Screechers by Kevin J. Kennedy & Christina Bergling – Review

Screechers by Kevin j. Kennedy & Christina Bergling

Rating – 5/5

In a post-apocalyptic world, where there are virtually no human beings left, mutated monsters roam free. The new world is now inhabited by merciless, furless Apoc-wolves, abominable, giant crab-scorpion hybrids, and many more nameless predators.

One of such monsters is the screecher, a massive beast evolved to kill and survive. One screecher, after losing its family, decides to get out of the abandoned city and explore the areas beyond. Its surviving nephew also opts to tag along with it, albeit at a distance.

On the other hand, a trio of human survivors flees their burnt-down community in search of greener pastures. These two stories collide in a surprisingly tender manner in Screechers, a post-apocalyptic novella by Kevin Kennedy and Christina Bergling.

Advertisements

The Nothing Within by Andy Giesler – Review

The Nothing Within by Andy Geisler – Review

Rating – 4/5

In the year 2161, the rise of the chimera precipitated a catastrophic event (called the Reckoning) that wiped away the human population from the Earth, barring a few people. Generations later, descendants of those survivors are leading a rustic life within walled villages, afraid to go beyond the boundaries due to the fear of the chimeras. Further, they honor traditions and have a deep mistrust for technology.

Young Root, however, is different. Blind daughter of the village guardian, her endless curiosity and impertinence test her fellow villagers’ patience. A tragic event leads her to the wild country beyond the village walls where she learns the truth about her ancestors, and how the world she inhabits has come to this state.

Crush: A Tale of Two Vineyards by Joye Emmens – Review

Crush: A Tale of Two Vineyards by Joye Emmens – Review

Rating – 4/5

Set among the vineyards in Southern France and Central California, Crush: A Tale of Two Vineyards by Joye Emmens is an enchanting novel that celebrates the resilience of human spirit and the blossoming of love.

Olivia found her calling in winemaking after spending summers in her grandparents’ vineyard in California, Clos de Harmonie. She eventually pursues a degree in Viticulture and Enology and decides to complete her Master’s degree project at a Frenchman’s biodynamic vineyard in France that has been tended to by his family for the last five generations. It’s love at first sight for Olivia and Luke, the Frenchman. As she spends her time in Luke’s family vineyard, she is constantly racked by the guilt that she is neglecting Clos de Harmonie.

A tragic turn of events leads Olivia to return to California. She decides to get Clos de Harmonie certified as a biodynamic vineyard. No one thinks she can do it. Can Olivia prove herself? Can she turn around a decrepit vineyard and not lose Luke in the process?

Little Girls Sleeping by Jennifer Chase – Review

Little Girls Sleeping – Review

Rating – 4/5

An eight-year-old girl, Chelsea Compton, is missing in Pine Valley, California. For newly minted Detective Katie Scott, it’s a grim reminder of the disappearance of a childhood friend. Due to the lack of any leads, Chelsea’s case has been declared cold by the police. However, Katie’s military training and her sixth sense tell her otherwise.

She starts investigating on her own and to her horror, unearths a row of graves in a remote location deep in the mountainous forests. Each of these graves contains a brightly colored teddy bear and …. some more bodies. Amidst all these, another little girl goes missing. Suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder due to her military experiences and still haunted by her childhood friend’s disappearance, Katie vows to protect the abducted girl.

But can she? Read Little Girls Sleeping by Jennifer Chase to find out.

An Unfortunate End by Lisa Zumpano – Review

An Unfortunate End by Lisa Zumpano – Review

Rating – 5/5

New York City, 1919. Lillie Mead is a husk of her former self as she mourns the loss of her beloved in the war. She stays with her married sister and struggles to carry on with her life. A proposal, from a wealthy British friend, to investigate and report the possible murder of a British aristocrat gives her a glimmer of hope – of rebuilding her life.

What initially transpires as an open-and-shut case soon spirals into something more sinister. Can Lillie expose the truth before she follows the deceased aristocrat’s way? Read An Unfortunate End by Lisa Zumpano to find out. 

Kaerou Time to Go Home by B. Jeanne Shibahara – Review

KA-E-RO-U Time to Go Home by B. Jeanne Shibahara – Review

Rating – 3.5/5

Meryl, a Vietnam war widow, feels forlorn as her son has moved to Japan, and her aged father has remarried. A WWII Japanese flag, the last message of its bearer scribbled on it in his blood dried long ago, falls into her hands. She wants to return the flag to the soldier’s family but is reluctant to step out of her world.

After a gentle nudge from a love-struck professor and a not-so-subtle push from her father and cousin, she sets out to return the flag to where it belongs—Japan. Along the way, she meets many people – all of whom help her in reaching her destination one step closer while also helping her find herself.