Mini Reviews

Here are some mini reviews of two books that I've just finished reading, Hunger by Jackie Morse Kessler and The Adventures of Benjamin Skyhammer by Nicole Sheldrake:

Intense is the best word to describe this book.  It definitely gets of 4 gnomes and a gnome hat out of 5 gnomes.    Lisabeth Lewis is one truly troubled main character and will have you cringing at the way she sees herself yet wanting to help her at the same time.  You will think that you know where this book is going and then, WHAM you're going to be in for a lot of surprises.  I actually thought I wasn't going to like the book at first but it exceeded my expectations 100%.  I was expecting a book that was going to be sad all the way through but I really like that it ends on a hopeful note.  I know I'm intrigued enough that I will be buying the next book in this series.

Unexpected is how I would describe this story.  It's a very solid story and feels a little rushed sometimes but the characters are strong.  I'll give this book a strong 3 gnomes and a gnome hat out of 5 gnomes.  Seems at first like it's going to be just your average adventure/fantasy story but then the world draws you in.  In this place every human has magic and if you're born without it you're seen as a freak.  The main character has no magic but makes a living as a relic hunter (finding alien artifacts that people pay plenty for.)  The description of how magic is used and how it works is intriguing.  The magic for humans at least, comes from their King so you can't do magic unless you're within a certain proximity to the King.  There are strange species on this planet that seems to be living peacefully in their own places but it seems that a new ritual may be able to spread magic across the planet.  Skyhammer, the main character, is of course interested in this because magic is all he's ever wanted.  This is another story where I thought I knew how it would end but well, let's just say I sure foresee the book ending like it did.  This story is well worth reading for the ending alone.