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Action & Adventure, Children's Fiction, Children’s Girls and Women’s Books, Detective / Crime, Thriller

The Night Raven – REVIEW

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Litercurious Book Review

TitleThe Night Raven
AuthorJohan Rundberg
PublisherAmazon Crossing Kids (September 5, 2023)
FormatKindle, Hardcover, Paperback, Audiobook, Audio CD
Pages192
GenreChildren’s European Historical Fiction
Children’s Books on Orphans & Foster Homes
Children’s Books on Girls’ & Women’s Issues
LanguageEnglish
ISBN 10/131662509588 / 978-1662509582

“My name is Mika Moonwind, and I am no longer prey. I am a hunter.”

Mika Moonwind – The Night Raven by Johan Rundberg (2023)

AUTHOR

Johan Rundberg is an award-winning author of children’s books who lives in Stockholm. He has written picture books, early readers, and middle grade, including Kärlekspizzan, Knockad Romeo, and the series Häxknuten. In 2021, he was awarded Sweden’s most prestigious literary prize, the

August Prize, in the children’s and YA category for Nattkorpen, the original edition of The Night Raven, which was first written in Swedish. Nattkorpen was also the winner of a Swedish Crimetime Award in the children’s and YA category. There are now four books in this series published in Sweden.

Excerpt taken from Amazon.com

SYNOPSIS

In 1880 Stockholm, 12-year-old orphan Mika gets entwined in the search for the notorious serial killer the “Night Raven.” She is a very intelligent, determined and caring young girl. Not only does she help look after all of the other orphans at the Public Children’s Home, but she also works at the Chapel, a local bar.

Late one night in the orphanage, Mika answers the door to find a young boy with a new born baby. He quickly puts the child in Mika’s arms, but before he runs off he says, “The Dark Angel knows I’m the one who took her.” The boy disappears before Mika can stop him. That’s not the only odd thing happening in Stockholm that night – there is a murder! Not just any murder, but a murder that fits the modus operandi of the “Night Raven!” However, the Night Raven was supposedly dead; “The executioner’s axe made sure of that.”

Detective Valdemar Hoff, who is investigating the murder, is impressed with Mika’s uncanny ability to remember explicit details and how well she makes deductions based on her observations. He takes her to the murder scene and asks her opinion. Impressed with her analysis, he enlists her help in solving the crime. Together, they have to work in opposition to the local government and overcome police corruption to locate and apprehend the villain before they can hurt someone else.

Who was the boy that left the baby behind and who’s baby was it? Who is the “Dark Angel?” Is the Night Raven truly dead or is he on the rampage again? Can a 12-year-old orphan really help the police solve such a horrific crime?

CONCLUSION

The Night Raven is an enthralling fast-moving period crime mystery. Rundberg’s writing is well rounded, the characters are well defined, and the plot is multi-faceted and easy to follow. The descriptions of 1880’s Stockholm are detailed and allow the reader to formulate the scenes in their mind easily.

I really like this book. Even though I find a 12-year-old orphan a stretch working with the police on a gruesome murder investigation, Rundberg creates a believable justification for her involvement. She is pretty much a young Sherlock Holmes, or Holly Gibney (Stephen King).

Overall, I think this book is great for all audiences, even though it is marketed for 10-14-year olds.

There will be 4 books in The Moonwind & Hoff series: The Night Raven (November 1, 2023) , The Queen of Thieves (March 5, 2024), The Angel of Death, and The Blood Pact. I can’t wait for the other 3 books to be released in english.

One final note; SF studios has acquired the film rights to the Moonwind and Hoff series. They are expected to start filming the first movie based on “The Night Raven” in 2024 with a projected film release in 2025.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I would like to thank Johan Rundberg, Amazon Crossing Kids, and NetGalley for affording me the opportunity to review The Night Raven.

