels as if it could fix all of their problems. Only he isn’t the only one interested in obtaining the treasure. Someone else wants the treasure and is willing to steal and even kill for it.
Grady, with the help from his friends Thadddeus Carlton (Thad) and Clementine Powell (Clemmie) race against time and a killer, to discover the treasure and save his home. They have to investigate the images on the tapestry, research the ancient inhabitants of the town, study the local history and remain one step ahead of the villain.
Can they save Grady’s home? Will they unearth the treasure? Can they avoid the killer?
CONCLUSION
The Mystery of the Radcliffe Riddle is a suspenseful, action-adventure tale. It has drama, mystery, crime, suspense, thrills and murder mixed with a little history. It also has a bit of a “Goonies” feel to it.
The characters are diverse, well composed and the interplay is superb. “Kooky” Klinch, and Ophelia add little bits of unique characteristics to the tale. The plot is easy to follow with plenty of twists and turns.
The War of Jenkins’s Ear features heavily in this book. I must admit, I had never heard of this particular war and so I did some research and learned some interesting history.
Although the book is advertised for reading ages 8-12, I found this book entertaining and enlightening for all ages. Anyone with a little bit of kid left in them will enjoy this book. I highly recommend this book.
Thomas McKelvey Clever grew up in Denver, Colorado. At a very young age, aviation history excited his mind and imagination. He would spend his Saturday’s at the public library reading everything he could get his hands on about aviation and WWII history. Later, he joined the U.S. Navy and served
during the Vietnam War as an enlisted soldier in the field of aviation. In 1970 he obtained his own pilots license and has been flying ever since. His passion is the aircraft of WWII, which he had the chance to fly a few over the years. He met many famous WWII pilots and wrote various articles in such publications as: Air Enthusiast Quarterly, Air International, Air Force, Aviation History and Flight Journal magazines.
As an author, Thomas has several “best-selling” titles in the aviation and military history genre, including the best-sellers “The Frozen Choseen: The First Marine Division at the Battle of the Chosin Reservoir” and “MiG Alley: The US Air Force in Korea 1950-53.” He is also a produced screenwriter.
SYNOPSIS
Clean Sweep is a detailed chronological book about the air war in Europe during WWII. The book details the air war mainly as it pertained to the U.S. Army Air-corps, but additionally includes the RAF and the Luftwaffe. It covers some of the great battles and aerial conflicts of the war. It further provides personal accounts by some of the pilots involved in the life and death struggle of aerial combat.
In his book, Thomas Clever describes the fighter and bomber aircraft as they pertain to both sides of the conflict. He provides the reader with a descriptive evolution of aircraft as they were modified and improved to meet the enemy and the mission requirements. He further discusses air battle techniques, operating procedures, and fighter concepts employed by all sides.
No book about WWII would be complete without a discussion of the toll the war took on the people, countries, and soldiers involved. Thomas does discuss the cost of war as it pertains to manpower, economics, resources, and lives. We also get a glimpse at the decision makers and their policies that effected the outcome of the war.
CONCLUSION
Clean Sweep is an excellent book. I thoroughly enjoyed reading and learning more about this great conflict. I especially enjoyed reading some of the personal notes and stories of the pilots; no matter which side they were on. This book was so well written that I felt bad for the young German pilots towards the end of the war. They were thrown into aircraft with minimal training just to become cannon fodder.
When one reads this book, it discusses the toll mainly in aircraft numbers, but one has to realize that each aircraft had a crew compliment. A fighter might only have 1 pilot, but a B-17 has 10 crewmen. When the air battle aftermath is discussed and the reader is told that 60 B-17’s out of 146 were shot down, the reader has to realize that means 600 men; the author seems to gloss over this important aspect at times.
I must admit, some of the stories are very personal and tragic, while others are hard to believe. An example might be: the pilot that tried to bail out but his parachute got caught on the vertical stabilizer of his aircraft and it drug him down to his death; or the pilot that did bail out only to land in his mother’s back yard and then went in to his home to eat pancakes.
Overall, I would highly recommend this book. Clean Sweep is full of great historical characters and stories full of valor and bravery. It also provides the reader a brief glimpse into the lives of the pilots that flew these life-or-death missions.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4 out of 5.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I would like to thank Thomas McKelvey Cleaver, Osprey Publishing, and NetGalley for affording me the opportunity to review Clean Sweep: VIII Fighter Command Against the Luftwaffe, 1942–45.
Ian Mackersey was a New Zealand writer and documentary film producer acclaimed for his deeply researched and revelational biographies.