OTHER BOOKS BY THIS AUTHOR

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book review, Children's Fantasy, Children's Fiction, Children's Science Fiction, Children’s Space Exploration, Fiction, Suspence, Thriller

One Giant Leap – Review

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Litercurious Book Review

One Giant Leap - Ben Gartner
TitleOne Giant Leap
AuthorBen Gartner
PublisherCrescent Vista Press (February 21, 2023)
FormatKindle, Hardcover
Pages304
GenreChildren’s Action & Adventure / Children’s Sci-Fi /
Children’s Dystopian / Children’s Survival Story
LanguageEnglish
ASIN#B0BHRDBKZ2

AUTHOR

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.

OTHER BOOKS BY THIS AUTHOR

book review, Children's Fiction, Children's Science Fiction, Supernatural, Thriller

Frances and the Monster – review

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Litercurious Book Review

TitleFrances and the Monster
AuthorRefe Tuma
PublisherHarperCollins (August 23, 2022)
FormatKindle, Audiobook, Hardcover, Audio CD
Pages352 pages
GenreChildren’s Robot Fiction Books / Children’s
Spine-Chilling Horror / Children’s Mystery,
Detective, & Spy
LanguageEnglish
ISBN 10/130063085763 / 978-0063085763

AUTHOR

Refe Tuma is an author in his own right, and a Co-author with his wife. He lives in Kansas City with his family and their plastic dinosaurs.

SYNOPSIS

Frances is a super-smart scientist little girl. Her mother and father are great scientist and she wants to be just like them, only better. Raised in an overprotective environment, Frances couldn’t even leave the house. She spent her days studying and doing experiments with her mother and father. When her parents leave to go to a symposium; Frances, left on her own with just the robot nanny, finds her grandfathers secret laboratory.

Studying her grandfathers notes, she quickly picks up his experiments where he left off. She wants to succeed where her grandfather failed. She uses the robot body from her nanny to enhance the cadaver left in the laboratory. Then BOOM! The monster awakens! He goes on a rampage and escapes the laboratory and starts to terrorize the town. Frances has to catch him and bring him back. What follows is an adventure through a town she has never been in. Being chased by the local constable, Frances has to stay one step ahead of him while trying to track down and capture the monster. Can she stay out of jail? Will she capture the monster before it kills someone? The chase takes her through seedy alleyways, in the sewers and over the rooftops. Her adventure has just begun.

CONCLUSION

Frances and the Monster is targeted at kids 8-12 years old, but will appeal to most ages. It is a high paced thriller with a bit of horror; especially at the end. The prose is appropriate for anyone 8 or older, while the plot is both interesting and engaging.

Refe has done a great job with this story. I was unable to put it down and almost finished the entire book in one sitting. The last 2 chapters really threw me for a loop. The plot twist and the horror element was surprising and disturbing (in a good way).

I definitely recommend this book. If you like thrills, suspense, excitement and a little horror, then you will love this book.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I would like to thank Refe Tuma, NetGalley and HarperCollins for affording me the opportunity to review Frances and the Monster.

Jubilee – Review

Jubilee: The First Therapy Horse and and Olympic Dream is a book about courage, determination, overcoming insurmountable obstacles, and a love for horses. This book is an inspiration to all…

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by Britney Haim
book review, fantasy, Fiction, Politics, Supernatural, Suspence, Thriller, Travel & Adventure

WARRIOR’S RANSOM – Review

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Litercurious Book Review

Warrior's Ransom, Jeff Wheeler
Warrior’s Ransom written by Jeff Wheeler
TitleWarrior’s Ransom – The First Argentines
AuthorJeff Wheeler
Publisher47North (May 18, 2021)
FormatKindle, Paperback, Audiobook, Audio CD
Pages411
GenreHistorical Fantasy, Coming of Age Fantasy,
Sword & Sorcery Fantasy (Books)
LanguageEnglish
ISBN 10/131542027381 / 978-1542027380

Currently Warrior’s Ransom is Free-to-Read on Kindle Unlimited

AUTHOR

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

Warrior’s Ransom starts where Knight’s Ransom ended. Sir Marshall Barton, A.KA. Ransom, is on a pilgrimage to the “Chandleer Oasis.” There he hopes to discover some answers about his extraordinary abilities. He wants to find out if he is genuinely “Fountain Blessed.”