A former head of film and television production at British Airways in
London, where his documentaries took 24 international awards, Ian Mackersey, TV documentary producer and the author of ten books, including two novels. He began his writing career as a reporter on daily newspapers in New Zealand before going to London to work in Fleet Street and later as a feature writer for Royal Air Force Review, travelling the world reporting on the RAF’s global operations. There followed a year in Hong Kong as night news editor of the South China Morning Post, the editorship, back at the Air Ministry in London, of the RAF’s flying training magazine, Air Clues, and, later, a move to Central Africa.
In April 2015, after a short illness, Ian Mackersey passed away in Auckland. He is survived by three children; David, Paula and Kiri. Should you wish to make contact regarding their father’s work, please email Paula Mackersey here.
Smithy (1897–1935) is the unvarnished tale of one of Australia’s most famous aviators. The book tells the life story of the first man to fly across the Pacific Ocean. It begins with Charles’ humble beginnings in a large family that was constantly on the move. A fun loving kid, Charles was always the center of attention; something he carried on with his whole life.
Sir Charles was quite a character! Always on the move and trying to entertain family and friends. He served at Gallipoli during WWI. As a motorcycle runner he was almost blown up by artillery. He transferred into aviation after recovering from his wounds, but got wounded and lost part of his foot during a dogfight. That didn’t matter much to him though, flying was now in his blood.
What follows are the many tales of master airmanship, woes of politics, love and loss, wild flights and crashes (many whiles drunk), and many World Record aviation attempts. Smithy is best known for his transpacific flight, but he accomplished so much more. He had to deal with inner demons that haunted him until his dying day; demons that sometimes left him incapacitated while flying. In a day where aviators flew by the seat of their pants, it is astonishing that he was able to fly across great expanses of water without getting so lost that he couldn’t land.
A true master aviator, Smithy flew an aircraft at night in bad weather and turbulence sitting in chairs that were unattached to the airframe and no seat belts. To make matters worse, there was no lighting in the cockpit so he had to use a flashlight to fly instruments. Some of these flights lasted 36 hours! There was no verbal communication between crew-members due to the engine noise so they attached notes to a broom handle and passed them back and forth to communicate. On one flight, Smithy lost one engine over the ocean, and the other was loosing oil. While in flight, one of the crew-members had to go out on the wing and drain oil from the dead engine and then cross the aircraft to the other wing to pour the oil in the running engine. If he hadn’t accomplished this remarkable feat, they never would have made landfall.
CONCLUSION
This book was truly an inspiration to someone who has been around aviation his whole life. The tales of flying over the ocean through thunderstorms at night with just the rudimentary set of flight instruments in an aircraft with no windows and wicker chairs as pilots seats, still amazes me! As a flight instructor and instrument examiner, I know how hard it is for pilots to accomplish these feats with all the modern equipment we have today.
One of the most hilarious stories was when Smithy had his radio operator and navigator climb into the back of the aircraft so he could make a short-field landing. When he touched down, one of the unfortunate fellows fell through the fabric butt naked on the runway. Smithy unaware of this taxied away and abandoned the poor man out there in front of a massive crowd in nothing but his birthday suit!
The book covers so much more than just the fascinating flights in old cloth and frame aircraft; it also deals with the politics of the times. Not just Australian politics, but world politics; like the time when Smithy got banned from Turkey.
There is so much in this book for an aviation aficionado to delve into. I definitely recommend this book. Ian did a masterful job in his research and writing. I had never heard of Sir Charles Kingsford Smith before I discovered this book, and now I’ll never forget this aviation master and wild character! I had to keep reading merely to see what Smithy would get up to next.
He may have been a womanizer. He may have been an alcoholic, but he was definitely one hell of a pilot!
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4.5 out of 5.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I would like to thank Ian Mackersey, Sapere Book, and NetGalley for affording me the opportunity to review Smithy – The Life of Sir Charles Kingsford Smith.
Lost at Sea is an epic journey of the human spirit, the will to survive and faith!
In October, 1942, eight men took off from Hawaii in a B-17D Flying Fortress bound for Canton Island; its first stop enroute to the South Pacific. The plane never arrived. Having drifted off course by hundreds of miles, the plane and crew were hopelessly lost. As with Emilia Earhart, the crew became frantic and the plane was low on gas. With no other option the pilot, Captain Cherry, was forced to ditch at sea.
It is a testament to Captain Cherry’s piloting skills, that he was capable of landing the aircraft on a rolling ocean without it coming apart and killing everyone instantly. The eight people onboard were able to escape the sinking plane and mount three life rafts. What followed was a twenty-four day struggle for survival adrift a vast ocean.
On board the aircraft was WWI most famous aviator and flying Ace Eddie Rickenbacker. He was accompanied by John Bartek, Wiliam Cherry, John De Angelis, Alexander Kaczmarczyk, James Reynolds, and James Whittaker. Unfortunately, only seven would survive the ordeal.
CONCLUSION
Lost at Sea is a very good book! John’s unrelenting research into this incident is evident in his writing. He takes the reader alongside Eddie Rickenbacker on his sojourn through life. The reader actually feels as if he is sitting right next to Eddie as he his racing his car around the track, or sitting in an open cockpit WWI fighter earning his Medal of Honor. The reader is right there with Eddie and those men crammed in little rubber rafts drifting on the Pacific Ocean. I literally got hot, hungry and thirsty just reading about their trials and tribulations.
Lost at Sea is a book for every aviation enthusiast. Anyone who has flown an aircraft over the ocean outside the sight of land can definitely sympathize with those men. I heartily recommend this book. It will certainly keep the reader engrossed and captivated.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4 out of 5.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I would like to thank John Wukovits, Dutton Caliber, and NetGalley for affording me the opportunity to review Lost at Sea.
Anyone who loves: adventure, human struggle, epic survival, suspense, history, extreme seamanship, and great leadership will absolutely love this book.
Ian Mackersey was a New Zealand writer and documentary film producer acclaimed for his deeply researched and revelational biographies.
A former head of film and television production at British Airways in London, where his documentaries took 24 international awards, Ian Mackersey is an ex-pilot, journalist, magazine editor, TV documentary producer and the author of ten books, including two novels. He began his writing career as a reporter on daily newspapers in New Zealand before going to London to work in Fleet Street and later as a feature writer for Royal Air Force Review, travelling the world reporting on the RAF’s global operations. There followed a year in Hong Kong as night news editor of the South China Morning Post, the editorship, back at the Air Ministry in London, of the RAF’s flying training magazine, Air Clues, and, later, a move to Central Africa.
In April 2015, after a short illness, Ian Mackersey passed away in Auckland. He is survived by three children; David, Paula and Kiri. Should you wish to make contact regarding their father’s work, please email Paula Mackersey here.
Rescue Below Zero is the true story of survival in the middle of the Greenland ice-cap. 700 miles from the North Pole, seven crewmembers and five passengers fight for theirs lives after their aircraft crashes on a resupply mission. Ill-equipped for the harsh environment, the twelve castaways must try to stay alive until help can arrive.
On September 16th, 1952, Hastings 492 with 12 people on board plunged into the deep snow atop the Greenland ice Cap at over 8,000 feet. After a brief plow through the snow, the aircraft came to a silent stop. Luckily they were within sight of the British North Greenland Expedition that was there for scientific research. Although they crashed near the expedition, it still took hours of dogging thru the snow to reach the survivors. What followed was an excruciating wait for a rescue. Stuck in the broken plane for days on end, the survivors fight the elements, boredom, and injuries to stay alive.
While rescuers try to come up with a plan, the weather is quickly turning to winter. Soon it will be impossible to send in a rescue team to pick up the survivors. Planning and preparation must account for trying to land on the snow covered ice cap and takeoff again. An ingenious plan is developed to utilize smaller planes with skis and jet assisted packs for takeoff. Will this never-before type of rescue work? Will the planes be able to make the journey to the crash site and back on the limited fuel capacity? Will the rocket packs, that have to be installed after landing, even work? Will the planes get stuck in the ever deepening snow? Can the survivors and the injured live long enough for help to arrive? How much longer can they fight the cold, the frostbite, and the never ending wind?
CONCLUSION
Ian Mackersey has delivered an exceptional masterpiece with Rescue Below Zero. It is meticulously researched and written. It is obvious Ian loves his subject material. He keeps the reader riveted to the story and the “what happens next.”
Rescue Below Zero is an intriguing tale about extreme survival. The true-life story brings to light the fight between harshest environments and the human spirit in the struggle for life.
I truly enjoyed this book and the detailed account presented by Ian Mackersey. I have been associated with aviation my entire life and love to read any books on the subject. Ian really did a superb job with this one. He keeps the reader riveted and entertained. He captures the spirit of exploration and the humanity in desperate conditions. I highly recommend this book to everyone.
To find out more about Ben Gartner and what he is up too, check out his website here.