Ransom discovers that not only is he “Fountain Blessed,” but he has been chosen to defend the Argentine line. The Lady of the Fountain presents him with a scabbard with immense restorative powers to aid him in his quest.

Once Ransom arrives back in Kingfountain, he is quickly put in the service of King Devon the Elder. What follows are more deceit, rebellion, war, intrigue, battles, death, and love. How will Ransom fare? Read the story and find out!

CONCLUSION

Warrior’s Ransom is another fantastic tale. In book two, we resume Ransom’s journey as a Knight and Lord. The story is brilliantly concocted with plenty of loyalty, action, suspense, intrigue, love and betrayal.

Once again Jeff Wheeler has done a great job of mixing fantasy with history. He’s taken some historical events and employed them as a backdrop to design this world in which Ransom lives. The picture he depicts is so effectively presented that I can visualize the scenery in my mind without any issues. The castles, the battles and the environment are all described in exquisite detail.

Another incredible book from Jeff Wheeler. I heartily recommend this book to all readers who enjoy historical fantasy. If you like Knights, chivalry, ancient kingdoms, intrigue, betrayal, fantasy, suspense and massive battles, then is the book for you.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

OUR OTHER REVIEWS OF BOOKS BY THIS AUTHOR

KNIGHT’S RANSOM – Review

Knight’s Ransom is a truly awesome book! It is full of Knightly Honor, sword play, jousting, loyalty, and betrayal. It has plenty of suspense, thrills, intrigue, and action. Written to please the fantasy reader, Knight’s Ransom has just the right amount of history mixed with magic and fantasy.

Keep reading
by Kado

THE KILLING FOG – Review

The Killing Fog is the first in The Grave Kingdom series. Magic, mystery, intrigue and betrayal are all included in this fantasy. Bingmei must use all her wit, skill, and abilities to stay ahead of the ancient entity determined to capture and kill her. With the help of her friends and colleges, she embarks on…

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by Kado

THE BURIED WORLD – REVIEW

This book continues Bingmei’s quest for survival. With the help of her friends, she continues a mission to evade the evil she unwittingly released in the first book. She has many adventures, experiences great loss and witnesses more unspeakable horrors.

Keep reading
by Kado
book review, fantasy, Fiction, Suspence, Thriller

KNIGHT’S RANSOM – Review

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Litercurious Book review

Knight’s Ransom Jeff Wheeler
Knight’s Ransom written by Jeff Wheeler
TitleKnight’s Ransom – The First Argentines
AuthorJeff Wheeler
Publisher47North (January 26, 2021)
FormatKindle, Paperback, Audiobook, Audio CD
Pages431
Genre Historical Fantasy, Coming of Age Fantasy,
Sword & Sorcery Fantasy (Books)
LanguageEnglish
ISBN 10/13154202529X / 978-1542025294

Currently Knight’s Ransom is Free-to-Read on Kindle Unlimited

AUTHOR

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

Knight’s Ransom is a fantasy book in the times of ancient knights, magic, and multiple kingdoms. The main character, Marshall Barton, is just a boy when he was taken as a hostage to ensure his fathers loyalty to the King. Claire, another hostage, nicknamed him Ransom just to annoy him, but the name stuck.

Ransom’s father disobeys the King, thus he is destined to be hung in front of his father’s Keep. The King, however, has a change of heart and takes Ransom into his household. When the King dies, Ransom is left to his own devices. He returns home only to be turned away by his own father.

What follows is a journey of hardship, pain, loyalty, honor and ambition for Ransom. He trains to be a Knight, and he becomes one of the best in all the Kingdom’s. He is “Fountain Blessed,” a term used for those who have a certain gift or “power,” with the innate ability to sense danger and the uncanny capability to fight.

The new King charges Ransom to look after his eldest son. Ransom is quickly intertwined in royal espionage, intrigue, political maneuvering and life-or-death battles. What follows is a tale for the ages.

CONCLUSION

Knight’s Ransom is a truly awesome book! I had trouble putting it down. It is full of Knightly Honor, sword play, jousting, loyalty and betrayal. This book has plenty of suspense, thrills, intrigue and action.

Written to please the fantasy reader, Knight’s Ransom has just the right amount of history mixed with magic and fantasy. The world that Jeff creates is described in a way that brings it to life in the reader’s mind.

I evaluate a book by the way it effects me. If I can see the world that a book creates in my mind, and keep thinking of it long after I put it down; then it is a very good book. I’ve already stared book two; Warriors Ransom.

I definitely recommend this book to all readers who enjoy historical fantasy revolving around knights, chivalry, kingdoms and massive battles.

Jeff Wheeler is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors. His Grave Kingdom series was spectacular and now the First Argentines series is even better.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

OUR OTHER REVIEWS OF BOOKS BY THIS AUTHOR

THE KILLING FOG – Review

The Killing Fog is the first in The Grave Kingdom series. Magic, mystery, intrigue and betrayal are all included in this fantasy. Bingmei must use all her wit, skill, and abilities…

Keep reading
by Kado

THE BURIED WORLD – REVIEW

This book continues Bingmei’s quest for survival. With the help of her friends, she continues a mission to evade the evil she unwittingly released in the first book. She has many…

Keep reading
by Kado

book review, Children's Fiction, Children's Historical Action & Adventure, Children's Science Fiction, Fiction, Science Fiction, Suspence, Thriller, Travel & Adventure

The Eye of RA – Review

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Litercurious Book Review

TITLEThe Eye of Ra ( Book 1 “Eye of Ra” series)
AUTHORBen Gartner
PUBLISHERCrescent Vista Press (February 1, 2020)
FORMATKindle, Hardcover, Paperback
FILE / PAGES3864 KB / 279
GENREChildren’s Historical Fiction / Children’s Egyptian Fiction / Children’s Archaeology Books. / Science Fiction
LANGUAGEEnglish
ASIN / ISBN 10/13B082WS8H4C / 1734155248 / 978-1734155242

AUTHOR

Find out about Ben Gartner and The Eye of Ra series here.

SYNOPSIS

The Eye of Ra is the first book in the saga of Sarah and John. They are a preteen sister and brother who travel through time and experience all sorts of adventures and life challenging situations. Sarah is 12 and believes she is worldly. Whilst John is 10 and is more reserved and the “Little Chef” of the house. Together they make a great team of adventurers.

In this first installment, we are introduced to the siblings and their upcoming move from Colorado to Maryland. They experience all kinds of reservation about the move; the loss of friends and the unknown that lies before them in a new state. Sarah, the more adventurous of the two, is looking forward to the move. While John doesn’t want to leave his best friend and the only home he has ever known.

Prior to the move, the family goes for a hike up the mountain behind their house. Sarah and John go off on their own and find a cave. Of course Sarah wants to explore the cave while John thinks that is a bad idea. In the cave, they are astonished to find ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs on the wall. While tracing the Eye of Ra with her hand, Sarah accidentally transports the two to ancient Egypt.

Lost in the time of the Pharaohs, Sarah and John have to find a way back home. They meet a local boy, Zach, who takes them in while they are trying to figure out what happened and how to reverse it. While in Egypt they meet all kinds of people, learn about ancient Egyptian culture, and even help build the first pyramid! They even become temporary sleuths and uncover a local criminal. Along the way they have to deal with cobras, scorpions, and Nile crocodiles.

Will Sarah and John ever make it home? Will the criminal come after them? Will they ever see their parents again? Are they stuck in the land of sand forever?

CONCLUSION

The Eye of Ra is the introduction into the series. It is an entertaining and exciting historical science fiction story. In this first installment Ben Gartner sets the stage for the future adventures of Sarah and John. While it doesn’t have as much adventure as the later two books, it is a great beginning. Sarah and John experience life and death situations, criminals, venomous snakes and scorpions, and crocodiles. Along the journey we learn about ancient Egyptian culture, beliefs and their religion. Sarah and John learn valuable life lessons and more about their own strengths and weaknesses.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. While it isn’t as fast paced or as crammed packed with adventure as the next 2 books in the series; I found it gripping and hard to put down. I read it in less than 2 days.