SYNOPSIS
Written mainly through the eyes of Fin, the teenage main character, One Giant Leap is his story. He starts by talking about how he is drifting through space with a leak in his suit and water from his cooling system seeping around his face and mouth. He knows he is about to die drifting forever in the dark void, but then he goes back in time and tells the story of just how and why he ended up in this particular predicament.
Four teenage kids, Fin, David, Kal and Mae, win the ultimate worldwide competition and the grand prize: an all expenses paid trip into outer space!
After all of the physicals, psychological assessments and training; Fin, David, Kal and Mae are on their way to the International Space Station (ISS). Mission plan: stop and resupply the ISS, then move on to the Gateway outpost orbiting the moon to drop off two astronauts, and then slingshot around the moon and head back to earth.
After visiting the ISS the four kids move back into their launch vehicle, Aether, to await the adults; then BAM! The whole space station is turned topsy turvey and sent spinning out of orbit. With holes in the space station, air leaking out and the whole thing spinning uncontrollably the kids are on their own. Separated from the flight crew and their guardians, the kids have to work together and think fast to save themselves and hopefully, the adults.
Will they make it? Can they save themselves? What about the adults trapped on the ISS slowly falling out of orbit to burn up in Earths atmosphere? How long can the astronauts survive on the ISS with all of the oxygen slowly leaking out into space? Can Fin, David, Kal and Mae save themselves? Can they save the adults? Can Mae even fly a spaceship? Will Fin’s body drift forever in the cold dark void of space?
CONCLUSION
One Giant Leap is Space Camp (1986) meets Gravity (2013). It is an intriguing tale of heroism, overcoming insurmountable odds, faith and courage. Ben Gartner has once again written a story that ignites the imagination and fuels the passion.
It is obvious that Ben did a lot of research for this book. The story plot is solid and the characters are well rounded and established. The interplay between each character is stable and believable. There is plenty of suspense, thrills, sorrow, excitement, danger and mystery in the story to keep the reader riveted to the book.
I not only enjoyed the story, but I really enjoyed all the little tidbits of education that is strewn throughout the book. Ben includes a section at the end that separates the facts from fiction and a glossary. He discusses future space missions and mentions some of the important milestones in space exploration. This book is not only enthralling, but it is educational as well. I highly recommend this book to young and old alike.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4 out of 5.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I would like to thank Ben Gartner and Crescent Vista Press for affording me the opportunity to review One Giant Leap.
Jeff Wheeler is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He majored in History at the San Jose State University. He worked at Intel while attending college but retired early to write full time. Learn all about Jeff, his books, and his new projects on his website here.
SYNOPSIS
The Hunted is the second installment of the Dawning of Muirwoodseries.
In the first book, The Druid, Eilean is a young woman who was raised at Tintern Abbey. She and a few others were chosen to travel to the swampy Bearden Buir and help establish the new Abbey: Muirwood. There, she is tasked with looking after the Druid Mordaunt; a prisoner within the abbey accused of heresy.
Slowly, Eilean learns from Mordaunt how to speak in different tongues, read different languages and how to control her hidden powers. The more she learns the more her eyes open to the injustice of his imprisonment.
In this installment of the Dawning of Muirwoord, Mordaunt tasks Eilean with recovering a sacred tome, translating it and delivering it to another Aldermaston. This tome is prized by the High Seer and the Aldermaston of Muirwood who will stop at nothing to obtain it. When Eilean leaves on her quest, she is hunted by Captain Hoel an inquisitor and loyal to the High Seer. He has been tasked with recovering the tome. The two play a cat and mouse game across the lands and through many dangers. Utilizing the power of the Medium, both characters duel throughout the chase. Will Eilean succeed or will Captain Hoel?
CONCLUSION
Jeff Wheeler has quickly become one of my favorite fantasy authors. This installment is in keeping with his exceptional story telling talents. As with his other books, the intrigue, mystery, suspense and fear is palatable. The constant “what comes next” kept me reading the first two books which I completed in just a couple of days. I can’t wait for book three, The Betrayed, to be released in February, 2023.
The story is well rounded and thought out, whilst the characters are both dynamic and compelling. The entire plot throughout the series is exceptional, and Jeff does a great job bringing the story to life in technocolor detail.
I really loved this book and the entire series so far. If you like fantasy, then you will love this series. Check out Jeff Wheelers other books; you will not be disappointed!
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 5 out of 5.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I would like to thank Jeff Wheeler, 47North, and NetGalley for affording me the opportunity to review The Hunted.