The Eye of Ra is recommended for children 8-12 years of age, but I believe people of all ages will be entranced by this series. If you like science fiction, time travel, ancient history, travel and adventure; then you will enjoy this book.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

OTHER BOOKS IN THIS SERIES

Sol Invictus Book two in The Eye of Ra Series by Ben Gartner

Read our review of Sol Invictus here on Litercurious.com

People of the Sun Book three in The Eye of Ra Series by Ben Gartner

Read our review of People of the Sun here on Litercurious.com

Children's, Children's Fiction, Drama, History, Supernatural, Suspence, Thriller

Sol Invictus – Review

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Litercurious Book Review

TitleSol Invictus (book 2 “Eye of Ra” series)
AuthorBen Gartner
PublisherCrescent Vista Press (February 1, 2021)
FormatKindle, Paperback
Pages / File300 / 3901 KB
LanguageEnglish
GenreChildren’s Historical Fiction
ISBN 10/13173415523X/ 978-1734155235

AUTHOR

Find out about Ben Gartner and The Eye of Ra series here.

SYNOPSIS

Sol Invictus is the second book in the Eye of Ra series. It continues the adventures of its two main characters Sarah and John.

Sarah and John are pre-teens that are transported through time to the ancient Roman frontier. There they must unite the Roman Emperor Caesar Constantius with an enemy to save the time line and return home. This proves to be a difficult task since his enemy, the Alemanni teen Crocus, was made a slave after the Emperors soldiers killed his father. Crocus hated the Romans and only wanted revenge for his father death.

Sarah and John go through a lot of death-defying adventures to accomplish their task and return home. They fight in the arena, go on the run from the Romans, are turned into slaves, fight wild wolves and much more. The odds seem insurmountable, but they must endure if they ever want to get back to their own time and family.

CONCLUSION

Sol Invictus is an action-packed adventure into ancient Roman times. Mixed with a little history and a lot of imagination this book has it all for a young reader. There are ancient sword and shield battles, arena fighting with wild animals, chases through rough mountainous country, the defeat of capture and slavery, and the joy of friendship and camaraderie. This book has plenty to keep a young reader enthralled.

My only criticism is the constant referral to the first book in this series. My OCD wanted me to stop reading this book and start at the beginning of the series. Sol Invictus is a strong book and can stand on its own without the constant reminder of the previous book. If you can get past this little inconvenience, then you will truly enjoy this story.

My final thoughts on this book are: it is a great read. It has a lot of action and suspense, there are times of joy and sorrow, but overall, I’m glad I read it. Now, I must go get the first book, so I can appease my OCD.

Rating: 4 out of 5.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I would like to thank Ben Gartner, NetGalley, and Crescent Vista Press for affording me the opportunity to review Sol Invictus.

book review, Children's Fiction, Fiction, Thriller

THE GREAT PET HEIST – Review

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LITERCURIOUS BOOK REVIEW

TitleThe Great Pet Heist
Author/IllustratorEmily Ecton / Dave Mottram
PublisherAtheneum Books for Young Readers
(June 2, 2020)
FormatKindle, Hardcover
Pages256
GenreChildren’s Suspense / Thriller / Drama / Spy
Language:English
ISBN 10/131534455361 / 978-1534455368

AUTHOR

Emily writes under two names: Emily Ecton and Emily Fairlie. She grew up in Virginia and owned a variety of pets. She moved to Chicago and became a writer and producer for the National Public Radio (NPR) news quiz. She now lives in Charlottesville, Virginia. To find Emily’s webpages; click here for Ecton, and here for Fairlie.

SYNOPSIS

When Mrs. Food gets injured and must go to the hospital her little band of pets are left to wonder if she will come back. Afraid that they may have to go to a shelter if she is not able to take care of them; they decide that they must take matters into their own hands…or paws.

Will they live in the ducts, or the park, or will they have to support themselves? These are the options they must choose from. Of course, being wealthy has its benefits and so this merry little band decides to conduct a heist. There is someone in the complex with a stash of gold that they will soon acquire.

Oscar– Mynah bird and the brains of the outfit. He speaks a little human. He develops plans and strategies.

Walt – A black cat with cunning and stealth. When not preening himself, he is the backup for Oscar. He also has connections…Chad the Octopus.

Butterbean – Longhaired wiener dog. She is cause of the whole situation they are in. She conducts reconnaissance and information gathering.

Marco and Polo – Rats. They help with reconnaissance and observation.

Chad – Octopus. Great at moving through the apartment complex, opening doors, bottles and windows.

Wallace – Ex-pet rat. Now he lives in the apartment complex duct system. He is the guide.

Madison– Human girl. She is the temporary caretaker of the pets while Mrs. Food is in the hospital.

Mrs. Food– Elderly human. She is the owner of the pets.

Through careful planning and clever strategy, they execute the mission. Not all goes well, though, and poor Madison is kidnapped! Now they have to plan and execute a rescue mission. Will they save Madison? Will they have to go to a shelter? Will they have to live in the ducts or on the streets? You will have to read the book to find out.

CONCLUSION

The Great Pet Heist is beautifully written. I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of this daring tale. The plot is well constructed. The descriptions of the characters are exciting and detailed. The idiosyncrasies of the individual characters are spot on and humorous.

The illustrations in my copy were black and white, but they were very well drawn. Dave brings to life the characters in vivid detail. I only wish my Kindle was color. His illustrations are wondrous to look at and each one is its own work of art.

This is a great book to read to children. It is full of adventure, intrigue, mystery, danger, and adventure. I highly recommend this book.  

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

SPECIAL MENTION – ILLUSTRATOR

Dave starting drawing as a young child. He drew his first comic strip at the age of ten. He studied Design in college. His first paying design job was with a park creating posters and trail guides. His resume includes Designer, Senior Designer, and Freelance Designer. He is also an accomplished book illustrator. He lives in Ohio and has a daughter who has also taken an interest in drawing. See Dave’s webpage here.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I would like to thank Emily Ecton, NetGalley and Atheneum Books for Young Readers for affording me the opportunity to review The Great Pet Heist.

LITERCURIOUS CHILD FRIENDLY JOKE

Q. How many tickles does it take to make an octopus laugh?

A. Ten-Tickles (tentacles).

OTHER BOOKS BY THIS AUTHOR

book review, Fiction, Suspence, Thriller

THE RAID – Review

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Litercurious Book Review

TitleThe Raid
AuthorSteven Konkoly
PublisherThomas & Mercer (October 8,, 2019)
FormatKindle, Audiobook, Paperback, Hardcover, MP3 CD
Pages / File383 / 3091 KB
LanguageEnglish
GenreThriller, Suspense, Drama
ASINB07NQDDH3S

AUTHOR

Steven Konkoly is a Naval veteran. He attended the US Naval Academy and served eight years on active duty. He earned his degree in English literature. He is a Wall Street Journal, Washington Post and USA Today bestselling author. His chosen genre for his work is thrillers.

SYNOPSIS

The Raid is the second book originally in a trilogy; but on Amazon there is now a fourth book expected May 11, 2021. This book follows a year after The Rescue ended. Ryan, Brad, and Harlow find themselves once again at odds with a paramilitary organization south of the border.

When they go to investigate a suspected child trafficking organization, they stumble across an elaborate scheme to shuttle US military grade weapons into Mexico. What follows is a fuel driven fight for their lives. The Cartels want them dead; the military wants them dead, and the only one they can really trust is Senator Steele. Running for their lives while trying to counter the killing teams sent after them makes for an adrenaline pumping book.

CONCLUSION

The Raid is full of political backstabbing, cruel Cartel murder, a US military organization striving for military dominance and human trafficking. The Raid has everything, and more, a thriller needs to be successful. Steven Konkoly has crafted another masterful book which will keep the reader engaged from beginning to end.

In Tom Clancy style, Steven Konkoly has written a book on equal footing with some of the great thriller authors. This series is very well written. The plot is believable and exhilarating. The author does a great job creating the protagonist, the deuteragonist, the antagonist, and a variety of tertiary characters. The characters are well constructed and fully developed. The plot in conjunction with the characters flows well and guides the reader on an exciting expedition of mystery, murder, treason and much more.

My only complaint would be the ending fell a little flat. After an entire book of excitement and intrigue, the ending was a bit out of context with its origins and characters. However, the ending leaves open for another book with the same antagonist.

I heartily recommend this book to any readers who enjoy spy thrillers.

Click to read my review of The Rescue.

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Audiobook, Audiobooks, Horror, Supernatural, Suspence, Thriller

HEART-SHAPED BOX – Review

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LITERCURIOUS AUDIOBOOK REVIEW

TitleHeart-Shaped Box
Author/NarratorAuthor Joe Hill / Stephen Lang
PublisherShadow Mountain (Sep 8, 2020)
FormatAudiobook
Length11.1 Hours
GenreHorror / Thriller / Suspense
Language:English
ASINB002SQBG70

AUTHOR

To learn about Joe Hill, check out our authors spotlight here.

NARRATOR

Stephen Lang is an American actor, playwright co-artistic director. He received a Tony Award and the Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actor. He is best known for his role in Avatar. He has a long and distinctive film and television career. He has done voice-over work on video games and narrates a wide variety of audiobooks.  

SYNOPSIS

Heart-Shaped Box is a paranormal tiptoe though the life of a 50 something rock-star named Jude Coyne; aka Judas. Judas lives a semi-reclusive existence in Piecliff, New York. At the story’s inception, he has a small retinue consisting of his girlfriend Georgia and his loquacious Californian Personal Assistant, Danny.

Judas has a macabre occult and disturbing collection of objet d’art. At Danny’s suggestion, he decides to purchase another item for his assemblage from a popular online bidding site. It is an unusual item; as it is claimed to be a haunted suit. Unknowingly to Judas, the suit belonged to the stepfather of his dead ex-girlfriend. With the arrival of the artifact; a perfect storm of past and present events conspires together to propel Judas into a living nightmare.

The paranormal antagonist is a literal Swiss Army Knife of the supernatural realm. Craddock McDermott was the stepfather of Florida, who committed suicide after her breakup with Judas. The specter uses his life skills to bring hell into the head, heart and soul of Jude Coyne. In an all out blood vendetta from the grave; only the death of Coyne and his helpers will satisfy the lust for revenge. Judas seems ill equipped to defend himself. No matter how far or how fast he runs from McDermott, he can never escape. McDermott is not only behind him, but also in him; in his mind.

Florida’s decline after her breakup with Judas and the impact of subsequent events pulls at the heartstrings with just the right amount of pathos. I found the telephone call from Florida’s sister to be among the most chilling chapters of the book. Easy banter, quickly replaced with unrestrained vitriol and a promise of rightful revenge to follow.

CONCLUSION

Heart-Shaped Box is another winner from the pen of Joe Hill.

Overtly graphic, unflinchingly morose and disturbingly dark, the characters are perfectly sculpted. “The Devil is in the details,” as they say and this is never truer than when describing Heart-Shaped Box. It is every bit as much of a psychological thriller as a paranormal tale of terror. It is always unpredictable, atmospheric throughout with taut tracts that will haunt you in your dreams.

The narrator Stephen Lang was engaging and performed his role with some élan. He managed to bring a sophistication and an angle to the tale by enhancing the written word and bringing the characters to life.

Listening to Heart-Shaped Box, there is an inevitability and a fatality to the whole thing; a feeling that you are on an out of control roller-coaster in Christmasland. Most perverse of all is; you never want to jump off until the ride is over.

Does Judas manage to prevent the death of those who help or support him? I guess you will have to listen or read for yourself to find out.

The whole package works. Just lay back, listen and let the story take you with the help of a fine up and coming writer and a magnificent narrator. If you love skillfully written tales of horror with a twist why not let Heart-Shaped Box be your next audiobook journey? With Hill’s work, the chills come as standard.

Rating: 4 out of 5.

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